Side buckled or cracked when bending

[Troy Woodyard]

Hey guys… this is acoustic number 3 for me.

I was bending my sides on an iron, and when bending at the waist the side cracked on the inside of the bend perpendicular to the grain in 3 places. I had tape on the outside of the bend so the back side didn’t split open but the inside broke. I stabilized it with ca glue and plan to sand the side, to hopefully get the crack out… but cosmetically it’s not a huge deal. I’d like to get the crack sanded out but I will be the only one who notices.

I thought about laying the blocks on and clamping into my mold… then using a piece of side cut off bent appropriately to laminate to the waist area on the inside to strengthen it.

Structurally I feel good about it, but I am open to being corrected. I have another set of sides I could use if I need to, but I’m really thinking it’s ok. Kind of looking for confirmation before moving on. If everyone thinks it’s a bad idea I may change course.

Additionally, I’m likely using the laminated linings shown in the photos if that makes people feel better about it.
Thanks!

[Alan Carruth]

Wet wood normally fails first in compression. The sides may have been too thick, or not hot enough.