Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I've inlaid the fretboard. It still needs to be planed on the sides, to bring it to final shape.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

The box is closed.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I'm cutting the herringbone channel by hand. First I'm marking it using the Veritas miniature marking gauge. Then I'm using a gramil.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

The box is done.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Diane

How do you like using the gramil? Is it easier? Less Risky? Better result? Short learning curve? I have been meaning to try one.

Nice looking box

Ed
Ed M
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

ruby@magpage.com wrote:Diane

How do you like using the gramil? Is it easier? Less Risky? Better result? Short learning curve? I have been meaning to try one.

Nice looking box

Ed
Thank you Ed.

The gramil is definitely a slower pace, and within that criteria, less risky. It's not difficult to master at all. If you have hand issues, like I do, it's a bit hard on the hands. I found it easier to go over the cut 3x gently. I liked using the round Veritas marker first a lot. Since it's round, it cut easier into the fibers instead of tearing. It left a discreet groove for the gramil to ride, making the cut clean.

Another hack I used was the Veritas miniature edge plane, to scrape the binding and purfling. I've had 2 surgeries in each of my hands and I have neuropathy, so anything I can find to change up traditional tool use is helpful. I saw the little plane and immediately thought about bindings and purflings.

Large and small scrapers, as well as the long binding scraper, are very hard and painful for me to use. So I thought I'd give this little plane a try.

As you can see, it did an outstanding job. The one area where it wouldn't reach was the waist on the OM, although a dreadnought with it's less curved waist will be less of an issue. But, having only 2" on each waist is a lot less than 120" of total scraping!
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

The build is plodding along. After 2 health scares involving my husband I'm back at it.

French polishing has started. I sealed the body with 2 coats of blond shellac, which is my standard practice no matter what the finish will be. Not only does it play well with all finishes, by virtue of using shellac as the first 2 coats on the raw wood, I ensure that the guitar has that "shellac look" which is almost 3D.

This puppy has some wild grain and as so, the wood could conceivably check down the road. I don't plan on fixing a cracked guitar. In this case, I thought it better to pore fill with either a 2 part epoxy or CA glue. Since the weather warmed, and I was able to go on the front porch, I opted for ca glue. It's fumes are horrendous, worse than nitro. I wore my respirator, even outside. I put 2 coats of ca glue on her. It was enough to complete pore filling . I completed sanding to 320g.

Here she has a scant 7 coats with many more to go.
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Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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rcnewcomb
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by rcnewcomb »

Sweet! That beautiful grain justs pops out with the finish.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
ruby@magpage.com
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Did you put the CA on after the shellac of before? When you use CA for pore fill - do you sand to make dust? The wood looks great

Ed
Ed M
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Highly figured Chechen/Bearclaw Sitka Herringbone OM

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

ruby@magpage.com wrote:Did you put the CA on after the shellac of before? When you use CA for pore fill - do you sand to make dust? The wood looks great

Ed
Hi Ed.

I always put 2 coats of shellac on my backs and sides before anything else, to seal the wood and prep for porefilling. I put the ca glue on top of the shellac (2x). I porefill as usual, if necessary. In this case, the shellac and ca filled the pores. I lightly sand with 320g as necessary, to smooth it out. In this case, I lightly sanded with 320g after the 2 coats of shellac, then again after 2 coats of ca glue. So:

1. Shellac 2x
2. Lightly sand w/320g. Clean (I don't use the dust)
3. Ca glue 2x
4. Lightly sand w/320g. Clean.
5. Porefill with choice of porefiller as necessary. You can even continue using the ca glue if you want. It does a great job of porefilling. The fumes are dangerous, so use a voc respirator, even outside
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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