Bending a Cutaway Side - Luthier Tips du Jour Mailbag
In this episode, Robbie O’Brien provides expert advice and practical techniques for effectively bending a Venetian Cutaway side, offering valuable insights to enhance the bending process.
Video Transcription
[on-screen text reads: Luthier Tips du Jour Mailbag]
Mailbag question: Do you have any advice on how to bend a Venetian cutaway side?
Robert O'Brien: Today's Tips du Jour Mailbag question comes to us from Arizona. Robert, "I'm attempting to bend a Venetian cutaway side, and I'm having trouble. Can you offer any advice? Roger, in Arizona."
Roger, bending any side, especially a cutaway side, can be very difficult. Now, there are two types of cutaways. One is the Venetian, which you're trying to do, which has the rounded part of the cutaway area. The other is called a Florentine, which has a pointed part in the cutaway area. Now, the Venetian is the most difficult, in my opinion, because you have to try and bend that sucker without getting it to break, as you've found out. The secret to bending wood is to have good heat transfer. It has to get hot. Now, when I bend to Venetian cutaway side, I use a bender and to help me to guarantee that I get that heat transfer, I use a heat gun in the cutaway area.
I show this technique in my online cutaway course available via my website. Now, when you're bending your cutaway side, go ahead and put your bindings in the machine as well. You might as well do both tasks at the same time. Now, once you get the sides and the bindings bent in that Venetian cutaway shape, that's only half the battle. You still have to build the guitar and bind the guitar, and I offer many tips and suggestions about that also in my online cutaway course. So Roger, I hope this information has been helpful. Remember, get it hot before attempting to bend, and happy bending.
[on-screen text reads: More Luthier Tips and online courses available at www.obrienguitars.com. Private and small group guitar building and finishing instruction available.]
