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For the first time, I am building a guitar. I'm using a kit with an accompanying video. I'm ready to install the end graft on the bottom of the guitar. I cut a triangular graft and cut the end of the guitar to match. I decided to add an ebony strip on either side. I cut those from ebony pen blanks. They are very thin, about an eighth inch or less wide. Now, I'm ready to glue all three pieces to the guitar. That is when I realized a potential problem.

I'm using a blond wood on this guitar. The triangular graft is spanish cedar to match the neck and the ebony was to match the fret board. What I have realized is, since the graft and ebony are thicker than the guitar sides, it will take a bit of sanding to bring them down to plane with the sides. The problem sanding creates is the ebony will sand into very fine black dust which I'm worried will get into the pores of the sides and I will have black smudges that will not every come out of that light wood.

Any suggestions?

I was thinking that if I purchased a small plane that I could plane to almost level with the sides of the guitar but will I be able to plane to smoothness? Since I've never used a plane before, will I be able to make it look nice?

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Rodney

Hi Rodney - when I use ebony binding with a spruce top the ebony dust, when using 120 grit, does smear up the spruce. But when I move to 220 paper the ebony dust sands off the spruce top and all is well. I think that by the time you get to final sanding and 220-240 grit paper it won't be a problem for you.

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Just sand and clean up the sides or whatever concerned dust will get into. You may make more of a problem using the plane if not sure what to do and never used one, than what problems may have with dust and cleaning up the sanding.

You can use a sharp chisel and scraper

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
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You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

What kind of blonde wood are you useing? If maple,it shouldn't be a problem,but if useing ash or oak or a wood with large pores, you might want to seal the pores first.Mabey some others might want to chime in with some more ideas.

I'm with John on this,

Plane or chisel and then finish with a scraper

Scraper should be perfectly adequate.

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Shellac. Or light nitro to protect. Card scraper is a great idea. If you do not have one, buy the veritas holder (comes with one or two scrapers). Yes, you can bend with your thumb, but why bother? Avod getting any alcohol in this area.

Mike

edit: you could also use an ibex finger plane (violin size)

Also try blowing the surface clean with compressed air.

Thanks for all the replies. The sides are spruce (okay, I think they are spruce). The truth is I bought this kit about three years ago. I decided, when I got it, that I needed better skills before starting on a guitar so I built a few other things to practice. I finally started the guitar and enjoyed working it then "issues" came up and I stopped woodworking for a while. I had begun working on it again in the last few months and not long ago my Mother moved. While helping her I moved some of the rifles my father built from scratch; they were beautiful. They inspired me to start building the guitar again. Just as throughout my life my Dad taught me to do woodwork in the first place, now he has provided me with the impetus to continue. So, I've started again and I am loving it. I want to finish this one and I've already begun thinking of my next guitar. As a result of the years between purchasing the guitar and building it, I've forgotten the wood particulars, but I will re-learn them.

I will post some pictures as soon as I learn how to do that. I especially want to show the end graft to you when it's finished.

Thanks for the advice.

Rodney