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Post by robmc on Aug 30, 2020 22:57:53 GMT
Hi All, I'm very pleased to say that davewhite has started work on a little friend to keep Big Hal company in Norfolk. I was intrigued by 'Bogha Fada', the small bodied 'crossover' nylon strung guitar that Dave developed for Steve Tilston, and am grateful that Dave agreed to make another for me. My 'Bogh Fada' will have a Caucasian Spruce top and Oregan Myrtlewood back and sides. Dave was kind enough to take on board a theme I suggested based on my memories of growing up in the Arabian Gulf in the 80s & 90s, so the colours and some decorative aspects of the guitar will reflect this theme. I've seen a few photos of the materials to date and the Myrtlewood looks beautiful, with a warm desert colouring and Dave has selected a set of really unique abalone tuner buttons which reference the Indian Ocean... In particular a bay called Khor Fakkan. I haven't seen any specific photos of the build as yet but Dave will be posting pictures and comments of the build in this thread, which I'm looking forward to following! Now I just need to explain to Big Hal that he'll have a little brother or sister arriving in the not too distant future.... |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Aug 31, 2020 6:47:13 GMT
Rob - it's a pleasure to make Big Hal a sibling  Some plans:  Some parts:  The Oregon Myrtle sides have been thicknessed:  The bass side will have a “porthole” soundport so a 40mm hole is made with a Forstner bit. An insert is put in the hole while the side is bent:  The two sections of the Bog Oak soundport “porthole” are glued together:  |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Aug 31, 2020 6:51:31 GMT
The centre of the porthole is routed out:  Here’s the porthole:  The sides are then bent in the Fox-Bender with the heating blanket. The wood is given a very light spritzing of water, wrapped in brown paper and then put in the “sandwich” of slat, wood in paper, slat, blanket, slat When the temperature gets to 150°C the waist is cranked down about ¾ of the way down, the lower bout bent, then the upper bout and then the waist tightened fully down. I leave it hot for a couple of minutes to drive out the moisture then switch off and let it cool. I then give it another heat and cool cycle:  The porthole is then glued to the bass side using fish glue:  The cutaway on the treble side is bent by hand on the hot pipe. Here are the bent and trimmed sides in the mould:  |
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Post by robmc on Aug 31, 2020 12:06:41 GMT
Looking good Dave, thanks  |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Sept 2, 2020 14:45:45 GMT
The Mahogany neck block is marked out, the curve to match the cutaway side made and the bolt holes are drilled:  The 6mm holes are then drilled for the carbon fibre flying-buttress rods:  The slot for the fingerboard extension support is cut and the fingerboard extension support glued in using hot hide glue:  |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Sept 4, 2020 10:06:24 GMT
The treble side is glued to the neck block using fish glue:  A piece of Bog Oak binding together with black/ white/ black purfling is inlet into the end of the cutaway side and glued onto the neck block:  The bass side is glued to the neck block using fish glue:  The sides are glued onto the Mahogany tail-block using hot hide glue:  Here’s the rim set in the mould:  |
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Post by robmc on Sept 4, 2020 15:14:19 GMT
Thanks Dave, liking the bog oak against the myrtle... it also helps to have a full sized version to refer to when I'm making sense of the process  |
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Post by davewhite on Sept 14, 2020 10:31:26 GMT
Rob wants the guitar to take on board a theme based on his memories of growing up in the Arabian Gulf in the 80s & 90s and sent me some pictures for inspiration. including wind towers in Dubai:   The end graft, using Bog Oak and Myrtle, is a stylised representation of a window in a Dubai wind tower:  |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Sept 14, 2020 10:33:01 GMT
The slot for the end graft is cut and chiselled out:  The end graft together with black/white/black purfling strips is glued in using fish glue:  |
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Post by ocarolan on Sept 14, 2020 10:43:20 GMT
Brilliant!
K
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Post by earthbalm on Sept 14, 2020 16:35:17 GMT
Very nice indeed.
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Post by robmc on Sept 14, 2020 18:43:21 GMT
I love that detail Dave, a little work of art in itself, thank you!
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Post by davewhite on Oct 13, 2020 8:24:29 GMT
The back of the rim-set was profiled both for the back curvature and for the reduction in height from the tail-block to neck-block. Then the Mahogany back linings are glued in using fish glue:  The top of the rim-set was profiled for the top curvature and the Mahogany top linings glued in using fish glue:  Next the Mahogany side braces are notched into the linings and glued in with hot hide glue:  Then the carbon fibre rod flying-buttress braces are fitted:  Here’s the completed rim-set:  |
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Post by robmc on Oct 13, 2020 13:55:20 GMT
Looking great Dave, thank you very much.
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Oct 15, 2020 9:13:30 GMT
The Oregon Myrtle back edges are prepared and checked for perfect fit and they are then taped and glued with hot-hide glue using the "tent method":  The back is cut close to the final shape.. The bracing positions are marked. The first European Spruce X brace is then glued in using hot hide glue after notching and profiling the bottom surface to a 10’ radius:  The second X brace is glued in:  Then the ladder braces are glued on in the go-bar deck using hot hide glue:   |
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Jo whoever he is.
