Finally starting to brace my first build

[nkwak]

I finally got some of the bracing on to my top last night. First I needed to trace the pattern on to the underside of the top:



Then there was a little work involving the band saw to cut the braces to length and fashioning a lap joint for the X-brace using a small bone saw, a 1/4" chisel and the band saw. After that I sanded a 28' radius on the undersides of the braces and then it was time to dry test the fit with the top in the gobar deck and 28' radius dish. Yamaha Junkie pretty much let me muck my way through it but was available if I had questions.

I admit that I made the joint a little wide but my friend stepped in and glued some scrap (bracing shavings from his current build) in the joint to tighten it up. Once that was all taken care of I applied a little Titebond to the undersides of the now-joined X-brace and my friend and I applied the go bar braces:



Looking good so far. Next time I hope to finish it up but the X-brace was the most daunting to me and I think it looks good so far:

[deadedith]

Good times!! :-)
DaveB

[enalnitram]

What plan did you use?

edit:oops, never mind, I found your previous thread again, you're building the OLF mj. rock on!

[David L]

Isn't it fun to bend some gobar rods? Looking good!

David L

[nkwak]

Actually, it's kind of scary. One slipped off and put a little ding in my cedar top. Fortunately, it's on the underside of the top so "out of sight, out of mind" as they say.

What's really tricky about those bars is that they sometimes split off little microscopic shards. I was careful but at least I think I got the one that got me out of my finger.

[David L]

I also had one slip while bracing the back, put a dent in the spruce centerstrip bracing and like yours it is in a place where it can't be seen.

David L

[tippie53]

you haven't lived till you have go bar shrapnel flying at you . Once one goes, the rest follow

[David L]

I had one cut loose on me too and become a screaming missle and luckily it went the opposite direction from me and it was on the end of the brace so it didn't start a chain reaction, ain't guitar building fun!

David L

[kencierp]

In my humble opinion -- I believe long reach cam clamps and work board are a quantum improvement over a go-bar deck -- we have not had a GBD in the shop in many years. The thing that PO'd me most is painstakinly getting the braces and rods positioned and coming back 30 minutes later to find the darn things slipped and were now glued a half inch or more off location.
Here’s an alternate process http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/topassembly.html
Note the simple contour cauls as well. Of course we now use a vacuum clamp -- More ways to "skin a cat"

[Ben-Had]

you haven't lived till you have go bar shrapnel flying at you . Once one goes, the rest follow

Which is why I now use a vacuum press, I like my eyes!!

Tim B