Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
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- Blackwood
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Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
Richard yes I agree, while in the lockdown guitar buildings is good to focus on. Keep the photos coming on progress.
Wayne
Wayne
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
Staying at home making guitars a much better idea than packing up and heading north for holiday!!!
Martin
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
Have the top thicknessed. It and the bracing is currently acclimatising in my house where the humidity is a bit less. Im going to glue the bracing on in there.
Since we've probably got at least another couple of weeks of lockdown so ive started a couple of other builds so i dont get bored!! Will start separate threads for those.
Fun times (at least for me)
Since we've probably got at least another couple of weeks of lockdown so ive started a couple of other builds so i dont get bored!! Will start separate threads for those.
Fun times (at least for me)
Richard
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
I reckon by the time NZ comes out of lock down you'll have a workshop full of completed guitars 

Martin
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
Well ive already git a workshop full of part finished guitars... pretty normal state of affairs for me.
The (non)falcate #2 classical moved on a notch today. First fan braces on. Felt the need to put some CF on there somewhere...the top is pretty thin so the couple of strands are shrinkage reinforcing. That's what im claiming anyway. Rest of the bracing should go on tomorrow.
Made some good progress with the kitset dready too.
A busy day.
The (non)falcate #2 classical moved on a notch today. First fan braces on. Felt the need to put some CF on there somewhere...the top is pretty thin so the couple of strands are shrinkage reinforcing. That's what im claiming anyway. Rest of the bracing should go on tomorrow.
Made some good progress with the kitset dready too.
A busy day.
Richard
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
Bracing done
Top going on
Box closed
Rosette close up. Looks better from a distance!! (like all my work haha). Something new for this guitar is I am going to sand it all to pretty much finished and french polish it with a good few coats before I put the binding on. That will make the glue clean up easier and the binding neater, I feel. Also helps reduce tear out when the biding channels are cut. I have started on the top and with just a few sessions there's already a bit of a sheen there. Its a lovely top, Englemann, I can see the medullary rays and the chatoyance already.
Richard
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
A quick update.
Once out of the mould and trimmed up, I sanded the top and put a few sessions of FP on it to seal it and keep it clean. Then I scraped the sides level and sanded them and the back. Sanded the back and have given everything a spit coat of FP. Have spent days with pumice and FP pore filling the back. I re-read my “how to” doc and found I’d been doing it wrong, I should just use alcohol for the pore filling. So the sides are going a bit quicker. A couple more goes on those and I’ll be ready for the binding. I’ve made my own maple binding, will be interesting to see how that goes.
Have also tidied up the neck and given that a few sessions of FP.
Made a depressingly long list of stuff still to do this morning, but I’m getting there.
Once out of the mould and trimmed up, I sanded the top and put a few sessions of FP on it to seal it and keep it clean. Then I scraped the sides level and sanded them and the back. Sanded the back and have given everything a spit coat of FP. Have spent days with pumice and FP pore filling the back. I re-read my “how to” doc and found I’d been doing it wrong, I should just use alcohol for the pore filling. So the sides are going a bit quicker. A couple more goes on those and I’ll be ready for the binding. I’ve made my own maple binding, will be interesting to see how that goes.
Have also tidied up the neck and given that a few sessions of FP.
Made a depressingly long list of stuff still to do this morning, but I’m getting there.
Richard
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
LOL........that pumice pore filling will drive you bonkers. Yes....you should only be applying alcohol and pumice to the pad. Make sure you don't overload the pad with pumice and watch for build ups of pumice/wood fibre/shellac on the wood surface. Try and clear any build ups but if that doesn't work you can always go in with wet and dry lubricated with a bit of oil to get rid of the build ups. Something else to watch out for is overworking an area and ending up with excessive bleeding of colour from the wood if its rosewood or similar.
Martin
- WJ Guitars
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- Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 4:28 pm
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Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
I like the rosette design and it looks great!
I have not yet tried French polishing yet. I have watched a few videos on how to FP a guitar and will be interested to see your guitar finish. Looks like a lot of work is involved in French polishing.
Wayne
I have not yet tried French polishing yet. I have watched a few videos on how to FP a guitar and will be interested to see your guitar finish. Looks like a lot of work is involved in French polishing.
Wayne
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
I've ended up with FP as I find it way easier than anything else I have tried. There's no set up, no expensive kit, not much clean up. You can do a bit here and there as you are working on other things, etc etc. Also super easy to sand off and fix if you stuff up (which I frequently do). If you give it a try you may be surprised how easy and versatile it is.
Especially if you read the manual first....
Especially if you read the manual first....

Richard
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
LOL.....one thing you'll find with French Polishing is there is no one universal method....you spend hours at it and you develop your own "method" tat works for you
Martin
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
Since I parked my mates dreadnought I've been getting on with this classical. Id love to be able to change the thread title but never mind.
