hummingbird #1 Padauk-Sitka

[hummingbird]

Gotta feel good , Padauk is one of the most difficult woods to bend. You dun guuuuud

Thanks to your great advice John.

The Cocobolo for #4 will be ready to bend soon. Hope thats not as stubborn.

[Jim_H]

Alain,

That looks really great, and I especially looooove the look of that solid lining!

[hummingbird]

Thank Jim me too. Next guitar will be a bit neater and cleaner. I'm learning something at every stage. I can see how ones skills would improve with each guitar.

[Darryl Young]

Alain, I love the look of that Padauk! Where did you get it?

I too like the solid linings and I'm using them on the guitar I'm currently building. Using 3 layers of Ash so similar to what you did.

I'mm surious why you went all the way through your solid linings with the side braces that stop cracks? I'll likely go a little ways (mayby 1/4 to 1/3 of the way through the linings) to help prevent cracks right along the bottom of the linings but prefer the strength and mass of a continuous ring around the perimeter.

[hummingbird]

Yes I installed the side braces top to bottom because the sides were so thin .75" I wanted the extra stiffness. This padauk is prone to cracking especially at this thickness.

I got the padauk at a local wood store. There's a local woodworker who can resaw and thickness sand it for me. It's cheaper that way plus I can pick my own pieces. The plank for the back I picked has a distinct ring to it when I tap it compared to the others.

[tippie53]

Coco bends well . and you won't need as much heat . Keep paper down to absorb the resin of the Cocobolo

[hummingbird]

I bent some walnut sides yesterday and I got black resin/burn? Marks on the wood which would not sand out without taking a crazy amount of wood off. I used parchment paper, perhaps something more absorbent would be better as you say. What would you suggest?

[Kevin Sjostrand]

That really is purrrrrty wood. I understand it will oxidize and darken, but it is still going to be a real looker.
Great job thus far.

Kevin

[hummingbird]

Inlayed the back strip , a washburn style from LMI. Planed it down and looking good.

[hummingbird]

OH NOOOOO!!!!!

I was vacuuming off the back and the vacuum hose snagged the edge and made a large crack. Exposing the fact that the back was super thin near the middle.

It was kind of thick along the center to start with so I took my sander to it with 60 grit and I guess I went too far. Gotta get a deeper thickness gauge.

I have another back. I ordered a new back strip. Ill make a new one in a couple of weeks.

Sigh...