A pair

[B. Howard]

In the interest of an honest and open exchange of information I would like to let everyone here know that there has been a bit of a mishap. Since my accident last year I find myself still coming to grips with my new found lack of grip. I was working on the end grafts and when switching bodies in my vise......the dread slipped out of my hand and hit the floor. It was at its most vulnerable state with all the binding channels cut but no bindings installed. The upper bout of both the top and back split and a good section of the linings on both plates was shattered. Serious repairs were in order. I will not be going into those details or posting any pics of the repairs as they could make a nice blog of there own but they are almost finished and the back glued back on today. At the very least this guitar will receive a burst finish or maybe even a solid color. And depending on what tomorrows inspection reveals about the repairs it may ultimately be a shop guitar/ test mule. It will catch up to it's sister instrument when I start doing the neck sets.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program....I trim the tail end of one of my bindings so it lands at the center line. I use white glue for my bindings. I put a pool of it onto a piece of the baking paper I used to bend my bindings and start brushing it into the channel and onto the strips of purfling. I then start at the tail and start taping it into place.

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As I work around I cut the little rings of tape I used to hold the purfs and pull them out. I keep going till I get to the head of the guitar.

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[B. Howard]

As you see my binding runs wild at the head. No problem. I use the seem between the rims as aguide for my small back saw and just cut it right off.

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I tend to not try and do the whole guitar at one time. It's to easy to push a binding and create gaps plus all that tape overlapping is a night mare. So I did the bass on the top, I will do the treble on the back and then let that dry for 24 hrs. The back is easier on these guitars since there are no purfs to deal with.

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I will use a hair dryer to heat the tape, especially on the spruce to keep from pulling up wood fibers when I remove the tape. I will trim up the tail end of the bindings/purflings on the body with my chisel. If your chisels will not make cuts like this with ease, they are dull....go sharpen them. Looks Like one more cut and this will be nice.

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[B. Howard]

I spend some time fitting these ends together as they will be seen and maple is fairly unforgiving when joined on the end gran.This looks nice.

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The other end is of no matter on the top, you can cut the bindings a bit short. The back however must meet better, at least the part that will be seen after the neck is on. I glue the binding around to the upper bout and then make a cut on the binding with may little saw. I will then pair them back with a chisel until they fit nicely., This is what we have when the tape is removed. I let everything stand proud of the plates a little bit.

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This is then planed almost flush.

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[B. Howard]

I would like to point out that as soon as the last piece was glued on we actually began the finishing process. The binding channels were cut a few thousandths deeper than the bindings themselves and the sides were scraped down to them with my big scraper card. The surfaces at the plates are scraped flush as well. Remember, I have not sanded anything on the exterior of the instrument as of yet.

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[B. Howard]

I am also looking for any defects. Any hairline gaps at the bindings, any tear out, anything. While I can deal with these things later in the finish process, they will look much better if addressed now. Here we have a small bit of tear out at the waist on the back.

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I use different methods for different woods, for EIR like this I like a burn in fill. I use a hot knife and fill the little gap.

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This is then scraped down with a small scraper card with a fine but sharp burr and there you have it, like it never happened.

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All small hairline gaps and such on all the rosewood are handled the same way.

[enalnitram]

I'm sad to hear about your oops, but I think the world of you for admitting it and sharing. I like the way you do things. Great work.

Can you go into detail about the burn in fill on EIR? How does it work? What do you use?

[johnnparchem]

I am also sorry to hear about the drop. I have to thank you for this blog. I noted when you were sizing for the purfling on the top you wrote and showed "Notice I am leaving about .002" for glue."

I feel really clueless as on three guitars where I had wide wood purflings I ended up with the binding tilted back slightly so I ended up thinning the bindings at the top when sanding level with the sides. I never caught on. I just though some how I was careless, so on the next guitar I would measure and check the channels all the way around. I always cut them perfect and dry checked all around the channel. I was very careful taping; always pulling in and down ...

Duh the hydraulic force of the expanding purflings could have been pushing out the binding on the top.

Again thanks for posting it has been well worth it following your work at every step. I probably need to sharpen my chisel as well.

[B. Howard]

Can you go into detail about the burn in fill on EIR? How does it work? What do you use?

Sure, as I mentioned I will employ different types of fillers on different woods at different stages of construction. For EIR at this stage a burn in repair is great. It is done with colored sticks that are either solid lacquer or shellac. I have gotten them from different makers over the years, these are Behlin's. As the name implies you " burn " the material into the defect. This is done with a hot knife. My knives are nothing fancy, just like the rest of my shop.....these are made from stainless flatwear, butter knives that have been cut off. One is flat and the other bent into a curve at the end to allow me to work in difficult areas. To do this you need some type of heat. Most use an alcohol lamp, I use my propane torch. You heat the knife, not to hot but hot enough and melt some material onto it and then work it into the hole. First you get the material in and then you come back with a clean knife and trowel it down, pressing it hard to the surface. It is set up in about 45 seconds and can be scraped or sanded. On the board in front of the knives is my EIR filler. Sometimes the right shade does not exist in any of the sticks so I take some different colors and cut them together till I get the shade I want, it's a lot like mixing custom stain. It takes some practice to get right but is a very useful technique. Later, when I get to the finishing you may see me do some more of this with a clear stick between coats of sealer.

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[enalnitram]

Thanks!

[Darryl Young]

Thanks for the info! Enjoying your blog a lot.