Adam Brown Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Hi Folks, here's the deal... after I get my mahogany body planed, I will be gluing on the two-piece maple top. I'm wondering what is the best way to do this. I have checked Brian's veneer tutorial (by the way... great job on everything... I study www.projectguitar.com as if it were finals) but I'm using 1/4" wood... would it be anydifferent? Or should I glue the bookmatched pieces together first? I ask this only because when I place the two pieces together, you can see the gap quite noticeably. (It looks like it would need binding like some PRS models have, right down the middle) I hope my questioning makes sense! Thank You kindly, Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 I ask this only because when I place the two pieces together, you can see the gap quite noticeably. (It looks like it would need binding like some PRS models have, right down the middle) You mean when you place the two pieces of Maple together you see a gap? If so, it should be jointed so it's a tight fit. As for attatching the top, If I were doing it, I would do it the same manner as a 1/8" top of Flamed Maple I put on a Mahogany body: I mark out the centers on the Mahogany and the Maple top, which is joined. I place the Maple top on the body and drill alignment pins in the neck pickup position and either the bridge pickup or bridge position(so the bridge or pickup covers the hole when routed, installed etc.), then insert pins and trace the profile of the body onto the top. Cut out the top, I cut it out rough, like left a 1/4" or so all around. When I attatched my top, I used a 1/4" thick piece of MDF in the shape of the guitar as a clamping caul, it is actually the routing/tracing template for that body. I would recommend a thicker clamping caul, like 1" even. Basically what I did was do a practice run of clamping first, drill holes for the alignment pins in the caul so they are untouched by the caul, and space out the clamps - I used C-clamps. Once that was done I spread glue over the body, which has the alignment pins fitted into place, placed the top on, fitting it over the alignment pins, then placed the caul on, then placed the clamps on, slightly tightening each one as it went on, until all clamps where in place, then torked the clamps. The alignment pins prevent the top from sliding around during clamping because it's a BIG gluing surface so there's ALOT of glue. This is just my method, but I hope this helps. BTW, if your body has a forearm contour, disregard most of what I just posted, because I haven't done one of those yet, so I'm not sure what to do. There is a PINNED thread for that, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 With quarter inch maple I'd centre join it first, then attach the joined top to the mahogany. I find that glueing the seam at the same time as joining to the body is harder, and it's much easier to end up with a visible glue line. Set the two side next to each other, with the good face upwards, and the figuring lined up. Then close close them like a book - so that the good faces are inside, and the rough faces are the front and back 'covers'. Clamp them like this is a vice and plane the 'spine' of the book perfectly straight. By planing both pieces together you ensure that even if you don't plane at exactly 90 degrees to the faces, you'll still have a perfectly fitting joint. Once you are happy the spine is straight, reopen the 'book' and hold the joint against a window. If you did it right the joint should be light-tight, and no light should show through. If you can see light, pencil where the problem area is, and rebook and replane until the joint is perfect. Once the joint is perfect, you can clamp the two pieces together for glueing with a sash clamp, or for a thinner piece like yours, place you two pieces together, with the figure perfectly aligned, but with a thin piece of scrap or dowel underneath it the joint. Use small nails to pin the pieces to a piece of flat scrap, or to your work bench, then apply glue to the joint, remove the dowel or scrap, and push the pieces flat - this should force the joint tight together whilst the glue sets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 I didn't have any clamps big enough to hold the bookmatched pieces together (from the outside edges). So what I did is: Covered my mahogany body blank with clingfilm (not cut to bosy shape, just a big square block of wood) Covered some scrap pieces of wood with clingfilm (I used bits about 8inch long and 1 inch wide) Got the edges of the bookmatched top straight (just like Setch said) Glue down the edge of one of the bookmatch pieces Placed bookmatched pieces together on top of the mahogany body blank Line up top pieces together Start clamping the bookmatched top to body blank placing bits of the scrap wood close to either side of the join Clamp rest of top to bodyblank while making sure that the figure is still all lined up. I found it useful to get the missus to press the two pieces of top together while doing this. Nip up clamps Check that it's all still lined up. After waiting for 24 hours unclamp and chip off excess glue (and bit's of clingfilm) with a chisel. I'M IN NO WAY SAYING THIS IS THE BEST (OR EVEN A GOOD) WAY OF DOING THIS, BUT IT WORKED FOR ME. PERSONALLY I WOULD TRY AND GET SOME CLAMPS BIG ENOUGH AND FOLLOW SETCH'S METHOD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 To defer to a standard answer Melvyn Hyscock's book Build Your Own Electric Guitar covers this well and in detail. Check your local library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Brown Posted January 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Hey Guys, once again: Thank You very much. You definitely helped me out on this one!! Lex: Don't worry, no contours on the mahogany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 If you don't have the right clamps, you can use the Hiscock method as mentioned or do something like this: (It's extremely simple so don't be scared ): Place two straight boards on a pice of MDF which is big enough to hold the maple top. Cut some triangle (right angle triangle) wedges (about 8 of them). Lay the bookmatched pieces on the mdf and position your two side boards so that when wedged, the maple top will be clamped together. Screw the side boards into the mdf. Place the maple top on some wax paper on the mdf and glue. Once glued, tap the wedge pieces (paired) until the maple top is squeezed together. I also place some heavy objects (nothing that will dent the maple of course) to keep it from popping up. That's the part that is easy. It's the planing of the edges that is tricky. The method that Setch mentioned is the one I use for that. There's a picture of a similar jig somewhere on the web. Let me know if you'd like to see it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Brown Posted January 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Medium Density Fiberboard! (I had to look that one up) Thanks Dave I will tottally study your post in a half-hour, but as for right now... Coronation Street is on! haha (maybe some floks 'll understand) I appreciate all the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Brown Posted January 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Dave, I'm not sure that I follow the what you mean by triangle wedges. Would these be visible on the finished product? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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