Cherry parlor guitar, project #2

[Diane Kauffmds]

That's an interesting pattern. I'm thinking of going with a single tone bar, but with X bracing.

[MaineGeezer]

I did a sample section of the binding and purfling I plan to use, to get a better idea of what it will look like. The purfling is "Celt 2" Purflex, 1/8" wide.

I neglected to seal the wood first, so when I sanded down the binding and purfling the black dust embedded in the top and side wood and made it look dirty. I cleaned off a lot of it, but there are still traces.

[MaineGeezer]

Here's a photo of the bridge and tail pins filled with black epoxy. These are also from Petros Guitars, the Purflex people. I've sanded down the filler on the tail pin and one bridge pin to reveal the design.

[MaineGeezer]

The Plan was to make the back strip a total of about 3/16" wide (an 1/8" wide strip of Purflex plus a thin B/W strip on either side). Despite taking many precautions, the router found a way to wander from the One True Path and one side of the channel wandered with it. To clean it up, I had to make the channel 5/16" wide and glue in a sliver of wood at the worst spot. I'm now using a 1/4" wide strip of Purflex and a B/W strip on either side.

The photo shows a test fitting of the strips in the wider channel.

[Diane Kauffmds]

It looks great.

[MaineGeezer]

Here's the Purflex rosette filled with black epoxy prior to sanding down. I sure hope this works. I also hope the drips clean up. I did seal the top with a coat of shellac, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. He said optimistically

[MaineGeezer]

Apparently I didn't fully seat the Purflex in the channel, or I didn't get it glued in properly and it lifted up, because when I sanded it down flush with the top I sanded right through the Purflex in a couple of places (top of picture). So I said "Fiddlesticks! and "Oh, darn it!" and made myself a cup of tea while I contemplate the next move.

I set the diameters that I cut quite accurately, so I think I can set the router and cut out the Purflex without messing up the outer purfling lines. Or it may be more to the point to cut out the whole thing, purfling lines included.

At least the outer thin ring is okay.

And luckily I left the center intact, so I've still got the pivot point.

And aside from sanding through it in a couple of places, I think the Purflex looks quite nice.

[Benjy]

That was looking good, It is a shame that you sanded through. Lucky you didn't cut out the sound hole. I have not done a rosette yet. By you posting this I have learned something!

Thanks,
Benjy

[MaineGeezer]

I knew it wasn't fitting just right when I put it in. Instead of taking the time to adjust the fit, I thought I could get by with the way it was. Wrong! Moral of the story: take the time to do it right...the first time.

[MaineGeezer]

I was able to cut out the sanded-through Purflex and the border line purflings without too much trouble. I made the channel 1/32" wider, which should help. While I await a new piece of Purflex, I'm gluing in the border lines using Teflon strips as filler. This ought to guarantee that there is a proper channel for the Purflex. It's the method shown in Bruce Petros's Purflex installation video.