# Making your own bending iron?



## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

I'd like to get into building some hollow bodied guitars but the cost to buy an side bending iron is fairly high. Has anyone had success making their own bending iron?


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

In the past I've used a 250 watt light bulb in a ceramic (flash bulb) socket inside a tube and controlled with light dimmer switch. 

The downsides were that; the tube was about 3" in diameter so it wasn't good for tight bends (waist); and you couldn't run it long before the contraption started to overheat, wire insulation melt, shorts develop, and breakers blow.

While those issues can be overcome, in the interest of not burning my house down I invested in a real bending iron.


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

I found this video on Youtube - the guy is using a heat gun and some galvanized metal pipes. Seems to work very well for his violin C bouts.

bending iron - YouTube


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

I anticipate that his heat gun will burn out before too long.

I've done similar (for tight bends) however with a propane torch blowing into a pipe.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

I seem to recall someone using a heating element from a hot water tank positioned inside a tube. The heating elements are long and slender and screw into a pipe thread and you can buy them at a hardware store. Maybe look into that...


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

dradlin said:


> I anticipate that his heat gun will burn out before too long.
> 
> I've done similar (for tight bends) however with a propane torch blowing into a pipe.


I was thinking the same. 

I have seen the torch idea elsewhere, I believe it was actually in a book on violin making.


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

Turns out Luthiers Mercantile actually sells a piece of aluminum pipe that you clamp in your vice and heat with a torch. Go figure. 

Not only that they, they describe it thus:

"Although it requires developing skill through use, this method of hand bending over a pipe has been used for centuries and is still used by skilled builders all around the world"

If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me!


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## TimelessInst (Apr 4, 2012)

have you considered building a Charles Fox bender? you should be able to find plans for it quite easily and it can make the job so much easier and precise.


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## n.milburn (Apr 5, 2011)

NGroeneveld said:


> Turns out Luthiers Mercantile actually sells a piece of aluminum pipe that you clamp in your vice and heat with a torch. Go figure.
> 
> Not only that they, they describe it thus:
> 
> ...


Yes, they are correct. The method of bending with a pipe and a blowtorch has been used for centuries. Wait!!! Blow torches have only been around for a century, so how could that be...?? Well, I would guess that originally irons would be heated in a fire, removed with iron tongs, and then clamped for use.

But to the OP, if you are serious about even building a few, it is likely a good idea to buy a commercially available iron. You can sell it for 1/2 price after building a half-dozen or so. If expense is an issue for you, then it may be prudent to reconsider building, because you'll only find expense after expense after expense. Good materials alone will easily run you up to 4 or 500 bucks, then add to that any specialized tools, and you are looking at a pursuit of happiness or investment in a new business. Another option would be to get a pro with a shop to give you tutoring sessions so you can get some instruction (as much as you need) and usage of specialty tools (that at this point you seem reluctant to invest in).

For example (regarding expenses), I cut my own wood to keep costs down and to keep quality control at its highest, and an ebony fingerboard costs about 30 dollars or so just for the wood, not including the time it takes me to prepare it. Yes, you can get ebony fingerboards cheaper at some luthier suppliers, but quality is dubious. I have had a rejection rate of up to 80% of "AAA" and "Master" grade woods, so I purchase my main woods locally and cut myself to keep quality up. (Sorry for the tangent.)


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## SamBooka (Feb 21, 2010)

I read of someone who uses the electric barbeque heater to heat the pipe


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

I've seen some old school footage somewhere that showed a vertically mounted pipe capped at the bottom with charcoal inside as the heat source... used outdoors of course. Can't get much simpler than that.


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## NGroeneveld (Jan 23, 2011)

dradlin said:


> I've seen some old school footage somewhere that showed a vertically mounted pipe capped at the bottom with charcoal inside as the heat source... used outdoors of course. Can't get much simpler than that.


Now that would be really cool to try just for the heck of it. Goes back to that 'how did they heat the pipe in the pre-blowtorch era' comment.


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

I recall where I came across the charcoal based bending pipe - the opening scene from the LMI side bender product video:

Luthier Tips du Jour - The LMI Side Bender - YouTube


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