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Posts 251 to 275 of 419
  1. #251

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    Yesterday, when I had to halt the gluing of the inlay, I decided to use the time to plane/sand the headstock to the lines. I used a standard LN block plane to plane down the long sides down to 3 6/16" at the widest part on top, so the ebony veneer would cover the entire surface. I then sanded the top curve and long edges with 150grit sand paper. Here is the current state of shaping:
    First-timer Archtop Build-14b81064-2abf-487e-93ad-710f1594857c_1_201_a-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-d0a0b17b-7b09-460e-8201-611e143d593e_1_201_a-jpg

    First-timer Archtop Build-6d9993ca-9c00-4005-a5d1-d22c618d815e_1_201_a-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-d631a377-9146-4171-b121-0de3aae12d6a_1_201_a-jpg

    From this picture, it seems like I need to go back to the spindle sander to take down the transition area/heel a bit more.

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  3. #252

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    Got to the shop this afternoon and decided to start with installing the side dot position markers.

    I thought about using my calipers to measure each fret or get the numbers from the fret calculators online. I was uncertain that mine would be exactly like the calculators, so I decided to measure in some way. Because the calipers give decimal, it was sort of painful to get the halfway points from that. So I decided to use a ruler to measure the best I could and then compare each fret to the calculators and ensure they were close. The fretboard thickness on edge turned out to be 5/32" as I planned, so I'd use the halfway point of that (2.5/32" - this particular ruler didn't have 64ths).

    I bought recon turquoise markers from LMI (figured these may match the abalone and look unique) as well as the 2mm drill bit specifically for these.

    I started by using the white chalk pencil to mark out the halfway points:
    First-timer Archtop Build-d9cc6baf-e448-4f33-a682-536b2c88800f_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-c8b94d48-e3bc-4414-bd57-7d14a913d63c_1_201_a-jpg

    Benedetto book says place markers on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th. My PRS didn't have one on the 1st fret, but I decided to include one anways.

    The point on the drill bit was fantastic (you see below), so once I had the halfway spots, I decided to use the point of the drill bit to mark it out at the 2.5/32" location:
    First-timer Archtop Build-16d95806-f448-4bb8-bf23-9ad2b39737e1_1_201_a-jpg

    The dots were 0.060" long, so I tried to guestimate with calipers and place tape so I knew the depth to stop drilling:
    First-timer Archtop Build-a8cac6c9-3a78-4faa-8396-f20f533c25c3_1_201_a-jpg

    Then drilled the holes by hand with a powerdrill. I think the drill press would've been a bit painful since it's carved already:
    First-timer Archtop Build-fc2c6f48-d0d8-4f7b-b369-f743f4794080_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-171e8317-63e8-4df9-9710-6148b03b3c5f_1_201_a-jpg

    Then I masked around the drill holes with tape, to protect the ebony from any squeeze out of CA glue:
    First-timer Archtop Build-7852135e-7387-4b52-af80-878d8f19e9ef_1_201_a-jpg

    For this part, I used Locktite Gel Control CA glue. I held the tiny marker with forceps and placed a drop of CA glue onto the bottom of the marker, placed it into the hole, and tapped it in with a small felt-covered mallet:
    First-timer Archtop Build-fea81b81-aa14-4411-af61-be91043bb341_1_201_a-jpg

  4. #253

    User Info Menu

    I used a scrap block double-stick taped with 100grit paper and sanded down the markers until they were flush. Here's the final appearance:
    First-timer Archtop Build-f33f50bc-d901-45e4-b51d-e3b3f10c3da5-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-0355c199-668e-420a-84b2-1865650f635c-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-aa09005e-3257-4ea8-b01d-a7b0c61c366b-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-b347a6ca-7ad8-407a-b6ee-1eb2ddfd922c-jpg

  5. #254

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    I've been wanting to post this subject, but it took me a while to make a move on this stage.

    Because of having violin-style (edge overhanging the side ribs), it makes placing a tailpiece saddle a tricky situation. One option would be to include a fulcrum on the bottom of the tailpiece, but I really wasn't a fan of that. Plus, the spruce on this guitar is so soft, I wouldn't hesitate to guess it would make a depression or indentation with all the string pressure over time. So, over the last several months, I researched violin tailpiece saddles.

