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  #16  
Old 09-18-2020, 12:30 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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That looks pretty good. The fingerboard can be further cleaned using Naptha from the hardware store and 0000 steel wool - in the direction of the grain, not across. Furthermore, go easy on the oil. Use a few drops on a cotton ball, wipe on and then wipe the oil back off again within a few minutes. You will be set until 2023 or so.

As for the rest of the issues, if you are handy you could do the repairs yourself after studying some YouTube videos. Just be aware that there are risks for first-time repair efforts. It can be easy to mess some of these things up. You dollar constraint is understandable but you should probably farm out some work. A replacement bridge should be a $100-150 repair, depending on whether you want to stay with the original pinless bridge or let it become a pinned bridge.
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  #17  
Old 09-18-2020, 02:21 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Earl49, Thank you for your reply.
I have fixed the 3 cracks on the back. One major, one medium and one minor. There was one on the front and it's gone now too.

before





after



You can still see it but there's only a tiny bit of it that can be felt with your finger. I sanded through the finish a little when I smoothed it out. I will try to match the finish a little later when I get to that point.

Each crack got better and better as I gained technique and a little more skill.

I did use Naphtha to clean some of it and a safety razor as a scraper and very lightly used it to clean the rest of the gunk and DNA the rest of the way.

before scraping



before oiling



after



There is a little fingenail / string divots left, but they won't hurt anything and it's also where my brother and I put them in over the years.

It's taking a lot of time, but that's the way I want to do it. Slow and informed as much as I can, til she's singing again.

Thank you for your reply and advise, I appreciate it.

Ron
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  #18  
Old 09-18-2020, 02:38 PM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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Hi Ron et al, I may be wrong (I was once before) but that body and the fretboard looks like Harmony Sovereign shape to me.
Thoughts?

Maybe it could be sent to Mr Baxendale? http://baxendaleguitar.com/index.html
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I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
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  #19  
Old 09-18-2020, 02:54 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
Hi Ron et al, I may be wrong (I was once before) but that body and the fret board looks like Harmony Sovereign shape to me.
Thoughts?

Maybe it could be sent to Mr Baxendale? http://baxendaleguitar.com/index.html
Silly Moustache, I think you are right.
A lot of the "jumbos" were made with this body style at that time period.
There are some Silvertone guitars made in the same style.

I found this out by looking for a case and was told that they don't make this size or body size profile anymore. Or at least **** few of them.

It even has the parallel bracing, not quite the ladder bracing the Harmony and Silvertone guitars had, but very similar.

I believe that Mr. Baxedale works only on Kay and Harmony guitars and those might have to have no finish requirements or bridge problems this one has. But I am going to check it out. I'm pretty sure though that it will be out of my pocket book range.

Thank your for your reply.


Ron
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  #20  
Old 09-18-2020, 04:04 PM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RonMay View Post
Silly Moustache, I think you are right.
A lot of the "jumbos" were made with this body style at that time period.
There are some Silvertone guitars made in the same style.

I found this out by looking for a case and was told that they don't make this size or body size profile anymore. Or at least **** few of them.

It even has the parallel bracing, not quite the ladder bracing the Harmony and Silvertone guitars had, but very similar.

I believe that Mr. Baxedale works only on Kay and Harmony guitars and those might have to have no finish requirements or bridge problems this one has. But I am going to check it out. I'm pretty sure though that it will be out of my pocket book range.

Thank your for your reply.


Ron
Hi Ron, well, its worth asking the question though isn't it?

There was a Silvertone sovereign on the UK ebay recently, with a similar top colouring to yours. I was tempted but the price went up very quickly. Fetched £900! (inc. shipping).
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Silly Moustache,
Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer.
I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
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  #21  
Old 09-18-2020, 04:20 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
Hi Ron, well, its worth asking the question though isn't it?

There was a Silvertone sovereign on the UK ebay recently, with a similar top colouring to yours. I was tempted but the price went up very quickly. Fetched £900! (inc. shipping).
I doubt that the Regals are held with such high market value regard.

Ron
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  #22  
Old 09-30-2020, 07:00 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default removing the bridge

Today I'm removing the bridge.
I'll use a small hot iron which I will hold on top along with a removal tool sort of under it to heat both up around the same time.

I made the removal tool out of a putty knife. I narrowed the wide straight forward part of the knife and rounded the end with a fairly sharp edge. I will use the iron as it's heating up the bridge to also heat the knife.



I am using the iron to heat up the bridge so that the glue under it will soften and using the knife slowly work it side to side and forward and back and just move it around to help the softer glue release it's hold on the bridge.
The cardboard is to protect the finish around the bridge





Then I work the knife to help loosen the glue and slowly one little part at a time help the bridge separate from the soundboard.




The removed bridge. smile
The black is a part where the bridge used to be is part of the removed bridge, for what ever reason, would not let go when the rest of it did.





I'm removing what's left of the bridge from the sound board, but I've gone about as far as I can go until I know what the shape and size of the replacement bridge will be.

All in all it went pretty well.
I wish it came off cleaner but it is what it is.
It doesn't happen this way in the all the block buster movies though.


Ron
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  #23  
Old 10-10-2020, 05:34 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default Fret Leveling File

I am making a "file handle" for the ******* file. I've cut it down and I will mount this wood handle to it for leveling the frets when that time comes.
I'm still working on it, but I have finished the "hand hold". I sanded it down and put an instant coffee stain then I sprayed clear coat on it. ( 6 or 7 coats)
I even filed and sanded a thumb slot for grip and comfort . smile

I'll attach the file to the bottom of it.









This is what it looked like before.



StewMac sells these for $45. Mine cost $7.50

Ron




Amazon has just been approved for drone delivery.
We now have skeet shooting with prizes.
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  #24  
Old 10-11-2020, 11:14 AM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default Leveling the frets

I finished spraying the last clear coat on the fret level file hand hold and let it set over night.

