Acoustic Build
Day 2: Morning
Bending Demo and then...
Bending Demo and then...
More sanding & gluing & shaping & sanding & gluing & gluing & sanding & gluing...
More sanding & gluing & shaping & sanding & gluing & gluing & sanding & gluing...
7:43 a.m. on Day #2 of the Acoustic Build...
7:43 a.m. on Day #2 of the Acoustic Build...
Left Front: Laser-cut bracing assembled and glued onto bottom
Left Front: Laser-cut bracing assembled and glued onto bottom
Left Rear: Bracing clamped and glued onto top in gobar deck and left overnight
Left Rear: Bracing clamped and glued onto top in gobar deck and left overnight
Right Rear: Kerfing clamped and glued onto top of side assembly and left overnight
Right Rear: Kerfing clamped and glued onto top of side assembly and left overnight
Right Front: Ebony plate glued and clamped onto neck and left overnight
Right Front: Ebony plate glued and clamped onto neck and left overnight
Day 2 began with a demo of side bending.
Day 2 began with a demo of side bending.
Allen demonstrated the use of a side bender using a ukulele mold, silicone heater and two pieces of side wood (tiger maple, as I recall) laid side by side.
Marking the bottom bracing for trimming was demonstrated...
Marking the bottom bracing for trimming was demonstrated...
Followed by marking the top kerfing for slotting of the top side X-bracing.
Followed by marking the top kerfing for slotting of the top side X-bracing.
Some of the smaller top side braces may also need to be marked for trimming as required.
Demo of using the (first) Dremel routing jig to trim the bottom bracing
Demo of using the (first) Dremel routing jig to trim the bottom bracing
Demo of the (second) Dremel routing jig to slot the top-side X-bracing (four places on the diagonal).
Demo of the (second) Dremel routing jig to slot the top-side X-bracing (four places on the diagonal).
As part of the top-side brace modifications, the forward-most brace needs to be measured (nominally 1/4) and then sawed/sanded flat to fit the neck block (which had previously been glued into the side assembly).
As part of the top-side brace modifications, the forward-most brace needs to be measured (nominally 1/4) and then sawed/sanded flat to fit the neck block (which had previously been glued into the side assembly).
Too little and the top won't fit down properly on the side assembly. Too much and there will be a gap. [Narrator's voice: the gap is visible when you look inside the sound hole.]
Whoo, boy.
Whoo, boy.
Will you look at that misalignment of the top-side bracing with the top's centerline "south" of the bridge mount. So much for building a perfect guitar...
Will you look at that misalignment of the top-side bracing with the top's centerline "south" of the bridge mount. So much for building a perfect guitar...
Best we can figure, the bracing slipped a bit early while in the gobar deck and, being in a hurry, I simply failed to spot the shift in the forest of gobar rods. Well, at least everything is securely in place. Time to move on...
Best we can figure, the bracing slipped a bit early while in the gobar deck and, being in a hurry, I simply failed to spot the shift in the forest of gobar rods. Well, at least everything is securely in place. Time to move on...
NOT SO FAST...
NOT SO FAST...
One of the top-side braces was discovered to be a wee bit glue starved and therefore presented a potential "rattle" or "buzz" problem. Best to preemptively attack the problem and reglue & clamp. Much easier to effect an easy repair out here in the free-range top mode than ignore it and place one's hope in magical thinking.
One of the top-side braces was discovered to be a wee bit glue starved and therefore presented a potential "rattle" or "buzz" problem. Best to preemptively attack the problem and reglue & clamp. Much easier to effect an easy repair out here in the free-range top mode than ignore it and place one's hope in magical thinking.
Routing the X-brace diagonal slots into the top-side kerfing.
Routing the X-brace diagonal slots into the top-side kerfing.
Best to get this task accomplished prior to gluing the back on to the side assembly. Otherwise, the body might rock a bit resulting in the bit damaging the side veneer plywood. One can't be too paranoid...
Best to get this task accomplished prior to gluing the back on to the side assembly. Otherwise, the body might rock a bit resulting in the bit damaging the side veneer plywood. One can't be too paranoid...
At around this point, the kerfed top of the side assembly was placed in the rotary sanding fixture and the "bus" was driven for the fourth and final time to sand the 25 foot radius into the top edges of the side assembly.
At around this point, the kerfed top of the side assembly was placed in the rotary sanding fixture and the "bus" was driven for the fourth and final time to sand the 25 foot radius into the top edges of the side assembly.
As the Day 2 morning build session ends, we use the gobar deck with a 25 foot radius base, a halo ring, and a passel of shorter, smaller diameter gobar rods to glue the braced bottom assembly to the side assembly. Time for lunch...
As the Day 2 morning build session ends, we use the gobar deck with a 25 foot radius base, a halo ring, and a passel of shorter, smaller diameter gobar rods to glue the braced bottom assembly to the side assembly. Time for lunch...