Guitar 804 – Top Bound
October 19, 2008
Pulled the tape (and unfortunately, a bit of spruce grain, but that will sand out) and have a top bound guitar body ready for scraping.
Guitar 804 – Binding and Purfling
October 18, 2008
Just 18 more days until Barack Obama is elected. Wish it was tomorrow.
I pretty much completed my workshop remodel on Friday. There’s still a lot of cleanup and organization to do, and maybe Carol will help me with that tomorrow.
When I have multiple projects going on at the same time (like the Koa Parlor, the OM Maple, and the banjo rejuvenation) I work on the one that is the most fun. And, I really like putting on the binding and purfling. So even though Tom is wondering when his banjo will be done, and Larry is patiently waiting for his maple OM (which I will call the Hulk), I gravitate to the Koa Parlor as it is in the phase I enjoy the most.
Spent a lot of time ensuring I had the right depth and height for routing the channels, and tackled the back first.
Preparing for the gluing is key. Get all those binding tape strips ready, square off the ends of the binding, slather on the glue, and get going. I’m always a bit sore in the forearms after applying the binding tape as the tight fit between binding and body is essential, so I really bear down on the tape as I’m putting in place.
It doesn’t need to be taped long, maybe a couple of hours, but I left for at least 4 hours before removing tape.
The top is a bit more complicated as it is binding and purfling. The purfling is the decorative strip between the binding and the top. It requires two channels carefully routed.
This side is quite a bit messier than the back, making sure to get all the glue in all the faces that need it: in the channels, between the binding and the purfling. I prefer too much glue to ensure that glue gets everywhere it’s supposed to. I don’t want any gaps, and missing glue spots can allow gaps to open up. Again, taping is more difficult than the back, and keeping up with the drying glue and getting everything pressed firmly together and against the top while pulling down the tape is a bit tricky.
Tomorrow, I can remove the tape and start scraping. But….maybe I’ll work on the banjo and the maple OM to keep my boys happy.
Guitar 805 – Another commission!
October 13, 2008
Today, the stock market rebounded! I’m pretty sure this was primarily due to the news that Stephen Godbe has received another commission for a guitar.
This commission is from an old friend in the Bay Area. He has set a pretty aggressive schedule for me to complete and we are only beginning to discuss the design, woods, and model. We might go with a parlor, but we’ve also discussed twelve string, and I’m wondering if a parlor twelve string is possible.
I’ve also been considering what I would do next for myself, now that I have kept my first guitar only for my personal use. I ordered plans for a resonator guitar, and I’m leaning toward that as guitar 806.
Workshop done! (almost)
October 8, 2008
Whew! Construction in the workshop is complete. I have plenty of cleanup to do vacuuming up the dust and sweeping up the crap I threw on the floor while building walls, installing insulation, wiring for plugs and lighting. I’ve reinstalled the shelving in the new open space and after cleanup, it’s time to put everything back and devise new storage locations for jigs and radius dishes and oversize wood sheets and power tools usw.
The ceiling in the new space, which I will continue to call the mezzanine, is the underside of the front porch, so I still need to insert some insulation, and ultimately I want to paint the cement floor and somehow seal the old 1908 cement foundation wall and mezzanine shelf as they emit 100 years of old dirt still shedding off the funky cement (or is it concrete). But that I can do at a later date as I start to build the spray booth which will occupy the space previously held by the refrigerator.
Workshop expansion
October 6, 2008
Speeding through the workshop expansion. Finished wall between “mezzanine” and garage stairs, wired for electrical outlets in the new space, moved the fridge next to the furnace, and installed a new fluorescent fixture in the new area and moved the incandescent fixture out into the garage stairs area.
Fridge moved (itself) to space next to furnace, where shelves used to reside.
Prior to installing the fluorescent fixture.
Wall finished, needs insulation and surfacing (probably particle board left over from the tear out).
Expanding my shop space
October 3, 2008
I’m very lucky to have a dedicated shop space for building. My shop is in the furnace room which also houses the water heater. I am using every square inch of space with two workbenches, supply shelves, an old bureau with drawers for guitar supplies, and wall space for hanging up stuff. I really like the limitation as it gives me a chance to be creative about space management: everything has its space, and up until now, there was room for new stuff. Now I want to build a spray booth, and install a buffing station, and there isn’t an ounce of room left to accomodate. Opposite the shop’s back wall is the “mezzanine”; a space between the garage and the shop. I can increase the size of the shop by removing the wall and enclosing the “mezzanine” where it opens toward the garage stairs.
I started removing the particle board on the garage side, and tomorrow I’ll pop out the studs and remove the shop side particle board and sheet rock then use the removed materials to build the new outside wall. The “mezzanine” floor is lower than the shop floor, so I’ll either do a lot of tripping, or I’ll build up a wood floor over the cement to even it out.
Guitar 804 – Ebony end graft
October 3, 2008
Ordered some ebony (actually a headplate) to use for the end graft. It arrived this morning. Used the T bevel to etch out the shape on the butt, sawed and chiselled out down to the end block. Shaped the ebony end graft piece then thickness sanded down in the Luthier’s Friend. Used some BWB for accent, glued, then hammered in.
After a couple of hours of dry time, trimmed off the excess, then scraped down smooth.
Guitar 803 – Reset neck, then keep shaping
September 30, 2008
As the neck needed further “adjusting”, I remounted the neck in the jig, knowing that I needed to increase the neck angle ever so slightly. I just barely adjusted the angle from the original setting, and rerouted out a new angle, and, viola! it was dead on.
Took a measurement on the neckand the fretboard, marked up, and continued rasping toward the perfect shape.
Mounted the end cap with a scrap of rosewood, then tested fit of everything. Just a bit more neck shaving to do to get it to the same dimension as the fretboard. I think I have the right shape, but will have Larry hold and suggest any adjustments. Hey, there’s a benefit to a custom, you can get the neck shape just as you like it!
Guitar 804 – OK, one more thing
September 30, 2008
I let the body dry overnight in the go-bar platform. Did a good job with just enough glue and got no squeeze out from the kerf/top and kerf/back joint. Did have a little at the neck block, but up underside, invisible to all without mirrors. I signed the spruce top on the inside before gluing up (a hedge against counterfeiters, hah!).
Here’s the body before triming the overhang.
I used my body mounting jig clamped to the workbench to hold the body still while I use the megarouter to remove the scarf (if that’s what you want to call the overhang) with a flush cut router bit.
I can’t use this monster router to cut the channels for the purfling/binding as it’s too heavy. I need to use my palm router, which is out of commisssion until I get a replacement collet.
Next step: sand it sand it sand it, then wait.
Guitar 804 – Back and Top joined to sides
September 29, 2008
Finished trimming down braces on back, removed excess backstrip, and glued back to rim in go-bar platform.
I use a masonite “ring” cut to the outer shape of the back, with the middle removed to accomodate the radius and provide a caul to protect the back from the go-bar rods.
Added a cross of fabric over the top of the top x-brace to fill gaps and add strength. Used the approach of feathering the brace ends that meet the kerf down to nothing so I didn’t have to notch the kerf. Glued it up and attached the top in the go-bar platform.
I special ordered a replacement collet and nut for my palm router (I broke the original). It probably won’t come for a few weeks, so the next step of routing the channels for the purfling and binding will have to wait. Tomorrow, I’ll continue the process of shaping the neck for the OM Maple.
