How does one
Get the drawing on the plan transferred to the blanks
How do you actually shape it, what tools etc... technique
Novice here. My first one.
Thanks
Carving x brace blanks for stewmac 000
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Docgere
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2018 7:21 pm
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Diane Kauffmds
- Posts: 3252
- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm
Re: Carving x brace blanks for stewmac 000
You have a plan which has a layout. If you've not already done it, you need to mark your brace positions on the inside of the top.
I highly recommend Clover Chacopy Tracing paper. This tracing paper comes in a pack with several different colors. It's a chalk paper that contains just enough wax that it won't transfer unless you press on it with a transfer tool. But, it's easy to sand off of the wood and won't interfere with gluing. It's actually for dressmaksrs, and can usually be found at fabric stores, or online. Here is a link so you can see what I'm talking about:
Clover "Chacopy" Tracing Paper https:// ... LAbFVBVYPR
I use a bamboo skewer that I round off to trace around my plan when using this paper. It's reusable for a long time. It will not dry out. I usually transfer the plan onto a large piece of paper, then I use this to transfer to the guitar. If you don't want to do it this way, then you can take several measurements from the plan and draw the brace positions on the top.
The x-braces and transverse brace, are tucked into the kerfing. So, I cut my blanks at least 2 inches longer than I need. Make sure you cut the braces so that the grain runs up and down, vertically, on the ends.
I have an accurate table saw, so the first cuts I make are lengthwise, and almost to width. I also make the braces slightly taller. This allows me to work with them without worrying that I'm making them too narrow or too low. Sand them to the width shown on your plans, and to to height, using the height where the x is formed, which is the highest point on the braces. It might be anywhere from 5/8" to 3/4" high, depending on your plans. I like to sand to 220g.
Take your 2 pieces, which are now to width, height, and lay them on the transfer marks you made on your top, making sure they overhang the top on each end. When in position, mark where the "x" intersects. I always cut the "x" first.
The brace on the bottom, will be cut on the top, so that the brace on the top will slip down into the cut. I do this cut first. Try to align the braces so that the angle is as accurate as possible. Mark the position of the sides of the top piece, onto the lower brace with a pencil. Using a handsaw, align the saw just to the INSIDE of the pencil lines, and cut 1/2 way through the brace. Using a chisel, chisel out the wood in between, so you can slide the top brace down into it. It will be a snug fit. You can now double check the brace angle, compared to your transfer lines on the top. You can tweak the angle by taking out small amounts of wood. When you're satisfied. It's time to cut a notch in the remaining brace, on the bottom, using the same techniques. You will have 2 straight pieces of wood, interlocked, forming the "x". Make sure both pieces lay flat on the bottom. Do not glue it together yet.
Each x-brace, needs to be radiused to the proper top radius. For instance, Martin has a 28' top radius. You can sand the bottom of the braces on a radius dish to achieve this curve. There are other tools, like the a jig that I own, which I press the brace blank into it, then sand it forming the radius. When the radius is formed on each blank, put the x together with a drop of glue, making sure that it stays in the proper angle, until the glue cures.
Some folks prefer to glue each brace onto the top, forming the x, as they permanently glue the braces. I like to form the X first.
Look at your plans. They'll tell you where the braces start to taper. Mark these positions on your braces. There are a couple of ways to go from here. If you have a combo belt sander, you can sand away some of the material to give you a head start. If you have a spindle sander, you can presand each brace, before gluing them together. If you do any of this pre prepping, don't go too far. Leave some material.
You can glue the x-braces to your top, without any preshaping, except of course, the radius. The braces can be shaped with sandpaper, chisels, or a small plane. Personally, I either presand the braces on my spindle sander, before gluing the x, or i just form the x, then glue the braces on the top. I use my small low.angle block plane to take off excess material on the ends, and I use chisels to scallop the braces. If you aren't scalloping, a small plane is a nice tool to use to shape the braces. Your plan will have marks where you begin, and it will tell you how high the braces should be at various points.
It helps to look at photos of shaped braces. You'll find loads of photos in the Blog Your Build area of the forum. No two guitars, even from the same builder, will be identical. I'm going to post some photos of me, shaping braces.
Check John Halls videos on YouTube. I'll post some photos. I hope I've not confused you.
I highly recommend Clover Chacopy Tracing paper. This tracing paper comes in a pack with several different colors. It's a chalk paper that contains just enough wax that it won't transfer unless you press on it with a transfer tool. But, it's easy to sand off of the wood and won't interfere with gluing. It's actually for dressmaksrs, and can usually be found at fabric stores, or online. Here is a link so you can see what I'm talking about:
Clover "Chacopy" Tracing Paper https:// ... LAbFVBVYPR
I use a bamboo skewer that I round off to trace around my plan when using this paper. It's reusable for a long time. It will not dry out. I usually transfer the plan onto a large piece of paper, then I use this to transfer to the guitar. If you don't want to do it this way, then you can take several measurements from the plan and draw the brace positions on the top.
The x-braces and transverse brace, are tucked into the kerfing. So, I cut my blanks at least 2 inches longer than I need. Make sure you cut the braces so that the grain runs up and down, vertically, on the ends.
I have an accurate table saw, so the first cuts I make are lengthwise, and almost to width. I also make the braces slightly taller. This allows me to work with them without worrying that I'm making them too narrow or too low. Sand them to the width shown on your plans, and to to height, using the height where the x is formed, which is the highest point on the braces. It might be anywhere from 5/8" to 3/4" high, depending on your plans. I like to sand to 220g.
Take your 2 pieces, which are now to width, height, and lay them on the transfer marks you made on your top, making sure they overhang the top on each end. When in position, mark where the "x" intersects. I always cut the "x" first.
