Martin Pre War ish...

[Ben-Had]

Nice workmanship. That's an interesting neck block you're using.

Ed

Looks like a typical Martin neck block. That back piece is used as a clamping caul and goes over the popsicle brace.

[kelley71]

Yes sir, I ordered my kerfing and blocks from Martin. I got my bracing finished except drilling the hole for the truss rod. I got all the kerfing installed. I installed the support pieces on the sides. I routed out the dovetail with my flush bit. I got the end graff carved but not installed. I made a mistake and cut too large for my ordered piece. So I have to make a bigger one. No big deal.

I need to build some sanding bars so I can contour the rim, notch the top for braces, and glue her down.

[Diane Kauffmds]

You're doing a nice, clean job. As far as the species of back and sides, you've got some nice wood with beautiful figure. I think you'll have a guitar that you can be very proud of when finished.

[kelley71]

Thank you folks for the compliments. This is definitely a learning experience. I have driven my wife crazy by working in the study (Dyson close by)

I leveled and sloped my top rim today. I also glued and flush cut my soundboard to the sides. I did not tuck the X braces in the rim. I just feathered them down to the edge with a strong butt joint. There are 100 different opinions, but I will see what it sounds like. I won't be using her or a tennis racquet so I hope she is fine.

One thing I will do different next time is rough cut my soundboard a little cleaner. I left the sides a little long and the rubbers bands starting to bend. So I relieved a few, routed, put the back, and repeated 10 times until I had the entire top flush cut, I was afraid the pressure was going to crack the overhand on the top in the wrong spot.

It is starting to look like a guitar now. I have hit a stopping point. I have to get some new braces for the back. I have a slight ripple on the bottom edge close to where the heel block goes. I will have to straighten that.

But I am excited. Thanks for looking....

[johnnparchem]

Yes, It is starting to look like a guitar. The top looks good. "I have a slight ripple on the bottom edge close to where the heel block goes" What do you have a slight ripple in?

[kelley71]

The ripple is on the back. It was partially quatersawb and started to cup bad. I ironed it out and clamped it between some cardboard. But there is a slight ripple I guess I need to steam it out and clamp it flat for a few days.

Is not steam a guy said I could use a veneer softener maybe? It is about .095 thick rosewood.

Thanks,

[kelley71]

Hi all. I got my back glued on and was out of town for work. I built a radiused caul this evening out of square dowel. I traced my longest back brace and hit it with the saw and then put some 2 sided tape and 60 grit on my brace and rubbed them together lightly until I saw no light. It was messy but it worked and only cost 3.00.

The humid here in Houston is awful. I glued all my rim so far at 50 % RH. it is 62 RH in the house with the AC on. So I want to wait to glue my back braces and back rim on until I can get it close to 50 again.

Here is my last photo taken out of the mold...

Thanks for looking,

[Diane Kauffmds]

I can imagine that you're battling humidity down in TX. Where I live in WV, it goes from very humid to single digits in a day, with the breeze that comes over the mountains, so I battle high and low humidity.

Don't feel bad about using the study; we haven't been able to use our dining room for more than a year with my guitar building. I just don't like working in the basement. However, our old house has a nice, big porch, so I try to do the really messy stuff out there weather permitting.

Your guitar is coming along great.

[kelley71]

Well over the weekend, I made a contouring jig for backs. I got my back rims profiled. They turned out perfect. The humidity finally came down enough to re-brace the back. I notched the rims for the braces carefully. Just a little cosmetic clean up, sign the top, and she will be ready to close up. It is turning out nice. I just wish this back matched the sides a little more. I could stain it a hair darker what do you guys think?

Thanks for looking and the wealth of shared information. I couldn't have gotten this far without it,

Mike

[kelley71]

I got my binding channels cut with my back glued. I made 2 nicks I wish I could change but, I will feather it in a finish. I will bind tomorrow. This is the most addicting hobby. Definitely interrupts my sleep time.

I bought a Rigid trim router from Home Depot. I was using a craftsman rotary cutter kit for the other stuff. The precision depth adjustment is awesome on this router. I was able to attach a guide kit I had bought for KMG.