Acoustic Build in 10 days - Gav

[Gavin1393]

While we are gluing the MOP to the Soundboard, and DB is lecturing Pest and Wokka about Hi-jacking my thread....

I'm going to talk about 'thicknessing' the sides as well as the back and the soundboard of the guitar.

It is best to have a flat piece of board to work off. Such as MDR or a thick laminate. I use a 1.8m laminate which at one end houses my Binding Jig and at the other provides a nice flat surface to work on.

Use calliper to trim Dreadnaught to 2.5 -2.6mm in the centre, edges to be trimmed down to 2.4. adjust by .1mm if back plate is too stiff. Triple-0: is thinner...about 2.4mm down to 2.2 if still a bit on the stiff side.
We used an orbital sander, the idea is to sand for 3-5 minutes, check the depth, write it down on the back plate in pencil and then focus sanding where it is needed most.

[Gavin1393]

Here is the calliper recommended for measuring progress to the right thickness. The most important aspect ids the flexibility of the board. You don't want it too stiff!

[Gavin1393]

Be careful not to sand over the edges to where the sander is no longer even with the surface as this will ‘oversand’ the edges of the backboard.
Only sand the ‘inside face’ of the back board. Do not sand the back face. Use 40 sand paper.

Side Template and sanding of the sides of the guitar.
Key point is purely to smarten up the sides of the guitar for aesthetic appeal. Do not try and make the sides thinner than they already are. Take care not to sand too close to the edges especially if these are slightly cupped as they may crack. This ‘cupping’ isn’t an issue as this will correct when the body is put together.
Use 80 and 120 sand paper to smooth the sides.

[Gavin1393]

================================================== ==================
END OF DAY ONE
================================================== ==================


================================================== ==================
START OF DAY TWO
================================================== ==================

[Gavin1393]

Use of humidifier and de-humidifier

Humidity sensor, available from Tandy’s for around $40. Best to get two as these are often not that accurate. Best humidity range is between 40% to 50%. If too dry, add mist to room, if too high use humidifier (pictured below) to reduce moisture content otherwise guitar woods can warp. Problem comes in when guitar is shipped to another area where humidity is very different as woods can crack or warp due to change in structure of wood due to humidity changes.

You can use a small room with humidifier, if you need to work outside of the small room you can remove the wood work for a bit (30 mins) but you need return wood to humidity room. If leaving wood overnight in a humidity room stack wood as shown in the Go Bar Deck below. Don’t leave wood flat as it needs to breathe on both sides.

Go Bar Deck
This construction is used in place of clamps. Go Bar sticks replace clamps in this apparatus since clamps simply cannot go where the Fibreglass Sticks can. Use small strips of wood to protect softer wood from dents.
The Go Bar Deck is used almost exclusively to clamp the braces on the soundboard and the back of the guitar.

[dingobass]

You seem to have a head of curly blonde hair in those pics Gav.....

[Gavin1393]

Not me, Sean from ALS!

[keloooe]

I thought it was the elderley version of me :P

[Gavin1393]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from keloooe on June 14, 2013, 06:53
I thought it was the elderley version of me :P

Elderly'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

I think Sean would have been about 27 in those pictures! How "elderley' do I now feel at 50!

[keloooe]

Nah Gav, you feel ancient now!