Members meandi Posted August 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 roughing in the spruce plate with the angle head grinder loaded with the chain saw link disc. it moves a lot of material in a somewhat controlable manner. everything here was done in a couple of minutes, with some of that time spent just being cautious. get the feel of it & i can eliminate a major bloc of the time between this one & the time invested in the other plate. i'm carving the shape, beginning with the lowest area...the rim of the plate. the line towards the bottom is the 1/4" rough-in line as before. using the templates, even now, gives me a feel for where to move material next, so as to establish the true contours as early in the process as possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted August 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 Originally Posted by HoldingZero Alright, enough! Even the jigs you build for yourself are worth admiring. I'm starting to feel inadequate. I'll never try to build another birdhouse for as long as I live. but, what will the birds do then? i've always admired the oriential cultures who made art from every aspect of their lives & have aspired to treat my work in a similar mentality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members iansmitchell Posted August 28, 2008 Members Share Posted August 28, 2008 MMmmm...I can't wait to hear clips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted August 29, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 29, 2008 Originally Posted by iansmitchell MMmmm... I can't wait to hear clips! comin' atcha...i've already talked to a couple of people about assisting me in that very thing. _____ i checked back, & discovered it took me 8 days from the time i cut the back plate from the blank untill i was satisfied enough to drill the backside for hollowing. i started on this one last evening & put an hour into it at that time. i've worked on it today off & on & as it sits here it's ready to have the back scooped out. i learned a lot on the first one & went into this one with a much better feel as to how the game is played. the chain saw disc really saved me a bunch of time on the rough in, leaving much less to remove with the palm plane. i've also added a random orbit sander with a round pad to my tool collection, that when loaded with 60 grit disc flattened the washboard surface from the plane to a good surface very quickly. the 5" diameter on the disc is perfect for getting into the smaller curvature of the cutaways & saved a couple hours there, over shaping that area with a curved scraper. another step closer to stringing er up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted August 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 30, 2008 almost done top plate sitting on the body which is resting in the carving cradle. back is scooped, thicknessing is done. edges of the plate are still 1/4" over per side. marking for f holes. template is constructed so that when the horizontal line is on the bridge centerline & the vertical edge of the template is on the centerline of the top, the positioning of the f hole is correct & may be penciled in. i'll cut & dress them tomorrow & begin on the bracing...perhaps finish the bracing. braces must be a precise fit to the top & the configuration of the inside of the top is one long continuously changing multiple radius, so i'm not sure how long it'll take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted August 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted August 31, 2008 well, i got one f hole pretty much done yesterday.so much for the best laid plans of mice & men.my son stopped by to visit & check out my progress first hand...also to re-string & freshen up the set up on his main gig ax...this guitar is profiled in my goldie hardtail thread about a year ago.he also plugged into my little shop amp & brought me up to date on some new material he's working on.nice thing about teching for all my friends & family...i get to listen to several really amazing players in private concert from time to time.life is about more than just building guitars...occasionally ya gotta stop & listen to some guitars as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 1, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 1, 2008 f holes are completed.working the braces today.most important placement criteria for the braces is that they pass under the height adjustment posts on the bridge above.this allows maximum sound transferance from the bridge to the top.bridge location is easily located on the underside of the plate by laying a flexable ruler from point to point on the inside of the f holes.there is a 3" spread between the posts on the bridge...those spots are marked.distances between the braces is 1/2" on each side of center at the neck & 2 1/8" each side at the tail block...these positions are marked, as well as locater marks at each end of the braces on the flat on the rim of the plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 1, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 1, 2008 with the brace wood properly positioned on their marks & on the flats at each end of the top, the contour of the inner top is scribed with a compass.due to variations in the contours, lines must be scribed on each side of each brace.that's what is going to make the braces tricky to fit...i'm going to have to create a slightly different shape on each side of the brace to make it fit the top properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 1, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 1, 2008 getting there.brace on the far side is fitting better, at this point, than the near one which needs to come down more in the center.i'm going to have to get some carbon paper for the fitting after it is close enough that i can't eyeball it any further.by rubbing the brace on the c.p. high spots will be colored...want it where they fit close enough to get a mark on the entire length of the brace...which means full contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 3, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 at this point, i'm laying the carbon paper at various spots along the length of the brace.i align the brace precisely with several reference lines, & holding the paper still, i scuff the brace in very short strokes on the surface.leaving a smudge of black at each point where contact occurs.i take my small maple sanding block with 80 grit & take the black off, working only on the black areas...this brings the high spots on the brace down into line with the lows.move it to another spot & continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaveAronow Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 Hey, I am an Electric Guitar forum regular, and I only wander over here occasionally. WOW!!!! Am I glad I found this thread. I used to spend hours and hours looking at luthier sites and build threads and gallery pics from luthier builds on their sites. Cruising build sites is how I stumbled on to Harmony Central in the first place. I then found a cool little build thread over in the electric guitar forum and I got sucked in. I have never left. I have to tell you, that this is the best, most interesting, and most detailed build documentary I have ever found on the