    In my research, I found that many saddles are placed all the way down to the tail block (and some even below into the ribs):
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_2f16c92e358b-1-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-img_e7f672ffe204-1-jpg

    That being said, I wasn't really excited to cut the edge all the way down not knowing what I'm doing and wreck the top plate.

    I also came across this variation by E.H. Roth (German luthier near Czech Rep. border) who used this technique of inlaying the saddle into the actual top plate:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_89f9254e9109-1-jpg

    This satisfied my criterion of not completely removing the edge, and inlaying seemed like it was within my scope of woodworking skills.

    Benedetto plans call for having the saddle 1/4" into the tailblock with 3/16" protruding above top plate.

    I didn't want to make my own saddle from ebony, so I bought the violin saddle from StewMac. I calculated my top plate at the violin edge at 0.201" thick. The saddle measured 11/32 tall, so I chose to place the inlay halfway into the top plate at 0.100".

    Here I had marked the centerline:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_45b4bb3767f9-1-jpg

    So, I set off on planning the inlay cavity by tracing the saddle on the top plate:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_bfa37c957127-1-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_1f75bf0ca3ca-1-jpg

  6. #255

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    Today after feeling buzzed from successfully placing the position dots, I felt a positive push to get this cavity cut. Steve suggested I mark the cavity with the marking knife and use the Dremel with the router base, just like I did for the veneer inlay. I liked the idea, but was nervous to dive right to the piece. I took a piece of leftover spruce neck/tailblock and marked it for a practice run:
    First-timer Archtop Build-e490ac90-fef6-4999-9cf7-473930e034df_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-82f17857-f304-4773-b656-468371f898fc_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-68f7d1cd-57c0-4eb8-a1b2-05c7e34ea28d_1_201_a-jpg

    I set up the Dremel with router base to 0.100" and made a pass. It worked great:
    First-timer Archtop Build-d9d9e9f3-04a9-4581-b3aa-50888b14cd32_1_201_a-jpg

    So, I took that momentum right into the real deal by marking it with the knife:
    First-timer Archtop Build-0c65bdfe-d9a6-4384-bd94-034ace0d7546_1_201_a-jpg

    I wanted to see the edge for the marking gauge (to make a cleaner bottom cut), so I traced lines to the edge and marked it:
    First-timer Archtop Build-4cfcc667-b653-47d3-9276-62720cb0f79e_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-fccc37c7-7218-4e17-97dd-d16a06a502aa_1_201_a-jpg

    Here I is, set to go:
    First-timer Archtop Build-d84120fa-7675-4f48-9355-267f11e089b3_1_201_a-jpg

  7. #256

    User Info Menu

    And the end Dremel result.... :
    First-timer Archtop Build-a7a4c88c-137f-409a-93cc-388d05682811_1_201_a-jpg

    Clean cut!

    I then chiseled to the edges, but I forgot to take a pic. Here's pix of the current fit:
    First-timer Archtop Build-c7fff198-782f-4b9b-ab6e-94dfac1635c0_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-b989bcb2-7181-46d2-84fc-b924006fc0da_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-abd5acab-f2ee-4d2b-b163-798a837c0cce_1_201_a-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-44c3a186-c2a4-43bb-ad13-e14148f62a58_1_201_a-jpg

    Few comments on this:

    1. I completely recognize that this design for a saddle may completely fail from the string tension/pressure initially or over time because of the limited wall height on the neck end of the cavity. However, I feel it was the most reasonable decision being that I'm a fairly novice woodworker and didn't see myself being able to execute other ways (without normal binding). If it doesn't, I'll feel like a pioneer.

    2. I plan to glue the saddle in with a tad bit of space a la this violin (to accommodate for wood expansion with humidity, etc):
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_723c150c81d1-1-jpg

    3. I will need to do final edge refinement sanding after gluing.

    4. Feel free to give recommendations on type of glue for this.
    Last edited by sbeishline; 01-13-2020 at 08:55 AM.

  8. #257

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    This whole thread is awesome! Kudos for the patient, all work done, precisious and thank you that you are sharing so detailed story! Definitely one of the most interesting threads on this forum!

  9. #258

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    Quote Originally Posted by asedas
    This whole thread is awesome! Kudos for the patient, all work done, precisious and thank you that you are sharing so detailed story! Definitely one of the most interesting threads on this forum!
    Glad you're enjoying it man!

