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My jumbo build
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Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 5:21 am ]
Post subject:  My jumbo build

I am almost finished with the build... the binding took a lot of time because I wanted to get them right, then right at the last minute I get a little carried away with a random orbital sander and put some really deep gouges on the edge and sanded through the thin herringbone purfling!!!

Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 5:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

This is a picture of the gouge and sand through... I wish I hadn't done this because that was a whole day of work. I should have paid more attention to what the sander was doing in the back...

Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 7:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

I already did that, but I sanded through another section. I think what I'll do is just drill a series of holes and inlay some black into the area where the black should go... that should hide the defect well enough to where people won't notice it unless they looked at it with a microscope.

Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 7:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Yea, that was just sort of what I was thinking... it's basically building bits and pieces of herringbone to hide it a bit..

Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 8:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Ok, I think what I'll do is just route the purfling off with a router and binding jig... I don't want to redo the binding, it's bad enough having to force that binding in place already. I'll just route off the section where the gouge is and hopefully blend everything in.

Author:  Tim Mullin [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

At this stage of the game, I can't understand why you don't just rout off everything and start over. It's going to take much longer to fiddle with patches and I can't imagine you'll be happy with the end result. Look at it this way: you get binding/purfling experience of two guitars. If you're fearing the task of getting a good fit with your binding, don't put off the practice to the next guitar.


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Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Fixed it, it wasn't hard, I just routed a slot in and patched it. I had to patch the purfling when initially installing because I bought the wrong kind, and it was too short to cover half the body.

The black stuff is just filling some voids in with black CA.

Author:  Barry Daniels [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 11:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Looks bad, Tai. You didn't match up the purfling pattern well. This will stick out like a sore thumb. As advised above, rout off binding and purfling and rebind until you get it right.

Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 04, 2013 12:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

You didn't read the whole post. There was a couple of pinholes from pieces crumbling out of the purfling that I had to fill, once sanded away the pattern matches up and you will need a loupe to see where they were joined. It's not perfect for sure but looks a lot better than before. Now I just need to scrape the top level because the sander has left several gouges on the top... learned my lesson there.

Author:  Joe Beaver [ Sat Oct 05, 2013 1:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

A random orbit sander can a real time saver or your worst enemy. I use it sparingly these days having discovered it in the latter category once to often.

Author:  mkellyvrod [ Sat Oct 05, 2013 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Good save Tai. Agree with Joe, I quit using my random obital sander around my bindings once I sanded through a couple; now I use either the scraper or hand sand and not too agressively.

Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Here's an update: I have fitted the neck (it took several days... wish there's something I can do to make this job go quicker) and glued it in. I've dealt with the gap under the fingerboard by carefully fitting a wedge under the fingerboard, and it made things look very good (nice thing about ebony is that the glue line is invisible).

I have also started bending the bubinga (?) side I just bought and sawn from the lumberyard. The wood is a LOT harder to bend than I realize. I made it too thick and it wanted to break in many places, but the damage is limited to the edge rather than the center so binding them will take care of it. I took the second half down to .085" and it made bending a LOT easier. I've grossly underestimated the wood... just because it's not stiff doesn't mean it's easy to bend!

Author:  Greg B [ Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Looking good.

As a recent Jumbo builder, I'm curious which bracing scheme you used. There were several different ones, at various points. Got a bracing shot?

Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

I don't know, I copied it off of a gibson SJ-300, it looks like a standard X brace. I am not sure how else one can brace it...

Author:  Greg B [ Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

They originally had a double X bracing system, but not the 70s type. There was a shallow 128ยบ X (IIRC) instead of a UTB, a main X at the same angle, and ladder type tone bars.

On my jumbo, I was concerned that scheme would sound too much like ladder bracing, so I used a standard X and tone bars below the soundhole.

Author:  Tai Fu [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 10:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My jumbo build

Here is some more progress. I have inlaid the fingerboard and sanded the radius in. I decided to inlay it with some padauk scrap because I want this guitar to be lacey act compliant, so I can't use the usual abalone shell... it's a shame because shell looks 1000 times better than any wood. I have also sealed the body with an initial coat of shellac. I am doing this in steps so that I don't contaminate the white wood with darker woods when finish sanding them.

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