A new OM is hitting the work bench.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Better pic I hope

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Not done much since last post, had some duck calls to make.
I did get my fretboard made. Indian ebony I brought back from India in 2014.
It has plastic black/white purfling and ebony binding cut off the same blank. I like doing them bound in the same wood so they don't look bound, but the fret ends don't show.

Now I can position the fretboard with pins on the neck blank on the center line, mark the neck and begin more work on the neck blank.

I will also be cutting binding channels soon.

[TEETERFAN]

What a tasty fretboard! Nice work, very classy.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Cut the binding/purfling channels today.
It went well.

I have one piece (to go around the whole guitar) multi black white plastic purfling that will go on both the top and the back. Then high curl maple binding with b/w plastic side purfling that I super glued to the binding after bending it. That worked out well. I'll be doing the binding job over the next couple of days.
Purfling goes in first. Then when dry, the binding will go on.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

The binding and purfling is in. I didn't have to alter the channels at all after the routing. I got a nice even cut.

I glued in the plastic purfling first using special glue for bonding plastic to wood(or plastic to plastic).
Once that was dry I scraped away any excess dry glue from squeeze out. Then I taped in the binding, fitting the joints at the butt end first and then the neck end. When it was all taped in tight I wicked in CA between the tape, top and sides. Once dry I pulled the tape and the wicked in more CA where the tape had been.
Low pressure process.

I just finished scraping it all flush. I installed the binding about .010" proud on top and sides so there was a bit os craving to do. I started out with .085" binding so it's now about .075" and I think looks just right. Combination binding and side purfling is .250" tall.

Now I'll focus on the neck for awhile.

[BlindBo]

Nice looking work!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Got back on the neck today. Glued down the head plate and cut down the thickness of the blank close to size. I'll need to take about 1/16" more off the back off the headstock then I have a walnut veneer to glue on back there.

I also have the fretboard positioned on the neck with locating pins for future gluing in place, with a space between it and the head plate for the nut.

[scamp]

Looks great. Question… I believe it appears you installed the abalone dots before you radiused the fretboard. Are you at all concerned about sanding through them or sanding into the lower layers of the abalone and damaging the look. I did the same on my recent build and got away with it but I wasn’t comfortable since the dots I used were only 0.05 thick. Just wondering about your opinion and why you chose to put them in before radiusing vs after.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Actually these dots went in after radiusing. I just drill very carefully going close to depth FOR EACH DOT INDIVIDUALLY using the stop on the drill press. Since the dots do all vary slightly. Then I go down a couple thousands at a time and test fit until the dot sits just level with the board. I drop some CA in the hole and hand press them in. I want them just flush. Down the center this can work very well since the radius is slight. The smaller dots at the 12th fret are so small around they too are hardly affected by the radius. If they are high it's only about .001" and sand flush easily. If that much low, I just top them with CA and sand flush.

Takes a little more time but I like getting the good fit and then as you said, you aren't sanding away the shell. Most of the dots are still solid shell I think so it's not too big a deal as long as you don't take too much.

At best, radius first, the inlay a little proud and sand the markers flush.

[scamp]

Thanks for the info about how you put in the fret dots.

I got away with putting in the dots and then radiusing the board this time but I think I will reduce my stress next time and do it your way.