1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Take us through building your guitar step by step. Post pictures and tell us what you're doing.
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Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I've got that Steel City saw, but the version that will resaw 12.5". I really like it, just resawed some claro walnut Saturday with it using a Woodslicer blade. Plenty of power.
Be careful with the granite table. I've already (had mine for about 6 years) chipped it in a couple of places. I really like the saw, I think you will too.
Talladam
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:43 pm

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by Talladam »

Yeah, I think the one that can resaw 12" just came with the riser block pre installed. I'm glad you like your saw, I'm pretty excited about mine. How did you chip the granite table?
Talladam
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:43 pm

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by Talladam »

Oh, and also, do you happen to know if standard sized urethane bandsaw tires will fit on the wheels? It seems like they should. Do you just cut the old ones off? I guess I'm a bandsaw noob.
phavriluk
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:49 pm

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by phavriluk »

Wonderful timing with the radii. I will be needing them right soon as I tend to my bracewood. Many thanks!
peter havriluk
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I got a ball peen hammer to close to the granite tapping on a fence, I was a dummy and should have grabbed the plastic mallet. I have a small chip in the mitre slot and don't know how that got there.
I don't know about the tires
Do yours need replacing? No riser block on mine, solid cast frame to give the height.
Talladam
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:43 pm

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by Talladam »

I've now glued in the neck and tail blocks. It was not quite as easy as I thought. I first dry fit the neck block and glued a couple of temporary softwood strips along side where the block would go because I wanted the block to end up perfectly perpendicular to the top. Because my mould is only about 2/3 the depth of my sides I made a glueing caul to match the curve of the mould in that spot. I then figured out how to clamp it and went for it with Titebond. I had only glued in the softwood strips with a tiny bit of CA, but the glue squeeze out from the block ended up doing a pretty good job of gluing those suckers to the sides. It was a pain to chisel the strips out afterwards. Next time I'll stick them on with double stick tape and remove them while the glue is wet, Or I'll make them nicer and just leave them in.
neck block dry fit.jpg
The tailblock was a lot smoother and I didn't bother with the strips. I did initially find that although I had sanded the block to shape on the inside of my mould to match the curve, the block didn't fit perfectly. When I took a block plane to it I realized the sanding had left a pretty good hollow in the centre of the block. If I hadn't figured it out I would have had a bad joint I think.

After doing the blocks I sanded the sides a bit to get the gunk off from bending. I was a bit dismayed to find that there were a couple places where the dark marks won't come off. The sides are as thin as I am comfortable making them in these areas, so I will have to either live with the marks (they aren't very distinct) or figure out a way to disguise them (stain?) We'll see. I would think stain would be good, but I don't know how that would work with my planned flame maple bindings, and z poxy pore fill followed by shellac. maybe seal the binding somehow then stain, porefill and finish with shellac? That's a problem for a different day though. I left some darkness on the inside of the sides just so I would have a bit more thickness to work with when finish sanding the sides.
finished radius dishes.jpg
I also found some sandpaper for my radius dishes. For awhile the only thing I could find in Canada was at Canadian Luthier Supplies. $25 bucks per dish plus shipping would have ended up being about $70 just for sandpaper, and I almost did it after not finding anything else for awhile. Last weekend though, I was in the Calgary store of Canadian Woodworker looking for stuff for my new bandsaw and offhand asked them if they knew where I could get wide sandpaper. They sold me a 25" by 60" belt for a wide belt sander for about $3. It is 80 grit and paper backed rather than cloth, but I figure I can replace the paper 23 times before i reach the cost of the other stuff. I was pretty thrilled to find it.

Next I will shape the sides with my dishes and glue on the kerfing. The sides are about 3/16" deeper than my plans call for, but I suspect by the time they are shaped they will end up only around 1/8" deeper, and I am considering leaving the extra depth. I don't want to stray too much from the plans, but I do like a bassier sounding guitar ( I recently really enjoyed a D35 I played with a really rich sound), so the extra 1/8 might be ok. I'm not totally decided though.
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Talladam
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:43 pm

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by Talladam »

I meant to include a picture of the darkened areas of the sides in my last post
side scorch marks.jpg
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johnnparchem
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Location: Seattle
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Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by johnnparchem »

Looking good. It was a good idea to keep the heel block from sliding. I have seen a number of guitar builds where they slipped a bit, a real pain with the mortice already cut.
Talladam
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:43 pm

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by Talladam »

Yay! New post, finally. I spent the summer fly fishing, and joined a new band. Then I built my father in law a fancy cribbage board for Christmas (Did binding and abalone dots on it for guitar practice. It turned out pretty nice.) Then I got back to work on the guitar. I had already sanded the back radius into the back. My radius dishes worked like a hot damn. No problem at all. Nice to have something go smooth. Then I had to figure out the side strips. I wanted to do solid strips because my sides are a tiny bit cupped in one spot, so I figured the stiffness would be good. I cut and planed 7/16" by 1/8" strips of some African Mahogany I had around. After reading a bit on a different forum I decided to inlet the braces into the kerfing. I left about an eighth or so between the end of the side strip and the kerfing just incase the different pieces move at different rates. I had ordered Spanish Cedar kerfing which turned out to be super brittle and inflexible. I broke it a few times before learning to cut the notches a bit deeper at the waist and wet the bracing down before pinning it to the sides and letting it dry. Then I marked out the notches, notched it out and glued it. So that's where I am. I've got to use my radius dishes again to radius the kerfing and then I start work on the top (Scary). I'm now pondering how to cut my rosette slot with my trim router. I think yet another jig is in order.
planing side strips.jpg
gluing kerfing.jpg
finished kerfing.jpg
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ruby@magpage.com
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: 1st Build-OM from scratch and my workbench

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

I admire your dedication. I remember reading the posts a couple of years back and wishing you well. If that is the Stanley/Bailey plane you paid $40 for, it was worth it - a lovely pre WW1 plane that is all you will ever need.

Also - what is an "apron" plane? I have never heard that term.

Ed
Ed M
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