Members kwakatak Posted May 14 Author Members Share Posted May 14 I’ve spent the last two days getting the body ready for the new top. That involved gluing on new lining and sanding in a 60’ radius. I also broke out my little table saw and ripped out new braces for this build and the next. My failed top has braces I bought at Martin but these will be all my making. The X braces will be tricky but I’ve done them before. The concern will be the brace angle and the lap joint. Finally, the last image shows that the body may likely be a little shallower. That’s not a bad thing. I was not happy with the binding before so this gives me a chance to do it over. I won’t be working on concrete though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 14 Moderators Share Posted May 14 Okay, it looks like you have your head and your heart back in this one So, the Martin braces were not salvageable, or will you use them again elsewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 15 Author Members Share Posted May 15 23 hours ago, daddymack said: Okay, it looks like you have your head and your heart back in this one So, the Martin braces were not salvageable, or will you use them again elsewhere? I tried to take them off the old top but when I applied heat the top cracked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 15 Author Members Share Posted May 15 Braces are underway. Cutting the lap joint took a lot of effort but I got a nice tight fit at a set 95° angle and I won’t have to do the cloth patch like I did on the left. Next thin for them is to sand the 60’ radius in the underside of the braces and cut another maple bridge plate I still have to thin the top down a little, first, then I need to do the rosette. I have more purfling coming from Stewmac; I only want to do black lines on the outer rings like Martin does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 16 Moderators Share Posted May 16 6 hours ago, kwakatak said: I tried to take them off the old top but when I applied heat the top cracked. That was my main concern when you first mentioned you wanted to re-use them....a shame. but, as we know, $#!+ happens. It just proves what a good job you did attaching them in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 16 Author Members Share Posted May 16 This top WILL be better - even if it kills me! 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 16 Moderators Share Posted May 16 5 hours ago, kwakatak said: This top WILL be better - even if it kills me! 😄 Let's not go that far, kwak.... Maybe you could sell that top to Bite Guitars as a prototype for an acoustic line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 20 Author Members Share Posted May 20 One thing I do is to check the flexibility of the top while running it through the drum sander. When I hold it on both sides and shake it back and forth and it makes a metallic noise (like if you were doing the same thing with a piece of steel) then it's time to stop sanding. Now I've moved on to the rosette and got the herringbone ring in. I still haven't done the inner and outer rings or routed out the soundhole because I was working in my driveway and ran out of sunlight. I plan to pick up on Monday then move on to doing the same with No. 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 20 Moderators Share Posted May 20 and...it is Monday....?😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 22 Author Members Share Posted May 22 On 5/20/2024 at 7:56 PM, daddymack said: and...it is Monday....?😉 The rosette is about ready to be glued in. I did the herringbone ring yesterday then the outer rings today. I also did some yard work and sanded the back on No. 4. In all honesty I got a late start this morning. I slept like crap last night due to a family issue then decided I needed to go back to bed. I really don’t want to get into it; I’d like to sleep tonight. I’m thinking of breaking into my wife’s wine collection tonight; beer and whiskey don’t mellow me out enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 22 Moderators Share Posted May 22 Wine is definitely more for chilling out...sorry you are dealing with 'stuff'. Nothing wrong with yard work either...that's how I spent the better part of my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 22 Author Members Share Posted May 22 (edited) 12 hours ago, daddymack said: Wine is definitely more for chilling out...sorry you are dealing with 'stuff'. Nothing wrong with yard work either...that's how I spent the better part of my day. Thanks. I gotta expand the wife’s wine rack though. Edited May 22 by kwakatak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 22 Moderators Share Posted May 22 43 minutes ago, kwakatak said: Thanks. I gotta expand the wife’s wine rack though. You need your own.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted May 23 Members Share Posted May 23 (edited) On 5/21/2024 at 7:19 PM, kwakatak said: I’d like to sleep tonight. I’m thinking of breaking into my wife’s wine collection tonight; beer and whiskey don’t mellow me out enough. Sorry to hear you're having trouble sleeping. Been there when I worked nights. 😟 Edited May 23 by DeepEnd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 23 Author Members Share Posted May 23 10 hours ago, DeepEnd said: Sorry to hear you're having trouble sleeping. Been there when I worked nights. 😟 Nah, the nightmare is during the day. The sleep thing is PTSD. The reason these projects take me so long and I lose control of other things is likely ADHD affecting my ability to prioritize. I need to schedule with a therapist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 23 Moderators Share Posted May 23 ADHD is great for multitasking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 24 Author Members Share Posted May 24 11 hours ago, daddymack said: ADHD is great for multitasking Yeah, using a card scraper is WAY more satisfying than biting your nails: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted May 24 Moderators Share Posted May 24 don't sniff that stuff.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 24 Author Members Share Posted May 24 1 hour ago, daddymack said: don't sniff that stuff.... I used Titebond, not superglue. It fills any gaps and won’t react with the finish later on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted May 25 Author Members Share Posted May 25 Next up: the bracing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted June 3 Author Members Share Posted June 3 (edited) I’ve quasi shaped the braces and interlocked them by cutting notches. I’m almost ready to glue them up. Edited June 3 by kwakatak 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted June 3 Moderators Share Posted June 3 looks pretty damned good from here! I see you like to leave the brace edges square, rather than rounded off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted June 4 Author Members Share Posted June 4 (edited) 3 hours ago, daddymack said: looks pretty damned good from here! I see you like to leave the brace edges square, rather than rounded off. I’ll chisel them round and scallop them once they’re glued up then sand them all smooth. The X brace needs to be whittled down 1/4” in height too. EDIT: I just did a dry fit with the go-bars and keeping the top flat also helps the rods seat firmly without slipping. Edited June 4 by kwakatak 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted June 9 Author Members Share Posted June 9 (edited) Braces are in: Next step: I break out the chisels and sandpaper to soften the profiles and add scalloping. Edited June 9 by kwakatak 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted June 10 Author Members Share Posted June 10 I’m lining up the top so that I know where to cut notches in the sides. I’m using the two little holes in the neck block and the centerline of the mold along with a couple of dowels. Once I figured out where to do it I drilled two holes in the top. They will be covered by the fretboard. I’ve also rounded some of the braces but not the ones I also need to scallop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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