Official Luthiers Forum!

When gluing tops and backs to sides what/how are you inletting the bracing?

I would prefer to taper the brace ends to nothing and have a ramped inlet (for lack of a better description) in the side/kerfed lining.

Unless you're jigged up, the easiest way I've found is as follows:

After the rims are lined and the top and back are braced, tape the top in place and mark the braces on the linings with an xacto knife. Trim the channels with a laminate trimmer or chisel. Repeat with the back. Just remember that it's much easier to do (and to check) if you do both plates before either is glued to the rims. And if you use a chisel, it's probably best to cut on your marks with a razor saw first.

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Mark brace ends, cut with razor saw with depth stop glued on, rout out...

Same as above but I skip the tape and use a fine red marker pen or .5mm pencil to mark my cut lines

I use bags of lead shot to hold the plates in place while marking brace ends...

I would assume that everybody does the marking while the braces are still full height, prior to any tapering ?

No I have both the top and back bracing carved, tapering down to nothing. Both top and back are 1/4 oversized then you add in the sides and the kerfed lining and your coming in around 3/4'. I scribe a line (the edge of the kerfed lining) when I have the correct position and carve a flat on the end of the brace. Then using a saw, chisel (for my first) this last one I used a dremel for the sides and kerfed lining. I was thinking a 1/4'/5/16' fine cut rasp and just have a "ramp" matching the end you your brace would be much cleaner.

Thanks for the responses keep them coming.

I don't taper the braces to nothing. My UTB is the only brace that does not go through the rim. I only inlet it into the linings and I leave it thicker at the ends, about 3/16ths thick. The upper arms of the X brace are tapered to 1/16" and are inlet through the rim. To mark the brace locations, I shim my rim in the mold so the edge of the rim sits pretty high above the mold. I use little blocks screwed into the inside of the mold for this. Then, I have screws I put into the sides of the mold that I use to wrap rubber bands across the top to hold it in place. I also glue the plates on this way. With a bunch of rubber bands in place so nothing will move at all, I use an exacto knife to mark the brace locations on the inside and outside of the rim. I also mark the brace where it passes through the rim on the inside and outside of the rim. Then I remove the plate, and use a straight edge to connect the dots from the inside and outside marks on the rim. Score the depth on the linings with a utility knife, and score the depth on the rim where the X brace will pass through. Then I use the utility knife, a .25" chisel and a razor saw to cut the wood out of the brace pockets. If I have been careful enough, the pockets will be nearly perfect which helps locate the top when I glue it on. I'm getting pretty good at it and my tops have been pretty perfectly placed since I began using the exacto knife to mark the pockets. For the back, the only difference is that all of the braces pass through the rim.

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PMoMC

I also tape the plate, then use an X-acto knife to mark the linings, and a razor blade for the sides of the pocket, and the rest with a 1/4" wide chisel.

I think it's important to leave some wood at the ends for strength in the upper bout, to counteract the tendency for the fretboard to sink inwards over time from string tension.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com