  10. #259

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    Amazon hightailed the thin CA glue and it arrived yesterday. Ran over to the shop for a few minutes last night to get the inlay glued in and finished up.

    Most CA glues in stores are geared to be less runny as to have more control, so unless you have a hobby store that has a wide selection, you'll probably need to order online. Lowe's, HD, Michael's, and Staples all didn't have anything that I thought was appropriate. I bought this stuff that Tomy used in the video since I knew that would work with this method:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5457-jpg

    This stuff is ridiculously thin, seems like more that water, which is good for this application. I ensure the cavity had a bunch of ebony dust and tried to ensure the broken pieces of the inlay were as in line as gently as possible:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5450-jpg

    Dropped in the CA glue: First-timer Archtop Build-img_5455-jpg

    Bottle says full cure time is 1hr. After it was dried, it looked like this:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5456-jpg

    And I started to sand it down with 150grit sandpaper:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5458-jpg

    It's exciting when the paper starts to come off and the abalone starts to reveal itself. Here's how she ended up:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5460-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-img_5459-jpg

    And so ends my first inlay experience.

    In retrospect, next time I'll just route a little bigger than needed to avoid inlay fractures and use ebony dust to fill in the cavity.

    Cheers.

  11. #260

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    I previewed earlier when I practiced routing the veneer truss rod access cavity on the router table with 2 different methods using stop blocks. Steve said he had just read something about how you should use a bit that isn't just 2 cutters on the outside and should use a bit that the 2 or 3 cutters go to the middle of the bit. If I didn't see the bits in person, I would have no idea what that means if i read this. I still don't really get it, but we did have some chatter with the bit with 2 cutters only on the outside and he was worried with the thin, brittle ebony, it may jump and mess up the cut.

    That being said, I was looking to see if Benedetto has anything about cutting this opening in the book and I couldn't find anything. I did look at the photos and you can tell he shaped the veneer opening to match the neck cavity. So, I decided to abort and do that.

    We tried to think of how to shape it exactly. I came up with some sort of modeling clay to push in and trace it, but we didn't have any. Then the idea came to Steve. Remember as kid when your caretakers tried to keep you busy and trace leaves under paper with crayon? Yup, you guess it. The flux capacitor method:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5461-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5462-jpg

    There you have it.

    I marked the veneer and traced it in place:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5463-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5464-jpg

    Then drilled a 3/8" hole on the drill press and was planning to use the scroll saw to remove most of the area; however, the saw wouldn't turn on. So I resorted to cutting out by hand with a Fret saw:
    First-timer Archtop Build-60066279200__e0eb54b6-aff7-4621-88fa-cc2d127d15e3-jpg

    Filed to refine the edges:
    First-timer Archtop Build-60066280933__b45539e5-922d-429d-aed6-d699df0c44f6-jpg

    I still need to tidy up the edges, but this is how it looks now:
    First-timer Archtop Build-img_5468-jpg

    Once I refine it, I'll glue it onto the headstock.

  12. #261

    User Info Menu

    Your headstock looks great! With a double action truss rod, you only need to have your opening large enough to allow access for the allen wrench. With the rod type that Benedetto shows in his book, the opening must be large enough to allow you to slide the washer over the end of the standard truss rod.

    It makes no difference but a smaller opening needs a smaller TR cover. Here is my bass where I don't use a cover at all and it looks OK from a distance.
    First-timer Archtop Build-p1010001-jpg

  13. #262

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Cushman
    Your headstock looks great! With a double action truss rod, you only need to have your opening large enough to allow access for the allen wrench. With the rod type that Benedetto shows in his book, the opening must be large enough to allow you to slide the washer over the end of the standard truss rod.

    It makes no difference but a smaller opening needs a smaller TR cover. Here is my bass where I don't use a cover at all and it looks OK from a distance.
    First-timer Archtop Build-p1010001-jpg
    Thanks, MC! Means a lot.

    Your advice has helped me along the entire way so far. Allllllmost there. So far, yet so close!

