Sen's Guitar Making Blog: Prepare the top & back

2014-03-12

Prepare the top & back

20140127
I had some time today and so I began to shoot the edge of the top and back for jointing.
Same method here using a shooting board and a #5 plane.
Previously I had already almost perfect preparing the seam so today I just touch up a bit to give it a fresh surface for gluing.
After that I began to joint the back using my jointing jig.

Shooting the jointing edge of the top

Shooting the jointing edge of the back

Applying hide glue

Clamping with the jointing jig

20140128
The back is done now to joint up the top.

Back is done. Looks quite nice!

Prepare the gluing

Apply hide glue

Jointed up

Top jointed.

20140227
I realised it's kind of hard to separate the build for #7 and #8 so a lot of time I will be doing them side by side.
So I have decided to include both of them in future post.
I traced out the outline of the plantilla and began to saw the outline from the top.
After doing 2 tops the time is up so I have yet to start on the 3 backs. (#7 #8 #5)
At first I use the long reach fret saw with a tiny saw blade for the top but it kept breaking.
So in the end I just use the coping saw.
The coping saw's teeth is very aggressive so I have to use minimal strength and ensure that the top does split in the process.
Luckily all went well :)

I also realise for #8's back it might look better if I joint the other side instead of this side.
Ah well too late to change anything...

Starting on the top.

Broken fret saw blade

#7 top done

Sawing on #8 top (just completed the loop)

The 2 tops done!

3 back all ready to be saw next. #7 Madagascar Rosewood / #5 CSA Rosewood / #8 Maple (L to R)

20140307
I began to saw away the excess of the back.
The cut-off will be used for the head plate of the neck.
This has been my practice for part few guitar starting with #2.
For information I started with #5 back but that will be covered in another post.

Following #5, I began to saw the Maple back #8.
The maple was a softer wood compared to the rosewood back of #5 so I took considerable less time for the maple.
However, I need to switch to a fret saw instead.
The reach of the coping saw was not enough.
For the fret saw instead of using the normal scroll saw blade, I twisted a more aggressive teeth coping saw blade and fitted it to the fret saw.
The twist was to make the blade cutting direction perpendicular to the fret saw frame.
This will ensure maximum reach.

For support, I use a piece of wood and keep adjusting the position to ensure maximum support for the wood piece.
This will prevent the wood from breaking.

Starting to saw the outline of the back.

End of cut

The back done.

Remember I mention how the #7 back will look if I had jointed the other way?
Well I use photo tool and did it instead.
It certainly looked nicer than current joint.
Anyway think I am too lazy to make the change.
I'll leave it as it is.
For view pleasure here's the pic.

20140312
In the end I decided to redo the back joint for #7
I have learnt if there is something that I am uncomfortable with it's better to redo now rather than at a later stage.
And so I took out my heat gun and applied some water to the joint.
After some amount of heating both sides of the joint, the hide glue just wouldn't budge at all!
If anyone think that hide glue is easy to remove better think twice...
In the end I just saw the joint instead.
The rest is pretty simple shooting the other side for jointing and glue the new joint.