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Old 11-18-2011, 04:34 PM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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Default Why such complicated glue-up methods?

I am rapidly approaching my first acoustic build,and I have been absorbing information from all over and am deeply appreciative of that information.

However, there is one issue about which I feel deeply, and that is the method which many builders seem to adopt regarding the gluing up of tops and backs.

At this point, may I say that I have over 40 years ( and counting) experience in woodworking/cabinetmaking, and for most of these years I have been responsible for designing optimal systems for assemblies.

So for gluing up a top (or a back), it seems to me like a no -brainer, and I just wonder why any builder would do it any other way. I see on the web pictures of ropes and wedges and various other devices and I wonder WTF ?

Any back or top is narrower at the upper bout than at the lower bout, so why not just cut each half as a tapered wedge, plane the joint on the shooting board, lay each half side to side on the workboard, nail down two strips aligned with the outer edges, then glue the mating edges, and simply tap them together with a mallet or light hammer, with a weight over the joint to make sure they don't spring out of alignment.

Simple. or what ?
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Old 11-18-2011, 04:39 PM
tadol tadol is offline
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As long as the joint fits tight without pressure, any way you can add a little, evenly, along the entire edge should be fine -

I think its kinda like mousetraps, the goal is the same, everyone has their own idea about how to achieve it -
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Old 11-18-2011, 05:09 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post

Simple. or what ?
Simplest I know is to lay the jointed two halves of top or back on a flat surface. Apply glue to one half. With jointed edges touching, lift one half till it is 60 degrees or so off of the flat surface, jointed edge still touching. Lay one strip of masking tape along the length of the joint, 1/2 the width of the tape on the horizontal piece, 1/2 on the lifted piece. Using your thumb, burnish the masking tape on the two pieces. Press downward on the lifted half till it rests on the flat surface. Place a cinder block (or similar weight) on each half. The stretch in the width of the tape pulls the two halves together. Works on most any size piece of wood, including book-matched head plates, etc. Put wax paper under the joint before gluing so that the top or back doesn't stick to the flat clamping surface.

Simple or what? This is a method that Larivee used in the early days before the factory.

I usually use rope and wedges simply 'cause I like the method: it takes little space - allowing one to glue a number at one time and stack them - is quick, doesn't require dedicated boards on which to glue, allows one to see, align and clean both sides of about 95% of the joint while gluing and is easily adjustable to suit a wide variety of sizes. In this day of CNC machines, I like the concept of using simple, ancient "machines" to accomplish this task.

Last edited by charles Tauber; 11-18-2011 at 05:28 PM.
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Old 11-18-2011, 05:33 PM
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SteveS SteveS is offline
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Many ways to do this. Your way sounds reasonable to me. Go for it.
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Old 11-18-2011, 05:36 PM
gitnoob gitnoob is offline
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Similar to how I did it, but only one strip was nailed down.

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Old 11-18-2011, 06:21 PM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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Originally Posted by gitnoob View Post
Similar to how I did it, but only one strip was nailed down.
Love it ...
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Old 11-21-2011, 11:30 AM
arie arie is offline
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I made a joining plate. Cost about $20 and took about 2hrs. Although not shown in the picture, the wedge blocks on the right are adjustable via slots for different guitar sizes and lock down with wing nuts. When not in use the wedges are stored upon the studs and are retained in place with the wing nuts and washers so I don't loose them.

So with the initial expense of about 2hrs and 20 bucks, I can now take tops or backs that I've planed true, apply glue and wax paper, set them into the fixture, clamp up, and walk away in about 3 to 5 mins. I've found this works well for me. IMO not complicated. It was extremely easy and I'll be able to use it for many years.



Last edited by arie; 11-21-2011 at 11:59 AM.
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