Slow burn 17" archtop

[Deano2]

First build back after a 10 year hiatus. Thought I'd settle back in with an archtop - Benedetto style. It might take 10 years to finish this one..

I've found two matching blackwood boards from the wood pile and borrowed a mates bandsaw to bookmatch the backplate and sides.

The back plate board read 48mm and I've finished up with a 22mm thick set. Its not the lighest blank but has a nice tone on the tap. Sides are currently at 3mm. Still undecided if I try bend at 2.4 as per Benedettos writing or take them down to 2.1. They don't feel too stiff.

Got a bit pedantic planing the edges and unfortunately the back came in 5 mm too narrow so I'll mull over a plan for next week. Hoping this can be absorbed in the binding.

Good to sniff some wood again!!

[Mark McLean]

Already looking promising, and I can just about smell it from your photos. Lovely.
I wouldn't hurt to be a few mm thinner than the plan, surely?
So what are you going to use for the soundboard?

[Deano2]

Already looking promising, and I can just about smell it from your photos. Lovely.
I wouldn't hurt to be a few mm thinner than the plan, surely?
So what are you going to use for the soundboard?

I did think about shifting to 16" but I'm already halfway through building molds, side benders etc.. You got me thinking though Mark.. Benedetto explains a side bending jig with a detachable cutaway section. It wouldn't be difficult to make a side bender that caters to 16" and 17" with a removable 1/2" perimeter.

Not sure on soundboards. Archtop spruce used to be so accessible but I can seem to find any in aus.. I have considered Bunya and red cedar.. Any suggestions?

[56nortondomy]

If you want spruce you'll have to get it outside of Australia. Australia red cedar ( Toona) is a good choice, huon pine would also be a good choice but I'm not sure where you'd get that. Wayne

[kiwigeo]

Bunya top sets here: https://guitartimbers.com/product-categ ... undboards/

[Deano2]

Bunya top sets here: https://guitartimbers.com/product-categ ... undboards/

If you want spruce you'll have to get it outside of Australia. Australia red cedar ( Toona) is a good choice, huon pine would also be a good choice but I'm not sure where you'd get that. Wayne

Spruce used to be very accessible. I can get my hands on some old growth red cedar but I really don't know much about it as an archtop material.. Any posts you can point me in the direction of with red cedar tops?

Unfortunately those bunya sets are sold. Hoping David can mill some more.

Curious to know of any ringed gidgee fretboard suppliers. Are loggerheads still around? I noticed their website is up but not answering calls or email?

Any mirrortone users out there? I heard they've go into administration this week?

Wild times..

[Blackstar1099]

I picked up a 2" x 9" x about 2 metres of Q/S sitka spruce from Matthews Timber in Melbourne a few years ago. They had gotten in quite a bit back then. I was there earlier this year and I think I remember one of they guys saying they still have some left. Maybe worth a phone call if you're in Melbourne.

[joel]

"Are loggerheads still around? I noticed their website is up but not answering calls or email?"

Graham kindly replied to a message I sent him last month. He took a year off to travel and likes it so much he's decided to permanently retire. Shame, because I was wanting to buy 10 or so fretboard and bridge blanks. I haven't found another supplier yet.

[56nortondomy]

I've used red cedar on acoustic builds including 2 selmer guitars and it sounds great, I was going to buy an archtop set but haven't yet, I wouldn't hesitate to use it but that's just my opinion, I have built 4 archtop guitars and used spruce on them all. I have a WRC set here and a HUON pine set, the HUON belongs to a client of mine I've had it here for years, that came from Pete Mccurly, which doesn't help you much. Wayne

[Mark McLean]

Like Blackstar, I also got some sitka billets from Mathews Timber in Melbourne a couple of years ago and I am using the first of them at the moment. Certainly worth contacting them to see if they still have any.

[Deano2]

Like Blackstar, I also got some sitka billets from Mathews Timber in Melbourne a couple of years ago and I am using the first of them at the moment. Certainly worth contacting them to see if they still have any.

Thanks for the tips. I'll make my way down to mathews and see what's in the racks. Last time I was there they were still on Rooks road.

Wayne, I'm going to do some digging on red cedar and see what I can find.

"Are loggerheads still around? I noticed their website is up but not answering calls or email?"

Graham kindly replied to a message I sent him last month. He took a year off to travel and likes it so much he's decided to permanently retire. Shame, because I was wanting to buy 10 or so fretboard and bridge blanks. I haven't found another supplier yet.

Joel, thanks for this info.. Shame he's no longer selling...

[Deano2]

Progress has been slow and the work shop is cold. The back has been joined and some Bunyas in the mail. I have also found a few hours over the last fortnight to build some jigs and finished the form mold today. Hoping to get the side bender done soon

I'm still in the process of reading on sidebending with heat blankets. Has anyone got some links to share that describes a timeline of temperature and preferable methods. I've learnt that you can cause a kink in the lower waist and hoped to understand more of what causes this..

[Deano2]

No shortage of challenges in the workshop this week. The back join didn't Leave me confident so I ripped the board in half and tried again. Its now even narrower and the wings to increase the width wont be absorbed in the binding.

Today was spent levelling the back in prep for carving.

[56nortondomy]

You'll probably be the only person that will notice that, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Wayne

[Deano2]

I've finally reached a milestone with the top and back mostly complete.. Many hiccups and some lateral problem solving has made the journey enjoyable so far. Carving the bunya pine top was fairly straight forward and I've managed to keep the gradations fairly close to Benedetto's plans. I built a small violin makers plan with a jig to shape the blade and used some gidgee off cuts to build the body.

I really struggled bending the f hole binding on a soldering iron. After a good month of trialling and failing I needed to find a process that would work within my skill set. So I did some testing using the steam wand on a coffee machine and managed to get replicable results. In the end I 3D printed some jigs and slowly bent the bindings by focusing the steam at the point of the wood bending around the jig. Unfortunately I experienced some CA super fine run out when installing them which has stained a small area around the F holes. Live and you learn!

I spent some time in CAD to see if I could make some other fixtures to help with carving the tops and backs. An opportunity came up to use a friends CNC machine and he kindly roughed in the back for me - In the future I think ill stick to the hand planes. Only afterwards did I learn about curtate cycloids and plan to revisit the original jig idea with improved curvature. Hopefully it will make the initial steps of rough carving tops and backs a little easier.

Currently the top with braces ( .5" high) is 600g. There does seem to be quite a bit of deflection under thumb pressure which I need to understand some more. I am anxious about the re carve. I think my biggest concern is that I've only recently felt that this Bunya pine top isn't as stiff as spruce. So while the carve is close to Benedetto's, it may be too thin for this piece of wood. The back is 796g.

Do any members run deflection tests on braced tops?

Looking forward to bending these sides and closing the box. This site has continued to be a great source of information throughout the build - thankyou!

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[kiwigeo]

LOL...a valiant effort with those F hole bindings. 10/10 for persistence and tenacity.

[Deano2]

LOL...a valiant effort with those F hole bindings. 10/10 for persistence and tenacity.

Tenacity.. That stuff makes Whisky evaporate in my shed.

[56nortondomy]

Have to agree with Martin, binding f holes is a real challenge especially if you're using timber you've done well to get them that nice,well done. Wayne

[kiwigeo]

LOL....reminds me of the first time I tried bending the tight upper bout on a Gore style OM.

[Mark McLean]

That top looks sensational. Love the f-hole bindings.

[Deano2]

Thanks for the kind words all!