Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

You could take it to an extreme, like the classic German archtop builders!

This archtop has a 3-piece laminated Rimu neck. So far so good. I'll let you know after a couple of Canadian winters, though.

Nicely done! Hand cutting and fitting that dovetail is probably the trickiest part of an archtop build.

Thanks, all! Wayne -- it is a Tru-oil finish. My first time using it, and to be honest I'm not as crazy about it as a lot of people seem to be. There seemed to be a bit of a stickiness to it that hasn't really gone away. Martin -- yep, Tulip is in the Magnolia family. It's a fairly hard wood, but it...

Hey folks, Just finished my second instrument, another 17" archtop. This one is noncutaway for full-blast, in-your-face, rhythm glory. Mistakes were made, of course, but we don't talk about that sort of thing. Overall I am happy with how it turned out. It is a surprise birthday gift for my father. T...

Sorry for the slow reply, missed this. I'd be happy to have a chat, but I'm probably the last person you should be taking archtop advice from! (I'm on my second archtop, but it's also my second instrument!) There are others on the forum, like Nick and Rocket, who would definitely put you in the righ...

Ross, if you ever do get the time and inclination and retype your post, it would be much appreciated. I'm currently on my second archtop build, and I feel a strong pull to take a crack at a Selmer at some point. Any info is good info!

I did something similar (but significantly less classy!) a little while back. These are just made from scrap pieces of pine so they aren't very strong, but they're great for holding pieces in place without squeezing out all of my glue. http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l503/woodjayk/5%20Cam%20Clam...

The cartridge heater looks like an interesting option for the future. I just bought a soldering iron and will try to track down a dimmer switch... we'll see how I go with that.

Thanks again, folks.

Interesting -- the soldering iron idea is definitely worth checking out. I would have never thought of that.

And thanks, Martin; very helpful.

I may eventually go electric, but it's just not feasible at the moment.

I wonder, would a decent ceramic curling iron get hot enough?

Do any of you happen to have any experience making a small-radius bending iron for f-hole bindings? I tried making one using a length of aluminium pipe tonight. I was feeling quite proud of myself when I fired up the propane torch and almost immediately started to melt the iron. Like, within about 6...

I used the blue on my recently completed archtop and it worked great. (I bound everything -- body, f holes, fingerboard, headstock.) But I've only built one guitar, so I have no idea what the hell I'm talking about.

Thanks again, folks. I just came into possession of a grinder and probably got a bit overexcited. I should probably give the regular flap discs a go before making any larger investments, but good to know that the attachments are useful. Peter, that's an interesting option that I hadn't come across. ...

Thanks, guys. Sounds like both would be good options, so I'll price things out and make a judgment call.

And curly -- rest assured that I will be approaching anything like this with a healthy dose of terror!!

Hey folks, I'm looking at getting an angle grinder attachment for roughing out arches. Do any of you happen to know how the Arbortech Woodcarver and King Arthur Lancelot compare? Is there any consensus on which would be better for this sort of job? Woodcarver: http://www.carbatec.co.nz/arbortech-woo...

That looks like it will be a beauty! Do you do all of the roughing with the plane, or do you use another method before moving to that?

Does anyone have a link to Trevor Gore's design? (Or is it in a book?)

Thanks, guys! It's been a fun project and while certainly not easy, at least I know it's possible. In fact I think the most difficult part is finding wood in NZ! Unfortunately (or fortunately?) photobucket seems to have degraded the photo quality of the pics, but hopefully it gives you a decent idea...

Oops, sorry about that. I can't seem to edit my original post; let me know if these work: http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l503/woodjayk/Full%20Front.jpg http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l503/woodjayk/Full%20Back%202.jpg http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l503/woodjayk/Bridge%201.jpg http://i...

After hacking away at this project for a little under a year, I have finally strung up my first instrument. It is a 17" archtop made entirely (well, the wood bits anyway) of Macrocarpa and Puriri. It is covered from head to tail in minor (hopefully!) flaws, but I will love it as only its builder can...

Thanks, Peter!

Hi Peter,

I tracked down some Enduro-var and am going to give it a try. When you brush it on, how many coats do you typically go to?

Thanks again,
Jay

Okay, I already have the dyes and and shellac, so I will give it a go on some scrap before investing in the Enduro-var. I'm trying to sort out a way of getting a clear coat over that hand-rubbed sunburst without spray equipment, which is proving to be a challenge!

Thanks, this is sounding promising. Do you have experience using shellac on stains like these? I had asked Nick about a shellac finish over the stain, and here was his reply: Just wondering what effect the alcohol from the shellac would do to the stain (as somebody mentioned/questioned in my tutoria...