Making the ASB Road Trip guitar "An Féa Caol"

Out of interest Dave, what's at the top of the 'chopsticks' used to hold the braces in place when you are gluing in place? Pics never show the tops, it's making me curious

The black/white/black side and top purflings were taped to the Cuban Mahogany bindings:



They are then bent in the Fox-Bender:



Then it’s out with “The Scutter” to cut the binding channels. The channels are first cut on the top to the width of the linings and the depth of the linings plus side purflings making sure to stop just short of the purflings on the end graft. Some scrap pieces of the side purfling are stuck onto the top at the end graft with double-sided tape. The router rides on these to cut the rest of the binding channel. The channels are tidied up with a chisel and the side purflings can be mitred. The process is then repeated on the back:





The top and back purfling channels are then cut:





The hardest gaps to fill are those between the purflings and top/back so these purflings are glued on first using fish glue:





Next is the long task of making sure that the bindings and side purflings fit in the channels and the channels adjusted accordingly with test fit after test fit until they do. The top and back bindings and side purflings are then glued in using fish glue:

Do I want to build myself a "Scutter"? Yes I do! I'm sure the result will be as good as in all your other build threads.
A short question: When you make the second channel for top and back purflings - do the bearing (or support) ride on the first channel or on the sides?

Then it’s into the Troji where the bindings are then scraped and sanded flush:



The elliptical sound-port is marked and cut out of the bass side upper bout:



Finally the slot is cut out for the fingerboard extension support:

Gary,

I use the guide that comes with my Makita laminate trimmer. I made a carriage for the Makita with a lazy susan bearing - more details here on my website. This means I can use spiral downcut bits for cutting the binding channels rather than bits with bearings and I can make micro adjustments for the width and depth of cuts using just the one router bit. For the donut that follows the surface I've used a number of things - I've made my own using shaped pieces from old kitchen white plastic chopping boards and currently use a plastic fitting I found in the shed that has a nice tube for the router bit and a small round surface area top/back edge nicely. You can just make it out in this picture

I look forward to seeing what you come up with Gary.

Time to mess with your heads - well at least for the traditionalists among you. Time to mess with "An Féa Caol's" slothead. I don't want to do a paddle shaped one and am going to take my inspiration from the one I made on my flamenco guitar "El Xiprer":



That was a Barcelona inspired guitar and the peghead shape was a tip of the hat to Gaudi but there is something "Lord of the Rings" about it as well which is appropriate. The Madagascan Rosewood headstock veneer has the nut edge sanded at an angle to match the headstock to neck-shaft angle and then it’s glued on together with veneers of black/ white/ black using fish glue:



The Madagascan Rosewood back-strap for the headstock was bent on the hot-pipe and glued on together with veneers of black/ white/ black using fish glue:



Next the tuner holes are drilled using this jig and the holes are then rebated:



The slots are marked on the peghead and initially drilled out using a 10mm forstner bit:



Next the slots for the tuners are routed using a spiral downcut router bit:



The nut slot is cut on the peghead:



The slot sides are sanded clean, the string ramps initially shaped.:



The peghead is then shaped. Here it is with the Gotoh tuners test fitted: