Members kwakatak Posted October 13, 2023 Author Members Share Posted October 13, 2023 4 minutes ago, daddymack said: Tape? This is the digital age! Well to be honest I didn't want to use vinyl because it could gum things up if I expose it to heat. I could go old school and use a hot pipe and a propane torch but the binding is curly maple and splits really easily. Using the bending machine I used to bend the sides seems safer that using an open flame too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 13, 2023 Moderators Share Posted October 13, 2023 3 minutes ago, kwakatak said: Well to be honest I didn't want to use vinyl because it could gum things up if I expose it to heat. I could go old school and use a hot pipe and a propane torch but the binding is curly maple and splits really easily. Using the bending machine I used to bend the sides seems safer that using an open flame too. Heat gun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 13, 2023 Author Members Share Posted October 13, 2023 3 hours ago, daddymack said: Heat gun? No. Nylon heating blanket that can go over 300 degrees. A heat gun is more useful for repairs where you have to soften the glue. I also learned a neat trick about using a clothes iron and a damp rag to steam out dings in bare wood. Thankfully I haven't had to put the fire pit to use yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 13, 2023 Author Members Share Posted October 13, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted October 18, 2023 Members Share Posted October 18, 2023 Very nice. I very much approve. 😉 Seriously, it looks very much as it should. Looking forward to journey's end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 18, 2023 Moderators Share Posted October 18, 2023 On 10/13/2023 at 8:49 AM, kwakatak said: No. Nylon heating blanket that can go over 300 degrees. A heat gun is more useful for repairs where you have to soften the glue. I also learned a neat trick about using a clothes iron and a damp rag to steam out dings in bare wood. Thankfully I haven't had to put the fire pit to use yet! I have done the iron+ wet t-shirt [what I used, what can I say] once on a re-fin job. I have used heat guns for repairs a few times. A heating blanket that goes to 300F? Sell that to 'eskimos'?😉 Okay, so, where is the fretboard hiding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 18, 2023 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2023 11 hours ago, DeepEnd said: Very nice. I very much approve. 😉 Seriously, it looks very much as it should. Looking forward to journey's end. I can't be confident until the binding is on. I had a rough time of it on the last one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 19, 2023 Moderators Share Posted October 19, 2023 13 hours ago, kwakatak said: I can't be confident until the binding is on. I had a rough time of it on the last one. You learned...that's what it is all about. You will learn even more from doing this one. And in back of all the worry, and the hard work...is the joy of discovery and achievement. No one woke up one morning and said 'Gee, I think I will make a guitar!', and does it, and succeeds by that evening. Not even Harmony Central Moderators....😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 19, 2023 Author Members Share Posted October 19, 2023 29 minutes ago, daddymack said: You learned...that's what it is all about. You will learn even more from doing this one. And in back of all the worry, and the hard work...is the joy of discovery and achievement. No one woke up one morning and said 'Gee, I think I will make a guitar!', and does it, and succeeds by that evening. Not even Harmony Central Moderators....😉 Yup. I've been fiddling with my homemade binding cutter jig and working on leveling the sides. I need to tweak the jig so that I can get a nice square angle on it. Meanwhile, the sides are slightly cupped in areas and my prevoius attempt at using a sanding spindle has left some flat spots that I need to curve. It's hard to explain but I need to have the sides smooth along the surface, perdendicular to the axis of the bit and flat from back to front so that the jig has a good reference for the guide to follow - otherwise the binding isn't going to fit flush in the channel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 25, 2023 Author Members Share Posted October 25, 2023 (edited) I bought prebent herringbone purfling from Stewmac and bent the bindings the other day. The day before yesterday I spent measuring and a good hour carefully routing out the channels. Things came out okay (not a lot of tear out) but I have to give it another pass because I'm .1" off. Such is the way of things. Edited October 25, 2023 by kwakatak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 26, 2023 Moderators Share Posted October 26, 2023 great match with the rosette! Where are you off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted October 27, 2023 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2023 14 hours ago, daddymack said: great match with the rosette! Where are you off? I was .1mm shallow on the binding channels but I went back yesterday did another pass. Now everything is flush. I still have to fine sand everything but at least now I don't have to worry about chipping out curly maple. Now I'm on to mitering the purfling at the end wedge and dry fitting the binding so that I know how short to cut each binding so that there are no gaps. It's anal retentive work and I am no tightass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 27, 2023 Moderators Share Posted October 27, 2023 11 hours ago, kwakatak said: I was .1mm shallow on the binding channels but I went back yesterday did another pass. Now everything is flush. I still have to fine sand everything but at least now I don't have to worry about chipping out curly maple. Now I'm on to mitering the purfling at the end wedge and dry fitting the binding so that I know how short to cut each binding so that there are no gaps. It's anal retentive work and I am no tightass. the devil is always in the details.... Better too shallow than too deep... