[Brock Poling]

I can probably find out. Do you know how old it is? There have been a couple styles of those through the years.

[Brock Poling]

I agree supporting the piece more will probably help.

You bet.. I am happy to help. I have been at this a long time and still feel like I am constantly banging my head against a wall. It’s part of the fun of it. 😜

[Brock Poling]

Very nice! Great work.

[Brock Poling]

I am just seeing this… one other thing worth looking at in a post mortem… the way this broke (and considering it was in the lower bout where things usually go ok) you might have some significant runout in this piece. If you get a lot of runout the grain can sometimes open up on you.

[Brock Poling]

Hey Ben. I can’t *exactly* say where your problems are occurring, but I have a few thoughts. Overall I would say you are too wet, and going too slow.

I bend my sides at .05″ for an outer side and .045″ for an inner side, but I built quite a few guitars with solid sides around .080″ and this method basically worked for me.

I use supersoft like you do. I spray it on the wood about 5 minutes before bending and let it air “dry” while I am prepping the rest of my bending needs. Then right before I bend I spritz / mist the sides with water and mist my craft paper. (I don’t use foil. I had problems with it in the past and went to craft paper).

I have found that making the wood too wet, or letting it soak can cause some delamination in the grain particularly in heavily figured woods or around tight bends. I’ve had this problem more in bindings than sides, but I try to put the moisture on the wood to use the steam it generates vs. putting the moisture IN the wood. Leaving your wood set wet and wrapped in the foil for 2 hours might be a cause for some of the issues.

Also when I bend I move pretty fast. I start my waist bend at 260, slowly but steadily drive it all the way to the center then back off a smidge, bend the lower bout, then start on the upper. For a venetian cutaway I use the normal pressure arm to bend the upper bout as far as I can before starting the cutaway (I use a traditional Fox Bender with a cutaway ram. I go a touch slower here but the whole side is bent in 1:00 – 1:30. (I then tighten the waist back down to snug after the rest of the side is bent.)

I think by going so slowly you are likely driving all the moisture out of the wood and that is causing the problems you are having. It is making the wood brittle.

Also, from your setup, I would take another look at how the cutaway is supported during the entire bend. It seems to me that there isn’t much contact until you are at the final seated position. I suspect that is also causing some of your issues. In a perfect situation you want solid contact on the tight bend of the cutaway through the bend.

Good luck. Feel free to reach out to me if you have more questions or I can help in any way.

[Brock Poling]

I use West Systems almost exclusively for my epoxy applications. My main products are the 105 (resin) and 205 (hard hardener) and 206 (slow hardener). They both cure very hard with virtually no creep. I have had product in the shop for 3+ years with no issues in terms of curability.

The 205 hardener will get an amber color to the liquid over time, but I don’t notice the color in my joints (but I am often using it on rosewood / ebony / mahogany applications so YMMV.

I have had a lot of bad experiences with other epoxies and I’ve just made the plunge to West Systems since it has always been such a reliable performer.

[Brock Poling]

I can’t give you specific advice about running a repair shop, as I’ve never personally done this. However, as a serial entrepreneur who has started, grown, and sold several businesses, I’ve learned some hard-knock lessons that might help. Take what resonates and leave the rest—every business journey is unique.

1. EVERYBODY STARTS OUT FAKING IT.
   When you’re just starting, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has it all figured out. Trust me—they don’t. Everyone learns as they go. The trick is to build a support system. I highly recommend forming a mastermind group with other business owners. It’s even better if they’re in different industries. Meeting regularly (even for coffee or breakfast) can give you new perspectives and help you learn from others’ experiences—especially their mistakes—so you don’t repeat them.

2. CASH FLOW IS KING.
   For a while, it is all about money. Make sure you price your services fairly—not just for the customer, but for you. Finish jobs quickly and collect payments promptly. On the expense side, don’t let money leave the business unless it’s absolutely necessary. Manage your cash like your business depends on it—because it does.

3. DON’T BE CHEAP IN THE WRONG PLACES.
   You’re running a business, not a one-man band. Trying to be your own lawyer, accountant, designer, or bookkeeper is tempting, but one mistake can cost you dearly. Invest in professionals or freelancers when needed—platforms like Fiverr or Upwork can help. It may feel like a splurge, but cutting corners here can lead to bigger problems down the road.

4. KNOW YOUR MARKET.
   Define your audience and stick to it. Don’t try to be all things to all people; it’s a quick way to dilute your focus and burn out. The businesses that succeed often know what they don’t do just as clearly as what they do. Find your niche, and own it.

5. LEARN TO SPOT THE RED FLAGS.
   Some customers will be more trouble than they’re worth—demanding, unreasonable, or endlessly draining your time. They’ll keep you from focusing on better-paying and more satisfying work. Learn to recognize these “time vampires” and steer them to someone else (politely, of course). Protect your bandwidth.

6. DON’T MORTGAGE YOUR FUTURE.
   When times get tough—and they will—resist the urge to make deals that hurt your long-term prospects just to get through today. Taking unprofitable work or high-risk gambles can snowball into bigger problems. Yes, you may need to make tough choices now and then, but avoid selling your soul (or your margins) too often. It’s hard to recover once you start down that path.

7. PARTNERSHIPS ARE TRICKY.
   Business partners can be your biggest asset—or your biggest headache. Be very cautious about bringing on a partner, and have a plan for when visions diverge or one of you wants to leave. Partnerships often have a shelf life, and it’s especially risky with friends or family. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way.

8. PLAN YOUR EXIT FROM DAY ONE.
   Most entrepreneurs don’t think about how they’ll eventually leave their business. Will it be sellable? Will it depend entirely on you? If your goal is to build something you can sell or pass on, start thinking about that now. Structure your business to run without you, and consider who might buy it one day. What would make it valuable to them? These questions may feel distant, but addressing them early will give you options when the time comes.

Starting a business is an adventure. There’s no perfect roadmap, but if you focus on learning, planning, and adapting, you’ll find your way. Good luck!

[Brock Poling]

I am not super knowledgable about resawing raw lumber, but a few general tips for resawing from squared up lumber. I would make sure the wood is DRY before you cut it (especially with maple). I have had issues with it cupping if it is not dry. Once cut I put it back under stickers for a few weeks for it to restabilize.

In terms of cutting it I use a 3TPI Wood Slicer resaw blade from Highland Hardware, and I generally do a very accurate saw setup before I do it.

[Brock Poling]

Thanks. I will give it a shot and report back.

[Brock Poling]

Ok, good to hear you had success. Thanks.

[Brock Poling]

Sorry… I missed this comment earlier. I am pretty sure SilverTip is more of a finish / pore filling epoxy than an adhesive. YMMV.