Acoustic Guitar Buildalong.

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Couldn't wait until morning Removed the clamps holding the back on while glue dried tonight and heard no popping sounds and everything appears to be holding together. Starting to really look like a Guitar now. If the rain and stormy weather we have been hainvg all day today moves off I hope to get outside and trim the edges tomorrow and will post some pictures of the progress tomorrow evening.
 
Back is on, clamps removed, and top and bottom have been routed flush with the sides. A little bit of sanding to even things out now and get the body ready for routing the channels for the edge trim. Kit came with plastic black edging, which does not look good IMHO so I'm going to make things harder for myself and bend some curly Maple or Koa instead. Probably be a week or so before the next update as I need to order some wood, and build a cheap wood bending tool out of a 200W solering iron and copper tubing.
Here are pics of the top and bottom after trimming. For kicks I taped the unuseable fingerboard to the neck and slide it into place to see what it will look like. Lots of work to do before that can be glued into place.
 

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Marcel said:
I see the neck protrudes quite a bit over the hole. Is that the way it's supposed to be?
Click to expand...

No Marcel, the fretboard is just taped to the neck and the neck slid into the dovetial joint just to shwo what it will look like. I need to trim out a different fretboard for this as the one in the picture came out a little narrow in spots.
The fretboard will be trimmed down to match the soundboard when it is attached.
 
Have not abandoned the project, been pretty busy as of late. Just returned from a week and a half vacation in the Colorado Rockies and am getting things straightened up in the workshop again so I can start work again.
Next week, after my bank account is replenished, I will be ordered new body purflings (I snapped one in a minor accident) and then some new Curly Maple body bindings. Kit came with black bindgings and I just don't like the looks of them.
Going to pick up a high tech bending iron for bending the new bindings in a couple days as well. So if I all goes well I will be building again next week sometime.
I've attached a picture of a Gallagher Guitars "Doc Watson" model that I am loosely trying to copy with this guitar. You can see the Curly Maple bindings I hope to reporoduce around the edges of the top and bottom of the guitar body, looks much better than just black bindings I think.
 

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Ordered the wood, glue, and other items I need to continue with the body this past Tuesday and am still waiting for them to arrive. Looks as if some of it is scheduled for delivery this afternoon, them main stuff I don't have a clue when it will arrive, hopefully today as well or at the latest tomorrow.
Want to get the body routed this weekend. It will be a messy outdoor job and it's supposed to be pretty cool out this weekend, but I need the one shipment of stuff before I can start so I can measure thicknesses and do some test routing.
Hopefully my parts arrive soon!
 
Dang, just got an e-mail from one of the parts suppliers I ordered from. My order will not ship until today and arrive at the earliest next Monday!!! I'll build the cradle for holding the guitar while it is routed over the weekend I guess.
 
Thanks for the compliments. I appologize for the lack of progress. Been a bit lazy on projects and hobbies lately. With hunting and the holidays winding down I hope to get back to work this weekend. If I don't get side tracked on other things I hope to finish the cradle for holding the guitar body steady for channel routing and putting together the jig that attaches to my trim router for routing the purlfling and binding channel on the edge of the guitr body over the weekend.
Then need to sand the sides flat in order rid of any high and low spots before doing the routing.
Hope to have some new pics next Monday if all goes as planned.
 
Not yet. Been a bit lazy again. I did make a bracing system to hold the guitar while I route out the channels for the edge purfling and binding. Have to mount the tool used to route these channels to my trim router. Will try to get some pics and work done this weekend.
 
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Thanks. It's been a learning experience for sure. If I build another (I will) there are many things I will do differently and better. Have had several screw ups on this one that I have been able to cover up.
The upcoming steps in installing the neck and bridge will be the most daunting for me. Lost of measureing and adjusting of things to get it all alligned well. Then it's some inlay work for fret markers, headstock, etc... Need to come up with a design for the Mother of Pearl headstock inlay, may have my sister do that for me as she is the artist in the family.
 
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Maybe these would work....

http://www.eaf51.org/newweb/Download/Utility/asid_v1.pdf

8)
 
I've had a custom on order from a builder and it's approaching its 2-year anniversary since placing the contract with him. He originally quoted me a 9-month delivery. LOL. I actually don't really care. I have guitars I play regularly and asked him to take his time. I don't want him rushing through it (working when he just doesn't feel like it) because of a date on a calendar. That's pretty silly. He has sent many pics of the build progress and at the moment he only needs to locate and attach the bridge, string it up and then keep it for about a month to let everything settle in. Keeping it the additional 30 days was my idea.

I have plans for an orchestra model. One of these days I'll provision for the build and then probably all-thumbs my way through it. Hobbies...
 
Nope. It's been collecting dust since the last post. Been wanting to get back at it, but other projects and just plain laziness has stopped me. I have such a mess in the basement where my workroom is that I can't even get to where I have the guitar stored. Hope to resolve that in the next week or so.
Need to do some reading and learning on setting neck position and such before I start again. Maybe after Turkey hunting is over next week?
 
ah that's too bad. A shame to let it gather dust. Hope you'll be able to finish it.
 
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