Build Thread NorlundGuitars OM Flamed Walnut / Mahogany

NorlundGuitars · #1 12-07-2017, 06:16 AM

Hello!
Since im quite new to this forum I thought Ill introduce myself.
My name is Henrik im a 20yr old aspiring luthier, that lives in the nort of sweden (Skelleftea).
I have been building guitars for about 1,5 years now, and my goal is to be able to be able to do this as a full time profession.

This guitar it going straight to a client. Who wanted a OM size, walnut back and sides, soft sounding steelstring.
If you have any questions about my building, please ask! Im more than happy to share the little knowledge i acquired.

So hope you enjoy watching this project come together!

Bending the sides

Last guitar sides I bent was ebony, so bending these was a real joy! Since I havent bought a heatblanket I use these formes. They are basicly a mdf oven with a metal top. That I heat up with a heatgun. Works like a charm!

Joined and kerfed sides

----->Fast forward a few steps----->

Joining and bracing the back

Im currently trying out the floating back brace, on a couple of bodies I got in the making. The idea makes sense. And from what the taptone on the bodies tell you. It seems to be working just great!

Inlaying the back

Have been trying out some crazier designs lately, but sometimes letting the wood shine, is the way to go. The backstrip is a strip of ziricote. Will use bindings from the same piece of wood, for this guitar.

Stay tuned for future updates!

Ozzy the dog · #2 12-07-2017, 07:06 AM

Hi Henrik,

Nice to see some quality instruments coming from the younger generation. Had a quick look at your web page and looks like this is destined to be a wonderful instrument.

Particularly like your headstock design.

Looking forward to watch this develop.

Tim McKnight · #3 12-07-2017, 07:58 AM

Hi Henrik,

Welcome to the forum. I would like to kindly caution you in your use of using the heat gun to bend sides. All of your heat is aimed directly at, and in close proximity to the MDF, which is full of resins and formaldehyde. Not only are the fumes toxic but also wood will burn at <300*F so be EXTREMELY careful!!! All it takes is for you to focus your attention on something else for a few seconds and you have a dangerous fire on your hands. Please rethink this method of bending sides and be VERY attentive. No matter how careful you are, unplanned accidents do happen.

Now, back to your beautiful walnut build!

GeoffStGermaine · #4 12-07-2017, 09:48 AM

Henrik - your build looks great! Your work looks very clean and thought out. I'm looking forward to seeing more!

I'll echo what Tim has said. I used an oven style side bender for my first few archtop guitar builds. I used a design I found on the internet that used three 200W lights on a dimmer switch to control the temperature. The problem is similar to the problem here in that the temperature inside the mold is so high that whatever you've made it from start off-gassing and gets very close to ignition if you're not careful with it. After those first few I spent the few hundred bucks for a heating blanket and controller and not only does it greatly reduce the likelihood of having toxic off-gassing or a fire, but it's a night and day difference in the ease and speed of bending the sides.

I don't want it to sound like everyone's on your case. The build looks fantastic. More pictures, please!

cigarfan · #5 12-08-2017, 11:40 AM

Welcome to the forum Henrik! Very glad to have your participation.

Nice looking OM!

Would like to hear a little about how you learned guitar building and who are your greatest influences.

NorlundGuitars · #6 12-09-2017, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffStGermaine

Henrik - your build looks great! Your work looks very clean and thought out. I'm looking forward to seeing more!

I'll echo what Tim has said. I used an oven style side bender for my first few archtop guitar builds. I used a design I found on the internet that used three 200W lights on a dimmer switch to control the temperature. The problem is similar to the problem here in that the temperature inside the mold is so high that whatever you've made it from start off-gassing and gets very close to ignition if you're not careful with it. After those first few I spent the few hundred bucks for a heating blanket and controller and not only does it greatly reduce the likelihood of having toxic off-gassing or a fire, but it's a night and day difference in the ease and speed of bending the sides.

I don't want it to sound like everyone's on your case. The build looks fantastic. More pictures, please!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

Hi Henrik,

Welcome to the forum. I would like to kindly caution you in your use of using the heat gun to bend sides. All of your heat is aimed directly at, and in close proximity to the MDF, which is full of resins and formaldehyde. Not only are the fumes toxic but also wood will burn at <300*F so be EXTREMELY careful!!! All it takes is for you to focus your attention on something else for a few seconds and you have a dangerous fire on your hands. Please rethink this method of bending sides and be VERY attentive. No matter how careful you are, unplanned accidents do happen.

Now, back to your beautiful walnut build!

Thanks for the advice, I've thought about the fire aspect, I've built it so that the heat gun blows at a sheet of metal that's secured in the middle of the form. Never letting the oven burn on its own and I always have a fire extinguisher at hand. But sure didnt think about the fumes... Do you guys know where I can get a hold of a heat blanket, for a decent price?

