R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135 
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 1, 2016 19:52:21 GMT
I decided to have a go at shaping the neck today but first wanted to see how closely I could replicate the profile of the neck on the first "Bryn" guitar, which I prefer to the most recent one. They are theoretically almost identical but I reverted to exact measurements taken from the earlier model and tried to produce a formula to produce the same shape. If you're interested, look back to "The Bryn Production" and you will see my instructions to myself about how to achieve an acceptable section at each fret position. I spent the whole morning trying to modify this so that it would achieve something slightly better but ended up only having changed 0.68 to 0.69; this makes a difference but not three or four hours' worth! Here's what I ended up with:  They are little pieces of card which I use as templates as I carve. I tied the guitar down, clamped the neck and set about it with a dear little plane:  I made progress:  I made more progress, now using my Japanese rasp, until it was time to start checking the profile with my templates:  I start at one end and get quite close to the final dimensions before moving along a little but, eventually, I get to the other end:   I'm not really down to the final profile yet but close enough to leave it to grades of sandpaper from now on. Here's how it looked by six o'clock:  (Sorry. Just trying out a different photo-hosting site and don't seem to got my size control worked out yet!)   I think I'll have to devote a little time to mending furniture tomorrow and it's about time I went for a run and the kids are home for half-term so I might not be able to add much... Give everyone a rest. |
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francis
C.O.G. 
Posts: 2,483
My main instrument is: Whatever I'm building...
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Post by francis on Jun 1, 2016 21:44:13 GMT
I applaud you for the effort Rob but I have a template for 1st and 9th frets and use a straight edge between the two, then blend into the heel...
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 1, 2016 21:49:59 GMT
I applaud you for the effort Rob but I have a template for 1st and 9th frets and use a straight edge between the two, then blend into the heel... Damn! I knew there must be a simpler way! |
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 2, 2016 18:33:58 GMT
I made I nice job of replacing some missing veneer from a pedestal table today but that was a major distraction from the guitar in hand so not much progress. What I did do was to finalise the shaping of the neck - especially at the thin end - and added a little detail to the head. Here are some photos:     I am aware that I have some break-through damage from drilling the e-hole but it isn't full size yet and I can effect a repair at a later date. There's also a nasty little drill hole on the treble side of the neck just before the first fret which is in just the wrong place. While I'm flagellating myself, I should also mention that one of the fret-markers must have dropped out yesterday. It looks as if it's lost a tooth. |
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francis
C.O.G.
Posts: 2,483
My main instrument is: Whatever I'm building...
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Post by francis on Jun 2, 2016 19:25:38 GMT
These distractions  But liking what I'm seeing in the photos  |
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Post by RosieTGC on Jun 2, 2016 20:52:54 GMT
This build is looking brill R the F . I'm really interested to see the focusing of the bracing into the bridge - very much look forward to hearing the 'post play' analysis. With regards to your laminated fret markers I actually thought from your picture it could look pretty cool with the alternate wood, but appreciate it's sometimes really hard to tell how things might turn out when actually in place! Looking forward to seeing this one come together. |
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 3, 2016 18:01:17 GMT
I didn't get much done again today partly because I had to do a newspaper round on a little bike with a yellow bag for the real Bryn who was off doing something with his young actors group. Demeaning I call it. Anyway, I found a few minutes to tidy up the back of the head; I'm trying to match it to the first of this series of guitars; this is what that one looked like:  And here's the latest one:  Pretty close I reckon. A few posts ago I mentioned doing something radical with the bracing to open up the upper bout part of the soundboard; I think I said it was over-engineered. Here is a picture to remind you of how it looked:  Well, I got some chisels and "had a go" at it. I thought, "If you're going to do it, do it." So I did it. And here it is:  This has obviously left a couple of holes in the sides but they're thick enough to take that sort of abuse. I have been mulling this over for some time and the following points have struck me: first of all I don't really think anyone has ever seen a guitar fold in half when you tighten up the strings; secondly, I don't think a neck/fretboard has ever done the proverbial "disappearing down the soundhole" upon tightening of the strings; the area we are looking at here is weak because of the proximity of the soundhole but the waist is very curved at this point and made of 7.5mm ply and I cannot conjure up an image of it folding up across its width under pressure from string tightening. The real danger, it seems to me, is that the soundboard will dip in front of the bridge and bulge behind it as the string pull applies torque. That may happen over time with this guitar but it will have nothing to do with the strength/weakness of the area I am weakening with my chisels today. As I worked, I convinced myself that I couldn't really do any harm here so, having taken the picture and having recorded the tap-tone, I picked up my chisels again and came up with this:  I've taken the ends down to nothing and I'm contemplating going further...  The one on the left is where I am, more or less, with this guitar. The one on the right is where I might head with the next one if this one survives the string experience. The dotted lines are carbon fibre (or wooden) "flying buttresses" as employed by davewhite . These will more that compensate for the lack of /\ frame but will free up the soundboard in this area. The long braces going up past the hole will narrow and thin as they pass beyond the area where they are preventing the dipping of the bridge. But that's for another guitar... |
