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Thank you guys. I appreciate it. I’m just figuring this...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:08:47 -0400

Thank you guys. I appreciate it.

I’m just figuring this stuff out as I go and it means a lot that people like what I’ve done so far. Of course I can point out every flaw, of which there are many, but overall I’m fairly satisfied with how they are turning out.

How they sound is the biggest part. If they sound good to me, I’ll need to find someone who plays a good classical or spanish guitar. The last thing you want is to hear me play! I consider myself a halfway decent bass player, but I’m not even close to a half assed guitar player.

And this should be the last pic before pore filling. 3 wash coats of shellac on each. Should be ready tomorrow, though I’m not sure if I will be.

Thanks again….Dave

First of three wash coats of shellac on both guitars. Then I can...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:14:17 -0400

First of three wash coats of shellac on both guitars. Then I can start to pore fill with pumice.
At last, the lengthy french polishing process begins.

Cut and fit the nut slots and carved the string ramps on both....

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:17:34 -0400

Cut and fit the nut slots and carved the string ramps on both. Decided to dress the frets before I start to final sand and finish.

Dressed again with a mill file, checked with a straight edge and then across every 3 frets with a little straight edge. Made a sanding block and sanded the frets with 320 then 600. They were left with a satin finish which I didn’t like. I made a strop for my chisels a while back, which I don’t really use. So I charged it with tripoli and used it on the frets. Came out nice and shiny.

Need to do the frets on number 2, then I can final polish both. Then I can start the long process of pore filling and french polish. That should be interesting.

Guitar two pretty much caught up to the first. Binding on the...

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:22:35 -0400

Guitar two pretty much caught up to the first.

Binding on the soundboard came out much cleaner. Backs were actually pretty close to the same even though one was done by hand and the other with a router.

Finishing carving the necks on both. Note that I reversed the scarf joint on one just to try it. The carving has been one of the more difficult steps, not because of the carving, but to try and gauge the neck feel without strings on. I guess it would help if I played a bit more guitar too.

Just a few more steps before starting to finish. Getting close!

Catching up on guitar number two. Pretty much have the binding...

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:39:35 -0400

Catching up on guitar number two.
Pretty much have the binding and purfling done. Just need to scrape a bit more.
Fingerboard and fretting next.

Binding part 2- I had pre fabricated a jig to cut bindings...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:22:06 -0400

Nice cut on these ledges! Close to the heel too.

The inner workings of my high tech fixture.

Stop and bit set up for purfling ledge.

Foam... the latest technology in fixturing.

Cutting position.

Binding part 2-

I had pre fabricated a jig to cut bindings ledges and added the router when it was delivered Monday. Bit arrived late yesterday. This is based on one I saw online. Router sits underneath the work table, height is adjustable on the router base while the depth is set by a screw moving an adjustable stop. Some foam I had keeps the guitar up slightly off the router guide, so when cutting you simply push the guitar down and hold against the stop as you turn the guitar.

I thought this design was pretty cool when I saw it. Easy to make and uses a single cutter as opposed to different bearings to adjust depth. I’d rather hold the work to the machine than move the machine around the work. Because the router is stationary, it was easy to put the vacuum right up to it and there was virtually no dust.

Easy to set and took like 5-10 minutes to do the ledges on both sides, two passes for full depth, including changing the settings for depth and height to cut the purfling ledge. Made a nice cut too. Very happy with this.

Now its time to catch up on guitar number two.

Fashioned a heel cap from scrap pieces from my rosette. Glued...

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:16:49 -0400

Fashioned a heel cap from scrap pieces from my rosette. Glued that in place last night. Started carving the neck early this morning.
Router is in and bits should arrive today so hopefully I can get back to the binding on number two.

Guitar one fretted. Checked. Relieved the slots with a v file....

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:48:59 -0400

Guitar one fretted.
Checked. Relieved the slots with a v file. Hammered (clamped in the case of the sound hole) and installed frets with a bit of white glue. Nipped the ends. Mill filed the edges. Beveled to 35 degrees with a file holder I made.
Did a rough leveling with a mill file. I’ll finalize leveling, filing and polishing after the neck is carved and finished.
Now on to carving out the neck.

Thank you. Lots of new challenges. Its been fun for the most...

Sun, 12 May 2013 21:50:30 -0400

Thank you. Lots of new challenges. Its been fun for the most part, a bit nerve wracking and definitely exciting. The only frustration really was with the bindings. I wasn’t in a good frame of mind when I started them and I knew it, yet pressed on, wrong decision. Oh well, they will be ok I think. Live and learn. Thanks…Dave

Locust fingerboards and bridges. Before and after ammonia fuming...