  14. #263

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    Took at few minutes yesterday to finish the veneering opening for the truss rod cavity. I needed to refine the flat portion of the opening, but I didn’t have anything to fit the area. I stopped at Lowe’s to pick up some naphtha to clean the fret wire, and decided to pick up at $8 set of small needle files to use for this purpose. I tried to even it out as best as possible:
    First-timer Archtop Build-517a4d00-1e65-4706-8bb5-13b0ac17d34f-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-c2419431-a218-4903-90da-d02e05902375-jpg

    I used a half round to bevel the inside edges (hard to see in this photo):
    First-timer Archtop Build-9d124697-8429-406c-9605-34e16d0e7828-jpg

    I had to get that finished before gluing on the veneer, because there’s no easy way to make changes once it’s glued on. At any rate, it will only be seen if a truss rod adjustment needs to be made, which won’t be often. Now it was ready for glue-up!

  15. #264

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    I’m shooting to be ready for fret installation by Saturday, if not Sunday.

    Stopped by the shop tonight to glue on the headstock veneer to the neck blank, as well as the saddle into the top plate inlay cavity. I took some small pieces of wax paper and placed them along the sides to allow for plate movement. I then chiseled a hair off of one side of the cavity side walls to fit the paper and did a test fit:
    First-timer Archtop Build-45139b24-ad8a-4354-9103-6cf0859ff633-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-157a8787-7e2c-440e-93eb-a54a4b0a29f0-jpg

    I applied some glue:
    First-timer Archtop Build-912decd6-005e-419e-8c44-bdc3e979d6b9-jpg

    And brushed it around and set it into place:
    First-timer Archtop Build-041d406d-28ab-4ef2-b399-42901b091d4c-jpg

    I had applied some masking tape to hold it in place, but I couldn’t tell how it was seated and was afraid it wasn’t holding even pressure. So in the end, I just pressed it in by hand and will let it cure for 24hr.

    For the headstock veneer, we contemplated the best way to clamp the veneer into place. I didn’t have any excess veneer width, so it had to be done exactly right.

    I thought about using Bessey clamps, but they are heavy and wonky, and was not helpful to get the centering right. I decided to use the big spring clamps I used for the bending the sides in the mould.

    I traced the centerline of the neck blank to the top curvature as well as the veneer centerline around to the back to help with alignment:
    First-timer Archtop Build-539f4ead-f160-42dc-9ff8-ec139b73d054-jpg

    Additionally, I centered the veneer to the fretboard centerline, and then marked the veneer on the bottom edge on both sides where it met the neck side edge (can show a pic later), because there’s no other way to line up the bottom when the caul is over the veneer.

    I cut a piece of 3/4” plywood to use a caul. You can see my marks where I planned to cut to make the call just bigger than the veneer. I did that on the bandsaw:
    First-timer Archtop Build-4d02947a-ec01-471f-ba53-0799447fada0-jpg

    A benefit of the using spring clamps was I could use one to hold the veneer in one area and being able to move the veneer as needed with other clamps to line it up. Here’s the point of glue application:
    First-timer Archtop Build-8ac9e6d5-9236-4e65-b672-8bbe1bb4cd1b-jpg

    When I added the caul it started sliding all over as expected. Because I didn’t want to mark or drill holes for tuning pegs until this is glued, I wasn’t able to make stays using Brad nails like the fretboard. Maybe I’ll do that next time.

    I started by placing one clamp on top to hold it in place, then added clamps as needed to hold it all. I folded a towel to cover the volute so I could clamp it and the bottom.

    Here’s the final glue-up:
    First-timer Archtop Build-b8fdbf0c-4c7c-47c2-8808-2bc006493c2a-jpg

  16. #265

    User Info Menu

    I hit the shop for a couple hours after work and took the headstock out of the clamps. Overall, the veneer glue-up looked pretty good and I was happy with it:
    First-timer Archtop Build-e18e5740-9761-48f0-ad97-9c5c79ad7a7b-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-860716f2-d8ea-4dc1-b0d5-6cfdf5923644-jpg

    You can see from these 2 photos, I had just enough veneer at the widest part of the headstock and it stayed in place during the glue-up.
    First-timer Archtop Build-3abff1a0-c959-484b-9d93-eed82b90b154-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-9e2c8c09-9283-449e-8954-e15dcb4c4007-jpg

    In addition to the centered position of the truss rod cavity, you can see here from the centerlines it all stayed pretty much straight:
    First-timer Archtop Build-ad44d4e7-3cda-495b-8dd9-159b7d2936b9-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-bb4e6ec1-ec67-46a5-b9d2-a4288113598d-jpg

