Gluing the fingerboard / Shaping the neck

What's next? Well I guess it's the gluing of the fingerboard.
The fingerboard is already tapered correct.
What I need to do is to align the center line and make sure the fret slots are perpendicular to the center line.

After that I drilled 4 guide holes and start the gluing process.
I clamp it down with clamps.
I place a wood block beneath the top and apply a clamp there.

Find the center line using the metre rule.

Drill the guide holes (1 mm)

Using wire to fix the position.

Fingerboard caul

Saw off the 1st fret excess.

Ready for gluing

Heat up the fingerboard

Apply HHG

Glue to neck with the 4 pins are guide. The cauls has 4 holes to allow for the pins / metal wire

Apply the clamps

When it's dried, I began to shape the neck with my beloved rebate plane chisel and the spokeshave.
First I saw off the excess portion of the neck to fit the fingerboard.
At one side I use the ryoba and it's fine but the other side I use the coping saw and it cut a little into the fingerboard... argh...
Not choice I would have plane / sand it away.
After that I shape behind the head using the chisel.
It was all messy of shavings...

Saw off the wings of the neck

Shape using my rebate plane

Fingerboard done.

Shape the neck.

Mark the back of the head.

Chisel to shape

File to smoothen the curve.

Shaping the heel

Shaping the neck using spokeshave (2 handed of course)

Sanding smooth the curvature (2 handed)

Some more new wood stock!

Well I managed to acquire some more new back and sides woods for my collection :)
I know I know I have the illness(ZAS)... Zoot Acquisition Syndrome but I couldn't resist it...

I managed to get a lovely Ziricote and Waterfall Bubinga.
Haven't decide what use for them but certainly they will be used for classical guitars; at least for now.

Lovely Back. Looks very much like a BRW

With the sides. Unfortunately the sides isn't Quartersawn...

Waterfall Bubinga. I try to take a better pic next time
The lightning doesn't do justice to the wood.

I ordered somemore new wood including Osage Orange and premium dark IRW.
The Osage Orange is still on the way from RC Tonewoods while the IRW has arrived, beautiful set!

Premo dark IRW.

2nd take of the waterfall Bubinga which I bought.
Without spirits wetting, it's kind of hard to see the beauty of it actually

Making the Heel Cap

I also began to do the heel cap after all the binding are flushed with the sides and top / back.
The binding wasn't done very well but well that's a lesson learnt for next time.
For the heel cap, I also put 2 layers of white and red fiber underneath the ebony heel cap to match the side purfling.
The heel cap is made from the fingerboard cut-off.

Before tracing the shape, I had to trim the binding at the heel cap which I do so using the rebate plane and chisel.
After that I trace the heel shape onto the heel cap.
Next will be to saw off the excess.

Level the binding at the heel cap area

Done

Cut the red and white fiber to match the side purfling

Trace the shape to the heel cap blank. (from fingerboard cut-off)

I decided not to put in the purfling as the based of the heel is not flat.
When I plane it flat it will not be align with the binding and purfling anyway.
I decided on a full thickness (as per fretboard) ebony cap instead.
Thereafter I leveled the heel flat and marked the outline on the cap.
After sawing the excess, I shape it using my rebate plane.
And finally it leave some excess to be leveled using chisel and glued on the cap using PVA glue. (I have kept the hide in the fridge and lazy to take it out; this isn't structural so it perfectly OK)

Shaping the heel using my rebate plane

Check the fit

From the side

Apply the glue

Clamp

Making Bridge (cont.)

Well I had to drill the holes for the bridge.
I don't have a drill press so I device a set up for drilling it.
Firstly, I glued up a slider which is just a wooden block with side fence edge to glide on a long straight wooden block
The bridge will be held by hand on this slide and slide to the dremel fitted with a 1.5mm drill bit.
Next I clamp 2 pieces of wood to hold the dremel.
The height can be adjust by closing the 2 pieces of wood or making them further apart.
The dremel are all clamped down and I slide in the bridge with markings on where to drill.
All went well for the 1st 6 holes
When I drill the other 12 holes for a 18 hold bridge.
I drill the 1st hole too low.
For the center 4 holes, I adjusted it higher but 6th string I drill it the same as the first to make it look normal.

Marking the 6 holes

The set up for drilling

Another view. The bridge is held by hand on the slider block

End view

Top view

Drilling in action

6 holes drilled OK.

12 more holes mistake on the 1st set

A MOP will be glued for the tie block.

Following that I began to saw the MOP to slightly oversize and I intend to sand / file the MOP to fit the tieblock.
I was thinking to either file it after gluing onto the tie block or file first then glue?
Which would be better?

Saw to size using a junior hacksaw

The MOP slightly oversize than the tie block.

After sanding / filing to size I began the gluing process.
I put a curve block of wood underneath and put a straight edge at between the tie block and the saddle block (My useful Al bar)
Then I apply the CA glue (super glue) and glue the MOP; 1st I held it down by hand then after it began to set, I clamp a block of wood to it.
After the glue set, I level the edges with the tie block by sanding and then use the micro mesh to polish the surface (12000 grit); it shine like a real pearl!
With this I am done with the bridge.
Next will be gluing the fingerboard and bridge onto the guitar itself.
I forgot to weigh how much is the bridge I'll remember to do that next time.

The gluing set-up

Apply the CA glue (superglue)

Glue the MOP and clamp a block to hold it.

After unclamping before leveling the edges

Polished MOP, hard to see the real beauty of in this picture but it looks very 3D in reality.

I have the chance to measure it it's about 22.4 g well still within my range.

Final weight of the bridge 22.4g