Yinfente Guitar Side Rib Bending Iron Guitar Tools Violin Side Rib Tool Luthier Tool

This side bender works very well at half the price you would pay at a luthier supply store. I've been using it to bend mahogany, maple and rosewood guitar sides as well as ebony binding. The temperature settings are accurate and it holds heat really well. There are a nice array of curves on the heating element, but tight bends (such as in a small-bodied guitar cutaway) can take a bit of work because of the width of the unit. Note that the temperature controller is in Celsius, not Fahrenheit, and you can adjust the temperature high enough to melt the controller. How do I know this? Because I did it accidentally, and basically slagged it. The controller housing is plastic and it's just below the heating element. Even though there is insulation between the heating element and the base, the base is metal and will get too hot to touch barehanded, and the controller housing will melt if you overheat it. The seller was kind enough to send me a replacement controller unit for free. Definitely went above and beyond given that the mistake was mine. It took a while coming from China but that's on the post office - the seller sent it out the replacement the day after I informed him of the issue. I may install a wider spacing block between the heating element and the housing to help keep the new controller unit safe but so far it's been fine at 200C or less. The only other issue is that there's no automatic shut off, but you can plug it to a timer and make sure that you don't accidentally leave it on. This works really well at a bargain price.

I'm giving 4 stars because the seller was very accommodating and understanding. When I first plugged in this unit to bend some sides a very pungent and toxic odor quickly became overwhelming. I needed to finish the job so I used a respirator but the shop and my clothes had absorbed the smell. It was really strong. The next day I contacted the seller and said he would send me a new one. I asked if he would test it first and he did. When he got back with me again he said the unit he was going to send did the same thing. He recommended that I keep the unit on for at least 12 hours and then the odor would go away. I left it on outside for 2 days at 500º during the daytime and it did eventually go away. He said it was the heat blanket that separated the iron from the base and that he would look into using a different source. I hope he does. If not, plan on using some electricity and time to break it in and get rid of the smell. After that, it's a good bending iron and the price is much less than other sources.

I bought this with some question about whether it would work OK bending cello ribs. It worked very well, and I like that it has a thermostat to maintain temperature. Warned about the smell from other users, I set mine up outside. Also, other users mentioned that it does get hot inside the box, so I made provision for better ventilation. One of the reviewers showed a good way to stabilize the unit, and I found that worked well for me. Look through all the reviews for the idea.

Bought this a while back, but just got around to using it. The very first time I used it, I was heating it up, and before it got to heat there was an audible 'pop' and the heater stopped heating completely. Very dissappointed.***UPDATE*** after talking with the distributor, they are sending a replacement. I will update the review again when the replacement arrives, assuming it works.

The unit is well constructed. The housing does heat up when using the iron but if clamped to the bench or held in a vice it helps keep the case temp down. The fumes were strong during Initial burn-off and took about 4 hours at a 225 setting. Earlier reviews warned of this so I setup a fume extractor which helped. Probably should have set it up outside. I used a K-type thermocouple with my meter to check surface temp. At 220 setting and 221 display temp, my surface temp was 190 and evenly spread around the iron. Temp was regulated to around +-2 degrees C. I did not run it above 200 degree C surface temp since that is more than enough for bending. Very happy with the iron.

This little device works very well and does exactly what it's supposed to. I have not tested the accuracy of the temperature readout but it gets hot and helps me bend wood. I'll note that the base of this device does get warm/hot. I use mine turned on its side and clamped to the edge of my workbench so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I also plug it in to a timer that will automatically shut off power after 3 hours just in case I forget. Recommended!

Nothing fancy; it does what it was meant to do, which is get hot. It's a much cheaper option than other side benders. The shape of the bending form is good and it's just tall enough to do the job. But, there's no flange around the base to clamp on or put screws through, and it's not just going to sit on the bench while you pull on it with wood strips, so you have to get creative on how you want to hold it down. I took the base apart and mounted a bench dog to it, but there's really no convenient method. Also, there's a plastic, snap-on cover over the temperature controller where there could have been an attached cover. Temperature setting is pretty accurate.

The media could not be loaded. Works great! Use a piece of spring steak behind whatever you’re bending. Makes a huge difference