Blogging Fatso!

[johnnparchem]

David, Fatso is really coming along. I can not believe how clean your work looks as well as everything else in your pictures. I only need to spend 5 minutes in my shop and it looks like a cyclone as passed through.

[David L]

Thanks John! I have taken great care to keep my project clean, I'm quite happy with the outcome so far, not perfect, slight mis-alignment of back to rim at neck end, off-center the width of decorative strip, butt end dead center. Top is dead center at both ends, I am really not complaining, I don't think that's bad at all for my first go at it. As far as cleanliness of the shop, I must confess I try to spruce up the areas that show up in photos. The rest of the shop outside of the picture frame looks like I never cleaned up after hurricane Katrina. If it was a song it would be called something like "Balanced Chaos?". It works for me, I find that if I have a place for everything and everything in it's place, I spend more time trying to find things and putting them away than time actually building. Anyway, that's how I roll!

David L

[Kevin Sjostrand]

It's coming together nicely David. Good luck on the routing!!!!

Kevin

[David L]

Thanks Kevin, I'm a bit indecisive as to the color of the binding I want to use. White is what is used on the Martin HD-28 and it has good contrast with the E.I. Rosewood B&S, I'm just apprehensive about having the hassle of dealing with the Rosewood dust discoloring the white binding. Black also looks good, I don't know, I'm leaning a bit toward the white but that may change, I don't have to make that decision just yet.

David L

[Ben-Had]

slight mis-alignment of back to rim at neck end, off-center the width of decorative strip, butt end dead center. David L

I did the same thing on my first using a caul similar to the one you used, that's why I don't use that setup anymore. I use about 30 cam clamps so I can see those center lines perfect now. Haven't missed since. But it did cost me about $150+ getting those extra clamps.

Tim B

[Darryl Young]

As for the mis-alignment the a couple of things that can make this almost a non issue regardless of the clamping method. For the back, if care is taken, brace notching for the rim -- pocket or through, will act as locators so the back will lock itself into position. This is extremely important if a "go bar deck" is used since the rods tend to push the slippery glue covered parts all over the place (actually this is why you will not find a go bar deck in our shop).

FYI, fish glue which tacks quickly and will help prevent things wanting to slip around in a go-bar deck or when clamped. As Ken pointed out, the notches are also locators which also helps keep things in place.

[David L]

Thanks guys for all the feedback, I really appreciate it. I did have the top and back located using the braces/lining inlets as an index however on the back the braces barely (Technical measurement) fell into the the lining and coupled with the notches for the kerfing of the lining made for a sloppy fit. I'm not making excuses (ok maybe I am) I sure could have done better, regardless. The solution as I see it: The next one I will make my own braces to ensure that they are long enough and use reverse rounded lining so that I will have a non-notched edge where the braces start to enter into the lining, this will eliminate the slop from the slots in the lining. Also, I only notched the lining and not all the way through the sides as I figured it would help with the alignment. It worked great for the top but it didn't help on the back because of the braces being short, it was still able to move side to side. My neck block did of course come with the pin hole locaters but my top didn't and I couldn't figure out a way to transfer them, besides, I was using a different method of locating. I'm sure if I would have thought about it long enough I could have come up with a way. Actually I might do that on the next one. Thanks again guys!

David L

[David L]

Position and drill holes, sweet, so simple yet effective. Thanks Ken,

David L

[David L]

While I'm waiting for my binding routing stuff to come in, I decided to get started on the end graft. I do not like to free-hand things so I came up with this, well actually I remember seeing something similar in another thread so I didn't really invent this. this kept my saw cut straight as well as square (perpendicular). I just had to make sure not to tighten the clamps too tight so as not to crush, crack or otherwise cause damage. I chiselled it out and it came out fairly good, we'll see when I install the end wedge.

[David L]

Actually that is how I'm doing it. The picture is deceiving. Both cuts are angled so that the end graft will be wedge shaped. Thanks Ken.

David L