My first build - OOO kit from Blues Creek

[daviddrazen]

I spent part of the weekend making more go-bar rods and installed the back strip.

I rounded the edges of the strip based on Bill Cory's book, but it is just a cosmetic thing and assumes that's a look you prefer. I then measured the spacing between the braces using a pair of calipers and cut the back strip using a hand saw. I cleaned up the edges using a shooting board and carefully made the strip thinner until it just fit between the braces. I started with the longest one and worked my way down. That way when I accidentally made it too short, I could just shift it to a different area of the back. The hardest part was making sure they were all aligned along the center and I used a small machinists square to make sure each segment was 90 degrees to the bracing. Once I was happy with the placement, I made a registration mark with a pencil so I knew where to put it when I actually glued it.

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I think next time I do this, I'll try the alternate approach of gluing it in one piece. Just for a comparison to see one works better.

Next up is gluing the bracing on the top.

[rcplanefan]

David - I was freaked about the bindings/purflings after all the work building that "box." But if you get the right tools and you are patient (clearly you are!), I don't think it will be a big deal. Watch John's video for gluing them in - be liberal with the glue, you can sand off any extra later.

I also went to Woodcraft today and bought a 6" cabinet scraper for about $15. Best money I've spent for scraping the bindings/wood to get good, clean work.

Keep posting!

[daviddrazen]

This past weekend was dedicated to gluing the bracing on the top. I radiused the shoulder and x-braces to a 28' radius and left the others as is from the kit. I glued in the shoulder and x-braces first.

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The next day I came back and glued in the bridge plate, finger bars, tone bars, and upper bout brace.

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I am a little confused about the sound hole braces. Everywhere I look it seems to be an afterthought in the instructions. I know that in one of John's videos he mentions that the primary function is to prevent cracking in the top.

So, is it just somewhere near the hole and symmetrical on both sides? I assume that with this OM/OOO body, I don't need a brace below the sound hole and the intersection of the x-brace? There isn't a lot of room as you can see in the photos.

I also got a piece of cloth in the kit. Do I glue that over the x-braces using wood glue? Or is it something different?

[Stray Feathers]

The soundhole bracing is important I think - some builders even put a piece around the soundhole that thickens the whole area. As for the fabric patch, that has always been a matter for debate. Some insist that it works. Others (me included) like to see a piece of wood glued across a properly lap-jointed x-brace. The photo shows an old Yamaki I am restoring (sort of), with its fabric patch sort of slapped on (I know you would do a better job than that) and the wooden piece I put over the x-brace join of the new top I made for it. Bruce W.

[daviddrazen]

Thanks for the tip and the photos. I had seen that John talked about a wood patch on the x-brace vs fabric. I had glossed over it at the time since I was focused on just getting the braces glued. I then forgot about patching until I found the fabric when I unpackaged the bracing.

I'll go back and re-watch that section and attempt the wood approach.

[daviddrazen]

I'm getting ready to voice the top and prep the bracing for notching into the kerfed lining.

I am a little confused as to how thick the bracing should be where it is notched. Is 0.1" sufficient? That's what Bill Cory seems to suggest in his book.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

.100 is good. A little less is even okay. Go too thick and you may find that along with the top thickness combined is more than your binding height when you go to route your binding channels and that is not a good outcome.
Usually binding is a quarter inch or a little more or less so be sure you have it all planned out ahead of time.

[daviddrazen]

Thanks! Just so I understand, the thickness of the top and the portion of the brace that gets notched should be less than or equal to the binding thickness?

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Yes. If that totals more then your binding height then when you route the channel you'll have some of the brace ends showing under your channel.
Make sense?

[Diane Kauffmds]

Your top thickness should be ~ 0.100 when your finished. You have a choice on your braces. You can tuck them into the kerfing, without going through the sides, or you can go through the sides.

I went through the sides on my first couple of guitars. There's nothing wrong with this method, but this is where you have to be concerned that the top thickness + the end of your braces don't exceed your binding thickness. So, if your binding is 6.35mm thick, make sure your top and braces don't exceed this, so the binding covers everything.

But, if you tuck your braces, there's no worry. The only difference between these 2 methods is that when you tuck the braces, you don't go through the sides when you rout the kerfing for your braces. Everything is done the same, except for that. Just stop short of cutting through the sides.

Martin tucks their bracing.