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Diane Kauffmds wrote:Sounds like you're making progress Neil. Do you need a caul for the binding?

All I did was glue each side of the fretboard, put the binding on, using 3M 233+ green tape to hold it in place. I kept it and the binding flat on top of wax paper, on my workbenche, as I taped it. Remember to extend the binding beyond the end of the fretboard, so you can chamfer the corners when you bind the bottom of the board.

I did all that several years ago. I'm just gearing up to fretword and making mistakes with regards to the tuning machines and fit of the nut. Here's where I stand right now. There are several mistakes that you all should be able to pick them out!

I have a template that I use for tuner placement. I'd be happy to share it with you. It even works on the back of a headstock with a Martin style arrow volute. Just trace the bottom line for your headplate. It's paddle shaped, but from it, you can make your own if you wish a different headstock shape. It works on the front and back and will give you an accurate shape and placement for everything.

Just PM me with your mailing address.

Diane Kauffmds wrote:I have a template that I use for tuner placement. I'd be happy to share it with you. It even works on the back of a headstock with a Martin style arrow volute. Just trace the bottom line for your headplate. It's paddle shaped, but from it, you can make your own if you wish a different headstock shape. It works on the front and back and will give you an accurate shape and placement for everything.

Just PM me with your mailing address.

Thanks, Diane. I actually used the headstock of a dismantles “lawsuit” Takamine (the kind with the Martin shaped headstock) but the fault was mine, not the template. You know what they say: measure twice, cut once. Apparently the jig I used shifted during repositioning despite my best efforts. I even used a brad tip bit as a punch but got overconfident.

Oh well. The damage is done. I’m learning to live with it.

Yesterday I routed out a channel for the backstrip, installed it using thin CA glue and scraped it flush:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLZsOd9 ... e=youtu.be

Keep up the good work!

Thanks, Diane! I went with a zig zag center strip like I did with my second build. I just like the look better than the 28 style. There was a little bit of a gap - which was a concern and why I used thin CA glue to secure it - but I'm confident I can fill it. If I'd used Titebond I there'd be yellow glue residue.



I cut the outline of the back plate the other day. Some may consider this to be premature since I wasn't done thickness planing it (I don't have access to a drum sander at present) but I also don't have a caliper with a deep enough throat so this kind of helps with that.

I've also trued the sole and sharpened 3 blades for my No. 5 bench plane and have been working on my technique. I've gotten pretty good at thicknessing the walnut without taking huge chunks out of it:



I'd gone back and practiced on the sitka top that I'd taken huge gauges out of. I managed to smooth most of them out but the top is now just .077" thick.



Such a pity: look at that silking!

I ordered another top from RC tonewoods and am letting it acclimate. I’ll come back to it; I’m still building jigs for the sides. I spoiled myself by blowing $18 at Harbor Freight on a handheld jigsaw that I will likely burn out after making a Fox bender. I’m contemplating on building a drum sander of some type.

It's been awhile. I ordered another top and have been letting it acclimatize in my shop. There was a notable "twist" in one half of the set. I'll be focusing on the sides in the interim.





In the meantime, I'm building a new form and mold out of birch plywood. During the process I noticed that I still had all the pine cutouts from my wife's wine rack build and they'd make a good sanding drum to use on the sides.

I've got the bending form and mold done.





I'm shifting focus now to the sanding drum for the sides so that I can get it down to a uniform .1" thick. I use the hot pipe for binding but I'm debating on using it for the sides.

My apologies for resurrecting this thread but family commitments have always conflicted and drawn me away for extended periods. Hopefully this will start to sort itself out but this is not the thread for that. Suffice it to say, I've taken this off the back burner and put a little work in with the interest of dedicating at least one day a week toward this build.

This past week I revisited the soundboard. That involved redoing the joint and sanding it down to about .11" on my homemade drum sander - which doubles as a slingshot, hence the need to redo the joint! From now on I'll be used the palm sander and being VERY careful!

The weather is all over the place and the humidity in my basement isn't as stable as I'd like it to be but presently it's between 35-40% which should be OK. Still, I'm thinking that it would probably be more prudent to bend the walnut sides and just sticker the plates until the rims are ready. I also have DIY bending forms and a homemade side bending machine with some pretty cheap slats and heating blanket. I bought some orphaned sides from RC tonewoods but didn't thin them down so the waist and upper bouts buckled and cracked. I bought some orphaned sides from RC tonewoods but didn't thin them down so the waist and upper bouts buckled and cracked. Even though I have sanded the sides down to .085" part of me is thinking maybe I should just use a hot pipe though since I don't have a thermostat. That's what I did with the curly maple binding on my second build and I've gotten more practice with that method with decent results.