Official Luthier's Forum Medium Jumbo

[Kitchen Guitars]

Originally Posted by kwakatak

I just uploaded some pics from last week:

Top being joined (the first time):


The molds being cut (in progress):


Close up of the cutout to be used as a form for the bending process:


Top being joined the second time (this time the right way?):

The last picture was after I snapped your top and re-joined it! I really feel it was a good thing. That break was way too easy, even for cedar.
BTW I wasn't peeved, just bleeding lol. There was blood on the studio floor, door, then a trail of drips on the sidewalk to the house... I tagged it good!

[Playn4thedog]

Perhaps now that there has been a blood sacrifice the band saw will be a little more user friendly.

[Mary]

Goodness ~ . I had no idea you two boys were moving along this fast. Very cool. Yes, very cool.

Thanks, Guys, for giving me easy access to the thread.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by Mary

Goodness ~ . I had no idea you two boys were moving along this fast. Very cool. Yes, very cool.

Thanks, Guys, for giving me easy access to the thread.

We're actually not that far. I've only been able to put 3-4 hours a week into it for the past month. At this rate it won't be done until 2012.

[Mary]

But what a year that will be.


Marking the 2010 McJam calendar:

Neil will display his Kwakatak git

[Neil K Walk]

Make that 2013.

I couldn't make it over to YJ's tonight so the top is still semi-sanded and waiting for a new belt of 80 grit. We were using 120 which was aking forever and for some reason was starting to actually polish the wood. There was some nice silking starting to come through.

With 2 of 4 sides to the double mold cut - well need two molds since this guitar will be a touch over 4.5" deep - I'm starting to think ahead to bending the sides. So today I opened up the front door, got some YJ-endorsed Green Tape and taped the plans up so that I could trace the outline for the sides. I took the scrap from my single sheet of poster board (with the top profile cut out) and traced the side in 2 sections. I figure I'll cut 'em out and tape 'em together when I get the chance.

BTW< my 3yo helped me. I've been explaining to him what I'm trying to do and he's actually getting excited. How cool is that?

...but then this is the kid who (not so gently) performed a neck-ectomy on his little toy uke. It wasn't gently but he got the dovetail joint separated cleanly. All he did was lay it flat on the ground and climbed up on the back of a chair and landed squareon the heel cap with both feet. Betcha you loothier types think you need a special jig or sumpin' like dat to get these kind of results!

Anyway, I'm thinking that this guitar is gonna be kinda weird-shaped unless "close" is good enough. I was never one for precision. Little boy was "helping" me by walking on the poster board as I tried to clean up my lines as the posterboard lay on the floor.

[Mary]

...but then this is the kid who (not so gently) performed a neck-ectomy on his little toy uke. It wasn't gently but he got the dovetail joint separated cleanly. All he did was lay it flat on the ground and climbed up on the back of a chair and landed squareon the heel cap with both feet. Betcha you loothier types think you need a special jig or sumpin' like dat to get these kind of results!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note for Mary's business file: If ever a neck replacement comes up, call Neil's 3 year old for assistance.

Second note: If ever we desire to build diving boards - Neils 3 year old is our trial man.

[Neil K Walk]

LOL... pillows or gym mats are a prerequesite, Mary. We have to throw pillows on the floor when he does his swan dives off the couch.

[Mary]

Personality is always a plus. It sounds like he keeps you guessin' what his next move will be.


I can't wait until he is a teen to read your stories.

[Neil K Walk]

I went over to YJ's last night to try and whittle away at the cedar top some more. Thicknessing sure is slow going. All the molds are cut and I took them home to sand flush. A lot of stuff followed me home in fact.

I stayed up late last night in my own little workshop and checked to see if everything lined up against the plans. They did not. I'm confused, because my cardboard template does not seem to be as "off" as the lines on my mold are.

Back to the drawing board: I've retraced the outline and bracing pattern on clear acrylic - being extra careful that everything is accurate to the best of my ability. I haven't figured out what happened with or what to do exactly with the molds, thoouh. FWIW, I think I might be able to shim the interior of the mold somehow and the cutouts for the bender are still usable provided I can sand them square to the correct outline.

[Kitchen Guitars]

Welcome to the world of Ooops and Geeze! The molds don't have to be pretty.
If you get the little bandsaw I gave ya up and running you can cut slivers and glue (use water proof stuff in there. Titebond makes one or CA glue) till it gel's

[Mary]

When we first began, Neil, it was all about the jigs and getting them perfect. Once this part is past "achieving perfectness" you will feel like it was all worth it.

Just don't be in a hurry during this time.


Making the jigs and such took Tim a full winter. It doesn't mean you'll never have to do this again. Tim scraped much of what he liked the first year and remade parts and pieces. There will always be a desire to make changes here and there, but making sure everything is well squared now is highly important.

You are on the right track, Buddy.

[Neil K Walk]

I have a feeling you're right, Mary. I've been hanging around over at OLF at posed this question there. I got some great advice and think I know what I need to do.

FWIW I went and made a copy of the guitar plans and I have a good feeling about the plastic outline/bracing overlay I'm making. Now to cut it out without breaking it!

[Mary]

You won't break it if it is good plexiglas.

You've seen Tim's shop. Many patterns come and go. He makes them, looks them over and tosses most of them in the scrap pile if he is not perfectly happy with them.

Did you see one as a raffle prize at the 2010 McJam? I think I actually gave one away.

Most get scraped because my favorite luthier doesn't want to share guitar details that float around in his head.

[Neil K Walk]

Nah - it's crappy stuff; probably about 1/32" thick and prone to little bits just snapping off. It just happened again today and I'm miffed. Where can you get the "good stuff?"