    I mentioned in the last post- here are the lines (white chalk lines adjacent to fretboard edge on veneer) I used to line up the nut end of the veneer during the glue-up:
    First-timer Archtop Build-21d2828a-09d4-4729-8607-84404ea99c97-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-f74f34be-2eda-41e9-95cf-e35f8e7aa864-jpg

  17. #266

    User Info Menu

    I needed to get the veneer close to the neck blank, and did this on the bandsaw. I started with marking a couple of relief cuts:
    First-timer Archtop Build-56a550ca-a2f8-4435-b64e-a6c3df355185-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-d4a7185b-1d45-4a3f-81b4-74bd25d09d27-jpg

    And after making those cuts, I started with the top curve:
    First-timer Archtop Build-ce604499-5562-4ab6-8129-0210369f710d-jpg

    And then made the cuts on the long sides and transition areas. I tried to get to about 1/16” or so:
    First-timer Archtop Build-d9f4abf6-9b07-4fb7-b4dd-f96583992efa-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-ef1954bc-0a2f-4068-bf11-01cf63f75e35-jpg

    Here’s a view post-band saw from the front:
    First-timer Archtop Build-554ad291-ed51-4be3-97ca-d1025d600378-jpg

    Steve recommended against flush trimming the remainder because the bit would be cutting against the grain in an area and bring so brittle it could chip out. I don’t need any disasters at this stage, so I went to the spindle sander next:
    First-timer Archtop Build-8925e29f-ee93-4647-9b89-067680b76024-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-d11382e3-5b01-4611-8e16-12d1ef096815-jpg

  18. #267

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    Once finished getting close to the mahogany blank on the spindle sander, I made a small sanding block with 100grit sandpaper. I used this to straighten the long sides and refine the top curve:
    First-timer Archtop Build-fc5ec58c-5820-4c3c-91dc-a0c45896c5a4-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-8c879971-abae-43e4-86c1-95807f06453f-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-14b69d3a-9ec3-4a48-a704-1e02b89a44ed-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-1c8820b6-2c79-4317-90b2-36191ac83034-jpg

    I did put a couple of the smaller cylinders on the spindle sander to refine the transition area to get it as symmetric and smooth as possible. Here’s its current state:
    First-timer Archtop Build-04cdf1ec-8c83-4e3e-a95d-0e31a0419294-jpg

  19. #268

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    I have the curved top of the headstock and figured I’d mirror this for the end of the fretboard at the neck extension. My headstock template wouldn’t fit on the underside of the extension, so I traced it onto a small piece of 1/4” plywood:
    First-timer Archtop Build-0b7027c0-a22c-4c84-b27f-92939c9f7d4f-jpg

    And cut it out on the band saw:
    First-timer Archtop Build-3ae85cb1-80ab-4774-9311-c17833851cc3-jpg

    The centerline was true, so the bottom didn’t need to be straight. I then chose how far beyond the 22nd fret and traced the lines around to the underside:
    First-timer Archtop Build-24f19fa1-2182-4450-8741-ceae377bfb12-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-07640c24-ab1e-46aa-95bc-c6ff2b9e8b9d-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-2b369cfc-7591-4b5f-8a2d-fd5828036a0d-jpg

    I then went to the band saw at cut just beyond the line:
    First-timer Archtop Build-654a330d-5fe8-4d32-a9e3-bdb21b7daa48-jpg

    And then went to the spindle sander to sand to the line and freshen it up:
    First-timer Archtop Build-79f37bd1-7d0f-49c8-a5ea-8ef7ba817707-jpg

    Here’s how it looks:
    First-timer Archtop Build-0e52153f-f3aa-43d8-b633-1285059867f7-jpg
    Last edited by sbeishline; 01-18-2020 at 10:46 AM.

  20. #269

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    Let the glue cure for 24hr and this is how it looks:
    First-timer Archtop Build-5b0835ec-6eb7-415e-80e5-fe5a802ccaaa-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-7f3c300e-45d8-4396-be40-6395bd80cf7f-jpg

    I put a little pressure on it, but it doesn’t mean much, so I’ll just wait and see how it holds once it’s strung up.

    I used the 100grit sanding block and sanded the overlying edge flush with the saddle.First-timer Archtop Build-06a5d6e2-c7fb-4d4d-bf24-47bb6235c0b5-jpg

    I’m very happy with the result. Hopefully it doesn’t fail.

