Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber
There are three common approaches to deal with brace ends near the sides.
First, to inset them within the lining. Having the lining "trap" the brace ends prevents the ends from coming loose.
Second, is to stop the braces short of the linings, but feather the thickness of the brace, at its end, to zero. This, too, helps prevent the brace ends form coming loose.
Third, is to leave the braces somewhat thicker at the ends and then attach a buttress that sits on the end of the brace and is glued to the side. This, too, helps prevent brace ends form coming loose.
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A further note to add...
For STRUCTURAL braces, it is recommended to use method 1 or 3 above as Charles has stated. I know nothing about the inside bracing pattern of a bouzouki, so I'll use a guitar as an example.
The transverse brace at the end of the fingerboard extension near the soundhole on a steel string guitar, as well as classical guitar transverse braces, if only feathered and not inset into the lining or supported by a buttress, then any impact or stress to this area of the guitar can cause a stress fracture near the ends of the brace on the top wood. Sometimes even the brace can become delaminated from the top wood. By insetting into the lining or supporting with a buttress, the impact is transferred to the lining & sides or buttress & sides, thus giving an overall greater support. Of course, if the impact is too strong, you'll crack the instrument no matter what. But I, myself, would never build with support braces that are not inset. The same holds true of back braces. After seeing what happens to various older (and newer) guitars built in various methods, and just using a basic sense of structural engineering, it is logical to come to this conclusion.