Bracing the top

20210403
Next step will be bracing the top.
One of the major consideration when bracing for this top is stiffness.
The top itself will be stiffer than most tops so I will be going lighter on the bracing.
For that reason, I am opting for a 5 fan bracing with cross bracing.

Brace layout

Preparing the braces

20210408
So I began to brace the top using the go-bar.
I started with the cross brace first as this will be below the fan braces (different from my usual bracing).
As the brace is about 3mm high (or lower) it can easily conform to the doming.
Following that the glue down the central brace.
For this bracing scheme I need to notch the bottom of the brace for the cross brace.
After that it is clamped similarly with go-bar

Gluing cross brace

Gluing central brace

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Then I continue with the rest of the fan braces.
I also glued the donut for the soundhole reinforcement

Gluing the fan braces

Gluing the donut

20210411
Next the braces are carved roughly to the approximate height
Once that is done, the closing braces are glued.
Further carving will be done to tune the sound and stiffness

Fan brace carved roughly

Gluing closing brace

Carving braces

Bracing done

Bracing done another view

20210421
Next step is to carve the donut to shape, it will taper from the centre to the outer rim.
The donut is wider than normal to support the wide rosette in the top.
The weight of the donut was reduce from >20g to <10g.
It include a protruded lip for the tornavoz.
I also prepare the side braces and glued them.
The side braces extend into the top to transfer the vibration unto the top part.
This will enhance the trebles especially for notes in the 12th frets vicinity.

Initial wt of the donut

Final wt of the donut

Gluing the donut

Gluing the side braces

20210501
Next the UTB and LTB are prepared, weighed and glued.
As usual, my TB are always opened
This gives a more open sound.

UTB and LTB weighed

Gluing LTB

Gluing UTB

Another view

Bracing done for top

Bracing the top

20191010
The required braces were prepared before hand by splitting and ripping from the stock and then planed to size.
Usually splitting produce more waste but it can ensure that there is no run out on the brace stock
If the supplies were obtained from a good supplier, you can afford to rip it instead of split it.
Of course that depends on your guitar building principles.

When the braces are prepared, I lay them out on the top.
Also I draw the bracing on the top and cut the braces to length.
For this build, I will also be using carbon fibre in addition, in order to reinforce the top more.
I had some wonderful experience in terms of using CF on wood and would like to try out on guitar.
The first step using CF is to glue the tow onto the top first using epoxy diluted with alcohol.
Then the brace will glue on top of the CF tow.
Finally the brace is capped with the CF
This will produce a very stiff braces in general.
However a good tuned top is neither overly stiff nor loose, so the balance must be there.
When optimally tuned, the final mass will be lesser than the normal braced top.

For this build I also modified my go-bar deck.
I make it stiffer and cleaner easier to use.

Laying out the bracing pattern. This is my bracing pattern

My modified go-bar deck

"Painting" the carbon fibre tow onto to the top.

Carbon fibre base all done.

Gluing the centre 3 braces

20191022
The bracing stage is always done in stages, as we need to carve the braces.
If not sometimes the other braces are in the way of the carving.
For my case, I carved the centre 3 braces and next will be gluing the Bouchet brace.
The Bouchet brace need to fit over the centre 3 braces.
But for the outer brace the outer fan brace will fit over the Bouchet brace instead as it decrease i
n height at the ends

Preparing the traverse brace aka Bouchet brace

Carving the centre 3 braces

Fitting the Bouchet brace over the fan brace

Gluing the outer brace.

Gluing the lower bout traverse brace after fitting the centre fan braces. This brace also commonly known as the Bouchet brace.

Shaping the traverse brace

20191031

Gluing the last 2 outer fan braces

Another view. Note that the fan brace is overlapping the Bouchet brace instead.

The braces carved.

A closer look at the outer braces

From the other side

Gluing of the treble bar.

20191107
The braces were carved to shape and tapping measurements were taken and compared to ensure of the optimal stiffness.

Bracings carved

another angle

another angle

20191113
Next the sound-hole reinforcement donut is glued.
There is some difficulty here as the bracing extends into the reinforcement.
Also there donut need to cater for the gluing of the tornavoz.

Gluing of the sound hole reinforcement donut.

20191128
Next the tornavoz is made and glued into a ring.
And some reinforcement veneer is glued to the top which also beautify the top.

Glued the veneer to the top

Glue the tornavoz into a ring.

Tornavoz done.

20191219
The 2 side braces are glued next.

Gluing of the side braces

20191224
Silent night! Next the 2 main traverse brace is made.
I use a lighter material to make the traverse and intend to wrap it with CF to increase the strength.

Making of the 2 main support traverse brace

20200103
Next the 2 traverse brace is wrapped in CF cloth.

Traverse brace being wrapped in CF cloth

The final part being glued

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The traverse braces is glued to the top and the entire top weight is measured.

Top total weight is about 197g which is within the expected range.

The 2 braces are glued to the top.