Lute Progress -

[kiwigeo]

One last pic of the beast with the binding tape and top rough trimmed. This will be about as far as I go for a while.

[Lillian]

Stunning Martin. Simply stunning.

[kiwigeo]

Stunning Martin. Simply stunning.

Thanks Lillian. Stunning but also exhausting. Ive had a week and a half of working on this instrument and I now need a rest. The learning curve on this one is really steep and there's just so much room for disaster. Ill be glad to get back to work next week and have a rest from the lute.

[Lillian]

Thanks Lillian. Stunning but also exhausting. Ive had a week and a half of working on this instrument and I now need a rest. The learning curve on this one is really steep and there's just so much room for disaster. Ill be glad to get back to work next week and have a rest from the lute.

And if it was easy you would have gotten bored with it.


Hope things go well for your father.


Umm, looking at your stash there I see several packages yet to be decanted. Just wondering why you haven't opened them. Most of mine arrive in plastic, but that could be because I have 9 months of rain a year up here.

[charangohabsburg]

That's really good looking!

The learning curve on this one is really steep and there's just so much room for disaster.

I'm glad you didn't give some disaster a chance to get a grip on your lute!
Anyway, reading that it was not easy for you makes me feel better
I wish you all the best during your recovery from lute building.

[kiwigeo]

Umm, looking at your stash there I see several packages yet to be decanted. Just wondering why you haven't opened them. Most of mine arrive in plastic, but that could be because I have 9 months of rain a year up here.

Lack of time Lillian......my wood shelves need a good clean up and I need to find out exactly what I have on them.

[kiwigeo]

Top trimmed up. It's amazing how strong this instrument is once the top is glued on....

[Lillian]

It looks flippin' amazing Martin!

[Nick]

It'd make a good squash racquet if it doesn't play very well . Looks great Martin & I'll expect a full recital (complete with cod piece) on your next visit home.

I see you are a bit like me & hord your offcuts as well (the "that could be useful one day" approach) I almost feel guilty throwing nice bits of wood away.

[kiwigeo]

A day in the workshop today. Got the ebony fingerboard thicknessed down to 2mm, shaped the finger points, cut the soundboard to fit the points and then glued up the fingerboard and points. Hardest part of this job was cutting the recesses into the soundboard to get a tight fit with the points. My Pfeil violin knives proved the best tool for the job. The Swiss do really make some good ****.....they make some pretty decent people too. The origin of the fingerboard points is interesting..one theory is that they came about when instruments with a small number of courses got modified for more courses. To widen the fingerboard strips were added either side of the original fingerboard and let into the soundboard with the points.

[Sergy]

Hi, Martin
Excellent work!
Lute peg set is ready? What wood for this?

[kiwigeo]

Hi, Martin
Excellent work!
Lute peg set is ready? What wood for this?

Hi Sergy,

No pegs yet....not sure on the wood. Boxwood is my preference but its a bit hard to get here in Australia. I need to get hold of a minilathe as well.

[auscab]

Hi Martin ,
I can possibly help you out with some Box wood, It can be got from an old English made plumbers tool, used for beating lead.

I have a tool dealing friend who has some . I can give him a ring tomorrow.

The lute is looking great.

Rob

[kiwigeo]

Hi Rob,

Any help getting some boxwood would be much appreciated.

Cheers Martin

[Sergy]

Martin, look this link - http://www.exoticwood.biz/boxwood.htm

[Nick]

67? Damn & I thought the answer was 42!
Looking really good Martin, starting to get those little 'elegant' touches to it! I always wondered why they had those little bits extending into the top....now I know! Todays new bit of knowlege learnt already and it's only half eight! I can go home now .

Nice Link Sergy, thanks

[kiwigeo]

Martin, look this link - http://www.exoticwood.biz/boxwood.htm

Hi Sergy,

Thanks for the link. Ive found quite a few overseas suppliers of boxwood but unfortunately alot of the, ship boxwood in log form with the bark still on. This is going to attract the attention of the quarantine people here in Australia.

Cheers Martin

[charangohabsburg]

Hide glue rulez!

Very neat work as usual, Martin.

Are these...

twoblackholes.jpg (29.3 KiB) Viewed 19942 times

... the clamping marks from the neck shaping procedure?

[kiwigeo]

Hide glue rulez!

Very neat work as usual, Martin.

Are these...

twoblackholes.jpg

... the clamping marks from the neck shaping procedure?

Correct, while shaping the neck core and doing the neck veneer I screw on a piece of mdf so I have something to clamp onto.

[kiwigeo]

Scraping down the fingerboard flush with the soundboard....a hard job to do without getting ebony dust on the top. The fingerboard glue up didnt go 100% and I had to re-glue along one side and apply better clamping pressure with some specially made clamping cauls.

[Sergy]

I need to get hold of a minilathe as well.

The minilathe too is necessary to me... (now I build a archlute and for this 27 lutepegs are necessary)
I have paid attention to such minilathe: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Hobby-Lathe/H2669
For a woodworking of small details it is well.
What do you think?

[kiwigeo]

I need to get hold of a minilathe as well.

The minilathe too is necessary to me... (now I build a archlute and for this 27 lutepegs are necessary)
I have paid attention to such minilathe: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Hobby-Lathe/H2669
For a woodworking of small details it is well.
What do you think?

That's certainly one option and cheaper than full minilathe. Im going for a metalworking minilathe with a tool holder that I can set up to follow a metal template as Lundberg does.

[Kim]

Looking fantasic Martin.

It realy has been a great thread to follow and watch as the two of you have eveolved together. I think that is what has made this thread so interesting, your sharing has been a learning experiance for most all of us here.

Thanks mate

Kim

[kiwigeo]

Looking fantasic Martin.

It realy has been a great thread to follow and watch as the two of you have eveolved together. I think that is what has made this thread so interesting, your sharing has been a learning experiance for most all of us here.

Thanks mate

Kim

Thanks for the positive comments.....much needed at times.

[kiwigeo]

Another productive day in the shop. Got the ebony half bindings glued in. The half bindings had to be worked down from some standard Stewmac bindings with a block plane. The binding channel is 0.7mm deep and was cut with a home made channel cutter. No photos of this stage of the operation sorry. The lute is now structurally complete. All that needs doing is fitting of tuning pegs and finishing of the body, neck and fingerboard of the instrument.