The brace on the bottom, will be cut on the top, so that the brace on the top will slip down into the cut. I do this cut first. Try to align the braces so that the angle is as accurate as possible. Mark the position of the sides of the top piece, onto the lower brace with a pencil. Using a handsaw, align the saw just to the INSIDE of the pencil lines, and cut 1/2 way through the brace. Using a chisel, chisel out the wood in between, so you can slide the top brace down into it. It will be a snug fit. You can now double check the brace angle, compared to your transfer lines on the top. You can tweak the angle by taking out small amounts of wood. When you're satisfied. It's time to cut a notch in the remaining brace, on the bottom, using the same techniques. You will have 2 straight pieces of wood, interlocked, forming the "x". Make sure both pieces lay flat on the bottom. Do not glue it together yet.
Each x-brace, needs to be radiused to the proper top radius. For instance, Martin has a 28' top radius. You can sand the bottom of the braces on a radius dish to achieve this curve. There are other tools, like the a jig that I own, which I press the brace blank into it, then sand it forming the radius. When the radius is formed on each blank, put the x together with a drop of glue, making sure that it stays in the proper angle, until the glue cures.
Some folks prefer to glue each brace onto the top, forming the x, as they permanently glue the braces. I like to form the X first.
Look at your plans. They'll tell you where the braces start to taper. Mark these positions on your braces. There are a couple of ways to go from here. If you have a combo belt sander, you can sand away some of the material to give you a head start. If you have a spindle sander, you can presand each brace, before gluing them together. If you do any of this pre prepping, don't go too far. Leave some material.
You can glue the x-braces to your top, without any preshaping, except of course, the radius. The braces can be shaped with sandpaper, chisels, or a small plane. Personally, I either presand the braces on my spindle sander, before gluing the x, or i just form the x, then glue the braces on the top. I use my small low.angle block plane to take off excess material on the ends, and I use chisels to scallop the braces. If you aren't scalloping, a small plane is a nice tool to use to shape the braces. Your plan will have marks where you begin, and it will tell you how high the braces should be at various points.
It helps to look at photos of shaped braces. You'll find loads of photos in the Blog Your Build area of the forum. No two guitars, even from the same builder, will be identical. I'm going to post some photos of me, shaping braces.
Check John Halls videos on YouTube. I'll post some photos. I hope I've not confused you.
Last edited by Diane Kauffmds on Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Danl8
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Re: Carving x brace blanks for stewmac 000
Nice write up, Diane! I would add looking at many pictures of braced tops of vintage Martins and other manufacturers (reference library here and google) can be very helpful in training your eye for typical shapes and tapering, etc. Very nice sounding instruments can be made with very plain bracing, too, so its not necessary to learn it all (scalloping/shaping) on the first instrument.
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Diane Kauffmds
- Posts: 3252
- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm
Re: Carving x brace blanks for stewmac 000
Here are some photos. Note that if you look closely, I've already radiused the bottom of both braces, before I make the x brace.
One note. Make sure BEFORE you glue the x together, that you have them pointing the right direction. There is a right upper side and a left upper side. They aren't interchangeable. You can easily switch these. Before gluing them together, put them together one more time. If the X is suddenly narrow and strange looking, then you've mixed up right and left. Just reverse them, or better yet, label them in the beginning, when you lay them out form the first time. I mark them as "upper left/upper right". I'm not sure if you can see these labels or not in the photos.
From here, you're going to draw lines across the braces, to mark where they start to taper, per your plan. Shaping them is not an exact science.
If you go into the section of the forum, called Library of Guitar tops, you'll find photos of guitar tops, with measurements and side views. This may help you visualize the placement of the shaping and how tall to leave the braces at given points.
As Dan pointed out, you dont have to get fancy. If you're bracing looks different or varies from your plans a bit, it's all okay.
One note. Make sure BEFORE you glue the x together, that you have them pointing the right direction. There is a right upper side and a left upper side. They aren't interchangeable. You can easily switch these. Before gluing them together, put them together one more time. If the X is suddenly narrow and strange looking, then you've mixed up right and left. Just reverse them, or better yet, label them in the beginning, when you lay them out form the first time. I mark them as "upper left/upper right". I'm not sure if you can see these labels or not in the photos.
From here, you're going to draw lines across the braces, to mark where they start to taper, per your plan. Shaping them is not an exact science.
If you go into the section of the forum, called Library of Guitar tops, you'll find photos of guitar tops, with measurements and side views. This may help you visualize the placement of the shaping and how tall to leave the braces at given points.
As Dan pointed out, you dont have to get fancy. If you're bracing looks different or varies from your plans a bit, it's all okay.
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Last edited by Diane Kauffmds on Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Diane Kauffmds
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- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm
Re: Carving x brace blanks for stewmac 000
I was just posting the same info. I take hundreds of photos and I had to dig up the right ones to finish my post.Danl8 wrote:Nice write up, Diane! I would add looking at many pictures of braced tops of vintage Martins and other manufacturers (reference library here and google) can be very helpful in training your eye for typical shapes and tapering, etc. Very nice sounding instruments can be made with very plain bracing, too, so its not necessary to learn it all (scalloping/shaping) on the first instrument.
I'm glad you understood the post. Sometimes I put too much information, confusing people. Lol
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Diane Kauffmds
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- Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm
Re: Carving x brace blanks for stewmac 000
Further brace shaping. I'm using a chisel to scallop bracing.
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lonecedar959
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Re: Carving x brace blanks for stewmac 000
Outstanding write-up Diane !!!
I wish I had this when I did mine but I will use a lot of this next time.
-Pat
I wish I had this when I did mine but I will use a lot of this next time.
-Pat