My First Build

[ngerty]

I thought I'd just start a general thread about my guitar building process. I got my kit the other day (D-28 Style) and haven't done a whole lot yet. I'm building a new and more accurate mold and am letting the guitar parts acclimate. The first things I would like to do are to glue the back together, trim the sides to length, glue the positioning dots into fretboard, and then move on to the two blocks and the lining.

Can I cut or glue anything before the acclimation process is complete? I only want to glue the dots onto the fretboard and maybe get the back glued up. Then once my jig is complete and I have the sides flush with the mold and a centerline marked, can I cut the excess side material? Or should I wait a little while longer?

-Neil

[klooker]

Disclaimer - I'm a first time builder too but I do have woodworking experience.

Wood expands & contracts across the grain. There is very little movement along the grain.

I would say it is safe to glue up the back but do not glue on the braces until it is acclimated. The braces are going to restrict the cross grain movement which can result in a crack if the movement is too extreme.

Gluing dots on the neck should not be an issue either. The big concern is the soundboard & back which move the most because they are the widest. Once braced, their movement will be restricted.

Kevin Looker

[enalnitram]

I think the answers are that it depends. What is actual RH in your shop? Where has it been? Will it stay that way?

[ngerty]

I glued the dots on the fretboard but there was some superglue runout that has dried on the fretboard (sort of into it as well causing the wood to darken). What's the best way to remove this glue? The fretboard is smooth an has the radius already. It was perfect until I came along. Maybe some black dye or stain?

I'm not sure how accurate my meter is, but 45% is what it reads. The humidity is fairly constant in my basement. When it rains I'm sure it will go up. I'm getting a new dehumidifier for the area soon, but for the time being I think things are stable and okay.

-Neil

[naccoachbob]

That glue will sand out, and the stain will be gone. Since the fretboard is radiused, you want to carefully sand it so that you don't get dips in the fretboard in the sanded areas.
I have an 8" Fretboard Radiused sanding board I got from Stewmac that I use. It has the radius already built in, so I sprayed adhesive to the back of sandpaper and stuck it on the board and away I went.
You might see if your father or you could put the radius curve in a block of wood and use that. Otherwise, you'll need to use some type of small sanding block and try to stay with the radius and again not put in any dips, or mess with the current radius.
I used 80 grit until the glue lines were mostly gone, then switched to 120, and 220. I'll use finer sandpaper when I'm done with the fretboard and about to put on the frets.

[enalnitram]

I glued the dots on the fretboard but there was some superglue runout that has dried on the fretboard (sort of into it as well causing the wood to darken). What's the best way to remove this glue? The fretboard is smooth an has the radius already. It was perfect until I came along. Maybe some black dye or stain?

I'm not sure how accurate my meter is, but 45% is what it reads. The humidity is fairly constant in my basement. When it rains I'm sure it will go up. I'm getting a new dehumidifier for the area soon, but for the time being I think things are stable and okay.

-Neil

Make sure you're sure. Find a way to measure RH accurately and proceed accordingly. I use a dry bulb / web bulb method.

I was using a couple of hygrometers (the kind that look like clocks) last year, and I thought I was ballpark. I bought a kit late last year, and waited until snow started falling (here in Michigan), and the furnace in my house was running regularly for 3 or 4 weeks. I assumed everything was good and dry.

Well, it wasn't, yet. I glued the bracing on the top and back, and as I continued working on the guitar over the upcoming weeks, I watched the top and back go concave as relative humidity in my basement continued to go down, down, down.

When I built my first guitar, I did all the major clamping and gluing in January in my Michigan basement. On #2, I did it all in late November, had problems, and then re-did it all again in January. don't let this happen to you.

I know a well-respected builder that uses a drying box to prepare his pieces before building. He relies on measurements of moisture content rather than shop Rh. he lets things sit in the box for a few days. then glues them up. meanwhile his basement shop goes thru various changes in RH as the seasons go by, but his builds always turn out ok.

should you wait a little longer? make sure you can accurately measure RH. be sure it will remain stable enough thru your build. gluing your parts in 40% can be ideal, but what if your box is sitting on your work bench waiting to be finished, and meanwhile RH dips to 5%, in the dead of winter. that might be very bad.

the answer is "it depends."

[ngerty]

The wood is bowing slightly with the humidity. The top most of all, but the back as well. Hopefully they will straighten out once I get a dehumidifier in my work area.

I was holding the back pieces and marquetry strip up together under a bright light to check for a clean and straight seam. Is a LITTLE light in certain areas okay? Or should I get a shooting block set up? Maybe I just can't apply even pressure along the whole seam and therefore can't really tell for sure... Also, there are a few places where light shines through the marquetry strip itself. What should be done about that?

Thanks,

-Neil

[kencierp]

This system and set-up has severed us well for many hundreds of tops and backs

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/Jo ... alves.html

Note the joint clamping caul has a channel running the full length for clearance so a thicker inlay can be glued in at the same time --

I think you may know the answer to your question about seeing light in the joint --- tight, gap free joints are a must through out the guitar construction process --- perhaps most importantly the top and back seam joints.

[ngerty]

Well, after checking the seam again, I found that with enough pressure, there are no gaps anywhere. However, a few places in the back strip let light through. Since it is a pattern of wood glued together I guess some of those joints weren't perfect. Does this matter? Or will the finish clog them up?

What grit sandpaper should be used on the fretboard to remove the superglue stains? 200+, right? And instead of making a sanding block with the fret board radius I think I'll just use a sanding sponge or a regular sponge and the proper grit paper.

-Neil

[kencierp]

Just a note about craftsmanship in general --- the finishing material and process will not hide mistakes but rather it will tend amplify them.

There's another thread explaining some ways to remove a scratch from a fingerboard -- the process would be helpful for removing glue glops as well --- at this point your glue stain is a non-issue -- much work needs to be done before that FB is completed.