Build thread - Blackwood & Bunya Dreadnought

[kiwigeo]

Um....you're working on the butt strip and the top and back aren't yet fitted to the sides????

I can't help but notice that your guitar seems to spend alot of time out of the mold. I generally keep the guitar secured in the mold until the top and back are glued up to the sides......or is that just me being anal?

[Allen]

No Martin. I'm with you. They need to be kept in the form as much as possible.......Actually, I can't think of a reason if you are using an outside form that they would come out of them until the box was closed up.

[demonx]

Yes, backstrip in before box is closed up. This is the order I've been shown.

Yes, it's out of the form for a couple stages, but I do try to keep it in the form as much as possible. With some of the clamping angles, it's just not possible to have it in the form and get the clamps on. For example where I've left overhang at the cutaway/heeljoin so it can be filed back, that's just not possible inside the form.

I also would much prefer to clamp the blocks outside of the form so I know it's not in the way of a perfect clamping surface - not only is this my personal choice, but the reference photo's I have for order and so forth also show this, so I don't feel bad about it.

[demonx]

My centre strips are always a piece of wood taken off the sides....personal choice of course but it's what works for me.

This is what I originally had planned to do, however after I cut it and held it in there I wondered what an off cut from the top would look like instead for some contrast.

[kiwigeo]

Yes, backstrip in before box is closed up. This is the order I've been shown.

Yes, it's out of the form for a couple stages, but I do try to keep it in the form as much as possible. With some of the clamping angles, it's just not possible to have it in the form and get the clamps on. For example where I've left overhang at the cutaway/heeljoin so it can be filed back, that's just not possible inside the form.

I also would much prefer to clamp the blocks outside of the form so I know it's not in the way of a perfect clamping surface - not only is this my personal choice, but the reference photo's I have for order and so forth also show this, so I don't feel bad about it.

I have no problems clamping up end blocks while the guitar is in the mold. Looking at the photos the side overhang for your cutaway looks way excessive....is there a reason for this? Make it shorter and it can be accommodated in a slot cut in the side of the mold.

Clamping up end blocks with the sides out of the mold...IMHO that's just plain risky. Even when I build my classicals Spanish method the sides are supported on the workboard when gluing in the end block. Doing it in the mold means you don't have to worry about the join between the ends of the two sides being perfect....it'll be covered by the butt strip. This is also another good reason for doing the butt strip after the top and back are on.

[demonx]

Clamping up end blocks with the sides out of the mold...IMHO that's just plain risky. Even when I build my classicals Spanish method the sides are supported on the workboard when gluing in the end block. Doing it in the mold means you don't have to worry about the join between the ends of the two sides being perfect....it'll be covered by the butt strip. This is also another good reason for doing the butt strip after the top and back are on.

The way I approached the blocks was to mark the centrelines whilst the sides were in the form, also marking where the outside of the blocks will be positioned.

Then out of the form I have three reference points for each block to make sure its in the correct spot whilst clamping.

I do like your idea of cutting away the form somewhat to allow for the overhang, but at the end of the day I really don't see any problem with the sides being out in the first place.

In reguard to not worrying about the sides being perfect for the rear block, doing it the way I have the sides were about 5mm from the centreline i had predawn on the rear block, so I had a visible reference point for the back strip to know its in the perfect center. I was also able to easily clamp the rear block into the vice for routing without having to worry about protecting the back or top.

[demonx]

With the exception of capping the cutaway point, it'll be left in the form now until its a closed box.

[demonx]

Another pic for the "out of form" haters to cringe at! This is the last "out of form" stage, everything else will be done in the form until it's a closed box.

[kiwigeo]

Youre making good progress there but that butt strip bothers me.....I notice you've got it framed with black purfling. Is there a plan to run a similar black purfling on the bottom of the bindings and have the two meet at the butt strip? If this is the plan then I'm wondering how you plan to handle cutting the binding channel close to the butt strip. I don't seen you cant avoid some pain in the arse fiddly chisel work to make it all fit. Much easier if you cut the binding channels first and then fit the butt strip.

Watching with great interest

[demonx]

No, I changed my mind after I held some of the tiger myrtle up against the blackwood and it would have just got lost, so I decided on plain black binding, so the two black plastic butt strips will just meet a thicker black strip in a butt join (standard binding as if the butt strip isn't even there), no need to chisel. Same as the rosette design.

I thought about doing mitred joins with extra colors but it's not really my taste, (for this build anyway)

I like simple, for example when I recently had someone else build me an acoustic, I ordered ebony only binding. They suggested all sorts of fancy things and I refused it all, black only was what I wanted for that commission. That is just what my eyes/brain perceive as nice, add a white strip and I don't like it so much.

This all depends on the timber choices though. So I'm generalising in relation to the current build. Other timbers i really like the look of mitred purf inside binding etc.

[demonx]

A bit of Kerf.

[demonx]

More kerf and a repair.

The cutaway split a little bit off the block when I accidentally twisted the side, it also split half way down the cutaway.

It was a clean split with the grain so I'm hoping its an invisible repair. I've epoxy'd a patch over the inside of the cutaway to help prevent any further damage. The patch is cut from the flat sawn trial sides I bent, so its pre shaped to the same curve which came in handy.

[demonx]

I have been busy on other builds so this one has been pushed aside for now, however I was spraying clear coats today and threw a single coat over an off cut from the back I'm using on the acoustic, I must say I'm impressed how it turned out, especially considering this scrap piece isn't even sanded with exception of a couple passes through the drum sander with 60 grit roll after I originally joined the two pieces

[demonx]

The repair didn't end out as invisible as I'd have liked, but it's now solid.

Moving onto the neck and gluing the heel block into position:

[demonx]

Moving into the back bracing:

[demonx]

I couldn't help myself, had to see what it looked like:

[kiwigeo]

PUT IT BACK IN THE MOLD!!!!!!

[demonx]

PUT IT BACK IN THE MOLD!!!!!!

That thing around it Is the mold!

[kiwigeo]

PUT IT BACK IN THE MOLD!!!!!!

That thing around it Is the mold!

Nah nah....the guitar has to be sitting properly in the mold. Youve pulled the box half out of the mold.......like I said PUT IT BACK IN!!!

[demonx]

It's back in:

[kiwigeo]

Forum rules are currently being modified to cover miscreants who insist on yo-yoing their instruments in and out the mold prior to closing up the box....

[needsmorecowbel]

haha

[demonx]

I'm very happy with the way the back joined, it wasn't as hard job as I had expected it to be. Here's hoping the top goes on just as easy.

[demonx]

Top is on:

[kiwigeo]

Ok NOW you can take it out of the mold