Yellow Cedar L-1

Take us through building your guitar step by step. Post pictures and tell us what you're doing.
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ruby@magpage.com
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

1) Trace around the pieces with a sharp blade (Exacto #11 works great), use alcohol to get the pieces off, and run chalk into the grooves. I also outlined the head

2) Rout with the Dremel and an .031 bit. Clean up with various chisels - this is about the only thing I need this wonderful shallow sweep, 1/16" carving gouge for

3) Fit the pieces one at a time
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Ed M
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

1) Thin CA glue to stick them in

2) Rub in some ebony dust and add more CA

3) Scrape and sand flush, run through the grits, and a couple of coats of shellac. The quality of the cheap abalone is a little bit disappointing
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Ed M
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Trying to get a couple hours a day in on this - it sure takes a while to do some of these steps if you don't do them very often.

1) Finish shaping the neck - spokeshave and file down to the fretboard, then blend the curves using the templates

2) Heel and neck are done - a couple of coats of shellac to keep the dirt off this light wood

3) Haans Brentrup, a retired mandolin and guitar maker of the first order, said he always feels to see if the edges of a fretboard are still square or are they slightly curved into the neck - curved being better. His suggestion was to hold the neck away from you and view from the back - can you see the fretboard on both sides of the neck without moving the neck? It looks like a shadow in this shot, but the black line is the edge of the fretboard - feels great too
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Ed M
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

1) Head done - the volute was difficult, because any nick in the surface of the soft, light wood leaves a dark spot under a finish. I have a couple of those

2) Getting close to finish time. For a little extra hardness on this soft wood I am going to try John Hall's Min-Wax Wipe-On poly technique this time. I am not a fan of a mirror finish - Nick Lucas wanted his Gibsons to be toned down so the stage lights didn't reflect in his audience's eyes - not that I have any audience except grandkids
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Ed M
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Summertime is busy. Had to take time to help with the annual maintenance on our community tall ship, schooner Sultana

1) Fresh bottom Paint

2) Built from actual plans of a 1768 American made, British navy ship

3) Back to the guitar - just three more jobs. First, a heel cap. Mark it for angle to match the curve of the back
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Last edited by ruby@magpage.com on Fri Aug 03, 2018 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ed M
ruby@magpage.com
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
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Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

1) Cut an ebony veneer, then thin a piece of Yellow Cedar with matching grain to the back

2) Glue them up

3) Shape with files and sandpaper
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Last edited by ruby@magpage.com on Fri Aug 03, 2018 7:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ed M
ruby@magpage.com
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

1) Second of three jobs - tuners. Finally get to see what the ebony buttons I installed months ago will look like

2) Happy loofier

3) I like it. The third and last job is locating the bridge
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Ed M
Danl8
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Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by Danl8 »

I see similarities between hull and heel; both have graceful lines. Sultana looks great. There is another tall ship a few minutes south of here, the Kalmar Nyckel.
Danl8
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Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:50 am
Location: Chadds Ford, PA

Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by Danl8 »

Tuning machines and ebony buttons are a perfect style for the YC L-1.
ruby@magpage.com
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
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Re: Yellow Cedar L-1

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Dan

I helped build the Kalmar Nyckel in the 90's and have been a volunteer carpenter since then - my 25th year this year. I am going to the Hudson near Albany to sail on her this weekend. Where do you live?

1) Sultana and Kalmar Nyckel - my 2 sweethearts (besides my wife and three daughters). I live 3 blocks up that street, Chestertown MD

2) 140 carvings painted by the paint curator of the Vasa - look her up

3) Early 17th c was the most complicated rig for a tall ship. The Kalmar Nyckel represents the first Swedish colonial ship arriving in 1638
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Ed M
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