A more-or-less copy of a Martin OM

[johnnparchem]

I clamp it much like you show but I use a radius dish under the back or top as the gluing caul. I am surprised the pad did not work, but there is a lot of clamping pressure so probably forced the back flat through the pad.

Here is an equivalent shot from one of last guitars with a radius dish as the caul for the top.

[MaineGeezer]

A radius dish would be ideal, I think, as it would give the back total support. Well, maybe for the next guitar..... <grin>

[Diane Kauffmds]

I don't have a radius dish either. I bought a cheap, large rubber mat, meant to keep rugs from sliding. I folded it, and cut a hole in the center, then made concentric cuts, from the center out, in each fold, leaving it thick at the edges. It worked great.

[MaineGeezer]

I just glued the ivoroid binding around the back using Duco cement. It looks as though I got it nice and tight. I hope it looks as good when I take off the tape and the clamp.

I pre-formed the ivoroid to the curves using a hair dryer to lessen the load on the tape.

[MaineGeezer]

Well, more or less as expected, the binding job isn't as tight as I had hoped. It sure looked good when I glued it, but there are sections that could be tighter. Sigh....

Didn't somebody say it's fairly easy to build a good-sounding guitar, but it's a lot more difficult to build a good-looking guitar? Maybe my 2nd gutar (assuming there is one) will sound good and also be better finished than this one is going to turn out to be. Not that this one is going to look all that bad....but it could be better.

[ruby@magpage.com]

Here is a caul I make for each size guitar I have built (4 so far). It is 2 layers of 1/4" plywood cut out with staggered joints and hot-glued. (A place to use your scraps of 1/4"!) I did not show how the other side of the rim is supported - I lay the rim in the mold on the backboard and fit perhaps 12-14 small wedges all around to support the bottom edge of the rim while I am gluing and clamping onto the top edge. The same caul works for the back and the top, and might even work for similar guitars. I make them 1-1/2" wide with an inch onto the top or back and 1/2" hanging over just to allow some leeway during glue-up:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 5130471994

Not my idea, but a good one.

Ed

[MaineGeezer]

Today I cut the rabbets for the top binding and purfling, and with Carter's help managed the four strips of assorted binding and purfling while I glued it in place. Does anybody have a trick for handling multiple strips?

I'm quite pleased by the result. I hope I can do the other half by myself and not screw it up in the process.

[ruby@magpage.com]

Here is a 5 piece that I recently completed - had no problems doing it myself.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 1029319394

I wrapped a couple of wraps of blue tape around backwards on 3 fingers, then wrapped that with another piece not backwards. I ended up with a lightweight ring of blue tape with no sticky on either side (like a napkin ring). I made 2.

To start off, I taped the pieces in the correct configuration for the first inch and glued and taped it in place. - you can see it in the photo above.

Then I ran all 5 pieces through the tape rings and taped one of them onto one piece of the 5 about 1/2 way from the end, and the other I taped on one piece out of the 5 at the far end. All 5 of the pieces stayed in order and behaved nicely as I went around, and when I got far enough that I met up with the first ring, I just untaped it and let it slide down to the end.

I did this same grouping of 5 pieces on the top and on the back.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 029319394/

Ed

[MaineGeezer]

Your links seem to be partially broken. They go to your account, but not to specific pictures.

Here is a 5 piece that I recently completed - had no problems doing it myself.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 1029319394

I wrapped a couple of wraps of blue tape around backwards on 3 fingers, then wrapped that with another piece not backwards. I ended up with a lightweight ring of blue tape with no sticky on either side (like a napkin ring). I made 2.

To start off, I taped the pieces in the correct configuration for the first inch and glued and taped it in place. - you can see it in the photo above.

Then I ran all 5 pieces through the tape rings and taped one of them onto one piece of the 5 about 1/2 way from the end, and the other I taped on one piece out of the 5 at the far end. All 5 of the pieces stayed in order and behaved nicely as I went around, and when I got far enough that I met up with the first ring, I just untaped it and let it slide down to the end.

I did this same grouping of 5 pieces on the top and on the back.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 029319394/

Ed

Ed,
When you're on the "Post a Reply" page, look just below where it says Post a Reply. You'll see among the rectangles, one that contains URL. Click on that rectangle and insert your URL between the two bracketed urls. That will properly code the url. PM me if you get stuck.
-tommy