Today I finished the heating part of my side bender, and made the spreader clamps to hold the sides straight in the mold. I decided to try the 150W light bulb method to see how that works. I figure that if need be, I can always get a heat blanket but I want to try this method first since it is so inexpensive. I was able to get the bending surface to 220 degrees Fahrenheit which was pretty good since my shop was somewhere around 50 degrees inside. My shop is an old barn that is un-heated and un-insulated so it typically is the same temp inside as it is outside. I insulated my shop area when I built it, and installed a couple of electric heaters but it has a hard time keeping up when the outside temp's are in the 20's. On the up side though, I have a 500 sq ft workshop with another 500 sq ft that is un-used that I can expand into if needed. That is the second floor, the entire first floor is used as storage, a workshop for my RC airplane hobby, and a shop for my contracting business.
That is everything I wanted to get built before I start actually building the guitar. That means, tomorrow the real work starts!
Enough rambling, here are some pictures.
I put foil tape inside of the form as well as the heating unit. Note to self: Put the tape on the wood BEFORE assembling the unit!
Here is the hi-tech heating unit. Two adjustable flood sockets (porcelain) and 150W bulbs.
Here is the completed unit.
I picked up this thermometer at Walmart. It is a cooking thermometer with a probe. I just slid it inside one of the support braces. I have a scrap piece of 1/8"x2" mahogany in it that I was able to bend pretty easily.
These are the spreader clamps for inside the external side mold. Simply a piece of 1/2" aluminum tubing and 3/8" all thread with a wing nut, washer and too cauls. The whole thing can be disassembled and removed through the sound hole once the guitar is built.
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