Thanks, Mary. Between matrimonial duties and maternal duties, when do you get time to rest and peruse all the other posts here? I've watched my wife raise our two kids, and I marvel at a woman's ability to juggle everything that comes by. Truly is a good thing that men don't have babies!!
I'm going to have to pay a consulting fee to TonyinNYC if he ever gets wise to how much he's helping with this. His approach to bending the side purfling was to tape it to the binding pieces that I was to bend. DUH! Sheesh, I shoulda thunk of that in the first place. It worked perfectly.
I was only able to bend 2 of the purfling pieces because that's all I had. There's another batch heading to East Texas. Unfortunately they're telling me it will be next Tue before they arrive. I really hate waiting. Of course it's that desire to get moving that gets me in trouble lutherie-wise, so I'll take the hint and step back.
I'd forgotten to install these mahogany pieces along the sides to stiffen them and help against cracking. Better late than never.
I was showing a co-worker the Sycamore pieces that I got, and telling her my plans for not only the reverse side of the headstock and the tail wedge, but the rosette I had planned. Initially the rosette would only have the small circles showing, but while we were looking at it, I changed my mind and may have them transition from small to large. My plan is to have 2 pieces of sycamore, one on either side of the sound hole ( 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock. They will both be about 2-3 inches long, and arc along with some purfling. Below the sound hole at 6 o'clock, will be an ebony piece - with or without a bloodwood piece intersecting it.
Here's the two pieces butted together. In the bottom right you can see the arc that I've drawn and that it takes in some of the larger circles/ovals/oblong things, and then transitions to the smaller ones. Above and to the left of that one, you see the other where it only has small circles in it. So my choices are: 1. transition from large to small, 2. All small, or 3. one small and one large.
Next is the part of the 2 pieces that will make up the reverse side of my headstock. Again, my initial thought was to use the small circles, but I'm leaning a bit toward the headstock showing large circles, etc. on the edge and smaller ones on the inside. I hope you can see the lines I've drawn. In the very middle, of course, is the part with only small circles. On the outer edges I've drawn lines that have large circles on the outer 1" and 3/4" of the smaller ones. That gives the inside part 1 1/2" worth of small circles. The front side of the headstock will be ebony. I intend to curve the sides and upper end of the headstock, but final shape hasn't been decided. I'll lose some of the outer side of the sycamore by doing this.
Anyone have thoughts on this?
Thanks for looking,
Bob