Bending the Sides of a Guitar

Side Bending, a challenging Contradiction.

Using the traditional hot bending iron to bend guitar sides remains the most versatile method of doing this important task but simultaneously also the most daunting step in the making of the instrument.
The builder is faced with the following contradiction:
Bend too quickly and the wood breaks; bend too slowly and the wood tempers and becomes too hard to bend.
The best analogy would be to compare this procedure with entering a corner too fast on a motorbike:
Commit at the risk of falling or be tentative and definitly fall.
The elation at completing this difficult process is inspiring every time.