www.KitGuitarsForum.com

Boy Kevin that is alot of work but some fancy stuff you're doing there. I know NOTHING about that type of volume so can't comment on the correctness but it's looking great

Thanks Kevin. This is gonna my personal instrument, so I am swinging for the fences on the details. And I am retired, so time isn’t a factor. I’ve had to redo a procedure or two along the way, but the Blues Creek kit John put together really make things straightforward. The knowledge and support this forum provides is worth a million.

Clean and precise work. Inspiring thanks for sharing.

A blacksmith friend picked up one of my necks with a volute and got excited about how he uses the same shape at a similar joint to make it stronger and showed me a steel kitchen ladle he made and the back of the handle had a diamond volute at the joint like this.

That’s interesting about your blacksmith friend’s adaptation
. Shows you the influence one craft has on another. Cool stuff.
While researching the diamond volute, I found out about the bird beak joint that it simulates and how other luthiers still use it. I would go through a lot of wood trying to do a real joint!

We can certainly admire the technical skill of those who made (or make) that joint. Martin's CNC version doesn't quite line up the same, but looks impressive on a finished instrument. Here are a couple Martin modern versions (there are variations).

I reckon future CNC operations will virtually eliminate handwork in the larger factories, so it’s encouraging to see all the individual luthiers preserving the hand skills. I know I am real enjoying my build and all the precision woodworking involved.

Kevin isn't retirement great when you are building a guitar
I retired the end of 2021 and it's been Amazing!

Certainly is! I feel fortunate to have reasonable health and a situation that allows me to put some luthier time in. Most of the folks on this forum are “do-ers” and need to keep busy.

I just finished the headstock binding. Routing the channels was something I feared for months. After looking at a wide variety of techniques and tools I ended up watching John’s super video on headstock prep and mimicked his procedure. Wise decision, it went well and came out nice. Thanks to John, again!

More pics