Archtop Guitar

[GeoffStGermaine]

Littlesmith:

-The bender uses lamps only thought I'd like to get a blanket to use in addition or to replace the lamps as it would certainly heat the wood more efficiently

-The braces do not touch as I don't feel it would make much difference to the top stiffness profile and I prefer the aesthetics of it as it is visible though the sound holes.

Some shots of the inside before glue up:











Glue up:

[littlesmith]

the guitar looks very nice and original lines.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Some progress on the bevel veneers:

I got them glued on and cleaned up. The process was using a sheet of paper placed over the bevel and applying pressure to the edges to make a mark and form a template. This was then transferred to the veneer and it was cut out. After that I used yellow glue and binding tape to glue on the veneers. The fret access bevel had a slightly concave surface, so I had to use a clothes iron to get it to adhere... A fun trick I picked up veneering some tower speakers.

On to the interesting part:

[GeoffStGermaine]

I've been away for a couple of weeks, but I brought the neck with my to do the fret installation and start neck carving.

The fret ends are hot dog or semi-hemispherical. They are a lot more work to install, but I really like the feel of the neck. I've started the carving my establishing the shape at the heel and at the nut and I'll use a spokeshave to remove the material in between once I get home this weekend.







Cheers!

[tdq]

As someone who can barely manage to bang in a nail strait, it astounds me what you builders do. Can't wait to see the final product. I am in awe.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Thanks tdq. I bet you are capable of this sort of work. I really believe it's a matter of education, effort and patience.

I've finished carving the neck. All that is left is fitting the heel to the back extension that forms the heel cap and fitting the fingerboard extension to the arched soundboard.



I'm going to be doing a french polish with light blonde shellac. I'm mixing up a 2 lb cut to start, which means 57 g of shellac flakes in 250 ml of ethanol.





It will take about 24 hours for the shellac flake to dissolve completely. In the meantime I'll be working on the fingerrest, tailpiece and bridge as well as finish sanding the body and neck.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Today I got the softwood soundboard sanded to 280 and back and sides to 220 and ready for the first application of oil. Here are the photos:





I'll do the next oil treatment later today. The idea is to use the danish oil with wet/dry sandpaper to create a slurry to fill the pores in the walnut. Once the slurry is created it is forced into the pores using a small squigee. This won't completely fill the pores but what it will do is make them easier to fill once I move on to the shellac.

[LouieAtienza]

Looking great so far! Can't wait to see it under some finish....

[DeuceTrain]

You're my hero man. I'm aiming for this one day.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Thanks for the comments. Here comes the finish!

I've started the initial stages of the french polish, which really isn't french polishing at all, but is applying the initial shellac that is to be used for pore filling.

I've applied 4 coats of shellac using a charged pad and just running it across all of the surfaces with the grain. The top really doesn't need any pore filling except in the binding and bevels, so I sealed the soundboard and built up the shellac only in the areas right around the binding and bevels.

I'll let this dry overnight and tomorrow I'll start the first pore filling sessions using pumice stone and ethanol on the shellac that has been applied already.





A shot of a light reflection so you can see the open pores in the walnut. These will be filled with a pumice/wood dust/shellac slurry when I start the pore filling sessions.

[Kitchen Guitars]

Real clean work. Can't wait to see the final!

[LouieAtienza]

That's coming out beautifully!

[GeoffStGermaine]

I'm working through the french polish. I also finished up the heel carve and I've applied the Danish oil. I'm waiting for the oil to dry before french polishing the neck.

[KingCavalier]

Outstanding Geoff, truly inspiring.

SA

[Archer72]

Very nice! It's not easy to step outside convention on these kind of builds but you've got some cool innovations going on here.