2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Take us through building your guitar step by step. Post pictures and tell us what you're doing.
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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

It's a good workaround.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
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nkwak
Posts: 650
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:55 pm
Location: Pittsburgh PA suburbs

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by nkwak »

I've turned my attention to completing the back plate. It's less involved than the soundboard and once the braces are installed I plan on adding matching side braces out of scrap spruce from the brace stock just as Kinkead illustrated in his book. So far, I've got the braces cut to length and height and have planed them to a desired thickness of 1/4". I've also thinned the back plate down to about .1" and have cut a rough outline. I was worried that the plate was too narrow for my 16" MJ plans but even at the gaps there's still partial contact with the kerfing so once I rout for the binding I should still be good. My major roadblock is that I have no means of applying a radius to the places, braces or rims. I'll be visiting my friend's workshop this week, however and he is equipped with some of John Hall's radius dishes. I just need to get everything ready to go so that I can jump right in to sanding then gluing things up.




Meanwhile, I've also ordered materials to get the fingerboard done so that I can glue it to the neck blank and move toward one of my favorite parts of the build: carving the neck. I just received some curly maple binding that will be used to bind the fretboard as well as the body later on. I may even attempt binding my headstock if I have enough excess left over.




PS:the headstock veneer is ziricote. It doesn't tie into any other element in this build but it I like it. As you can see, it's book matched with sap wood but I flipped it because I like the flamed effect. I also have some curly maple for the end pin wedge.

PPS: The curly maple/ziricote/rosewood combination has me reconsidering my decision to use a herringbone rosette. The top is already routed for it, but I need to clean up the edges of the channels because it has a tighter radius than the herringbone ring. If it won't work, I'm thinking that these woods might make a good palette for a custom rosette.
Last edited by nkwak on Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
~ Neil
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I really like the choice of the bookmatched ziricote.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
nkwak
Posts: 650
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:55 pm
Location: Pittsburgh PA suburbs

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by nkwak »

Thanks! I bought three sets from RC Tonewoods a couple of years ago. This one had the least amount of sapwood and the most figuring.
~ Neil
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

RC Tonewoods is my goto for veneers and tops too; they always have a really nice selection and they've great customer service.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
nkwak
Posts: 650
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:55 pm
Location: Pittsburgh PA suburbs

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by nkwak »

I'm giving up on the herringbone rosette. Its radius is not what StewMac listed on their site and my Dremel plunge router stand makes for an inadequate circle cutter. I'm going to try my hand at making a radial rosette ring out of scrap from my back plate and borrow a friend's StewMac circle cutter. If I can get the ring installed cleanly I may tempt fate and inlay an abalone ring to match my fretboard markers.
Last edited by nkwak on Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
~ Neil
Kevin Sjostrand
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Location: Visalia, CA

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Neil, you should come out with a nice looking rosette. Are you going to line it inside and outside with some purflings?
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Neil, it'll look better than the stock rosette.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
John J
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Location: Saint Paul, MN

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by John J »

I've done a couple of radial rosettes now. One with an abalone ring inlay. Looks good.
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Learning every day.
nkwak
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Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:55 pm
Location: Pittsburgh PA suburbs

Re: 2nd scratch build - Carpathian over EIR

Post by nkwak »

That looks really nice, John. To answer Kevin's comment that was something I was envisioning on doing...and yes, Diane I think it will tie into the theme better. It's certainly going to be a departure from the 28 series appointments I originally intended on doing.

Now, looking ahead I need to consider several things:

1: measuring the ring accurately for thickness and diameters.
2: how to clamp it down so that it doesn't spin while I attempt to rout it out.
3: how thick I want to go with the abalone (blue paua?) inlay?

Meanwhile, last night I went over to my friend's shop and got reacquainted with his thickness sander and made some passes on the back, rosette and sounboard. The back is now .095" thick, the sides were under .08"'thick and the top is around .011" thick. The top is as thin as I'm willing to go. It's more flexible than it was but still stiff with a decent tap tone. I can't wait to get started on the bracing!

Speaking of which, last night I also made use of my friend's radius dishes and sanding a 20' radius into the back braces. Originally, I was looking for a way to create a deflection jig to use a hand plane to put a radius on the underside of each brace, but that would put a cylindrical radius on the back plate - but my limited experience has shown me that the plate needs to be a dome. To do that I needed to use his radius dish. The OLF MJ plans call for a 16' radius but he only had a 20' dish. That's fine. I don't like pronounced bowl backs. If I did I'd own an Ovation.

So now I have the braces sanded and marked so that each should impose a dome shape on the back plate. I brought them all home (but not the radius dish) and glued on the center strip last night.
~ Neil
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