internet. There may be better ones out there, but I certainly havent found any. Now: I agree with iansmitchel that a link to this should be posted in the Electric guitar forum. In fact I am going to do it as soon as I finish this post. Build threads over there are just about the most poular and best received threads of any type, and THIS one will simply blow them away. I want to share it with my pals over there because I think they deserve to know about it, and I think your great work ( the build AND the documentation of it) deserves as much recognition as possible. This is certainly the coolest thing I have ever seen on Harmony Central. I just read this thread in its entirety from start to finish.. EXCELLENT work, my friend.:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oats Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 i have come over from teh electric guitar forum ( thanks for the link dave ) what a fantastic build thread !! brilliant work fellah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 Wow, amazing. I suscribed following DaveAronow's tip in the electric forum. Thanks Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikeSF Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 at this point, i'm laying the carbon paper at various spots along the length of the brace.i align the brace precisely with several reference lines, & holding the paper still, i scuff the brace in very short strokes on the surface....leaving a smudge of black at each point where contact occurs....i take my small maple sanding block with 80 grit & take the black off, working only on the black areas...this brings the high spots on the brace down into line with the lows.move it to another spot & continue. this is awesome. i am impressed with your skills.one trick i have seen master luthiers do at this point is to hit a tuning fork and press it into the braces all along the length of each brace. where there is full contact, the fork tone will ring the guitar top; wherever there is a void, you will hear a dead spot and be able to sand the surface accordingly.have you seen this? it looks to be along the same lines as using carbon paper, but uses sound waves and lets you hear the top. cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 3, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 Wow, amazing. I suscribed following DaveAronow's tip in the electric forum. Thanks Dave! thanks, guys!people enjoying & responding to my work is part of what fuels my energies for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chiro972 Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 I know nothing about the topic, but is the top thickness about typical for an archtop? Seems a bit thick, but again I'm a total ignoramus when it comes to archtops. So I'm just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 3, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 this is awesome. i am impressed with your skills.one trick i have seen master luthiers do at this point is to hit a tuning fork and press it into the braces all along the length of each brace. where there is full contact, the fork tone will ring the guitar top; wherever there is a void, you will hear a dead spot and be able to sand the surface accordingly.have you seen this? it looks to be along the same lines as using carbon paper, but uses sound waves and lets you hear the top. cool! hi mike, nice to hear from you again.all is well with you, i hope.the carbon paper procedure i learned from benedetto & it enables a very close fit. i had not heard of the tuning fork idea, but it's a perfectly logical extension of the tap tuning procedure.i'm definately going to use it today, as the braces are ready to glue in place, based on the readings given by the carbon paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 3, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 I know nothing about the topic, but is the top thickness about typical for an archtop? Seems a bit thick, but again I'm a total ignoramus when it comes to archtops. So I'm just curious. with the parallel braces that i'm using, the thickness of the top is to be 3/16" in the area around the bridge, tapering to 1/8" in the recurve out by the edges. this top is at specs. + just a hair to allow for final sanding for finish etc in the bridge area, additional thinning will take place out aroung the f holes as the recurve is cut & blended up into the top...however that won't take place untill the top is on the body out around the edge of the plate, which is still 1/4" wider than the finished edge, it may be thicker than spec. but that overage will all be trimed flush with the sides once the top is glued to the body. a guy commented on this back in my purpleheart thread also, that in the photos things appeared to be thicker & blockier, at times, than they actually are. i don't know why it is that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chiro972 Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 cool, thanks for the reply. I really do dig these build threads. I'm pretty much in awe because I haven't got the tools or the talent to do something like this. Keep up the good work and great pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 3, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 cool, thanks for the reply. I really do dig these build threads. I'm pretty much in awe because I haven't got the tools or the talent to do something like this. Keep up the good work and great pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 This is great! Thanks for documenting your process so thoroughly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 3, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 This is great! Thanks for documenting your process so thoroughly. thanks & you are welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members atrox Posted September 3, 2008 Members Share Posted September 3, 2008 carving cradle. back/top blanks will be lightly clamped in place for carving. high dome side is cut first. sides of cradle are deep enough to accomodate the domed area when blank is flipped for dishing into the back side. a quick tour of my little shop room. real cozy...could really use a little more room to keep me from tripping over things when i move around at times. but i'm real glad to have what i've got! working in here is great therapy plus it keeps me out of the little womans way. I love this thread. BTW, I have the same bandsaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meandi Posted September 4, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 4, 2008 I love this thread. BTW, I have the same bandsaw. glad you're enjoying it.i've been checking out some of your links...cool, i enjoy studying peoples work.i've had the bandsaw for about 4 yrs now & use it pretty much daily.actually, i don't know how i got along without it._____trim down the ends of the braces tomorrow & it'll be time to put the top on the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mjuenem Posted September 4, 2008 Members Share Posted September 4, 2008 I really enjoyed the look around your shop. You must really try to keep ahead with the vacuum - it all looks so clean. I can't believe the top is ready - how exciting! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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