Finally getting around to my bass build

[drbassman]

Time to build a steam box! 

Ugh, I am not interested in bending my own wood!  Besides, I just got an email from the wood supplier and the bendable wood is ready to ship today!  Really looking forward to getting it and experimenting.

[dadagoboi]

Ugh, I am not interested in bending my own wood!  Besides, I just got an email from the wood supplier and the bendable wood is ready to ship today!  Really looking forward to getting it and experimenting.

looking forward to how it works out!

[Lightyear]

Ugh, I am not interested in bending my own wood!  Besides, I just got an email from the wood supplier and the bendable wood is ready to ship today!  Really looking forward to getting it and experimenting.

I'm curious as to just how bendable this wood is you are talking about.    In particular I really do want to know if you can bend it to the the radius of your two horns.  I think even air dried, steam bent wood would be tough to get around that radius.

[Highlander]

Internal judicious cutting...?

[drbassman]

I'm curious as to just how bendable this wood is you are talking about.    In particular I really do want to know if you can bend it to the the radius of your two horns.  I think even air dried, steam bent wood would be tough to get around that radius.

I asked that question of the manufacturer and we determined that the wood should make it around the top horn and the lower horn will require some inside trimming to fit.  Just as Kenny said!  The maker said I'd need to sand off about 1/6" or so to make it work.  The wood is 1/4" thick, so it's got plenty of beef to it for manipulating.  He's sending a couple scraps for testing purposes.

I was also told that the 1/4" thickness makes it unnecessary for kerfs in most cases, based on other guitar builders' experiences.  I'm using a center block in my design, so there's going to be plenty of rigidity in my builds.  The body will be 2" sides plus the additional thickness of the top and bottom sound boards.

I'll post pics when I get the wood and start working with it.

[Highlander]

I was thinking kerfing rather than thinning it, Bill... the internal "vertical" cuts could also have a bit of glue for strength in each gap - not that uncommon a practice with hollow-bodies...

It's always possible a bit of both will be necessary...?

[drbassman]

I was thinking kerfing rather than thinning it, Bill... the internal "vertical" cuts could also have a bit of glue for strength in each gap - not that uncommon a practice with hollow-bodies...

It's always possible a bit of both will be necessary...?

Good point Kenny! I didn't think of kerfing slots since the maker suggested thinning.  I'll have to experiment for sure.  Since the wood is very flexible, cutting or sanding it should be interesting!

[Lightyear]

Do you have a link to this guy's product?  I curious as to what he does to it make it bendable?

As to thinning and kerfing on your horns - have you considered some small shaped blocks to glue into inside of the horns to help lock the shape in and provide some glue surface?

As for the steam box - hell it's a tool!  Who doesn't need a another tool in their shop!

[drbassman]

Do you have a link to this guy's product?  I curious as to what he does to it make it bendable?

As to thinning and kerfing on your horns - have you considered some small shaped blocks to glue into inside of the horns to help lock the shape in and provide some glue surface?

As for the steam box - hell it's a tool!  Who doesn't need a another tool in their shop!

Oh yeah, guess I could have done that before!  Here it is:  http://www.puretimber.com/  If you contact him, tell him I referred you.  You're going freak out when you see what he can do. It's a compression system he uses and the results are really spectacular.

Here's the instrument wood:   http://www.puretimber.com/musical-instruments-1/

We'll see how the bending goes and I'll reinforce if necessary.  Again, 1/4" thick is plenty to work with, even if some thinning takes place.

As for steam boxes, I don't mind another tool (for sure!), I just don't have the patience to do this myself.  In fact, I decided that if the bendable wood doesn't work, I'm doing the hollowed out chambers on my router table, like the Midtown.  Messy, but effective.

My goal is to offer two models:  solid or hollow body.

[Denis]

Thanks guys!  Here's the body, finished sanding, edges rounded, with some naphtha to highlight it....

That sure is pretty wood! It's going to turn out beautifully!

[drbassman]

Thanks Denis!  Wait till you see the cherry finish I put on top of it!

[Lightyear]

Oh yeah, guess I could have done that before!  Here it is:  http://www.puretimber.com/  If you contact him, tell him I referred you.  You're going freak out when you see what he can do. It's a compression system he uses and the results are really spectacular.

Here's the instrument wood:   http://www.puretimber.com/musical-instruments-1/

We'll see how the bending goes and I'll reinforce if necessary.  Again, 1/4" thick is plenty to work with, even if some thinning takes place.

As for steam boxes, I don't mind another tool (for sure!), I just don't have the patience to do this myself.  In fact, I decided that if the bendable wood doesn't work, I'm doing the hollowed out chambers on my router table, like the Midtown.  Messy, but effective.

My goal is to offer two models:  solid or hollow body.

Thanks Doc!

That is some cool stuff!  He's proud of it but I imagine he has a small fortune in R&D plus equipment.  The fact that he starts with veneer grade wood really has run his pricing up as well.  For what he's supplying I think his prices are justified.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I wanna hear one of their snares! Imagine doing entire drum kits out of bent wood; talk about hearing the differences in tonewood!

[chromium]

That chambered body is coming along nicely

I'm also looking forward to seeing that bendable hardwood in action - interesting stuff!

[Highlander]

... Who doesn't need a another tool in their shop!

Depends on the definition and use of the word Tool, Buzz...