Official Luthiers Forum!

I totally spaced and forgot to add the soundport as I was assembling the box on my first SS. Is it too late to add one now? I just want to add a plain old circle. I'm thinking I could cut the circle, then laminate a piece of rosewood to the inside (which already has a hole cut into it), and then trim both together and file/sand it all pretty and smooth. What do you think, can it be done cleanly?

Thanks!

John   

John, I add soundports after the box is closed as I like the ridgidity that the closed box gives when cutting the hole. You can mark and drill around the circumference then clean up with file and sandpaper before gluing on the intenal laminate or do what I do and used one of those piloted holecutting saws that fit in a drill. I use one on slow and very light pressure, clean up the edge then I use three layers of 0.6mm laminate on the inside. This one is in walnut with walnut and maple laminates on the inside.



Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

John, On my last guitar I cut the sound port after the box was bound,filled,sanded,and sealed. Also I sealed the edge of the port with CA. I pretty much did it like Colin.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

I'd suggest putting the side reinforcement in first. Drill a small hole, and glue in a crossgrain patch of veneer,pulling a caul out through the hole in the usul way, or even just put on a nice, wide side tape. I would worry about the side cracking....

One of my students put in a port after completing the instrument. He Dremeled the hole with the thing strung up, and kept going until the sound started getting worse. Then he cleaned the hole up as best he could, and made a surround that ended up a little smaller, which got him back to 'good' sound teritory.

Thanks fellas, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Let's keep the fingers crossed the sides don't crack.

Cheers!

John