Bending Blankets For Sale
I have bending blankets for sale in 3 sizes. These silicon blankets are made to order for me in the U.S., which accounts for the fact that they are quite a bit more expensive than the Chinese made blankets on eBay. They are very good quality, but truthfully I've never tried a Chinese made bending blanket, so you should check eBay before you decide to buy one from me. All prices include shipping by Priority Mail anywhere in the U.S. Hawaii State residents will have State Sales Tax. I only accept payment by PayPal. E-mail me your order to pegasusguitars@hawaiiantel.net and I'll send you a PayPal invoice. Cheapest temperature controller for these blankets is a router speed controller. Harbor Freight, amoung others, sell these at very low prices. The router controllers work fine, though you have mess around a bit measuring the temps to figure out where to set the dial on the controller. Better controllers are the ones sold by LMI, though they are expensive.
Article On How I Bend Wood Here
4" x 24" Single uke side size. $135.00
6" x 24" Double uke side size. $145.00
6" x 34" Single guitar side size $160.00
Important notes on bending blankets
1. Blankets should never be left on without a heat sink or they can delaminate. When on the bending mold, the mold serves as a heat sink.
2. Cauls should not press directly on the rubber blanket surface. There should be a stainless steel or aluminum sheet between hold down cauls and the blanket surface.
3.Blankets reach temps of over 300 degrees very quickly. Gloves are recommended during use.
4. My personal bending technique is to use 3 pieces of aluminum flashing the length of the sides,layered with the side wood and blanket. I start with 1 piece of flashing on the bottom of the sandwich, add the side (which I wrap in wet craft paper), then a 2nd piece of flashing, then the blanket, and then the 3rd piece of flashing. I let the blanket heat up to 275 degrees before starting the bend, then slowly conform the side to the mold. For best book matching results, I have adapted my Fox style bender to allow me to start bending from the tail end of the side. rather the the middle as most builders do. It is easy to change a Fox bender to allow bending from the tail. I control the heat with a router speed controller to never exceed 350 degrees. A uke side takes about 10 minutes from the time I start the heat until the timer shuts off the heat. A guitar side takes about 13-14 minutes. If the side is not completely dry when I remove the sandwich, I reheat it in the mold for 4-5 minutes.This process works for me.
5. For tight cutaways, I have other techniques that work for me. Contact me if you have further questions.
6. For best results when working with highly figured woods, I highly recommend doing only 1 side t a time, using the 4" x 24" blanket instead of the 6" x 24".
6. Nothing is 100% guaranteed