  21. #270

    User Info Menu

    Went back to spindle sander to deepen the heel transition. Once that was better, I used the orbital sander to shape the heel for the cap.

    Current state of neck:
    First-timer Archtop Build-e47c3afd-edf2-4485-9b31-f90547c67614-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-84688241-468f-486c-b0c0-c00244eed4ab-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-ac758534-b453-4564-8672-8515652d99ce-jpg

    And heel:
    First-timer Archtop Build-8aee4557-2839-4730-9b92-a718f5807eb8-jpg

    Still a hair to tweak with final sanding.

  22. #271

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    Took some pics at current stage. I’m thrilled with the appearance of this thing so far:
    First-timer Archtop Build-929805a7-2587-41db-b637-218ab8c15868-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-b7c93c49-93a8-47d0-9c5e-aadea78ee53e-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-6b0d72de-7a38-44bd-9872-ba22f7347cd3-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-90c438af-377d-4023-afa6-690ee502a5da-jpgFirst-timer Archtop Build-8d6f1f74-9976-4be2-ba6b-b599dd2656e3-jpg
    First-timer Archtop Build-31730e6d-1955-48dc-8fec-201eeda99bab-jpg

    Really starting to be an instrument.

    What a buzz!

  23. #272

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    Pulled an audible on my initial plans of working on frets today. When I got to shop, I decided to get the tuning peg holes drilled. I started by making sure I had the holes exactly where I wanted them on the template. I had researched photos of other guitar maker’s instruments and it seems that there is some variability depending on shape as pointed out by teeps in a previous post. I decided to split the difference and try to keep the the string path as close to straight as possible and keeping them as close to being even on the side.

    I made my template and was 5/8” short of the fretboard- this was the 5/8” for the truss rod cavity markings. So, I used 5/8” worth of setup blocks to use as a base to make sure the template fit was correct:
    First-timer Archtop Build-1c686c18-bbb2-4656-94f5-ac862179cd14-jpg

    Once I decided on the locations, I marked with an awl and drilled a small hole with a brad-point bit:
    First-timer Archtop Build-8b71f940-b7a2-4f83-adbb-b7b2285245e0-jpg

    I drilled the hole just big enough to get a nail point through to make the spots:
    First-timer Archtop Build-59151ef1-3849-4a32-b4e6-8659f586ee37-jpg

    With the tuner centers marked, I used the string spacing rule to mark the locations of the string slots:
    First-timer Archtop Build-a8a2b79d-94f0-4f54-b309-b8f7a074654f-jpg

    Then I marked ~1/8” to the medial side and traced out the string paths:
    First-timer Archtop Build-7549a798-57aa-4a4f-b305-537ec43b1443-jpg

    I thought the E strings were angled medial instead of straight, and the center was too close for comfort to the bypassing A and B strings, so I moved those string tuner peg centers 1/16” laterally. This straightened the string and made a tiny bit more room. I liked this better. From lateral edges, measurements were 15/32" for E strings, 19/32" for A and B strings, and 20.5/32" for D and G strings:
    First-timer Archtop Build-3c6c5714-aadf-4ef7-a012-a63631152e00-jpg

    I then made some firm marks with an awl and used the drill press with a 3/8” Forstner bit to make the top 4 holes.

    Because of the volute, the headstock wouldn’t rest flat (face up), so I cut a small 1” block to prevent blowout. This made for a challenging drilling of the 2 holes because of the teetering, so I double stick-taped the Wixey angle gauge so I could try to keep it flat:
    First-timer Archtop Build-ab29f24e-4e30-4f55-9f84-8f4697b8b458-jpg

    Here’s the final outcome:
    First-timer Archtop Build-ec121ed4-8fc2-4260-9de5-706041131794-jpg

    These holes should probably be a tad bigger (10mm or 13/32”), but I don’t have those bits. I’ll have to tweak that some other time.
    Last edited by sbeishline; 01-19-2020 at 08:28 AM.

