Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Well, my first acoustic commission has begun.
Specs:
Engelmann spruce top
Indian Rosewood back & sides
Ebony neck
Snakewood fingerboard and bridge
Ebony binding
So far my focus has been the rosette and inlay as the customer want's his daughters name in the rosette, hence "Elsie-May". When I was drawing up the inlay I was wishing she was named bob or something that had nice big round letters! But, here it is so far:
Specs:
Engelmann spruce top
Indian Rosewood back & sides
Ebony neck
Snakewood fingerboard and bridge
Ebony binding
So far my focus has been the rosette and inlay as the customer want's his daughters name in the rosette, hence "Elsie-May". When I was drawing up the inlay I was wishing she was named bob or something that had nice big round letters! But, here it is so far:
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
I've also joined the back and bent the sides and binding.
The cutaway was bent on the LMI bender and I threw some ebony binding strips either side. All went pretty smooth.
The cutaway was bent on the LMI bender and I threw some ebony binding strips either side. All went pretty smooth.
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
I should probably show the back and sides before I went messing with them!
It's a set I bought from a retired luthier who has had them sitting around for over thirty years. Dead straight and beautiful timber.
The sides cupped a bit with the heat of the drum sander, so I had them under weight for a week before I finished taking them back to thickness as seen in this pic. They're nice and flat again thankfully.
It's a set I bought from a retired luthier who has had them sitting around for over thirty years. Dead straight and beautiful timber.
The sides cupped a bit with the heat of the drum sander, so I had them under weight for a week before I finished taking them back to thickness as seen in this pic. They're nice and flat again thankfully.
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Plate joining:
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
The snakewood board blank and two piece ebony neck blank with a couple of ebony head caps that I'll make a sandwich out of
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Rosette glue up using epoxy and the go bar:
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- 56nortondomy
- Blackwood
- Posts: 674
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Hi Allan, in the heading you've spelt May with a y and on the rosette it looks like an e. Is it just the camera angle?
Wayne
Wayne
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
That would be spell check giving me a hand I did not ask for and myself not proof reading before posting. It is supposed to be Mae. With the forum setting not supporting "edit" after a short time I cannot fix the err.56nortondomy wrote:Hi Allan, in the heading you've spelt May with a y and on the rosette it looks like an e. Is it just the camera angle?
Wayne
In the rosette, the center of the last two letters is supposed to be there, but it broke out and went up the dust extractor, so I'll add them later by hand once it's all together and sanded back.
Front and back blocks in:
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Watching this build with interest.
Ebony neck??? Your choice or customer's choice?
Another question...any reason you cut out soundhole before installing rosette? Not saying it's wrong but there are reasons I cut soundhole last..one being risk of blowing out the sometimes thin (3mm on most of my rosettes) strip of wood between inner purf and edge of soundhole.
Ebony neck??? Your choice or customer's choice?
Another question...any reason you cut out soundhole before installing rosette? Not saying it's wrong but there are reasons I cut soundhole last..one being risk of blowing out the sometimes thin (3mm on most of my rosettes) strip of wood between inner purf and edge of soundhole.
Martin
- 56nortondomy
- Blackwood
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Well I'm glad the rosette's right Allan, be a pain to have to fix.
Wayne
Wayne
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
The customer wanted a Redwood top as he'd seen the other Redwood one I'm building. I persuaded him that the Engelmann will make a better guitar.kiwigeo wrote:Ebony neck??? Your choice or customer's choice?
Another question...any reason you cut out soundhole before installing rosette? Not saying it's wrong but there are reasons I cut soundhole last..one being risk of blowing out the sometimes thin (3mm on most of my rosettes) strip of wood between inner purf and edge of soundhole.
The customer wants the Snakewood board. I've tried to convince him Ebony, but he wants Snakewood - however after he was here last night, the decision is not locked in. I'll make the box first to give him time to decide.
The customer wanted something extra special for the neck, I suggested I could get my hands on some Ebony that had a lot of nice grain and he jumped at it. I have Macassar Ebony neck on the Churchill I had built a couple times ago and even though id adds a lot of weight to the instrument, it's such a stunning choice that you overlook the weight, which being that I'm used to playing electrics, it's still much lighter than an electric guitar.
One really big reason I cut the sound hole the same time as the rosette recess. I did them both on the CNC whilst the zero was set. If I do it at a later point, the cnc may not line up and then there wont be a perfect offset distance and the soundhole position could look really nasty!
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Ok question answered then.demonx wrote:
One really big reason I cut the sound hole the same time as the rosette recess. I did them both on the CNC whilst the zero was set. If I do it at a later point, the cnc may not line up and then there wont be a perfect offset distance and the soundhole position could look really nasty!
Martin
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Don't get me wrong, I could mark the zero and manually rezero at a later stage, but doing them at the same time whilst it's already mounted under the CNC saves a lot of time in setup and takes out the human error of zeroing in the wrong position the second time.kiwigeo wrote: Ok question answered then.
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Moving along to back bracing and getting the cutaway all joined up.
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
A bit more progress on "Elsie-Mae"
Ebony tip for the cutaway, also rear Kerf is now on.
Ebony tip for the cutaway, also rear Kerf is now on.
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Did you shape side linings prior to fitting back.....no pics of this but I assume you did same??
Martin
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Yes, using a dish before the linings went in and again after the linings were in.
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Coming along nicely Allan.
Cheers
Ross
Cheers
Ross
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Spent a bit of time getting the back flush with the sides tonight. In happy with the result.
The combination of radius dish and the new clamping caul I made up have provided a join that is more than satisfactory.
The combination of radius dish and the new clamping caul I made up have provided a join that is more than satisfactory.
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
It's been a while since this one was updates but over the last week or so I've tinkered with it a few times so here are a couple more pics:
- Trevor Gore
- Blackwood
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Please tell me that yellow stain around the rosette is nothing to do with using CA glue...
Fine classical and steel string guitars
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Hopefully it's just shellac Allen brushed on to stiffen up the spruce prior to cutting the rosette channel?Trevor Gore wrote:Please tell me that yellow stain around the rosette is nothing to do with using CA glue...
Martin
Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
Yes, unfortunately there was a bit of spillage when I was doing the rosette. I've given it a light sand but left it there for now and will scrape it later on and hopefully the stain will go. The rosette is still not sanded back yet, I tend to leave everything pretty raw until just before final sanding/paint stages, something I do when building electrics, BUT, I didn't exactly rub CA everywhere, that WAS a screw up!Trevor Gore wrote:Please tell me that yellow stain around the rosette is nothing to do with using CA glue...
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- Blackwood
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Re: Elsie-May dread cutaway build
I hope it is just a top stain. I learned that CA can wick into end grain in spruce and redwood and stain yellow or green. In my case the stain was about as deep as my unsealed channel.
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