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  #166  
Old 05-23-2020, 11:22 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber View Post
What's the issue, that the head isn't on straight?
Sorry, Charles. I was not in a happy place and vacillating between denial and defeat and was feeling frustrated. The neck angle is set and I was looking forward to gluing on the fretboard and moving on to fretting. The question at hand is that if the shaft of the neck is straight but just the headstock is twisted will that make it unusable?

I was able to flatten the surface for the fretboard and it's not twisted anywhere along that plane. The issue is that the paddle head is slightly too thin for the tuning machines so I will have to put a veneer on the back as well.

I will still proceed with working on the additional neck because I need to know where I went wrong.
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  #167  
Old 06-30-2020, 04:00 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I'm going to proceed forth with this neck so I put a ziricote plate on the back of the headstock. I concede that I still need to work on things but so far things look promising. I also purchased Gotoh 510 minis after repurposing the original full sized 510s I'd ordered to my Larrivee. They are much lighter.



I'm kicking myself for removing the volute but the back plate may be helping to stabilize the area.



For reference, here's the back of my first build which I built using the same molds and templates. I feel the volute makes that area feel "beefy" but 7 years after completion it's stable. I'm still evaluating the neck profile which is why there's no finish; I'd sanded it off.

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  #168  
Old 06-30-2020, 04:05 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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PS: here are the sisters side by side. Obviously one is not singing yet but the older one has had time to get used to being a guitar.



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  #169  
Old 06-30-2020, 04:36 PM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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Neil, I think it looks good! I'm no expert as I'm still wading through build 1.2, but I think it's coming along. I can understand the frustration though!

I need to go back and look for your build thread on your first (if you did one). I'm impressed!
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  #170  
Old 07-01-2020, 09:49 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Originally Posted by Treenewt View Post
Neil, I think it looks good! I'm no expert as I'm still wading through build 1.2, but I think it's coming along. I can understand the frustration though!

I need to go back and look for your build thread on your first (if you did one). I'm impressed!
Thanks! Don't look too close - I'm not happy about the binding but I'm hoping my next build comes out better. Next time: no purfling on the back; just binding.

BTW, the first build wrapped up in December 2013 after 4 years of stretches where I had to walk away from it. It's got a western Red cedar top with Honduran mahogany back and sides and is deeper than my factory dreadnoughts. I just put D'Addorio EJ17 (medium gauge phosphor bronze) strings on it. It took me two tries to glue the bridge on but I think the glue has had time to cure!
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  #171  
Old 07-01-2020, 10:29 AM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil K Walk View Post
Thanks! Don't look too close - I'm not happy about the binding but I'm hoping my next build comes out better. Next time: no purfling on the back; just binding.

BTW, the first build wrapped up in December 2013 after 4 years of stretches where I had to walk away from it. It's got a western Red cedar top with Honduran mahogany back and sides and is deeper than my factory dreadnoughts. I just put D'Addorio EJ17 (medium gauge phosphor bronze) strings on it. It took me two tries to glue the bridge on but I think the glue has had time to cure!
Neil, if my first comes out anywhere close to either of yours, I'll be elated! But I get it...the little mistakes that drive you crazy!
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  #172  
Old 07-01-2020, 11:50 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Treenewt View Post
Neil, if my first comes out anywhere close to either of yours, I'll be elated! But I get it...the little mistakes that drive you crazy!
Lol thanks, but I’ve had a LOT of help. I owe John Kitchen and the McKnights a great debt.
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  #173  
Old 07-07-2020, 10:35 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Treenewt View Post
Neil, I think it looks good! I'm no expert as I'm still wading through build 1.2, but I think it's coming along. I can understand the frustration though!

I need to go back and look for your build thread on your first (if you did one). I'm impressed!
I've been doing a bit of house cleaning lately and am finding things from years past. Thankfully, the forum software is as big of a packrat as I am. Here are the previous thread(s):

Part 1:
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...+build&page=11

Part 2:
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...228871&page=17

That should indicate that we all put enough work in to build TWO guitars. The soundboard and the back were pretty much the only original pieces of tonewood to make it through the entire process!

I really should've done a kit!
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  #174  
Old 09-08-2020, 11:02 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I set this aside with the body essentially done but I had misgivings with the neck appearing to be twisted. I have yet to install the truss rod and glue on the fretboard but the neck angle is set.

After looking at the two surfaces to be mates, I saw that neither the underside of the fretboard or the top of the neck were truly flat so I set about to rectify that with a card scraper and proceeding cautiously. Things look a lot better but I needed to step back before doing too much.

Also, I’m looking at the channel for the truss for and I don’t think I have it quite right. After doing some reading on the double action truss rod I see I have to route closer to the nut so that the fitting does not extend past the neck tenon.

After that, I’ll put a little caulk at each end of the channel and install the truss rod. I’m debating if I really need a shim on top, though I’d have a 1mm gap.
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  #175  
Old 05-19-2021, 09:48 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Yes, I am still beating this dead horse. Finishing this build has long been placed on my Bucket List; I'll finish it if it kills me LOL!

I glued the fretboard on the other day and have been trying to refine the neck profile. Tim McKnight had already aligned it for me at the McJam 2 years ago and it seems to have held:







That purfling though. I've been looking at it for a year trying to figure out how to fix it without having to route the binding off. Stewmac sells a jig that costs $60 but I'm not one to give them more of my money than absolutely necessary and feel that a lot of their jigs are over-engineered anyway. Here's my idea:



Yes, I know a fence would work as a better guide but this will work in the waist whereas a fence would not. I just have to proceed VERY slowly.
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  #176  
Old 05-21-2021, 11:51 PM
BEJ BEJ is offline
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Your Dremel tool set up should work I have a set up somewhat like yours. Just make sure the guitar can not move and what ever is holding it can't move. This is a high stress operation and you don't want anything causing you to lose focus.
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  #177  
Old 05-22-2021, 08:50 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Yes, I found that laying the guitar down and moving the tool around is much less cumbersome. I don't have a guitar cradle but my work bench has peg holes so that might be a viable alternative. I can always trim the guide.
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  #178  
Old 06-03-2021, 02:45 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I bought a knock off gramil from Amazon. It's on the slow boat from China. I'm forcing myself not to go anywhere near this with a power tool until then.

Instead, I'm filling in gaps with CA and sawdust where I can. I also put a spit coat of shellac on the rosewood and maple trim. I was concerned that the purflex ring was too dull but nope: I'm loving it.



The binding really pops too. I don't care that the rosewood "bled" into the maple either:





I've also been fine tuning the shape of the neck. I'm actually relishing this step and actually anticipating on installing the frets. I feel like I'm in the home stretch. Just seeing it no longer "in the white" is giving me the same feeling as I'd get playing guitars in the local store. Is this GAS?



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  #179  
Old 06-03-2021, 02:53 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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By the way, a couple of years ago somebody over at the OLF told me I should either finish it or toss it. I'm so glad I stuck with it. It's also inspired me to pick up Number One again and take the contour gauge to my favorite guitar's neck:



(Left to right, my Larrivee OM-03R with the caved in side; my first build of mahogany and red cedar; and my second which seems to be something in between.)

Looking at this photo, I'm seeing how big the first really was. Despite the cedar top Number One is more of a strummer because of the dread-like depth. The neck is even fatter. Number Two is probably going to be more of a fingerpicker like my Larrivee OM. I'm thinking it's going to need to take light gauge strings too since the top is so thin.
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  #180  
Old 06-03-2021, 03:47 PM
jricc jricc is offline
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Looking great Neil! I admire your talent and patience!
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