progress on the archtop

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:32 pm

Hey all, i posted a few pics of this archtop in it's early stages, i just fitted the neck on it yesterday, thought you lot might like to have a squiz at it.
Blackwoodback and sides,
Sitka top.
Maple and jarrah neck with wenge veneer
Rosewood fretboard
Cheers, Rod.

vandenboom · Post by **vandenboom** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:52 pm

Hi Rod - making good progress. I'd love to come and see it when it suits you. Did you dovetail the neck or bolt on? Also, are the bindings white plastic or wood? Frank

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:58 pm

Looks great Rod,

An arch top is a big undertaking and it certainly looks like you've been up to the task. Keep the progress reports coming mate, look forward to em.

Cheers

Kim

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 9:45 pm

Frank , it's white plastic binding with bwb purfling, and the neck is a glued dovetail joint, a lot of mucking around there to get the neck set at the perfect angle to the top and centered on the endpin.
Thanks for the positive feedback Kim.
Cheers people.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:01 am

She's looking great Rod - very classy and cool!!!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:43 am

Looking the part there Rod. I like the Blackwood back and love the work you've done on the headstock (both front & back), any chance of a few closeups?

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:45 am

I love the way the grain pattern sits on the back. Accident or coincidence, but it looks like a woman's lower back and very shapely bottom.

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:03 am

Nicko" here's some close ups for you, the wenge veneer is looking a bit rough at the moment but it should finish up ok i think. The wenge has such a heavy grain i to make a feature of it and book match it with a center join. Cheers Rod

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:11 am

Thanks for the pics Rod

Got some serious pore filling to do but should look the bee's knee's with a coat of jam, in fact the whole guitar will spring to life no doubt

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:16 am

Lookin good Rod
Where did you get your sitka top from?
An Archtop is somewhere in my future schedule, but the prices are daunting

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:57 am

Jeff, i get most of my timber including spruce from Mathews in melbourne.Also seeing as i've had some success uploading some pics of late i thought i'd share some of a left handed cutaway i'm fitting a nect to at the moment. some pics of the dovetail, and scribing the extension to the belly to get a neat fit fo the first 40mm and then clearing the belly by 3mm to allow free movement of the belly, and at the same time achieving correct height above the belly at the bridge position. Thanks for looking,cheers Rod.

ozziebluesman · Post by **ozziebluesman** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:21 pm

Fantasitic work of art here Rod. Very interesting and enjoyable watching your progress. Thanks for sharing with us.

Cheers

Alan

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:03 pm

Nice work everyone. I'm particularly digging a bit more archtop action.

Made this little hand plane for archtop shaping. So easy to make and customise I can't see myself buying shaping planes again. Just some more good blades.
I used wood from my 'too good to throw away" box. Set the bed angle on my drop saw. Glued it up with the mouth shut and carefully opened it up when I sanded the bottom shape. The metal rod is placed so the blade is a friction fit. I had to file the underside slightly to get the blade in. If it gets loose I can bend the rod in slightly.
Its set up as a hogging plane and works exceptionally fast even on hard maple. Best thing about wood bodies is they don't get hot and burn your fingers like the Sloan style planes when you go hard at it.

Not really on my bench but near it ...
Finally got my dust extractor all hooked up and the main 150mm line in. Waiting for fittings to move in and finish hooking up the rest of my tools. Working on Bill Pentz's info where he strongly advises against reducing duct size at the machine because it significantly kills airflow. So I am running 150mm flex to each machine and enlarging the flanges.

Cheers
Dom

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:16 pm

Sorry Rod, meant to put those pics in the Whats on your bench" thread.

Didn't mean to high jack you.
Dom

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