Granddaughter wants a classical guitar

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Further work on the neck and heel. Removed some of the excess material and cut the bottom of the heel and block to the side height of 90mm.

Then on to the sides. Osage orange. Thinned to about .075" on the thickness sander. They fit into the heel slots tight, just right so a little sanding on that part of the sides for a nice fit.

Cut the sides to height with about 2mm excess that will clean up to the final height on the sanding board and radius dish.

First side bent. First time bending Osage Orange but just used my regular process. Spritzed sides with water, wrapped in kraft paper (no foil on these) and heat up to 275 degrees, starting the waist at 250 and done at 275.
Takes about 5 minutes using silicone blanket and 3 x 150 watt light bulbs inside the bender.

First side out fits the mold almost perfect. Second side will come out of the bender soon.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

More pics

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Alright sides are bent.....went really well, no cupping and a very good fit to the mold. End block made and installed. Sides lengths cut to fit in the neck. I made the sides about .005" over on thickness so I could scrape and sand the ends to fit tightly in the neck slots. Took some work but it got it done and the sides are now attached. I wicked in a drop of CA in both onside corners of the slots both top and bottom to secure the sides.

I've scraped and sanded the inside of the rims to 220 grit. Now their ready for kerfing!!!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Jointed and glued up the top and back plates.
Then I "drove the bus" on the 15ft radius dish to conture the back rims and the installed the homemade kerfing on both back and top of the rims.

I forgot to take a pic of sanding the back rim in the radius dish.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

No work done over the holiday week but got the end wedge of Indian rosewood flanked with BWB pufling installed. The binding will be EIR with side bwb purfling attached that will be mitered into the end wedge purfling.

I also CA glued the bwb purfling to the EIR binding today

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Moving right along. I should have had this guitar built by now.🤣

I trimmed the end wedge flush with the top and back. Still need to plane and scrape it flush with the sides.

I cut out the profile of the back and thicknesses it to .100" on the thickness sander. Then I glued on the inside back strip. Made from spruce tops cut off material.

Then I made my back braces; 8mm x 17mm Sitka spruce.
With the brace pieces I marked the back strip for the braces and cut them out using a chisel. Once they were fit, I then used a 15' radius template to mark the braces and removed material with a block plane down to the lines marked. Now with most of the necessary wood removed I sanded the braces down in the 15' radius dish until the arch was attained.

Then I glued them to the plate on the radius dish in the gobar deck. Next will be carving the braces.

[Airplanenuts]

Kevin, your progress looks great!

Best wishes!

-Rich

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I haven't yet carved the back braces. Decided to work on the top. Got the rosette installed and the top thicknesses and finish sanded to 2.5mm.

Then I got all the braces rough cut...except for the one that will go around the sound hole. I took scrap from the top plate gluing two pieces together to form a piece I can cut out a circle just a tad larger than the sound hole and fit it between the transverse braces

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Got the bridge patch glued down and planed to about 1.7mm thickness. Then started notching the fan braces to fit over the patch. Slow progress right now having some back issues.

I did get my EIR fretboard made; slotted and the binding made from cutting slices off this fretboard blank, glued on, to look like an unbound board. I like this look.
I won't do anymore with it until the top and back are glued on and the box is bound.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I now have the top braced and fit to the rims.

Now working on fitting the back...half way done on that.
Should have it all ready for glue up tomorrow.