Thread: metal sheeting for bending machines

For thin stainless try the drums out of tumble clothes dryers

Sheet aluminium from mitre10.

I've used the same bits for four guitars without a hitch.

W'eve been using galv for a while and it works fine.
Just got hold of some stainless slats from Luthiers Mercantile International.
They weren't cheap but I couldn't source any locally.

What size and how thick are you after? I may be able to get my hands on some SS 0.35mm thick, 340mm wide off a coil. It is a maybe and not sure of the price.

I need 230 wide and about 500-700 long.

I'd love stainless, but going on what has been suggested above, it seems like galv or alu or even drier drums (know them well - why didn't I think of that? probably cos I'm not looking forward to snipping them up!!!!) will do the trick.

But thanks for your offer, butch.

Matthew

I use following in a sandwhich from top to bottom:

Spring steel slat
thermal blanket (from Blues Creek Guitars in US)
wood wrapped in al foil
stainless steel slat
(form).

The wood is sprayed lightly with water (demineralised) and the al foil traps the moisture and prevents staining from the slat.

I bend alot of wood and when starting out did things from alum to spring steel to stainless.
Alum is ok if you are using solid patterns. The metal takes the refered bend and in some cases can stain wood. Be careful especially with Koa. Often I think it may be more to water chemestry and metal reaction so you may want to use a barrier of brown kraft paper or tracing paper.
Spring steel is very good as it is hard and won't take a refered bend but this can stain wood also . The higher iron content will allow migration of ions and you can turn maple the most unusuall colors.
Stainless will come in different tempers. 301 and 302 are the most common that will be of use. This stuff is what I use. The metal will take a slight refered bend but it isn't that bad and really doesn't fight you .
john

In the end I've been using thin aluminium sheet from old offset printing plates. Seems to work fine, little staining at all.