No. 4 - my attempt at a mahogany/sitka folk size

[nkwak]

I've shifted on to bracing the top. This may not be popular for some here, but I've inletted the bridge plate into the X brace:



Bear in mind that this is just my fourth build so I'm still experimenting and learning. I feel like it will keep the bridge plate from lifting and that since this is still technically a student work I can monitor it over time to see if that works out.

[nkwak]

I'm also trying to employ the use of dowels to align the plate position with the mold, but I admit that my execution is not successful so there's still measure of "eyeballing" it.

Regardless, it at least helps me with finding out where to notch the sides. Here I'm doing to the top side notching after intentionally leaving the ends of the braces to the full height. This allowed me to reach in with a pencil and a blade from a hacksaw to mark where to cut the notches.

[nkwak]

Once I got that done I then took a scrap of the offcut from the top to use as a guide on how low to taper the ends of the X braces. That helped me to get at least 3 of the 4 notches right. The 4th is a tad deep but I'm confident the binding will cover it. I also tapered the finger braces and lower face tone bars to be well short.



On the Number One brace I'm doing something a little nontraditional and something that Ervin Somogyi reputedly does: but the ends of the No.1 braces against the sides to promote rigidity in the area:



Again, we'll see how this works but I wanted to give it a try.

[nkwak]

I glued the back on a 7/13/25

I glued the top on the first time on 8/16/25. I have much to learn about hide glue.

I flush cut the top and back on 8/17/25

I routed the binding channels and cut for the end graft the week of 8/25/25

I bent the ebony binding on 8/27/25

While dry fitting and clamping the end wedge the hide glue let go. I told you I had a lot to learn about mixing hide glue. I worked it loose with a heat gun on 9/29/25.

Last weekend I glued the top back on, this time with Titebond and now I'm working on the end wedge and the scarf joint on the neck.

[nkwak]

The end wedge is glued in. Using the bar clamps is what pooped the top loose the last time.

[nkwak]

I've begun work on the neck.



The goal is to make it a 24.9" scale with a dovetail tenon, though the templates and other necks are all 25.4" scale and I forgot to add another 3/4" for the upper part of the tenon so I cut another block to add to the glue up. The scarf joint looks good. I just need to dry fit everything with clamps to address any potential skating issues with the Titebond. It's a matter of measuring several times before moving forward, which is the maddening part of the process if you let it.

[nkwak]

The bindings and purflings are in and I'm well into the long road of sanding/scraping everything flush:



Now I'm moving on to the neck blank:



Things are not perfect but I'm accepting them and moving on. These early builds are learning experiences for me which I intend to foist on my friends and family. ;-)

[phavriluk]

I've found that I'm plenty busy using Original Titebond Extend as my assembly glue. Hide glue may cause purists to swoon but I think there's too much effort needed for me to make my peace with it to warrant going to the trouble.

[nkwak]

I agree.

Also, I'm loving Gluboost products. I used the thin CA to glue on the binding and there was minimal mess.

[nkwak]

I've been measuring and remeasuring where to cut on the neck blank, drilled a pilot hole down about at the first fret and used my cheap table saw to cut the meat of the truss rod channel, followed by some elbow grease with a rasp to make it fit - but only snugly.



I also bought the ebony bridge from Martin and the 24.9" scale ebony fingerboard came from John Hall. Thanks so much for these pivotal parts of the build. I appreciate the workmanship that goes into them and one of these days I'd like to be able to shape and slot my own.