Brazilian Restoration Project Part 2
 

Apparently 300 posts blows the servers mind so….. Here is part 2 of the Brazilian Restoration;

Wow, a bunch has happened. The Parlor has gone slow. I had gotten distracted having to HAVE to build a Guitar Workshop. I had a deal fall in my lap. I bought a well stocked builder that had had enough. Everything to build including some great wood and some big machines. Stuff I was going to slowly gather over the next 2 years. The Bending Machine that was going to take me 40 hours to build is now on a shelf waiting for me to figure out how to use it. (AND a pile of other stuff!)
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n163/wcsg/uhaul.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...g/DSCF2936.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...DSCF2939-1.jpg
So, I split my photo studio in half and built a shop. I had to. My guitar room is now Wood storage and guitars.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...g/DSCF1937.jpg
The shop was 2 weeks of hard labor but it turned out great.
Everything I had put together in the basement got dragged out to the studio. Work tables, lighting, tools…. All in the nick of time. Emptying a dehumidifier every day I can’t get the basement below 70% humidity.
Heres what I ended up with;
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...DSCF3047-2.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...DSCF3044-1.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...DSCF3043-2.jpg
Now I have space to build and repair! RocknRoll !!!!
The Parlor;
Bad news. The center crack on the back has grown. I did not cleat the center crack. Why? I don’t know. I love the look of the French Polish although I screwed up a part on the bottom, very fixable. On future restorations I think I will spray a finish. French Polish requires pressure on the wood. I am sure that contributed to the back crack. Also, the Parlor was in the attic. While distracted my project was subjected to the Spring heat, cold, humid, not. …. I was bad.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...ornewcrack.jpg
Now everything is in 48%
So, I dumped super glue thin on the crack. I will stop it for now and find out better how to finish up. Whether to prep and spray or wrap up the French Polish.
With a goal to play her at the McKnight Jam, I have 2 weeks to finish the guitar and string her up.

Lets do it.
Order for now;
First up is gluing the fret board,
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n.../neckglued.jpg
then roughing the Nut.
Then I think glue down the Bridge.
Then final neck alignment
Level and radius the Fret board
Pound or press in the Frets.
Dots on top and side of Fret board
Cut, finish nut and saddle.
Drill peg Holes into Bridge and slot holes
Tuners.
Extra Light Strings. I have read they tune in the key of G on these little gals. I’ll read more on that.
3 days of adjusting and whola done…..sorta.
Between McKnight Jam and the A.S.I.A Symposium I bet I come up with answers to questions I haven’t asked yet!

My, but you've been a busy little beaver, haven't you? ;)

Wouldn't it have been cheaper just to by another McKnight? :D

I can see you and Tim are gonna have a LOT to talk about in 2 weeks at the jam!

Poor Tim! I really have the bug to do it right I hope I don't annoy the guy!
I really hope to have the Parlor playable by then. It's come a long way from
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...ord4eclose.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...newbrace-1.jpg

This is a good cautionary tale. Yammie starts out with a restoration. Now he is hooked and spending all his time, space, and money on his new addiction. Take heed!

Next thing ya know I'll be driven to Madness cutting Dovetails ;)
Could be worse...........
I don't watch sports. I couldn't tell you who or what a quarterback is to the Steelers. My whole collection of stuff probably doesn't add up $$$ to a family going to 1 pro football game and eating a hotdog and popcorn at the stadium! I don't golf, sail, race, restore cars........ Music is the Best (FZ)

John
 

YJ cutting dovetails is the easy part its getting them to fit together thats the hard part and that back just looks so nice that it pulls at me to think about going back into the shop, while it sits empty.Ship

Wow.... How much fun is that? I'm jealous. Keep us posted.
Thanks,
Brian

I am sitting in our shop right now as I am looking over this thread.

YOUR shop is absolutely wonderful. I am impressed! Neil was right to say, "You have been a busy beaver."

Howard is right, too. Others need to take heed. This is a serious addiction. It's hard to let go once the luthier attraction has begun. Howard is the pro on dovetail madness. You saw his post card. It clearly shows how well he has that feat mastered. It's a fun look for a guitar.

Other folks at the McJam will enjoy listening to your stories, John. Two weeks. Just two weeks. By all means, observe our shop and feel free to ask Tim whatever ya wanna know.

The McJam - two weeks. Are you ready?

Ship! How are you feeling? Good to see your still plugging along!
Thanks Mary! Ready or not I'll be there!

Last night I bolted the neck on and watched a John Mayes Video on Necks and mounting. At first it was too snug the fretboard was hitting the body uneven so I spent an hour marking the body with chalk then sanding the high spots off the Ebony Fretboard. The top of the fret board was slightly cockeyed, I was scared the fret cuts were also. But, the frets cuts are straight and true. So, 1/2 hour of filing s l o w l y I found an even surface for the nut.
OK, this little gal started life with a Trapeze tailpeice, not a Pyramid bridge. So, should I take a step back and go trapeze? Or go Pyramid??
I just ordered a tailpiece that I think would look hot on this old gal
What do you folks think? Trapeze with a funky bridge or Pyramid bridge?
http://cgi.ebay.com/SHORT-FANCY-TRAP...3286.m20.l1116

Make a wooden trapeze. :evilgrin:

YJ I am sooooooo
 

Man that shop you have created is making me so jealous, as to how I am doing well its hard to get back to playing guitar and remembering where my fingers are suppose to be but I am doing it every day its getting better and a little easier and I have wondering down to the shop several times but I am not sure that I can dedicate myself to starting like you have, so will have to wait and see.
Wow I wonder how long before you loose yourself in there and like Mary has mentioned once you start, its kind of hard to stop ( except for the dinner call ) wish I was able to get down to the McKnight Jam Session, but I think this year is a wash for me, have to take the wife on a small Alaska Cruise to make up for all the hard work while in the hospital she did for me, so maybe next year and who knows maybe another guitar or two in the process ( still loving some of Tim's guitars )Ship...................oh and go with the trapeze, that looks so sweet

Spent an hour drawing one forty times before I screamed lol

I heard that scream. Did it sounds like a school girl kind of scream? I blamed my daughter!



~~~~~ Nahhhh... I didn't hear it. It wasn't THAT bad. :D :D ~~~~~~

Get Tim to design and cut it on his new CNC machine. :D