Quote:
Originally Posted by Viking
I totally can't wait for that moment. Thus far, it seems that everything I've done has been very 2 dimensional. Once the braces get added, it almost feels like something magical will take place. Can't wait. Plus, yeah, not much in terms of tap tone to the cedar right now. 1 clear note prior to cutting the guitar's shape out. Not much of anything right now. I'd really like to begin to hear the music in the wood. I've read that once the braces are added to the equation, it changes everything.
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You can get a pretty good tap by using the index and thumb of one hand to hold the soundboard about a 1/4 its length from the top, and tapping about 1/4 its length from the bottom. If you don't hold it tightly you can get most any wood to ring. It is pretty cool to brace, then listen to the tap tone change (drop) as the braces are shaped down.
As to side thicknessing, I'm not sure for oak. I've bent padauk sides at .110" and had NO problems despite reports that it's hard to bend and split-prone. Then I've bent walnut sides aroun .080" and had a hard time. I bend old-fashioned with a propane-torch heat pipe. I've changed my approach over the years, and I've been sizing my side woods to .040"-.050" and laminating the sides. This seems to work great wiith flatsawn sides (like quilt maple) where I use quartered wood for the inner pieces, and really keeps them flat and they hold shape even when I take the sides off my mold.
I still make my tops on a dead flat work surface; and use a shop-made 15.5' radus dish for the backs (partly because everyone seems to use 15') which is integral to my mini-gobar deck.