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PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 3:51 pm 
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First name: Peter
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Nice bending iron - looks very professional! What are you using as the blade in the circle cutter? When I tried making one, the blade wandered all over the place.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 4:35 pm 
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Thanks, I'm really pleased with the iron.

The cutter blade is simply a jigsaw blade with the teeth ground off and then a bevel ground on the end. They make really good marking knives too. I'll take some closeups when I'm next in the workshop.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:25 am 
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It's looking really good!
Where did you buy the heating element for the bending iron (please don't say USA!)

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:09 am 
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Joe I found the element on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9mm-x-100mm-AC-220V-300W-Mold-Heating-Element-Cartridge-Heater-Ztavi-/130824020261, it was from Hong Kong and took a month to arrive but was less than £4. The one I got was 9 * 100mm and 300 Watts but they do lots of other sizes.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:55 am 
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ntredwell wrote:
The cutter blade is simply a jigsaw blade with the teeth ground off and then a bevel ground on the end. They make really good marking knives too. I'll take some closeups when I'm next in the workshop.


Thanks. I think mine isn't stiff enough as it was made of a sharpened hack saw blade. I'll have to try making another.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 4:51 am 
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Frustratingly I haven't had much of a chance to really get moving with my build, only the odd hour here and there and does not look like that will change much in the next few weeks. But here is what i have managed to get done over the last few weeks.

Made up the back braces from a European Spruce billet and then glued them to the back using a 15 ft radius dish and go bar deck.

Image

Image

Next I did the initial profiling of the back braces, I may tweak these some more, but as yet am undecided.

Image

Image



PeterF here is the promised pic of the blade i made from an old jigsaw blade for the circle cutter, i guess its self explanatory, any questions though please ask

Image

Next up will be to brace up the top, and then get on with bending the sides. Which is something I am both looking forward to and very apprehensive about.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 11:55 am 
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Thanks Nick. Looks much better than my blade! And don't worry - side bending is fun :D

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:24 am 
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Due to the bad weather, I very luckily managed to spend plenty of time out in my workshop this weekend and got lots done.

I had previously prepared the braces, so glued these up.

Image

Now on to the fun part of carving the braces, I followed the plans fairly closely as for number one, im trying to concentrate more on learning new skills rather than experimenting.

Image

Image

Image



With the top and back now braced, i thought i had better bite the bullet and give side bending a try, So I had a go with some practice wood, and i have to say it was a lot of fun, and though not quite perfect in a few areas, for a practice go i was really happy with the outcome

Image

So now I am going to have to get on and thickness the actual sides i'm going to use and then bend them for real.

A quick question for you guys, with the back brace profiles, do you taper them up to more of a point or are they just rounded over?

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 5:34 pm 
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ntredwell wrote:

A quick question for you guys, with the back brace profiles, do you taper them up to more of a point or are they just rounded over?


I like to make mine with a parabolic section as it knocks a few grammes off of each brace whilst retaining the same stiffness.

Bob


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 8:07 pm 
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I've done my first two like bob's diagram. I have no reasoning for it other than the fact I think it looks better


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:29 am 
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Bob

Thanks for the diagram, its most helpful what you say makes sense to me.

Also in regards to bracing, I know that voicing , tuning the top etc is a complex subject, but can anyone point me in the direction of a tutorial on the basics especially some information on what happens by doing certain modifications, (brace layouts, shapes etc)

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 4:41 am 
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Nick
Thats looking good, my #1 I used Quarter Sawn White Oak and I have been pleasantly surprised. That Bog Oak is fascinating.

As far as voicing for the first couple carefully follow a proven plan/design and you should have a very nice sounding guitar. I have the Grellier OO plan your using and a tracing of a 1938 OO Martin I got from John Arnold, there are some differences.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:45 am 
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I finally plucked up the courage to get on and bend the sides for real, and it all went very smoothly. There not perfectly symetrical, but close enough that it should not be noticible.

Next I built a quick jig for cutting the reversed Kerffed lining on the bandsaw

Image

and then go the top edge linings guled in.

Image

Once dry i profiled the back of the rims to the 15ft radius and then also glued in the kerfing.

