A McKnight Skinny Slope Dreadnaught for cigarfan

[Ukulele_Eddie]

Wow, that sapele is fantastic! And what a great, detailed set of photos to document your build. Dennis, you should make one of those coffee books when it's all done.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

Very true Neil. What you don't see in these pictures and short videos is that there are days when I just have to walk away because of the stress. There have been many times it was SOOOOooooo tempting to just toss the box of sticks into the wood stove and convert it into BTU's

Even though the build is seemingly nearing the end, this only marks the actual half way point. I spend as much time on the finish and set up processes as I do on the actual build process.

I see. Is that why you work with mesquite and hickory. Do you have a smoker? That sounds like a good way to cut your losses.

[cigarfan]

Creation of the bridge is very interesting to watch in the McKnight shop. It begins with an Ebony blank.





Then some very precise cutting on the CNC machine.

Cutting the saddle slot and drilling the starter holes for the pins at 2 5/16" spacing. • Video 1

Cutting the exterior shape. • Video 2

Cutting the snowflake inlays. • Video 3



Not a detail left untouched. Here the binding edges are softened.

[cigarfan]

Next we have some of my favorite stuff ... abalone! This time surrounding the soundhole end of the fretboard.

Very carefully marked before the channel is cut with a router.











Then glued in place and left to dry overnight.

[TomB'sox]

Looking great Dennis. I too love the abalone along the fretboard to the sound hole.

[cigarfan]

Today Tim is finishing the bridge so it's position can be masked on the top for application of sealer and finish.

This CNC machine is amazing. I didn't ask Tim how much time these nine bridges would have taken by hand but it's probably hours and hours. Yes, mine is the one with the snowflakes.



Here the profile of the bridge is marked and sanded to shape.







A router is used to touch up the snowflakes before gluing the abalone in place.





The chamfer on the pin holes is drilled.



Then the abalone snowflakes are glued in and cleaned up.

[cigarfan]

Leveling the abalone around fretboard extention that was glued yesterday.



Masking the fretboard extention on the top to protect the gluing surface during application of sealer and finish.





Checking bridge height.



Laying out the bridge location for masking.

[cigarfan]

Final sanding the top.



Setting the soundhole cover in prep for finishing.





Application of the pore filler.

[cigarfan]

Oh my goodness! And this is just pore filler!







Pore filler dries for 48 hours. Be back in a couple days.

[Nemoman]

Jeepers--look at that pop already!

[Doubleneck]

I think this is called pulling out all the stops! And to think I may even get to hold this! “Dare to go thin”

[Carpinteria]

This is a beautiful guitar! I love how you used the “right tool” for each job: high-tech CNC for the bridges and a simple setup for the Dremel for the fingerboard extension. I have been chicken to try putting abalone around the fingerboard but I think you just showed me how to do it. Thanks!
Dave

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by Carpinteria

This is a beautiful guitar! I love how you used the “right tool” for each job: high-tech CNC for the bridges and a simple setup for the Dremel for the fingerboard extension. I have been chicken to try putting abalone around the fingerboard but I think you just showed me how to do it. Thanks!
Dave

Thanks for the compliment Dave. This photo isn't very clear how I rout the channels for the shell around the FB extension.


I will attempt to describe the steps. After I bolt the neck to the body I trace around the FB extension. Then abut shell next the the FB extension and trace around it. Remove the neck, which reveals two lines where the channels will be routed. Clamp a 1/4" hardboard straight edge to the top, the appropriate distance away from the cutting bit and router base, to act as a guide for the Dremel router. I rout the end adjoining the sound hole free hand since it is a unique shape and I don't have a guide for it. Since the router bit is round, there is a little bit of hand chiseling to square up the corners and ends of the cuts. Hope that helps in your future efforts?

[j. Kinnaird]

Very very nice Tim.
What exactly are you using as pore filler?

[Guitars44me]

"Very very nice Tim."

Once again with John, I agree. Haha I am even beginning to sound like Yoda...

Sure is pretty! Beautiful work Tim

Cheers and SALUD

Paul