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 5, 2016 16:20:24 GMT
Can I first say that I feel an underlying guilt about buying this brand-new iron for £4. Somebody somewhere is not getting what they should be getting for acquiring the minerals, for manufacturing and machining the metals, for producing and moulding the plastics, for sticking non-stick to the base plate, for designing, for soldering the electrics, for bolting it together, for packaging it, for transporting it from China to Cambridge and for passing it across the counter in Argos. And there's a plug. And there's a little jug. It worries me that the argument always seems to be "Yes, but if it's cheap, you don't really have a choice; you'd be stupid to pay more!" I don't agree. And here I am, joining in. I think there should be a public enquiry into this iron. And I'll try not to do it again.  That's got that off my chest. I haven't tried it yet, by the way, but, even if it doesn't work, it should cost more than £4! I'll report on its performance - in the Reviews section? - when I use it to help laminate the back of the guitar during the coming week. Today I tidied up the nasty wounds left by the removal of the cross-over bracing at the waist. I even filled the holes:   On the other hand, I did read about a heartening (though failed) attempt by - of all people - the Swiss (though that might be unfair) to even things up by paying everyone a basic income whether they work or not. I might have got the wrong end of the stick here but well done whoever was behind that. I also sealed the inside of the guitar with shellac having decided not to put the strings on without the back - mainly because I haven't got any strings at the moment; an oversight. It's had all the voicing it's going to get.  (I hope there's not a ban on rants about morality on the forum...) |
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 5, 2016 16:50:28 GMT
Looking forward to the iron review; unless of course you have more pressing demands on your time....
Keith
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 26,145
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Jun 5, 2016 17:55:46 GMT
Looking forward to the iron review; unless of course you have more pressing demands on your time.... Keith LOL! That one had me in creases! |
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 5, 2016 18:04:00 GMT
I'm not a very smooth operator and tend to get steamed up when my irony falls flat; I was just flexing my muscles and plugging Argos
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francis
C.O.G.
Posts: 2,483
My main instrument is: Whatever I'm building...
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Post by francis on Jun 5, 2016 18:33:37 GMT
I'm not a very smooth operator and tend to get steamed up when my irony falls flat; I was just flexing my muscles and plugging Argos Mmmm - Argos? is that a Greek God of something... Pressed for time at the mo! |
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 5, 2016 22:04:07 GMT
francis, sorry to burble on about things neither of us seem to understand but, having cleaned up the insides and sealed it with shellac and also having glued a small piece of veneer across the back of what might be the beginnings of a crack in the soundboard, I finally thought I'd just check the spectrum again by tapping the bridge. Would you believe that I now have Twin Peaks...?! But even stranger is that one of them is 123.82Hz, which is exactly to within 1/100 Hz the same as yours. I think that is very spooky.
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jun 6, 2016 9:00:58 GMT
I'm not a very smooth operator and tend to get steamed up when my irony falls flat; I was just flexing my muscles and plugging Argos Mmmm - Argos? is that a Greek God of something... Pressed for time at the mo! It's a "retail outlet" based in Milton Keynes, Francis! |
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francis
C.O.G.
Posts: 2,483
My main instrument is: Whatever I'm building...
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Post by francis on Jun 6, 2016 9:09:17 GMT
francis , sorry to burble on about things neither of us seem to understand but, having cleaned up the insides and sealed it with shellac and also having glued a small piece of veneer across the back of what might be the beginnings of a crack in the soundboard, I finally thought I'd just check the spectrum again by tapping the bridge. Would you believe that I now have Twin Peaks...?! But even stranger is that one of them is 123.82Hz, which is exactly to within 1/100 Hz the same as yours. I think that is very spooky. Rob, Sent you a PM with a couple of images. Intrigued I've just run another short set of traces taping the front and I get peaks at 161.50 Hz (E/Eb) with 4 of the traces and around 238 Hz with 2 traces (B/Bb). I taped the back as well and get a peak at 473.73 Hz, again B/Bb area but of more interest when overlaying the traces the back shows a number of opposing peaks to front taps? Red = front traces, Blue = back trace  No bridge fitted yet so everything will change with that and again when finish is applied - strings! |
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But liking what I'm seeing in the photos 
Jo whoever he is.
