Starting #24

[TEETERFAN]

Looks good, Kevin. Gonna be another “clean machine”!

[scamp]

Very nice! Got to learn how to do this kind of inlay one of these days.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Thanks fellas. The rosette is really pretty easy. Get Kashi abalone on Amazon and give it a try. Very inexpensive too.

So I got all the braces made, glued on and carved today.

I'm now ready to fit the back so it can be glued on. That's next.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

The back got glued on yesterday and the top is being glued down in the gobar deck today!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Back and top or on and it's out of the mold

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Top and back routed flush with the sides.
Binding and purfling channels routed top and back.
Plain Koa Binding and BWB purfling installed on the back about .020" proud so I would end up with .250" tall bindings, and the back surface is scraped flush. It turned out nice. I got a pretty tight fit all around for a change. I went with thinner bindings this time, .073" which are much more flexible then the .085" I usually go for and the thinner is much easier to pull in tight with the binding tape.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

The body is all scraped flush and sanded to 150 grit
My logo is epoxied into the ebony headplate and the ebony fretboard is begun...slots cut, taper cut and Koa binding glued on.
Marked and ready for installing abalone dot markers

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Progress report.
The headstock front and rear veneers are attached. I used a thin maple under EIR for the backstrap.

Today I routed the body and neck for the mortise and tenon joint. That went well and once the neck was mounted with the fretboard pinned in place I was dead center on the guitar.
First time that's happened. I know once I've carved the neck and heel that fit might change but it should by much.

Then I glued the fretboard down and yes, I did remember to insert the truss rod. I have nightmares about doing that!

[RHayes]

Very nice, and inspiring to see before I go out and sand drywall in my retirement house build.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Did some neck carving today. Almost there, need to carve a little deeper into the heel "arch" ?

The heel fits almost perfect to the body and I haven't carved any relief yet on the heel mating surface.

Next I'll finish up the neck. Drill some tuner holes. Fit a nut.
Work on the bridge and get it to fit the top.

Then on to pore filling. I think I'll use Timbermate Ebony on the rosewood, and the headstock, and the sawdust and shellac trick to fill the neck.

Finishing Wil have to wait until the first warm days in the spring.