Official Luthiers Forum!

Right, after searching through the big thread in the other forum, I have decided to enter. I have completed 2 already, and half started No.3, but had to stop because of a move. I plan on keeping that build shelved until this one is complete (if this is breaking the rules let me know and I will pull out of the contest).

I have been watching the last challenge with great interest and vowed that I would join in on the fun of the next contest. Didn't think it would come round so fast but, lets get it on!

Build #3 details:
While in limbo of moving I had no shop time, so I started designing my own guitar (2 actually, 1 small bodied and a large bodied). I have never used CAD so I went the old fashioned route: pencil, paper, coloured cardboard, scissors and sellotape. Photos of these to-scale cardboard cut outs to come later.

For this challenge I am going to make the Lge bodied design I have come up with.

S/B - Spruce (Engleman I think)
B/S - EIR
Neck - Mahogany - I have some Brazilian mahogany but I'm not sure if I will use it for this build.

Will decide on the other elements later on.

I hope this thread will be as entertaining and inspiring to you all as much as the ones in the last challenge. Good luck to all who enter, and I look forward to following everyone's progress.

Ed.

Nope , your good for this contest as far as Im concerned ! Looking forward to seeing the build

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Thanks Wud for confirming.

Been cleaning up the back set and have one plate thicknessed. Will take progress shots at the weekend.

Some dimensions of the guitar :

Scale Length = 650mm

Body
Neck Block to Tail Block = 20"
Lower Bout = 16.5"
Upper Bout = 12"
Waist = 10"

Body Depth
@ Neck Block = 100mm
@ Tail Block = 120mm

Neck Width

@ Nut = 46mm
@ Body = 56mm

Will hopefully have a hand stop, probably not a slotted headstock. Will be scarf joint with a stacked heel.

Have been thinking about fret board, bridge, head plate and bindings. I might try to keep this project to 3 types of wood. Using EIR for b/s, f/b, bridge and head plate; mahogany bindings, neck, linings, and back bracing; spruce top and s/b bracing.

I am also considering radial purfling using EIR, and EIR for the rosette.

EIR over-kill? Or a simple celebration of this wood?

Has anyone used Mahog for bindings? Do you think it will complement the EIR well?

Comments and suggestions always welcome.

Thanks

Ed.

Hey Ed. Just curious, why are your body dimensions in inches yet all others are metric?

I use metric for when I need to be acurate and imperial for rough measurements.

Hope that helps.

Ed.

Over here in England we are just unitally confused!
mm are so much easier to use, but there are some things that just work better in inches.

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
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Everything is better in inches. One day you will all see. Metric is for the birds

What I don't get about imperial is, when should you use fractions off an inch, and when to use a decimal of an inch?

Most of us just make it up as we go

_________________
Brad

There is only one thing I measure in metric, and I wont be posting a pic of it.

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Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Now, that's funny.

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Generally fractions are used for dimensions and measurements that have loose tolerances +/- 1/64 or more. Decimals though are used in precision work. Anything with close tolerances are measured in thousandths of an inch. In manufacturing thousandths is the standard measurement. For instance if you have .01 most anyone who has much experience in manufacturing will not call that "one hundredth" of and inch, they will refer to it as "ten thousandths". Just as .0002 would be called "two tenths of a thousandth".

Fractions are much more commonly used by construction workers and welders where precision is usually not a factor. Machinists more commonly use decimals.

I hope that made sense.

Does this mean I have to replace my ruler to build a guitar?

Alex

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

well alex that just depends on the accuracy you will require. if you are going fretless then i dont see any reason why you couldnt just use a ruler. it would be easier with more a more precise ruler but hey if you build your entire guitar and the only measuring instrument you use is that ruler, well then if it plays good and sounds good ill vote for you. that would impress me very much.

Thanks guys for the clarity on the imperial stuff. May try it one day.

Went to get the camera out yesterday and the battery has died, so its phone pics only for a while.

Back jointed, thickened and rough shaped.


Sides with one side cleaned up.


When thickening one of the sides, I had a little split . I should be able to get away with it though, as there is plenty of width in the wood for the side.


Neck Blank pre clean-up


Mapping the scarf cut


Gluing the scarf joint



I will take some pics of my cardboard mock-up later and try to post it for you all to laugh at.

Thanks

Ed

Looking good Ed. I wouldnt worry too much about that split, it looks like you are still wider than you will need. That is if you arent going extra deep with it. I know I make mine 4.125'' at the tail and 3.5'' at the neck, so for me you got plenty to work with.

Thanks Zeke, I agree. I think I have plenty in width especially if i make that end at the head block. Also I think I have an extra 3-4" in length so I may just chop it off. We will see.

Work is looking busy this week (that coupled with the snow that has covered the UK), I dont think I will get any shop time until the weekend

Ed

I have drawn out plans and I have also made a cardboard mock-up to have a better idea of what it will look like. Also with the mock up you can place it on your knee and pretend its a real guitar .



The tap tone of this cardboard rings like a bell

Let the mockery begin

Ed

It's a little thin, isn't it?

_________________
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Nice fretboard inlays!



Measure with a micrometer,
Mark with chalk,
Cut with an axe!

_________________
"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

Or just become fluent in both; I think of my body 'large' dimensions in inches (16" lower bout, 25.5" scale length) and smaller dimensions in millimeters (45mm nut width, 1.8 or 2mm side thickness, and so forth). Since I hang out at US forums, it's sort of a requirement. Have to say that any time I actually measure something I do it in mm, even though my calipers and all my rules are marked in both metric and imperial (and the rules have handy conversion tables for common decimal inches engraved on the back. Cheap steel rules from Axminster.co.uk in various sizes, very handy)

I'm trying to get into the habit of using both metric and imperial. metric is fine, unless you need to divide something by three..

Even though we have 2" of snow and half the country shut down , I managed to battle my way up to my workshop yesterday. Made some progress with the neck and the sound board.



And a shot all glued up:



Cleaned up the sound board plates :



Thicknessed by hand, have thought about thickness sanders but nothing wrong with a little elbow grease and a hand plane. Could always do with extra exercise


Took the plates down to 3mm. Am going to leave them stickered and stacked up for a couple of weeks under weight (noticed a slight bit of cupping as I was taking them down) to settle before jointing them. Then I will get the sound board to final thickness.

Oh and I have made a template (on top of the cardboard cut-out)




As always opinions, comments and suggestions welcome.

Thanks

Ed

Use fractions if you're working with a measuring tape. Use decimals if you're using a caliper. As one who uses both systems I am comfortable with fractions but they are less convenient to manipulate

Looks like you're making good progress.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"