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Nice bending iron - looks very professional! What are you using as the blade in the circle cutter? When I tried making one, the blade wandered all over the place.

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Thanks, I'm really pleased with the iron.

The cutter blade is simply a jigsaw blade with the teeth ground off and then a bevel ground on the end. They make really good marking knives too. I'll take some closeups when I'm next in the workshop.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

It's looking really good!
Where did you buy the heating element for the bending iron (please don't say USA!)

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Joe I found the element on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9mm-x-100mm-AC-220V-300W-Mold-Heating-Element-Cartridge-Heater-Ztavi-/130824020261, it was from Hong Kong and took a month to arrive but was less than £4. The one I got was 9 * 100mm and 300 Watts but they do lots of other sizes.

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Thanks. I think mine isn't stiff enough as it was made of a sharpened hack saw blade. I'll have to try making another.

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Frustratingly I haven't had much of a chance to really get moving with my build, only the odd hour here and there and does not look like that will change much in the next few weeks. But here is what i have managed to get done over the last few weeks.

Made up the back braces from a European Spruce billet and then glued them to the back using a 15 ft radius dish and go bar deck.





Next I did the initial profiling of the back braces, I may tweak these some more, but as yet am undecided.







PeterF here is the promised pic of the blade i made from an old jigsaw blade for the circle cutter, i guess its self explanatory, any questions though please ask



Next up will be to brace up the top, and then get on with bending the sides. Which is something I am both looking forward to and very apprehensive about.

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Thanks Nick. Looks much better than my blade! And don't worry - side bending is fun

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Due to the bad weather, I very luckily managed to spend plenty of time out in my workshop this weekend and got lots done.

I had previously prepared the braces, so glued these up.



Now on to the fun part of carving the braces, I followed the plans fairly closely as for number one, im trying to concentrate more on learning new skills rather than experimenting.









With the top and back now braced, i thought i had better bite the bullet and give side bending a try, So I had a go with some practice wood, and i have to say it was a lot of fun, and though not quite perfect in a few areas, for a practice go i was really happy with the outcome



So now I am going to have to get on and thickness the actual sides i'm going to use and then bend them for real.

A quick question for you guys, with the back brace profiles, do you taper them up to more of a point or are they just rounded over?

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

I like to make mine with a parabolic section as it knocks a few grammes off of each brace whilst retaining the same stiffness.

Bob

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http://www.bobmatthewsguitars.co.uk

I've done my first two like bob's diagram. I have no reasoning for it other than the fact I think it looks better

Bob

Thanks for the diagram, its most helpful what you say makes sense to me.

Also in regards to bracing, I know that voicing , tuning the top etc is a complex subject, but can anyone point me in the direction of a tutorial on the basics especially some information on what happens by doing certain modifications, (brace layouts, shapes etc)

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Nick
Thats looking good, my #1 I used Quarter Sawn White Oak and I have been pleasantly surprised. That Bog Oak is fascinating.

As far as voicing for the first couple carefully follow a proven plan/design and you should have a very nice sounding guitar. I have the Grellier OO plan your using and a tracing of a 1938 OO Martin I got from John Arnold, there are some differences.

I finally plucked up the courage to get on and bend the sides for real, and it all went very smoothly. There not perfectly symetrical, but close enough that it should not be noticible.

Next I built a quick jig for cutting the reversed Kerffed lining on the bandsaw



and then go the top edge linings guled in.



Once dry i profiled the back of the rims to the 15ft radius and then also glued in the kerfing.

After a quick trip to the radius sanding dish's im now ready to close the box. Though i havent quite decided what im going to use to clamp things up can this be done in the go bar deck?






Quick mock up with the top on



Quick mock up with the back on

I am really enjoying myself with this build and it looks like I'm hooked, I'm already planning number 2 /3 / 4 ...

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Yeah, stick a fork in him, he's done.

Gonna be buying the missus timber for X-mas soon, claiming to make wooden slippers, but always getting her size a bit wrong, so it may as well turn into a guitar......Sorry, dear.....

Now there is an idea!

It might even work

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Great work, Nick. I've never seen bog oak before, it looks really cool. I have to say, I think I like your shop-made tools as much or more than the guitar! That's some nice work.

As far as your string spacing question is concerned, you seem to have everything covered. The only thing I could think of would be saddle angle and compensation at the bridge. I'm not sure how wide your bridge holes are, but if your spacing is significantly wider and the saddle was angled for standard spacing, then your bass strings could potentially be slightly longer and treble strings be slightly shorter.

By the way, are the nut and saddle from English cow bone?

Lee

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https://www.facebook.com/lee.nunes.35

Lee thanks for the comments, I also enjoy making my own tools nearly as much as making the guitar. Have forgotten to post pics of the small plane I made for shaving braces.



I'm looking forward to using the bog oak too, not sure how it will work out, but I have seen a few builds that have used it in the past.

Thanks for the comments on string spacing, lots to think about.

I haven't yet decided on what to use for the nut, though I suppose English Cow bone would be ideal, i will have to investigate.

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Managed to get close the box, and to my relief if actually resembles a guitar!







Now on to roughing out the neck and working out how im going to do the binding!

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Nice! Just closed up my box last weekend. It really feels like you are getting somewhere when you get it closed. How's it tap?

Well I started trying to get the neck ready for fitting last night and some how have managed to by the look of things screw things up fairly well. The heal block angle is off, and to correct it it looks like I will end up with the neck slightly too short so the 14th fret would be just inside the perimeter of the body, not on the join.

I going to drill the inserts and fit the neck, to see how bad it really is, and weather i can fix it.

I guess that this is not the end of the world, and the bridge can just be shifted back a mm or 2 to compensate so other than the aesthetics, there should not be any serious problems.

I should probably just start again with the neck blank, but I would like to try and recover it if possible, partly as a learning process. Does any one have any recommendations on fixing the problem.

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

I think it may be best to settle for the 14th fret being a little off, and moving the bridge a little, but if you really want to have the 14th fret right at the body, you'll have to add wood to the heel. I messed up while carving the heel on my first guitar, and had to glue some extra mahogany to the sides of the heel. I was pretty discouraged because the glue joint was really visible, but I then I had a crazy idea, and hid it by doing a sunburst neck. I didn't plan to do a sunburst (especially because I had never done any kind of finish before), but it was my only option, and I think it worked pretty well with the overall look of the guitar.

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https://www.facebook.com/lee.nunes.35

By the way, I love those little planes. Nice!

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https://www.facebook.com/lee.nunes.35

I have got really behind on the updates, so thought I would post a quick picture of the current state of things Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures along the way, I was too busy having fun. Cutting the binding ledges was an interesting job, I did this all by hand with a home-made purfling cutter, the overall finish is reasonable, but has lots of room for improvement (guess that just means ill have to make another or 10)




The end is now in sight! I just need to fret the board, and then sand everything down and get on sanding, pore filling and applying the finish.

Really looking forwards to getting her strung up so i can hear what she sounds like.

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

Getting close nick! Looking great. I know how you feel about building 10 more.

Nick,
Fantastic work, mate!! I love the body contour--it really pleases my eye. Is it exact to the L-00, or did you alter the design a little? It appears to be a little "softer." Either way it looks fantastic. I cannot wait to hear it!