Geoff St. Germaine Posted October 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Some shots of the inside before glue up: Glue up: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Wow. Seriously, just wow. That shot of the interior with the carbon struts and carved brace is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterOffShred Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 I like the clamps that appear to be made from some threaded rod, some wing nuts and washers, and some biscuits leftover from a hole-saw? That's a great Idea, ill have to build some of those at some point! The build looks just fantastic sir, it's a real inspiration. -Brett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted October 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Thanks a lot, guys! Yeah, those spool clamps are just 6" 1/4-20 bolts, two pieces of cedar I cut with a hole saw and a wing nut. Doing them again I'd use plywood and make the pieces slightly bigger, maybe 2" diameter instead of 1.5" with cork or felt lining. Of the 16 I originally made I only have 12 left as the cedar pieces split under clamping pressure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted October 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 Some progress on the bevel veneers: I got them glued on and cleaned up. The process was using a sheet of paper placed over the bevel and applying pressure to the edges to make a mark and form a template. This was then transferred to the veneer and it was cut out. After that I used yellow glue and binding tape to glue on the veneers. The fret access bevel had a slightly concave surface, so I had to use a clothes iron to get it to adhere... A fun trick I picked up veneering some tower speakers. On to the interesting part: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 This is one of the coolest build threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted October 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2014 Thanks Workingman. I'm glad people are enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 26, 2014 Report Share Posted October 26, 2014 This is one of the coolest build threads. Amen Brother! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I've been away for a couple of weeks, but I brought the neck with my to do the fret installation and start neck carving. The fret ends are hot dog or semi-hemispherical. They are a lot more work to install, but I really like the feel of the neck. I've started the carving my establishing the shape at the heel and at the nut and I'll use a spokeshave to remove the material in between once I get home this weekend. Cheers! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Looking amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted November 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2014 I've finished carving the neck. All that is left is fitting the heel to the back extension that forms the heel cap and fitting the fingerboard extension to the arched soundboard. I'm going to be doing a french polish with light blonde shellac. I'm mixing up a 2 lb cut to start, which means 57 g of shellac flakes in 250 ml of ethanol. It will take about 24 hours for the shellac flake to dissolve completely. In the meantime I'll be working on the fingerrest, tailpiece and bridge as well as finish sanding the body and neck. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 10, 2014 Report Share Posted November 10, 2014 This is one of the coolest build threads. Amen Brother! SR This bears repeating! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted November 14, 2014 Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 Do you find any issues with fretting before the neck carve is done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 14, 2014 Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 Do you find any issues with fretting before the neck carve is done? I wouldnt think so. I always fret before its carved so i have a flat base on the back to press frets in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted November 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 Yeah, I have no issues with carving after fretting. For most of my carving I have the neck held by the sides at the body end. I find the uncarved neck gives me more stability for hammering frets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted November 16, 2014 Report Share Posted November 16, 2014 I've done the same on the few necks I've built so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted December 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2014 Today I got the softwood soundboard sanded to 280 and back and sides to 220 and ready for the first application of oil. Here are the photos: I'll do the next oil treatment later today. The idea is to use the danish oil with wet/dry sandpaper to create a slurry to fill the pores in the walnut. Once the slurry is created it is forced into the pores using a small squigee. This won't completely fill the pores but what it will do is make them easier to fill once I move on to the shellac. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 That. Is. So. Beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 8, 2014 Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 Absitively possolutely phenomenomenomenonal! I presumes the contoured piece in the cut-away was solid and curved into that nicely curved shape? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted December 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2014 The bloodwood you see in the "cutaway" is veneer. There's a shaped piece of Port Orford Cedar underneath that was shaped to form the cutaway and then veneered to match the binding and forearm bevel. Oh, and thanks for the compliments on the guitar. I am pretty stunned by it too. The walnut is gorgeous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Riddler Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Truly amazing and inspiring, Guitar of the year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 9, 2014 Report Share Posted December 9, 2014 Truly amazing and inspiring, Guitar of the year? Guitar of the Year entries are the 12 winners or the Guitar of the Month contests. Having said that, I'd say the odds are very good that this will end up in that contest anyway. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted December 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2014 Thanks a lot guys. I'm glad people are digging this guitar. I am waiting about 5 days to make sure the oil is dry before moving onto the French polish. I have some minor work to do on the neck in the meantime - drilling tuner holes, finalizing the fitting of the neck and final sanding before it gets the oil as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff St. Germaine Posted December 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 I've started the initial stages of the french polish, which really isn't french polishing at all, but is applying the initial shellac that is to be used for pore filling. I've applied 4 coats of shellac using a charged pad and just running it across all of the surfaces with the grain. The top really doesn't need any pore filling except in the binding and bevels, so I sealed the soundboard and built up the shellac only in the areas right around the binding and bevels. I'll let this dry overnight and tomorrow I'll start the first pore filling sessions using pumice stone and ethanol on the shellac that has been applied already. A shot of a light reflection so you can see the open pores in the walnut. These will be filled with a pumice/wood dust/shellac slurry when I start the pore filling sessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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