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted November 1, 2023 Members Share Posted November 1, 2023 On 10/26/2023 at 9:44 PM, kwakatak said: I was .1mm shallow on the binding channels but I went back yesterday did another pass. Now everything is flush. . . . Second best outcome you could've hoped for (the best being that it would be perfect on the first try). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted November 1, 2023 Author Members Share Posted November 1, 2023 (edited) The channels are looking good. The purfling could sit a little lower so I'm going to just deepen the purfling stair step with a file but the bindings and purfling are trimmed to length. Edited November 1, 2023 by kwakatak 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted November 2, 2023 Moderators Share Posted November 2, 2023 looks almost like a guitar! fretboard looks good...bridge... where's that bridge...?😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gibson29 Posted November 2, 2023 Members Share Posted November 2, 2023 1 minute ago, daddymack said: looks almost like a guitar! fretboard looks good...bridge... where's that bridge...?😉 Cutting edge NoBridge© with the new NoStrings© system? Looking good thus far! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted November 2, 2023 Author Members Share Posted November 2, 2023 1 hour ago, daddymack said: looks almost like a guitar! fretboard looks good...bridge... where's that bridge...?😉 Don't worry. I have a Martin style ebony bridge. It goes on after I apply finish, but I'll be using it to make mask before that point. I just don't have a saddle for it yet! I figure I can either order it from Martin or buy a blank from StewMac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted November 2, 2023 Author Members Share Posted November 2, 2023 I’m BTW I’m hoping that this relatively quick progress builds momentum. In hindsight a big part of that was me making my own shooting board, side bending apparatus, drum sander and binding channel cutting guide. I’ve been collecting materials, acquiring plans and building templates for the next one, keeping an inventory and documenting the process so that the the process goes even more smoothly. The big difference for the next one is that I actually have to build and carve the neck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted November 2, 2023 Moderators Share Posted November 2, 2023 neck carving is, I am told, the true artistry of luthiery. I look at the work you've dons, and are doing, and about to do...and I have to say...amazing...I am always impressed with what you show us, even the errors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted November 3, 2023 Author Members Share Posted November 3, 2023 2 hours ago, daddymack said: neck carving is, I am told, the true artistry of luthiery. I look at the work you've dons, and are doing, and about to do...and I have to say...amazing...I am always impressed with what you show us, even the errors. Thanks. This is actually the first build I’ve done with a ready made neck, but the first two were with laminated necks that weigh a lot and I haven’t figured out how to get a good neck angle. It is fun carving them though, though the maple parts were a pain. This next one is all mahogany which works like butter. I’m weighing on whether I want to do a bird’s beak volute or just an ordinary scarf joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted November 3, 2023 Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2023 11 hours ago, kwakatak said: Thanks. This is actually the first build I’ve done with a ready made neck, but the first two were with laminated necks that weigh a lot and I haven’t figured out how to get a good neck angle. It is fun carving them though, though the maple parts were a pain. This next one is all mahogany which works like butter. I’m weighing on whether I want to do a bird’s beak volute or just an ordinary scarf joint. Have you done both before? Otherwise, I suggest doing the one you have not done I'm not a huge fan of scarf joints*, and a well done volute can be an interesting feature, IMHO. It requires more wood to start with, and a lot more 'carve' but I find it preferable. *link added for those not familiar with the process Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted November 8, 2023 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2023 Ok. The binding and herringbone purfling is in. Note to self: never use the orbital sander on purfling ever again. I sanded through a 3” segment of the herringbone and need to splice some scrap sections in. No pictures. The next step is to set the neck with a dovetail on a machined next it’s just a matter of setting the depth so that the fingerboard doesn’t sit above the upper bout. After that on to the fingerboard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted November 15, 2023 Members Share Posted November 15, 2023 On 11/7/2023 at 10:24 PM, kwakatak said: Note to self: never use the orbital sander on purfling ever again. I sanded through a 3” segment of the herringbone and need to splice some scrap sections in. 😟 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted November 17, 2023 Author Members Share Posted November 17, 2023 On 11/14/2023 at 10:08 PM, DeepEnd said: 😟 Yup. I'm looking for the 1000 grit pad. The 100 done me wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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