Top Bracing Advice

[Nahil.R]

So I am now done with the back and sides and used a jewelers saw to cut out the inlets so it's ready to go!

Now I am working on the top and after struggling to dimension my wood evenly I finally managed a makeshift jig that has greatly helped.

I started practicing on the 'X' intersection on some junk wood and eventually overcame my anxiety and made the half lap joint ... I am truly surprised that I managed to get a clean snug fit (no unsightly gaps or loose joinery yaaay!).

Now I need to radius my X, finger braces, tonesbars .. how should I go about putting the radius on the X braces, should I do them separately then reconnect them? or radius them together as an X (and would doing it separately compromise the intersection).

Thanks in advance.

Nahil.

[Dyson Guitars]

I radius my X-braces separately and then again after I glue them together before I glue them down.

[Rudy4]

I prefer to pre-shape bracing. I find it much easier not trying to work with the top or back wood being so close. There are plenty of folks who shape bracing after it's glued in place, though.

As far as your X brace intersection goes, I leave a small portion of the bottom brace "flat" on top and add a section of brace wood to span the X. I feel this adds a lot of the strength back to the braces where they were weakened by lapping them together. If you don't follow that it's shown on the small body acoustic plan I've previously posted:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1--c...7e9R9QDGX/view

[redir]

IF you cut the notched lap joint prior to making the radius then you will have to adjust that fit again. No big deal really but I always cut that joint after radius.

So it depends. Do you have a radius dish that you are going to sand the radius into the bracing? If so then you can simply use that. I don't use a dish so I don't know if you can do the whole X at one time. That would sliminate having to refit it which would be nice.

I use a hand plane. I simply mark the radius onto the side of the brace then use a plane removing wood quickly till I get close to the line then reduce the depth of the blade and continue to the line. When you take one long even curl of spruce through the plane it's done.

There are some other clever jigs to make the radius on braces that I'm sure some people will bring up.

[runamuck]

Many people first glue the X-brace together and then radius it in a radius form

[Nahil.R]

Thanks. I went with radiusing the braces separately on the dish (I placed them side by side to add more width which helps keep it flat and even.

The connection is still great but I will do some extra touching up once the X intersection is glued as BalekSydon mentioned.

I suspect this adjustment to be very minor if any. I definitely will also cap the brace with some spruce (or ebony maybe?).

Thanks a bunch!

Nahil.