Carving Bridge - Prairie State Jumbo

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glasalle1
Posts: 190
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 5:02 pm

Carving Bridge - Prairie State Jumbo

Post by glasalle1 »

Trying to move along on my Prairie State Jumbo Guitar I am building. Carved the bridge the other day. I had sent some Bridge Blanks to Andy Birkoniun to create bridge blanks that have the nut slot routed and bridge pins. I have done this part myself up till now, but find it easier/better to have that done first, so I can design the bridge, etc.

Here are a few pics of the bridge process:

First the design is drawn on the African Blackwood Bridge blank:
IMG_1709.jpg
Then I band Sawed around the shape, sanded to my lines. I don't have a pic, but i then turned on edge and with my rat tail rasp put the notches in the bridge
IMG_1714.jpg
Clamped to bench, and with the rat tail rasp, cut the grooves in the bridge:
IMG_1715.jpg
IMG_1717.jpg
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glasalle1
Posts: 190
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 5:02 pm

Re: Carving Bridge - Prairie State Jumbo

Post by glasalle1 »

Then I sanded/filed a ramp down the ends of the bridge. The pic doesn't show the completed stage, but gives an idea:
IMG_1719.jpg
Put the center lines back on:
IMG_1721.jpg
Filed/sanded the "points", trying carefully to keep a nice straight line:
IMG_1723.jpg
Where it sits right now. I have the bridge height a little higher than it will need to be, but will do that after I have the neck set, to ensure perfect. I also have to sand/file the ramp down in the back of the bridge to remove mass, and make it look "pretty", so a lot of work still. but you get the idea.
IMG_1726.jpg
Glenn
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glasalle1
Posts: 190
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 5:02 pm

Re: Carving Bridge - Prairie State Jumbo

Post by glasalle1 »

Body after top and back are on rims. Next up binding the guitar using the same motif as in the rosette. I sprayed the back and sides - cocobolo - with shellac to try to control the bleeding into the top, etc. I applied shellac on the top to seal as well. I will leave the shellac in place for when i route out the bindings.
IMG_1711.jpg
The Back with some shellac on it... note it is NOT pore filled yet, its just to stop the coco from bleeding, but gives a good idea of what it will look like under finish. Its a very dark coco - very Brazilian looking, in my eyes.
IMG_1705.jpg
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ruby@magpage.com
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: Carving Bridge - Prairie State Jumbo

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Glen

Great job on a cool looking bridge. You're right, the coco has a bit of BR vibe going on. ANy trouble bending it?

Ed
Ed M
glasalle1
Posts: 190
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 5:02 pm

Re: Carving Bridge - Prairie State Jumbo

Post by glasalle1 »

Thanks Ed!

The Coco bent rather easily. I used my Blues Creek bender, and was pretty uneventful - which is good :-). Only thing i noticed was the sides scorched a bit, and I didn't even take them very high in temp - sanded out with no issues. I believe i bent around .080".

Glenn
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Carving Bridge - Prairie State Jumbo

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

It's going to be a beautiful guitar.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
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