garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460 
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 2, 2015 15:19:12 GMT
With the body now completed the next stage is to fit the neck. You can see how I route the female half of the dovetail joint. Cheers Gary   |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 13, 2015 15:46:17 GMT
The guitar has been on the back-burner for a few days, whilst I've been working on its sibling-  With mandolin strung-up "in the white" I'll now get on with joining the guitar's neck to its body. Cheers Gary |
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davewhite
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Luthier
Aemulor et ambitiosior
Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Oct 14, 2015 10:59:14 GMT
Gary,
Interesting stuff and great work as always. I really like your mandolin tailpieces - very elegant.
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 14, 2015 15:34:54 GMT
Gary, Interesting stuff and great work as always. I really like your mandolin tailpieces - very elegant. Thanks Dave, Glad you appreciate the tailpiece, they take me about 10 hours to make! Cheers Gary |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 18, 2015 15:44:47 GMT
The guitar’s neck and body have been joined together. As you may know my preference is for a tapered dovetail for guitar neck joints. You’ve seen how the female section is routed; and my rule is that once routed this part of the joint isn’t touched. The neck has it’s half carefully marked on and then the waste is sawn.   Next, sharpen my favourite chisels. With sharp tools the sawn dovetail is gently shaped. As you’re working blind, feel gauges help you to gauge where wood need to be removed.   You also have to constantly check the alignment in two planes. It can be a good day’s work to get the joint perfect.   Once it’s ready, glue is applied and the neck pushed home into the body- no shims, no clamps the taper does it all.  Then the fretboard….   The sliver steel pins ensure correct alignment of the board. And here we have it, looking more like a guitar now! I must say that I’m very pleased with the way the guitar looks it has the 19th century vibe that I was after!  Cheers Gary |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 27, 2015 16:20:35 GMT
I’ve just finished carving the neck (Honduras cedar) and I’ve put up a blog post that shows you some of my preferred neck shaping tools. So you'll see, how I go from this…..  To this…..   Cheers Gary |
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davewhite
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Luthier
Aemulor et ambitiosior
Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Oct 28, 2015 15:23:20 GMT
Lovely work   |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 28, 2015 16:27:49 GMT
Well Dave, a while ago you mentioned the bridge- here it is; couldn't resit a bit more pearl!  Cheers Gary |
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davewhite
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Luthier
Aemulor et ambitiosior
Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Oct 28, 2015 16:49:32 GMT
Well Dave, a while ago you mentioned the bridge- here it is; couldn't resit a bit more pearl! Cheers Gary And lovely it is too - more mustache than smiley  |
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Oct 28, 2015 17:25:08 GMT
Quite Poirot in fact!  Keith |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Nov 4, 2015 17:13:58 GMT
Well guys, I'm at that French polishing stage; so although I'll be hard at it, there won't be too much to report for a while.......  Of course, I'm polishing two instruments; really pleased with the look of this Pau Ferro with some polish on.  Cheers Gary |
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andrewjw
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Post by andrewjw on Nov 4, 2015 17:24:29 GMT
The Pau Ferro looks completely stunning!  |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Nov 5, 2015 16:47:19 GMT
The Pau Ferro looks completely stunning! Hi Andrew, Nice to hear from you. This is first time that I’ve used Pau Ferro and it really is a beautiful wood; not only does it look and sound good, it’s a joy to work with. Unfortunately for me, I only bought two sets; if no one else claims the second set, I’m tempted to use it on the mandolin that I keep promising to make myself! Cheers Gary |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Dec 11, 2015 16:44:17 GMT
Well guys, I'm back, after a couple of weeks, allowing the French polish to harden, the bridge has now been glued on to the guitar. I’ve said it before and make no apologies for saying it again- this stage is the most nerve wracking of them all. Here are some photos of the process......       I cut around the bridge with a scalpel; through the masking tape and polish and not into the wood. The polish is scraped away from the exposed area so that you get a good glue joint. With all signs of polish removed, the bridge can be glued on. The tape stops the bridge moving until the glue grabs. The tape comes off before the glue hardens so any glue that’s oozed out should come off on the tape. Next some strings........... |
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Dec 11, 2015 16:49:12 GMT
Nerve wracking even to watch.....  Keith |
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Jo whoever he is.
