'nother L-OO

[darren]

Thanks everyone!

[crimsonlake]

Darren - I really like that FB alot! Very understated but classy.

[darren]

They say everyone should thickness their plates by hand at least once. I don't know who 'they' are, but my back disagrees...This is the pile of shavings about 1/2 way through:

back-002.png

Fast forward and I've cleaned up the back, sanded to 220 on the inside surface. We are mostly between 2.5-3mm. The edges are a little thick at 3mm but that will be taken down just a bit when I level the bindings, so I think this is good enough. I've also cut out the profile with a coping saw. Carefully.

This is my gluing jig/fixture. Like my other jigs, I can clamp it to my table and then remove it when it's not needed. This is slower by far then a go-bar deck, but better than a bunch of c-clamps and a radius caul, IMHO. Here I've got a straightedge taped down to register the back joint reinforcement to, the BJR has glue applied, and I have my clamping caul at the ready. (by the way that is way too much glue - see in the next photo there is too much squeeze out for my liking.)

back-003.png

and here we are clamped up and ready to clean up. I built this fixture long enough to get a back/top in longways, just for this glue-up.

back-004.png

Nothing in this post is very pretty, but I'm trying to include most of my steps here. I'm almost happy with my rosette, so that should be coming up in my next installment.

[kencierp]

Yes -- I thicknessed exactly one set of plates back in 1966 -- after that experience I built a simple drum sander!

[Darryl Young]

Ha!, "they" are folks that have either never done it themselves.......or did it and want someone else to feel their pain!

Honestly, I'm showing my ignorance......but I just don't understand the concept of how a plane would be used to evenly thickness a board to a particular dimension. Sure not saying it can't be done, just saying I don't know the procedure.

[darren]

Kincaid and Cumpiano both layout basically the same procedure; start at one side, work to the other, rotate board, repeat ad. nausium.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Darren,
The They Brothers are quite old now. For years these 2 guys have been expousing their wisdom upon us; "They say this", and "They say that". I have often pondered what is going to happen when the Theys both pass away and go to that great big Think Tank in the sky.
Anyway, that is where that saying came from, in case you wanted to know. I'm sure They would approve of your clamping device, as I actually find it quite clever too.

Kevin

[Jim_H]

People thicknessed guitar tops and backs before power tools existed...

Or maybe they got their wood from the now extinct 'guitar tree' ? =D

[deadedith]

Jim - what they did was, they cut out a solid guitar from a single piece of wood, scribed a soundhole on the surface, and used elves with little teensy rasps and such to hollow out the body.
Just a little education for ya, no thanks necessary. :-)

[kencierp]

Yes it can be done --- personally, I've been there done it (very accurately I might add) but won't bother to do it again. Sloane shows his method in his books. I found the process zero fun and zero rewarding -- basically a PITA. We cut wood before power band and table saws too -- I am just not into doing things like that guy on the PBS "wood Wright Shop" than again, bless those that are. I think DaveB suggested an "Extreme Lutherie Reality Show" where they would drop guys off in a forest with a hatchet and the first to come out with a guitar in white was the winner!