Getting ready to do a cutaway

[Kevin in California]

I built my first cutaway guitar almost 5 years ago, when I was bending sides on a hot pipe. It was a dred. I have not done one since.
I have made a OM cutaway form and forming ram for my bending machine and plan on making my next guitar a OM with a cutaway.
Should be bending sides in the next couple of weeks, but the bender is now ready!

[John J]

Nice. What woods?

[Kevin in California]

I was going to do walnut, then thought no. Let's do cherry,
Now I might still do walnut, but maybe sapele, can you tell I've not yet made up my mind????

[John Parchem]

Nicely made bending Jig!

[Herman]

That is looking good Kevin. I am curious how the tight bend turns out.
Herman

[ken cierp]

To apply heat to the inside curves (compression side) our form is heated on the inside with bulbs and on the outside with a blanket backed with a .008" slat. Our cutaway cauls are also form fitting not rollers.

I think the Sapele will be your biggest challenge.

[Kevin in California]

Thanks Ken, I have a heat gun I'm going to use to supplement heat on the wood in that area. Otherwise I have the wood between two SS slats, and that has worked splendidly on regular bends.
I've bent one set of sapele for a standard OM and it bent just fine, no issues. I will most likely bend cherry for this guitar, but haven't decided for sure yet.
Do you think Cherry will be a challenge?
I made that flexible stainless spring steel caul hoping it will do the trick. Not my idea and must work as others use it too. It seems to fit and conform to the cutaway shape just fine.