After a quick trip to the radius sanding dish's im now ready to close the box. Though i havent quite decided what im going to use to clamp things up can this be done in the go bar deck?

Image


Image

Quick mock up with the top on

Image

Quick mock up with the back on

I am really enjoying myself with this build and it looks like I'm hooked, I'm already planning number 2 /3 / 4 ...

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:22 am 
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Yeah, stick a fork in him, he's done.

Gonna be buying the missus timber for X-mas soon, claiming to make wooden slippers, but always getting her size a bit wrong, so it may as well turn into a guitar......Sorry, dear..... laughing6-hehe


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:56 am 
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Now there is an idea!

It might even work :roll:

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:15 pm 
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First name: Lee
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Great work, Nick. I've never seen bog oak before, it looks really cool. I have to say, I think I like your shop-made tools as much or more than the guitar! That's some nice work.

As far as your string spacing question is concerned, you seem to have everything covered. The only thing I could think of would be saddle angle and compensation at the bridge. I'm not sure how wide your bridge holes are, but if your spacing is significantly wider and the saddle was angled for standard spacing, then your bass strings could potentially be slightly longer and treble strings be slightly shorter.

By the way, are the nut and saddle from English cow bone?

Lee

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:34 am 
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Lee thanks for the comments, I also enjoy making my own tools nearly as much as making the guitar. Have forgotten to post pics of the small plane I made for shaving braces.

ImageImageImage

I'm looking forward to using the bog oak too, not sure how it will work out, but I have seen a few builds that have used it in the past.

Thanks for the comments on string spacing, lots to think about.

I haven't yet decided on what to use for the nut, though I suppose English Cow bone would be ideal, i will have to investigate.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 2:37 am 
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Managed to get close the box, and to my relief if actually resembles a guitar! [clap]

Image

Image

Image

Now on to roughing out the neck and working out how im going to do the binding!

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:09 am 
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Nice! Just closed up my box last weekend. It really feels like you are getting somewhere when you get it closed. How's it tap?


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 3:37 am 
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Well I started trying to get the neck ready for fitting last night and some how have managed to by the look of things screw things up fairly well. The heal block angle is off, and to correct it it looks like I will end up with the neck slightly too short so the 14th fret would be just inside the perimeter of the body, not on the join.

I going to drill the inserts and fit the neck, to see how bad it really is, and weather i can fix it.

I guess that this is not the end of the world, and the bridge can just be shifted back a mm or 2 to compensate so other than the aesthetics, there should not be any serious problems.

I should probably just start again with the neck blank, but I would like to try and recover it if possible, partly as a learning process. Does any one have any recommendations on fixing the problem.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:31 am 
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I think it may be best to settle for the 14th fret being a little off, and moving the bridge a little, but if you really want to have the 14th fret right at the body, you'll have to add wood to the heel. I messed up while carving the heel on my first guitar, and had to glue some extra mahogany to the sides of the heel. I was pretty discouraged because the glue joint was really visible, but I then I had a crazy idea, and hid it by doing a sunburst neck. I didn't plan to do a sunburst (especially because I had never done any kind of finish before), but it was my only option, and I think it worked pretty well with the overall look of the guitar.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:40 am 
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By the way, I love those little planes. Nice!

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PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 8:17 am 
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I have got really behind on the updates, so thought I would post a quick picture of the current state of things Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures along the way, I was too busy having fun. Cutting the binding ledges was an interesting job, I did this all by hand with a home-made purfling cutter, the overall finish is reasonable, but has lots of room for improvement (guess that just means ill have to make another or 10)

Image


The end is now in sight! I just need to fret the board, and then sand everything down and get on sanding, pore filling and applying the finish.

Really looking forwards to getting her strung up so i can hear what she sounds like.

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PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 8:53 am 
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Getting close nick! Looking great. I know how you feel about building 10 more. :)


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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 5:27 pm 
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Nick,
Fantastic work, mate!! I love the body contour--it really pleases my eye. Is it exact to the L-00, or did you alter the design a little? It appears to be a little "softer." Either way it looks fantastic. I cannot wait to hear it!


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