Members gitnoob Posted August 17, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2011 Well, I'll have to leave the truss rod as a cliff hanger. I'm bringing in a lonnnng drill bit tomorrow, and we'll try to drill out the access hole from the truss rod channel. Seems like it should work. I removed a sliver of the top today to expose the channel end. Also spent a lot of time today redrilling the post holes on the slot head. I did it free-hand last time, and I wasn't very happy with the results. So I bought a plug cutter, made some mahogany plugs, and plugged a couple of the holes. Then I bought a dowel jig to give me better alignment. I'm happier now. Finally, I decided on a binding scheme. I bought some Koa binding at the GAL show ostensibly for a future build, but I'm going to use it for this one. I just finished gluing in the Koa end graft a few minutes ago. BTW, I was patting myself on the back after I cut out the channel for the end graft. Much cleaner than my uke channel. And then I drove the chisel into my thumb. Ouch. I've learned so many valuable lessons during this friggin' project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted August 19, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 19, 2011 Last update for a week or so while I take a short break. Didn't want to leave you on the edge of your seats, so I'm happy to report the truss rod access hole drilling was successful and the truss rod has been safely tucked into the channel and sealed in happily ever after. The Koa binding was a disaster. Lots of run-out / short grain. Broke two pieces while bending and decided to change my binding plans. Switched to the same Rosewood with maple strip that I used for the uke, and it bent like buttah. Not sure yet how I'm going to integrate the new binding with the Koa end graft. I could add a black purfling line under the Rosewood/maple. Or maybe just miter the maple layer with the black purfling framing the Koa. Ugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted August 19, 2011 Members Share Posted August 19, 2011 Sorry the koa binding didn't work out. The rose/maple binding looks very good, though. I used something very similar on the git I just finished. I like it - it makes it look like I did some fine side purfling work that I never actually had to do... Nice end graft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 19, 2011 Members Share Posted August 19, 2011 I wouldn't worry about the end graft. You're doing fine, much better than I could do and I'm sure it'll turn out fine. IMHO, the koa adds a nice bit of contrast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted August 27, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 27, 2011 I'm back from vacation. Took the family to a resort in the Cascades. On the way back, I stopped by the shop of the famous guitar builder Michael Gurian. He's now in the business of making fancy purfling and binding. And he had a few sticks of Koa binding. (I was never very happy with the idea of Rosewood binding on Rosewood back/sides.) So the binding channels are cut, the Koa binding is bent, and I'm now in the process of dry fitting the binding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted August 27, 2011 Members Share Posted August 27, 2011 I'm glad to hear you got your second chance. I'm constantly amazed at how generous many luthiers are to newbies in their field. That koa binding looks pretty good - even for a dry fitting. I bet it'll really look great when it comes time for finishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted August 27, 2011 Members Share Posted August 27, 2011 Looking good, mang. Very cool deal, visiting the Gurian shop, let alone actually acquiring the koa binding. Thanks for the reminder about his marquetry stuff - that's a website I'll need to bookmark. I'm going to do koa bindings on git #3 (another cocobolo jobby). I think rose/rose would have looked good with the separating line of lighter wood, but koa will look better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted August 29, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 29, 2011 Slow. Painful. Progress! The top is bound and gagged. Our hero removes the tape, scrapes, sands, and now she is just bound. I used CA for the uke and decided to try Titebond for the guitar. Titebond was pretty messy and a bit unwieldy, but at least I didn't glue my fingers together this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 5, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 The Koa binding fought me tooth and nail, but I didn't let it beat me! Here I put the squeeze on and twist the kinky stuff into shape. And it yielded to my torture. The back is now bound. And it matches the friggin' end graft! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 5, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 Lined up the fretboard along the guitar's center line. Drilled index holes through a couple of frets and glued on the fretboard. Interestingly, the guitar build is now neck-and-neck with the uke build. So to celebrate this momentous occasion, I gave them both the same fretboard end design. Aren't they cute together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WildWill Posted September 5, 2011 Members Share Posted September 5, 2011 Awesome! Yes, they look great together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 6, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 6, 2011 Thanks, Will! OK, I've hit a small conundrum. The luthier makes classicals mostly, and it turns out that the only fretboard radius sander he has is a 20" radius. I've radiused the fretboard with his sander. 20" is considered pretty flat. Martin uses 16" and I think Taylor uses 15". I'm not sure I have a big preference, but I really like the feel of Martin necks. So -- do I move forward with the build using 20"? Or do I order another radius sander and wait? Dammit. I'm going to wait. I'll find something to distract me for a couple days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted September 6, 2011 Members Share Posted September 6, 2011 They look nice together. As for the fingerboard radius, what's your preference from a player's standpoint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 7, 2011 They look feminine....that's a good thing. I think my next one will be a Klepper clone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted September 8, 2011 Members Share Posted September 8, 2011 Looking good, mang. The koa binding looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Galabar Posted September 8, 2011 Members Share Posted September 8, 2011 The koa binding and rosette really look good together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted September 10, 2011 Members Share Posted September 10, 2011 Amazing. Can't wait to see the body once finish is applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WildWill Posted September 15, 2011 Members Share Posted September 15, 2011 Joo get your new radius sander in yet? Man, I can't wait to see that thing complete... and to hear some samples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vibroluxman Posted September 15, 2011 Members Share Posted September 15, 2011 great job. Very cool looking guitar. Will you post sound clips once you're done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 15, 2011 My new set of radius sanding blocks showed up earlier this week. So I radiused (16") the fretboard and checked the neck angle. And today I hammered the frets in. I ordered some Gold EVO fretwire just like the Big Boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WildWill Posted September 15, 2011 Members Share Posted September 15, 2011 Awesome! Looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 15, 2011 Thanks, Will! With the uke, I took the "love handles" off the neck with a band saw. This guitar is too big for my little band saw, so I used my Japanese pull saw and then planed down the sides of the neck. Man, I love freshly planed wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WildWill Posted September 15, 2011 Members Share Posted September 15, 2011 It has been a while since I've worked with wood on that level. But I do remember the pleasure of using a freshly sharpened plane. I may need to start working on some wood projects again. Your threads have re-started the juices flowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted September 16, 2011 Members Share Posted September 16, 2011 Thanks, Will! With the uke, I took the "love handles" off the neck with a band saw. This guitar is too big for my little band saw, so I used my Japanese pull saw and then planed down the sides of the neck. Man, I love freshly planed wood. Oh yeah! My jack plane needs sharpening but my block plane just zips through softwood like a hot knife through butter. I also got my 3/4" chisel similarly sharp and I had to happily clean up TWO dustpans full of perfect little 1/2" wide rolls of parchment. It was just for practice though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 19, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 19, 2011 Starting with a big chunk of wood, I carved, and filed, and sanded.... Until I ended up with a lovely low-profile neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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