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1st attempt.

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Parnell:
I've begun work on a Turkish design.  I'm designing for 47" between knocks and hope to come in somewhere in the 50-60# range...hope. 
I'm using hard maple grown at above 3,000 ft. elevation in WV, or so I was told.  It's clean with straight, tight, grain and free of any pin knots.  I cut two laths and think they are pretty good.  I will probably cut out a couple more to see if I can get the grain even better, then choose.  I'm going to do the handle with the same hard maple.  The wood has been air dried for a couple years.

I built some forms to bend them and will start soaking the laths in the spare bathtub for a week before I try the bend.  We'll see.

I plan to cut my horn strips this upcoming weekend.

My plan is to show my basic progress as I go.  Any experienced advice, highly welcomed!

RBLusthaus:
how thick a lath are you going to try to bend?

Russ

Parnell:
Just about .5".  I'm doing my measurements metrically going off the Karpowicz book, though.  I read about keeping the lath uniform thickness during this bending process and you are looking to base your thickness of off the greatest part of the limb.  Reduction will come later.

mikekeswick:
It might be an idea to make your forms with a straight section to support the sal. It may warp if 'left hangin'!
Good luck with the bending. Make sure to have the wood fully immersed in boiling water whilst heating it. Boiling water is better than steam alone and having them completely underwater will ensure even heating. I used the bottom tray out of an old tool box and three camping stoves to ensure all the water is at a rolling boil not just one spot above the heat. Give it a good hour.
Round your edges well and maybe reduce the inside of the tip bend with a shallow radius this will really reduce the likelyhood of the lathes breaking at the tip bend.

Parnell:
Thanks for the advice, Mike.  I appreciate the "multiple heat sources" idea.  I'll definitely look to do that.  I am going to soak the laths in my bathtub for a week and then bring them to the boil before I bend them.  Good idea with the tip bend, too.  I remember reading about that.  I do need to round off my edges a bit...

Thanks.

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