From a Hunk O' Wood to a Neck Block

 It's a hunk o' wood, that's what you're thinking. And you'd be right. I found it at a local used/rescued building materials place. I'm not sure what it is, but I think it might be mahogany (don't assume I'm that good at identifying woods though). I brought it home because when I picked it up and tapped it with a knuckle it rang like glass. "Oh", said I, "that has a nice tone!" I used it to build the new neck and tail blocks. There wasn't enough usable area on it (knots, nail holes, etc) to do much else, but there is enough of it left to get at least a few more neck and tail blocks.


Why did I make yet another neck block? Well, after I changed the depth of the guitar I couldn't use the one I made before. This is just as well, as I much prefer the wood for this block anyway.

So here's the new neck block in place on the top. I've got the top set roughly in place on the back to check the fit of the join between the forward edge of the neck block and the edge of the upper bout wall section. As you can see, I had some tweaking to do... though the gap you see in the image is somewhat exaggerated due to it not sitting exactly in place for the picture. The fit is much nicer now, though I can't seem to find a picture of it. Well, that'll show up later as I construct further.

I'll have some trimming around the contour of the top and back after this is together. Time to see if I can source me a good quality router, I think.

The Contraption In Use

 OK, so about that side-bending form business I mentioned earlier.

There it is, with the veneer laminated in three layers, being held in place by the clamps and the strip of webbing to even out the downward pressure. Laminates have a tendency to pull apart at the crest of an outward curve; the webbing provided enough tension to prevent that.

 And here is the first side piece formed on my contraption! I'm so excited, it worked. I compared it with the outline of the guitar and it matches. Yay!

This is where I have to trim it back to fit the "puzzle" when the pieces are all formed. You can see the nice curly figure of the maple in this picture. It'll look awesome when it's got a nice polish on it.








More to come.

And Then They Both Sighed, Side By Side

The title of this entry is a reference to the Marx Brothers, in case you were wondering where my head is.

Here begins the making of the sides. As mentioned earlier, I have maple veneer to laminate the sides with. I intend to use three layers. The veneer is 1/42" thick. That's less than a millimetre thick! It's so thin I don't need to steam it before bending it.

 I'm starting with sheets of maple that are about 30" long by 4 5/8" wide. Earlier on I mentioned I was going to make the sides 1 1/2" wide, but I've decided I want more interior volume, particularly since the top and back are relatively shallow compared to many archtops. I'm going with 2 1/4" wide sides. This will make the total depth of the guitar about 3 1/4"; deeper than I had originally dreamed it to be, but still not overly so.

I simply used a T Square as a guide and made my cuts with a new X-acto blade. You're not being stared at by an evil eye in this photo, it's just the ceiling fan light reflecting on the T Square.

OK, so now they are cut. I have enough to do three layers on each side, as well as on the cutaway and the upper bout face. This is a figured maple, with a very nice wavy sheen, which you might just make out in the pictures if you have a good monitor.




Next will come the glue up, and pressing the strips in place on the frame.

Moving Along To Something That Will Work

An earlier entry hinted at a system I'd been considering for making the curved guitar sides. It didn't fail, really, because I didn't try it. I just decided it probably wouldn't be as dependable a system as I want. Instead, I'm going for this kinda thing, which is closer to a typical style guitar side form.

My original idea for this clamp system was to epoxy the nut to the outer surface of the cross bar, allowing for the bolt to be tightened down through the hole and against the block. I suddenly had one of those moments where you slap yourself on the forehead and say, "duh, that's not the way to do it".

 So I removed the nut from the outer surface and ...

Where did that nut go? How's that bolt supposed to stay in place?

See it? Now I don't have to spend time doing anything to fix the nut in place. When I tighten the bolt down against the block the nut will just push against the cross bar from underneath and create it's own support. It doesn't need much pressure, just enough to keep the layers of veneer in place while the glue dries. I have a similar set up for the inside curves on either side of the guitar, as well as the fiddly bits at the top end on either side of where the neck fits in place.

Not quite sure why this didn't occur to me right from the get-go. I must have been having one of those moments where I over think the process of something, not allowing for the simple answer to come into my head until I've relaxed and looked at things with a clear mind.



The actual block is the larger piece of MDF at the bottom of the image. The smaller block has a bore hole in it, and is glued to the larger block. This provides a nest for the end of the bolt, so nothing moves when I'm fixing in place. I am so looking forward to finally getting the maple veneer laminated up into the curved sides. This is gonna be fun!!

********

Here's an update, as of May 19. The side bending form is done.

 Undressed. Blocks and bolts all over the place.





Most of the blocks have a piece of PVC pipe fixed to them, to allow for contours. The one at the back end (you can just see the black square peeking out there) is flat with a piece of plastic over the surface, to avoid glue sticking to it. The black curved piece at the front end is cut from another piece of PVC pipe, having a broader curve for the shape there.

Dressed. All blocks in place, bolts inserted. I just wanted to be sure all of the hardware fit in properly before I actually start with the lamination process. Don't want things in the wrong spot, or wiggling around when it comes time to make those sides.

What, no clamps?

So, what's up with the straps? Let's see if my plan works. I intend to use a system to laminate up the sides that does not involve clamps. Wish me luck.

Curves

Well, I'm finally getting around to making a new form for the sides of the guitar, which will be maple laminate. This one will have plenty of room to work with and I'll be working on the outside of the curve, rather than the inside. The form is much wider than the actual guitar sides will be.

I'm using a material called Task Board to build the sides out of. This is cool stuff. It's like heavy stock cardboard, but you wet it lightly with a spray bottle and form it into curves. When it dries, it stays in the curve. It's not strong enough by itself to hold up to the pressure of forming, but I have plans to make it stronger. This is where my experience with polyurethane resin comes in to play. More on that, as I progress.

The messy looking pic with the yellow sheet at the bottom is the process of sealing the Task Board with polyurethane. This is a two part resin (1:1 mix ratio - you can only see one bottle in this pic though) that hardens within several minutes into a white plastic. Generally, I use this product for casting things from silicone molds, but for this purpose I simply spread it on the Task Board and let it saturate in. When it hardened it became a strengthening agent, as well as providing a moisture barrier to the card stock.


The surface on which the side form is glued is MDF. I used it because it is generally much more flat than other sheet products that are strong enough for the job; plywood is strong, but almost always has a bow in it. For purposes that require flatness I recommend MDF.

April 23 - The form is now complete, having the upper bout ends closed off, and ready to have the open side closed off with a second sheet of MDF (a la sandwich style). This will add more strength and provide a "trench" for the veneer and bending apparatus. It is now black because I have sanded it several times and sealed it with paint. It looks a mess, but the working surface is nice. Looking forward to starting a new post about laminating the sides with the curly maple veneer I have patiently waiting for the job.

April 26 - The open side is now closed off. Yes, that's just some heavy reading piled on top of the thing while the glue dries. I'm a low-tech kinda guy.

And with a new coat of paint make it smooth and all sealed. I went with white this time.

After I get a few other things done I 'll be starting the lamination of the sides.