Since I had all the binding gear out I cut the binding for this one and bent it to shape - very carefully. That went well, its a bit thinner than the dready at about 1.8mm. I also made my own purfling but its super brittle and at the beginning I was worried that it wouldn't work and it was a close thing but I got there in the end.
Before I can bind it I need to put the end grafts in I did a quick deflection test. This is fan braced not falcate so the bridge wont make the same amount of stiffness difference but it will no doubt stiffen things up. I taped a spare bridge on as the jig is set up assuming there is one there. At this point its a bit more flexible than the finished falcate so it will be interesting to see what difference the bridge makes. Channels cut for binding and purfling, ready to rock and roll. Purfling was not without incident!! I had a couple of these or similar, but as I had some spare purfling I could cut these bits out and replace them, and unless you knew where they were, you wouldnt find them. The binding and purfling is all done and I've started on the clean up which will take ages and incidentally take off most of the FP, but it was well worth having it there as I got zero tearout from all that tape I had on there. I will do that again, maybe not quite as much as I put on the back, but a good amount.
Started on the bridge. This one has an ebony fretboard so I am making a matching bridge, with some bling. Challenge will be to get it as light as I can. I considered drilling holes in it but chickened out. Will just try and make it light. Currently its 190 long as per Cumpiano but I might Gore-ify it and chop some off the wings. Still a bit of work to do. I have a CF + rosewoood one I can use, but trying to save that for the next falcate. Onwards and upwards. We are locked down for another few weeks by the looks of things but if we drop down a level I'll go back to childminding so things will slow right down. Find out next Monday.
Cheers
Since I had all the binding gear out I cut the binding for this one and bent it to shape - very carefully. That went well, its a bit thinner than the dready at about 1.8mm. I also made my own purfling but its super brittle and at the beginning I was worried that it wouldn't work and it was a close thing but I got there in the end.
Before I can bind it I need to put the end grafts in I did a quick deflection test. This is fan braced not falcate so the bridge wont make the same amount of stiffness difference but it will no doubt stiffen things up. I taped a spare bridge on as the jig is set up assuming there is one there. At this point its a bit more flexible than the finished falcate so it will be interesting to see what difference the bridge makes. Channels cut for binding and purfling, ready to rock and roll. Purfling was not without incident!! I had a couple of these or similar, but as I had some spare purfling I could cut these bits out and replace them, and unless you knew where they were, you wouldnt find them. The binding and purfling is all done and I've started on the clean up which will take ages and incidentally take off most of the FP, but it was well worth having it there as I got zero tearout from all that tape I had on there. I will do that again, maybe not quite as much as I put on the back, but a good amount.
Started on the bridge. This one has an ebony fretboard so I am making a matching bridge, with some bling. Challenge will be to get it as light as I can. I considered drilling holes in it but chickened out. Will just try and make it light. Currently its 190 long as per Cumpiano but I might Gore-ify it and chop some off the wings. Still a bit of work to do. I have a CF + rosewoood one I can use, but trying to save that for the next falcate. Onwards and upwards. We are locked down for another few weeks by the looks of things but if we drop down a level I'll go back to childminding so things will slow right down. Find out next Monday.
Cheers
Richard
Re: Falcate Classical #2 Build (in NZ)
The work progresses.
Finished the bridge, 25 gramms without the saddle, but I wanted to use ebony to match the fretboard. I made it as light as I dared. Its pretty minimal. Levelling and polishing frets, not my favourite job. Getting there, another quick mock up The binding around the neck pocket went ok Couldn't resist tweaking the bridge, lopped a bit off the wings and gave them some shape, sort of reflecting the headstock. Disappointed with my soundboard join. It looked perfect when I planed it, no light through the join, plenty of glue etc and you couldnt see it when I sanded it. But it sticks out like the proverbial under finish. Not much I can do about it now. Now endlessly spot filling and back tracking on the grain fill, but nearly at the point that I can just go ahead with the FP.
Finished the bridge, 25 gramms without the saddle, but I wanted to use ebony to match the fretboard. I made it as light as I dared. Its pretty minimal. Levelling and polishing frets, not my favourite job. Getting there, another quick mock up The binding around the neck pocket went ok Couldn't resist tweaking the bridge, lopped a bit off the wings and gave them some shape, sort of reflecting the headstock. Disappointed with my soundboard join. It looked perfect when I planed it, no light through the join, plenty of glue etc and you couldnt see it when I sanded it. But it sticks out like the proverbial under finish. Not much I can do about it now. Now endlessly spot filling and back tracking on the grain fill, but nearly at the point that I can just go ahead with the FP.
Richard
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