Starting on Guitar #9

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Well this guitar is to replace the #8 since the talented guitarist owner has changed his mind on having Maple back and sides.
Instead he picked one of my best Indian Rosewood back and sides: dark and straight grained Indian rosewood.
As for the top I would be probably use the same top as #8 and choose another top for the #8 (Englemann Spruce for #8).
For #8 I would be continuing the build and see who else is interested in buying if not I just save it for myself; since I have yet to own a Maple guitar.
The only thing is I need to start again for some of parts like necks top so this will delay the schedule by a bit.
Anyway here is the IRW back.

Indian Rosewood Back for this build.

Shooting the 2 piece to get a good joint edge.

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I jointed the back using my jig.

Preparing to joint

Glued and cleaned up

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After untying the ropes from the jig, I examine the joint.
It was done nicely.
I proceed to scrape away the hide glue squeeze out which I was unable to clean off.
Because it's hard it's pretty easy to scrape them off.

Scraping the hide glue squeeze out.

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The outline of the

Cutting the outline of the back the cut off will be used for the head plate and rosette

All cut to shape

Making Purfling Cutter

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Although recently I bought the gramil cutter from LMI, I discover that I like my own version better.
My version has a longer handle which allows me to exert force to make the cut.
The cut is near the reference guide wall, both version is about the same.
But if the guide is some distance apart my version will allow more control

When I was about to make the 2nd cut on the sides for the purfling, I discover my cutter's has delaminated.
After gluing and over clamping, the cutter began to fall apart.
There is where I decide to rebuild the cutter v2 with some improvements in design and material.

I use African blackwood for the main material.
The guide and center hole pin will be reused as those parts are still functional.
For holding the blade in place I will be using wedges instead as it holds better and tighter.
When using in a circle cutter mode i will insert a piece so that the cutter will be same height as the center pin portion.
This piece is removable so that in the purfling cutter mode it will function better.

The old cutter starting to delaminate

The new body of the new cutter using African Blackwood

The purfling cutter. The guide is still the original part. The protruding wedge will be saw away though.

New woods

I ordered some tops from FV finewoods (Canada) and the surface shipping took quite sometime to arrive.
The Englemann Spruce looks very good and are very light.
I also bought some violin top and back and a Maple neck blank.

Maple neck blank could squeeze 8 neck shaft (w/o head) from it

Alaskan Yellow Cypress top; smells very nice

Engleman spruce top

Violin back and top