Bending Jotaba

[Robert Freemond]

I've recently bent some Jotaba for sides & the results were not so good. The wood cupped in several places over the length & seems to be related to the curliness of the grain in the spot where it warped. Anyone have any experience with Jotaba ? By the way, I'm using a Fox bender with stainless shim stock(.012) + a heat blanket. I start my bend at 250*.

[Nicholas Blanton]

I suspect there's a lot of difference in shrinkage between flat-sawn and quarter-sawn jatoba, that makes anything not one or the other move a lot. And there's hard-to-see reaction wood as well- which could be the curliness you noticed. Run-of-the-mill jatoba boards often bend and warp when ripped down to size, and generally show a mind of their own, even after long dry storage. It's also possible that, since the stuff is often sold as flooring, it is badly kiln-dried as well. It's cheap enough, I'd throw out the sides you've bent and try some more with the most boring figure and the most vertical grain you can find.

[Mark Swanson]

How wet did you get it when you bent it? Use hardly any water at all, even dry works just fine. Too much water- even just a little too much- will cause that cupping.

[Robert Freemond]

Mark, You may be right. It's been hot here in LA so I spritzed both sides & wrapped the sides in foil. I've seen Taylor's Videos & he uses no water at all. I'll try your suggestion & also what Nicholas said about straight grain. I might also look for some stiffer shim stock for my bender.