103801061982 Posted March 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2017 Too right. Rosewood and ebony dust seems to get everywhere. After thinning the back and sides for this thing the place looked like the red weed had descended. Ironed out the issue with the binding channel. Turned out the sides weren't quite square enough and given the small margins, the small wonkiness translated to a noticeable difference in depth. To correct I've scraped down the sides to bring the depth down and also went all gung ho and routed the channel for the purfling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted March 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 The bending iron was on early this morning and the tops bindings were done by half 8, glued on by 9. For the bindings I used water thinned titebond and taped with cheapo masking tape. As the bends were a good fit, not much pressure needed at all. There are a couple of gaps here and there, but nothing to be concerned about. The one thing I'm quite pleased about is the mitring around the wedge. A simple 3 ply purfling was added to the top and secured with super glue wicked into the channel from the outside edge. I could have done a much better job butting the white purfling together at the join, but again, I'm not crying over this and am reasonably happy for this as a first attempt. I'm halfway through scraping this down in the second picture - stopped for tea. This afternoon - binding the back. Whoop. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 I am really enjoying watching this progress. Looks like you have done a fantastic job so far- keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 Amen to what he said. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted March 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 getting there.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 The white inline separating the ebony from the side wood is brilliant. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 This is a great build, loving all the little details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 1, 2017 Report Share Posted April 1, 2017 Beautiful job. I also used ebony as binding for my first build....and used something different for the second . I found it quite challenging to bend and, once cool, doesn't budge an inch, regardless of how much binding tape and inner-tube mummification. I think you've done well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted April 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2017 Cheers gents Oddly I've never had too much of a beef with ebony bindings, though I have found that when they they do start chipping / cracking it's pretty much game over. Haven't got a bad word to say about this Ebano stuff yet. With a hot iron its very pliable - ended up overbending some sections due to this - and it seems to take a gluing better that Ebony. Well this is when I'm leaving it for a couple of days. Not much further than yesterday, but the sides have been smoothed off somewhat and the back scraped down. there are still a couple of hairline gaps here and there, but as this thing will be covered in epoxy for grain filling anyway, nothing to be concerned about. The plan is to get all the messy rosewood stuff done before looking at the top (which is now looking a bit sorry for itself). As always, thanks for reading. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 Beautiful work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariahrob Posted April 3, 2017 Report Share Posted April 3, 2017 I love this build. Think I've read through the whole thread a good few times now. Learning lots from you so a huge thanks and now inspired to tackle an acoustic. One day! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted April 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Hell, please take all this with a pinch of salt as I definitely feel like I'm making this up as I go along. There are certainly a couple of jobs that I would change the order on. I've not touched this for a few days. Feels like weeks, but then that's what working nights does to your body clock. In an effort to kill the production of rosewood dust I've sanded the back and sides to 400, rounded off the bindings and started on grain filling. z-poxy. Smells like a good way to destroy some DNA, so doors open. Pic below shows why I wasn't massively annoyed by the small gaps in the binding - everything goes very dark very quickly. This is the first coat on the back. I think the plan is to lightly take this back tomorrow with something like 320, then do another coat and see how flat we are. Slight amber tint to this epoxy, but to my thinking perhaps better than trying to match fillers. As always, we'll see. Coming back to this after a week I decided I hated the neck, so a new blank is on its way. Didn't like the clumsy lamination and quite frankly the tuner holes were not the squarest ever drilled. I think I can do better. This blank is 120mm wide, so should be easily big enough.......... We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted April 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Not much to show for the last couple of days toil, but we've gone from this goopy mess...... to this more shiny erm mess (complete with ghostly hand) 1 dollop coat and 2 thin coats have been knocked back. The first coat really got a good hammering into the pores with my trusty Ikea card (other Swedish furniture stores not available). The resin has been sanded back (400 and 800) pretty much to the wood and is flat enough apart from a few stubborn lows around the cracks in the sides - I think I'm OK with this as at the beginning I wasn't even sure they'd survive this far. I don't know if its the thing to do, but after the final sand I've wiped on a very thin coat of resin with a towel to even out the colour - maybe it'll deepen the finish once sprayed - who knows, but it does make the box look less horrific and seals things nicely. The neck blank arrived so I can busy myself building a sensible neck. To the drawing board for that first though. Don't mind binning 1 blank for a project, 2 is foolhardy. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Z-Poxy is indeed one of the more controllable products out there. It serves a variety of purposes for me too. Not tried it for grain filling, however I might be tempted. That really has flattered your already-fantastic work. Can we have a hand for Z-Poxy please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 I've used Z-Poxy for grain filling on all of my builds, and I really like it. I always do the same thing that you did, making sure to have a coat over the whole instrument before moving forward. I don't think it really matters, but it's part of that mild case of OCD that afflicts so many of us... One thing that I've done for that final coat that is helpful is cutting the z-poxy (can't remember whether I used mineral spirits or denatured alcohol) to thin it out and make it go on a little smoother. But it looks like you've had no problem getting it on flat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 @StratsRdivine made note that adding solvent to an epoxy should probably only be done to a few percent. Warming the components before mixing helps the mix flow out better too. I've had to stabilise a few table tops with big inclusions or cracks that would otherwise compromise the stability of the workpiece, and heat has always been the simplest tool short of modifying the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Not really a problem to thin z-poxy finishing resin, as it's not being used to bond two parts, or in a top coat application. In fact LMI recommends it to help with flow on the last coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 I see. I wonder how far this can be taken? A cheap lower surface tension epoxy for grain filling would be a magic bullet of sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 I know there are types of epoxies used for laminating fiberglass and whatnot that are designed to be quite thin, but I don't know if their other traits would be desirable for woodworking. I haven't researched it much as the Z-Poxy has done the trick for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted April 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 I'm really sold on this for grain filling mainly because it's clean and goes on clear but you can also get away with minimal sanding if you're judicious with the amount used. The pores on this rosewood set were about as open as I can image getting and this stuff swallowed them right up. The last coat on this was with warmed components and a kitchen towel - decidedly low tech, but seemed to work. though a bit of a leap in the dark, this one's definitely a keeper for me for future builds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted April 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Neck No2 time. This Limba blank is wide. I think given a sensible build, this would provide 2 necks. After obsessing a bit about how long to leave the headstock piece I just jumped in and cut the thing in half. There will not be much wastage and I wont have any problems finding a piece of limba in the offcuts bin to build up the heel. This is a compound scarf as this is multiscale so everything is on the slant a bit, but not too much as I've been a bit conservative with the difference in scales (compared to some Ive seen). I've shot the centre line pretty much down the border between the dark and light woods - any further off centre on the blank and it wouldn't have fit in my scarf jig. I've decided to ditch the idea of making the sides of the headstock flush with the sides of the neck and added a small flare out. It should make drilling the tuner holes a bit easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 10, 2017 Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Compound scarfing is one of my favourite tricks too. Shame that I haven't slated any multiscales myself for the season 1 builds. Maybe I should.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted April 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 damn it, every time I see one of your pics I tell myself that I need to put some serious effort into jig making, but as soon as I hit the bench the will just dissipates. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 10, 2017 Report Share Posted April 10, 2017 Well, your hand draughting skills show that clearly you have the right sort of mindframe to make excellent jigs and tools. Get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StratsRdivine Posted April 11, 2017 Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 On 4/8/2017 at 5:30 PM, 103801061982 said: I'm really sold on this for grain filling mainly because it's clean and goes on clear but you can also get away with minimal sanding if you're judicious with the amount used. The pores on this rosewood set were about as open as I can image getting and this stuff swallowed them right up. The last coat on this was with warmed components and a kitchen towel - decidedly low tech, but seemed to work. though a bit of a leap in the dark, this one's definitely a keeper for me for future builds. These are exactly the reasons I use epoxy for grain filling. Clear, and no shrinkage. You are "grouting" the pores with a plastic card to fill them, then minimal sanding needed. Good on you to warm up the components, but I have found that warming the wood is the best. I have a shelf under my shop heater for pre-heating components for epoxy, not to mention my 1500 F heat gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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