  24. #273

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    Hadn't thought too much about the tailpiece details as I was planning to do the frets yesterday, but I just went it. I researched a little about string after length (distance between bridge and tailpiece) and read that for violin's a good starting point is 1/6th of the scale length. That brought the distance for me to 4 1/8". Being that the distance between my bridge location and tailpiece saddle is 8", the tailpiece length would be 3 7/8":
    First-timer Archtop Build-4bae3f9b-944a-4725-a32f-1997480904d3_1_201_a-jpg

    I then made a mark at that point (I moved the line up an 1/8" from this pic):
    First-timer Archtop Build-4a348d52-e8e9-4043-adbb-58c7ed9994c7_1_201_a-jpg

    I looked at google images of various tailpiece designs, and wanted something symmetric to keep with the rest of the guitar profile and decided on a wider violin-esque shape. I made a grid of lines and traced the bottom part of the Benedetto book tailpiece to get a start:
    First-timer Archtop Build-b61eef7c-2b4d-4a5c-8a61-7cf7139bfdd6_1_201_a-jpg

    Then I free-handed it a bit to try and get a shape that I liked:
    First-timer Archtop Build-9ed2e45d-a1f2-4175-871b-e029326ebbee_1_201_a-jpg

    I then checked to see if it fit my marks, which it looked pretty good:
    First-timer Archtop Build-a7111510-9633-4dbb-a024-5d75f0c2e2c7_1_201_a-jpg

    I obtained a bit chunk of ebony for a ridiculous price (unnamed source), and milled a piece that was about 3/8" x 4" x 5 1/2". I re-sawed it on the band saw so I can try to get a piece for the bridge base out of it, too.

    Then, I cut it out, taped it to the ebony blank, and traced it on. I then put a centerline on the blank for marking the tailpiece adjuster cord slots:
    First-timer Archtop Build-d4db2a1c-76f6-4710-9541-ef8c724b647c_1_201_a-jpg

  25. #274

    User Info Menu

    I guess you could route out the tailpiece adjuster slots on the router table, but I didn't really look into the details of doing it that way. I decided to take it more the old fashion route by hand.

    I first started by measuring the slots using the 4" double square. The adjuster knobs are 1/4", so I decided to make them about that wide and guestimated on how long and where to locate the adjuster corder:
    First-timer Archtop Build-9000888b-5562-4788-a228-cb881ce85443_1_201_a-jpg

    Then, I used a marking knife to scribe the slots, so I could chisel after routing out the majority of the wood waste:
    First-timer Archtop Build-21e626ac-feb5-47e5-a70e-2d2ae7b901cd_1_201_a-jpg

    Here's the setup after routing the first slot using the Dremel on the StewMac router base. I made the cut in 2 passes: ~1/8" then 1/4". Who ever thought I'd use it for this much after the inlay? I didn't! The thing is great!
    First-timer Archtop Build-1d0872b1-a3b3-47e5-9967-00bd99abb471_1_201_a-jpg

    Here's after routing both:
    First-timer Archtop Build-b5b6bff0-a1ae-4079-af8c-c2c1214fa5b0_1_201_a-jpg

    And a close-up view:
    First-timer Archtop Build-1448ba28-0509-468d-8470-e0ef151ff59c_1_201_a-jpg

    And finally, chiseling to the line.
    First-timer Archtop Build-88bb6d8f-9b82-4d1e-a221-f0a7a60600fe_1_201_a-jpg

  26. #275

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    After finishing the slots (forgot to take a final pic), I drilled the 2 holes with a drill bit just larger than calipered measurement of the adjuster cord.

    I did this on the drill press with a portable vise. I used the Wixey angle gauge to make the piece straight:
    First-timer Archtop Build-6459cb1b-90c8-4fda-b641-792150e75de5_1_201_a-jpg

    As you can see, I had tried to mark the area to drill prior to drilling. The slots were 1/4" deep, so I marked ~1/8" in from the edge with the slots and did my best to get the hole straight into the slot:
    First-timer Archtop Build-b7b98f38-b6b9-4332-a3b9-5fd6612ebe8a_1_201_a-jpg

    The holes are a bit small as the cord is fairly snug:
    First-timer Archtop Build-be8796e9-4473-483d-9280-305bf69422e0_1_201_a-jpg

    Here's the general appearance on the git:

    First-timer Archtop Build-68a7fa6e-190c-41c8-85b9-6408af2605a6_1_201_a-jpg

    Still to go: bandsaw out the shape, cut an angle at the bottom, refine the contours, and chisel out a string cavity and drill the string holes! All for one fitting.......