Making the side port

Well before I close the box, I have to saw the side port.
The side port is a hole located on the side to have a monitor to the player.
It certainly works very well and the player can easily hear what he / she is playing.
But it does affect the sound by raising the box resonance.
To compensate the side port has to be located as close to the main sound hole and main sound hole has to be reduced in size.
To be effective as a sound monitor, I only create the sound port at the upper bout curve area.
In the classical playing position, that will point directly to the player.

To reinforce the sound port I added a layer of 3mm spruce to the behind of the sides.
3mm of spruce is definitely hard to bend.
In my 1st guitar I use Basswood for the backing and at 2mm it's definitely easier to bend
Well this time round I found a soundboard cutoff of the right size and decided to use it...
It goes well in the end though.

For the bend I used 2 wooden block to help bend especially at the edges where it's hard to apply the force to the small piece.
These wooden block I got from Daiso and they are very very very useful.
I have used them for many occasions.

Checking the size

Start bending (with 2 hands of course)

Another view.

More of less bent.

Glued

Now to cut the port.
I lost the previous template which I did for my #1 so I had to redraw it.
It didn't take long and I trace the shape onto the upper bout.
I use the fosterner bit to drill the hole and saw the rest.

Traced the shape onto the sides

Drill 2 small holes

Use the forstner bit to drill the larger hole.

One side drilled

Using coping saw to saw to the other hole

Both sawn

Filing the edges smooth

A look on the inside, the spruce did split from the drilling...

Carve some bevel on the edges to make it look better.
Well I managed to cut into my index finger tip when i carve it...

Gluing the back struts

Well after scraping the back, I began to glue the back struts.
Before that I had the final check on the curvature of the entire back on the body frame.
Well since the slots are already cut into the lining, I have to fit them correctly to the back.
I marked on the sides where the slots are and transfer the marking to the back.
But to better fit, I glue in the center brace and adjust the marking for the other brace.
Glue in the LB back brace and check the marking for the UB brace and adjust accordingly.
Also I check the center line marking making sure it's in line.

After I glued in the center back brace I discover a mistake...
Guess what?
I forgotten to inlay the back strip!!!
Argh, it's definitely doable now but much easier if the back if flat...
Now I have to test my creativity again on how to solve the problem.

Check the position of the struts

Glued the center back brace

Glue the LB back brace

Glue the UB back brace

Another view with the body :) Almost ready for closing the box

Checking the fit.
The back is displaced slightly to the rear but not too bad fit as there are allowance.
The waist region some parts are jagged, but its OK as those area will be covered by the binding.

The profile of the back struts

Thicknessing the back

While waiting for the lining to dry, I thickness the back to about 2.5mm
No frill just plain hard work...
I worked on the lower bout 1st before going for the upper bout.
While I thickness I tapped to hear the sound.
I will record the tap tone for future reference.
After planing it, I scrape it smooth

Lower bout

Upper bout

After planing I have to scrape it.
Well I can't get my scraper to be very sharp using the usual way of creating the burr and turn it.
I simply file the edges and created the burr from there.
Well not orthodox but it works.
I also plane away the excess portion by a bit to better fit the plantilla of the body.

Scraping the back

Shaping the back to fit more nicely with the body shape

SG Guitar show 2011

There is a Singapore Guitar Show 2011 (2nd) at the Suntec Exhibition Center this weekend, 3rd Dec to 4th Dec.
Do drop by if you are free.
More info at this site.

Singapore Guitar Show 2011

Back struts

I saw started preparing the back struts.
Till now I am still thinking to make a live back or inactive back.
Check out Trevor Gore's book it says a lot about live back (active back).
It's said to give a better tone but at a certain expense of the volume.

Anyway I cut the brace blank from spruce and profile it accordingly

All 3 struts ready for shaping

Shooting the curve into the 1st brace.

The curve is nicely fitted with the foot.

Shooting the curve into the back struts (Lower Bout strut)

Same (Waist strut)

When I tried to shoot the struts I slipped and my thumb go crashing into the struts end...
Of course I bled but at least not on the struts....
Well that's the minor accident that always happened.
Anyway I finished shaping the curve of the back struts I tried fitting to the back and check all the fitting.
I think the foot area will need some adjustment
The rest of the struts and curvature are alright.

Some gaps in the foot region.

The curves looks OK now.

After fitting the curves, I began to work on the struts.
I saw them to size and chisel the ends to 5mm.
The ends will fit in the notches in the reverse kerfed lining.
The height of the lining is about 10mm so I chose 1/2 of it 5mm to be the final height of the brace ends.

Chiseling the curve at the ends.

Marking the position of the 1st struts

Sawing the notch pocket

Chisel away the waste

1st back brace fitted.

Then I worked on the other 2 back strut as per 1st one.
For the position of the 1st 2 back string (UB and W) I make them follow the position of the
UTB and LTB.
They are almost on top of them.
For the 3rd back strut, I just place in the center between the end block and the waist back strut.
This 3rd one is special as I will relief the center portion too.
This will make an active back which would give the guitar a bigger sound.
In addition some more struts will radiate from the center of the 3rd LB strut.

2nd back braces fitted.

I relieved the centre portion of the LB back strut for an active back.

3rd back brace fitted

Done.

Another view

Side struts

I also glue the side struts to enhances the rigidity of the sides.
I have 5 on each side, 2 of them is there to support the UTB and LTB, and 3 more for the lower bout.
Well it's a bit overkill but after gluing the sides feels rigid.

Gluing the UTB and LTB support

HHG dried pretty fast so after sometime I didn't have to clamp the main body of the strut

Notching the kerfed lining of the top.

The side struts will sit into the notched lining.

Chamfer the ends of the struts

Rounding off with 1/2 round file.

All glued, looking good.

All the side struts done

When I was doing the notches in the reversed kerfed lining for the back, I made a terrible mistake.
I use the vanguard sheet to mark the position of the side struts
But I made a mistake the vanguard is outside the sides..
Due to the side curvature when transfer the markings to the linear lining, there is a position misplacement.
The notches are further apart...
Argh.. when fitted the lining only then I realise it... now I have wasted a good piece of lining material...

Marking the position of the side struts. This is a mistake, the vanguard sheet should be inside not outside of the sides.
The curvature will cause enough discrepancy when notching..

Chiseling the notches

Test fitting... the notches doesn't fit....
Now gotta think what to do...

I discard that lining as there were too many notches in there.
But it didn't go wasted, I use is as reference for the notching correctly the next lining.
I used it for both sides and managed to get it done accurately.
The vanguard sheet on the inner circle also didn't work properly as there as some thickness in the side struts (2.5mm) which is enough to make the discrepancy.
This was why I used the 1st trial lining for reference.
It is able to go over the side struts and thus be able to mark the position accurately.

I use the vanguard sheet to mark the position but this wasn't accurate either due to the thickness of the side struts.

Lining notched correctly and made wet and clamped to place.

The shape is form ready gluing.

Lining glued.
Have to worked fast as HHG gels pretty fast.
I used my hairdryer to heat it up a little.
When gluing I leave the lining abit proud of the sides to be shave away later and cater for the arc in the back.
The back is not perpendicular to the sides at the edges

The lower bout done.

Waist region

Upper bout

Glue the other side

Done.