NorlundGuitars · #7 12-09-2017, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozzy the dog

Hi Henrik,

Nice to see some quality instruments coming from the younger generation. Had a quick look at your web page and looks like this is destined to be a wonderful instrument.

Particularly like your headstock design.

Looking forward to watch this develop.

Thanks for checking out my website. Im really glad you like my instruments!

Haha, the headstock... think its always so amusing when people ask how I could come up with that "innovative" design. The truth is just that when I started building guitars, I really sucked at doing inlays and didn't have too much patience for that kind of stuff. So instead of inlaying a fancy logo, I thought "why not just drill a big hole, no one's done that before" and since no one was there to stop me, well it happened. And well turned out to be a success, so I have just hung on to that design ever since!

NorlundGuitars · #8 12-09-2017, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cigarfan

Welcome to the forum Henrik! Very glad to have your participation.

Nice looking OM!

Would like to hear a little about how you learned guitar building and who are your greatest influences.

Thanks! Feels great to be here

Learned how to make a guitar, by using the internet. Basically watched everything that's out there, and read a lot of descriptions etc. And then just tried what worked and what didn't, lots of trial and error, made a ton of mistakes and learned from them. Im a quite stubborn guy, and I was determined to learn how to make a great guitar. Not just some kind of rubbish so even if the first guitars was a real pain to make I kept on building. And somewhere along the line, I really got into it and realized that this is something that I would really like to do as a profession. So now here we are!

I got a lot of luthiers that I look up to and admire, but I think my greatest influences is Rassmussenguitars, Astrandguitars and Sundbergguitars.

But people like Stephenstrahmguitars, Isaacnagguitars, Marklundguitars, Bjorkguitars, Maegenwellsguitars. Are some really awesome craftsmen/women who I get a great deal of inspiration from.

irvine · #9 12-09-2017, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorlundGuitars

Thanks for the advice, I've thought about the fire aspect, I've built it so that the heat gun blows at a sheet of metal that's secured in the middle of the form. Never letting the oven burn on its own and I always have a fire extinguisher at hand. But sure didnt think about the fumes... Do you guys know where I can get a hold of a heat blanket, for a decent price?

Hilsen til Sverige, Henrik!
In fact, I'm Austrian, but I lived in Denmark for a while, and some 250 years back or so people left Sweden for middle Europe, got children with other peoples here, and so it happens, that I still carry an swedish surname.

Regarding heat blanks in Europe:
Andreas Rall in Germany runs a shop for luthier tools etc.:

https://shop.rall-online.net/epages/...36%2F160%2F212

Deft Tungsman · #10 12-12-2017, 05:54 AM

Lovely work. Awesome headstock. Truly awesome.

BrunoBlack · #11 12-12-2017, 06:20 AM

Beautiful work Henrik. I look forward to following this build. Welcome to AGF.

NorlundGuitars · #12 01-06-2018, 01:20 PM

This has been kind of slow so far. Have been waiting a while for the top wood, but it has finally arrived so now we move forward!
The top has been joined, and the rosette/soundhole is done!

Also made the fretboard and headstock veneer, time to send them off for some inlays!

Now when I finally got my parts to proceed, the building will speed up = more posts. So fasten your seatbelts and tag along for this magical journey, to watch this guitar go from not so guitar to yes so guitar

NorlundGuitars · #13 01-09-2018, 12:51 PM

Braces are laid out and glued

Then the top is voiced, and the braces are shaped and sanded

End block chamfering

Then we move on to the really exciting part, making these pieces join together to form the giant wood sandwich, yummy!

I'll post an update tomorrow night so that you amazing people can see how it turned out! oh boi, guitar building is fun

Nemoman · #14 01-09-2018, 01:00 PM

Beautiful rosette--looking good, Henrik!

I'm looking forward to hearing how the mahogany pairs with the walnut.

Thanks for sharing your build with us!

NorlundGuitars · #15 01-11-2018, 01:34 AM

Yesterday was a really productive day, got lots of stuff done!
Started the day by releasing the body from the gobar, take it out of the form and rout away the excess. Don't know if I have mentioned it but this OM size is the first one of its kind. So this is the first time I get to see it in "guitar form" and not just on paper, so was super excited to take this out and see how it looked!

Then it was time for flat sanding the sides, not my favorite step to be honest.
But after a couple intense minutes of sanding, we are flat!
Since I started using metal strips when bending my guitar sides, the sides have become so much flatter right out the bending mold, than before. So the flat sanding isn't that big of an issue anymore.

The to routing the binding channels, and cutting the slot for the wedge

Then to installing the bindings and purflings! Going with ziricote bindings, and w/b/w purflings for this one. One or two pieces of tape are used for this step.

Then that's it for today!
I'll be out of town for a couple of days. But I'll be back next week for more updates!

Want to send out a huge THANK YOU to all who's tagging along for this build, thank you awesome people! See you next week!!