Sun, 12 May 2013 17:21:46 -0400

Locust fingerboards and bridges. Before and after ammonia fuming session.
Color is definitely a bit odd, but don’t fret, a coat of oil will make these a dark honey color. Should look interesting with the redwood and walnut.
Fingerboard is glued on guitar number one. And speaking of fretting, that’s the next step.

Bridges and fret boards all ready to fume.

Sat, 11 May 2013 18:00:42 -0400

Bridges and fret boards all ready to fume.

Where’s that confounded bridge? Working on it. Commence...

Fri, 10 May 2013 21:16:04 -0400

Where’s that confounded bridge? Working on it. Commence bridge making sequence-

Planed to dimension. The grain in these pieces was really nice, it planed really easily. Cut the ends square.

Marked and scribed the cut lines.

Cut depth of wings with a saw and chiseled flat.

Marked and cut saddle slot and string block to depth.

Chiseled to profile.

Made a little chisel tip on an old file to get into the 3/32” saddle slot. Still need to taper the wings and drill the angled holes for the strings. Then clean up with sand paper. Then on to bridge number two.

Finished slotting my fretboards. Planed them to a taper. Aligned...

Thu, 09 May 2013 16:47:27 -0400

Finished slotting my fretboards. Planed them to a taper. Aligned with the center lines on each guitar and tapped in pins. Rounded the ends for the sound hole. Then sanded.
These are ready to go. Bridges up next. I’ll fume the bridges and fretboards to darken them before I glue them up.
Hope to have that all done before I get my router delivered so I can route the binding ledges on guitar two.

Planed down my locust fingerboards. Made a quick fixture to slot...

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:09:45 -0400

Planed down my locust fingerboards. Made a quick fixture to slot them. Used 14 gauge galvanize that I marked off and notched to locate in the fixture.
Done with one. On to two.
Will prep and sand these fully along with the bridges. Then fume them to darken before I attach.

Scraping on my mind… Up early. So I scraped the binding...

Tue, 07 May 2013 07:58:49 -0400

Scraping on my mind…
Up early. So I scraped the binding and purfling on the back of guitar number one.
Came out ok. Could be much neater and cleaner. The top binding leaves a lot to be desired. Oh well. That’s what I get for the first time and using just hand tools. I like the mosaic butt plate though. Ties in nicely with the rosette.
I may use a router for number two. I’d really like to have one of these guitars be really tight.

Had to do a major pruning to the Japanese maple yesterday. Love...

Mon, 06 May 2013 14:53:13 -0400

Had to do a major pruning to the Japanese maple yesterday. Love this thing, especially when its red in early spring. It’s like sitting under a 16’ tall bonsai.

Here are the hand chiseled binding and purfling ledges on the...

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:11:42 -0400

Here are the hand chiseled binding and purfling ledges on the back of guitar number one. I had to take a few days off and get my head back in a good space to do this detail work. It was not easy. Still some clean up to do.
Overall, I’m not super happy with the binding on this one. Hope to improve on the next.
As much as I’m not a fan of routers, if I make more guitars I will definitely fabricate a nice fixture and go that route.

Binding channels on one almost done. Still need to carry them...

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:03:12 -0400

Binding channels on one almost done. Still need to carry them into the neck and heel. Not very pretty, but they should clean up a bit and hopefully work ok. Decided to glue on the butt strip in the mean time.

I must say, this was my least favorite part. Not very easy, especially when the grain on the top or back likes to be cut in the opposite direction of the sides. I also realized I need to add purfling to the back, just so I don’t have a walnut on walnut joint. I should be able to cut enough little strips of locust, I only need 4. That also requires chiseling out a tiny channel around the back, approximately 1/16” wide, but only about half way through the thickness of the back plates, which is about .040” deep.

I’ll finish the second one by hand too. Not sure if I would do it again though.

Well thanks. I see you use locust a lot, it’s one of my...

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:49:56 -0400

Well thanks. I see you use locust a lot, it’s one of my favorites. The purfling will be pretty basic, just a strip on the top and bottom of each side. I have very little left in the fence post I’ve been using that will give me 28” of straight, non-checked or knotty pieces to work with. The large grain structure in locust doesn’t make it the easiest thing to make little 1/16” x 1/16” bent strips out of either. Though I am hoping to make an interesting butt strip with some left overs from the rosette.

Thanks… Dave

Modified my rosette cutter so I could use it to scribe my...

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:38:14 -0400

Modified my rosette cutter so I could use it to scribe my binding channels on the back. Used my wheeled marking gauge to scribe the sides. Started chiseling them out on guitar number one.
It’s a bit intimidating but similar to chiseling out the rosette. Once you get in the groove, both figuratively and literally, it’s not too bad.
One of 4 close on number one. Also cut and pre bent my bindings, which are walnut with a locust purfling on the bottom side.
Lots more to do.