This morning I glued the file to it and put it in the vise to make sure it had as much contact to each other as possible.

It turned out really nice.


After I was sure it had cured I prepared to level the frets with it.
First I adjusted the truss rod inside the neck to make the neck and fret board as straight and flat as possible. Then I took a sharpie and colored the top of the frets.
Using the leveling file, I filed across the frets from body to head stock until all the black was gone, taking as little as possible off to achieve that.
That way I know all the frets are level with each other.



I then colored the tops again and using a crowning file brought the top of the frets back to a radius on the very top. I did that until there was just a tee-tiny bit of black on the top of the frets. This assures me that the top of the frets are round and the tiny mark tells me that the frets are still at the same level.
I followed that up with some 600grit sandpaper to remove any file marks and kind of polish the frets to shiney and smooth.


I then scraped the corners where the fret meets the fret board and conditioned it with
some linseed oil.



Now the frets and fret board are ready for strings. smile
I'm getting closer every time I can make a check mark on the
"need to do' list" ........"DONE".

Ron
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  #25  
Old 10-11-2020, 12:53 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default padded tail piece for intonation purposes

I also glued some soft leather to the inside of the tail piece to protect the guitar bottom from scratches or damage when I use this to intonate the guitar.







I'll just lay some leather down between the sound board and tailpiece for the part of it that sits on the top.

Ron
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  #26  
Old 10-23-2020, 07:49 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default Fitting the saddle in the new bridge.

Today I've fit the Tusq saddle into the bridge.
It was quite a bit wider than the slot, so I had to sand about .015" off.
I had to take .0075" off of each side so the saddle would still be centered with the way it was originally with the compensation, the manufactured top, so that it would fit centered in the slot. The length was also too long, so that had to be filed and sanded as well to fit the length of the slot.

Did I have to do that, probably not. But keeping it centered like I received it from the factory seemed like a good idea. That's just how my mind works after working about 25 yrs combined in a machine shop and a print shop where keeping things as accurate as possible is important.

The Tusq saddle is a man-made "ivory". It's much denser than bone or antler.


Saddle installed






I will need to install the tuning heads before I can intonate the guitar to locate the actual position of the bridge on the sound board.

Ron
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  #27  
Old 10-24-2020, 06:49 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default New tuning heads (Graph Tech Ratio heads)

I started the install and I ran into a little problem.

I used the ream and file to make the holes sungly fit the heads.





Then I mocked them up to see how they would work.






But I ran into a little problem being that with the plate on the back it made the pegs too short , not having enough room for the strings after winding them on .



I've decided to take the plate off and use the suggested "alternate method" by the manufacturer.

The heads have two locating pins that fit in to the plate that keep it from rotating out of position.





Since I'm not using the plate I'm going to drill two holes for these pins and mount the heads flat on the back of the head stock.



I'm using the heads to line up the holes before drilling. I'll repeat this process for the rest of the holes as I go. The cracks you see were already there and they are not structural but superficial and do not affect the head stock wings.




So far this is the only negative I've found about the Graph Tech Ratio tuning heads. But I can't expect them to anticipate every head stock thickness which was causing the problem.



I finally "got'er done".

They look pretty good. I figured that looking at the old holes that this is the 4th set of tuning machines to go on the ol' girl. It will most likely be the last ones.





I guess the next thing will be the bridge. After that I could theoretically string her up and let her sing.

Ron
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  #28  
Old 10-27-2020, 04:57 PM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default Locating the new bridge

Today I put on the 1st and 6th strings for using the intonation to find the bridge location for the new bridge.



I found center line, to line up the center line of the bridge, as close to the center of the guitar as possible.


I then made some reference points to make sure that should I have to remove the piece of paper I could relocate it back in it's original position.
[IMG][/IMG]

I put the strings on and I'm ready to locate the bridge location by using the tone of the 1st string (high E) and the 6th string (low E).


When it's noted both with open and 12th fret it should be the same pitch just an octave higher
When both strings note the same pitch respectively the bridge is in the correct position

Here's the process of how I do that. This is the first time a note has been played on her in well over 20 yrs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA8x06FL2WU



I then cut out where I marked the edge of the bridge.


As shown the new bridge is in approximately the same position that the old one was just a different shape. The leading edge is the same as the old one.


Now I have to scrape the finish off of the parts that over lap the finish to have a wood to wood contact for gluing.

It's going to be tedious work staying in the lines and removing it to as flat a level as I possibly can for a solid contact in the new bridge area and the bottom of the new bridge.

Ron
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  #29  
Old 11-01-2020, 10:57 AM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default Staining the bridge area

Today I made some stain out of instant coffee and water and used another piece of wood, about the same color as the bare wood, and used that to test the color matching process.



Before


After




I think it came out fairly well.

Ron
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  #30  
Old 11-01-2020, 11:00 AM
RonMay RonMay is offline
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Default Gluing the bridge

Today is the big day when I glue on the new bridge.

The bridge is made of rosewood and it has natural oils that need to be neutralized before spreading the glue on it. So I used some fingernail polish remover which is basically acetate for that on the bottom of the bridge.

I then, using an artist's brush, spread the glue all over the area making sure that I had 100% coverage and did the same to the bottom of the bridge.

I then positioned the bridge to some pencil lines I made for this.


Next came the clamps.


I've put the guitar in her case to wait for the glue to cure. I'll wait for at least 24 hrs.
Then it will be time to string her up.

Next, I'll check the neck angle and string action to see if that needs attention.
If the bridge is angled down too much then I'll have to adjust that with a neck reset.

But that's another day.

It's getting closer with not a hole lot to finish to let her sing again.

Ron
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