Acacia dread build thread

[kiwigeo]

I stick tantellones down on the back/top either side of ends of braces to hold them steady. Once the glue is set I chisel the tantellones off. I also use tantellones around the rim of tops and backs to hold them aligned during glue up....they get whipped off during the trimming of the edges with the router.

Sounds like extra work, I’m lazy!

Not really.....a dab of superglue and then stick 'em down. They come off with a couple of chisel strokes and there's always a bit of work with some sandpaper after a glue up job. Anyway don't let me interrupt the flow of this build....play on McDuff!!

[demonx]

I had a little bit of time to fill in after lunch break, so I roughed out the top bracing and used the magic circle cutter thingy to whip up a rosette support ring.

[demonx]

The customer I had booked in after lunch was a no show, so while I was on a roll I did some pretty shaping and cutting in of the top bracing.

I leave just enough flat on the top surface that I can clamp in the go bar deck, but it’s shaoed enough that it saved time when it’s all glued up.

[56nortondomy]

What thickness will the top end up Allan? Any specific target?
Wayne

[demonx]

What thickness will the top end up Allan? Any specific target?
Wayne

Dressed to 3.5mm and then final hand sanding after that

[56nortondomy]

Thanks Allan, I was just curious, I've never built a hardwood top guitar.
Wayne

[demonx]

Thanks Allan, I was just curious, I've never built a hardwood top guitar.
Wayne

I’m not sure what is a standard for Blackwood/Koa tops, that’s just what I decided to go with, whatever is s standard wouldn’t matter as this isn’t a standard density top.

In saying that I had a Koa Taylor on the setup bench last week, I should have measured it! I was surprised by its sound, was much more lively than the Aussie built Blackwood topped guitars I’ve had come in for setups.

[kiwigeo]

I’m not sure what is a standard for Blackwood/Koa tops, that’s just what I decided to go with, whatever is s standard wouldn’t matter as this isn’t a standard density top.

In saying that I had a Koa Taylor on the setup bench last week, I should have measured it! I was surprised by its sound, was much more lively than the Aussie built Blackwood topped guitars I’ve had come in for setups.

I was up at my local boozer last Friday and there was a bloke plugging away on a blackwood topped Cole Clarke. I had a brief strum on the instrument and it sounded ok. It was a good thing the guitar sounded half decent because the bloke's singing was atrocious

[demonx]

I was up at my local boozer last Friday and there was a bloke plugging away on a blackwood topped Cole Clarke. I had a brief strum on the instrument and it sounded ok. It was a good thing the guitar sounded half decent because the bloke's singing was atrocious

If you played it side by side to a cedar top guitar for example you’d hear instant difference, I think in a bar the lack of volume and projection can be disguised. When I had the Taylor here I pulled one of my own builds out and compared side by side. I do that with many “known” brands that come in for setups.

Being able to compare side by side like that always makes me feel good that my sound “recipe” is working, for what I like anyway. This guitar will be an unknown. I should take proper pics of my last build and make a gallery post, it’s by far the nicest saiynding build I’ve done yet, cedar top, Gidgee everything else.

Back to the build, slow progress but moving along nicely. I don’t see myself getting another chance to touch this one today.

[demonx]

As everyone knows, there is always “something”, and if this is the biggest “something” that happens during the build I’ll be a happy man!

When I clamped the back bracing in the go-bar deck I only used 3 rods pre brace as opposed to the usual 5 that I would do. No particular reason, it’s just what I did on the day. Everything was flush when I walked away from it, however upon inspection the day after I noticed the strength of the Gidgee had fought back against the clamps and two of the four braces hadn’t glued flush.

I removed them with a decent amount of effort. So in reality they could have been left as is, however I’m fussy and like things to be “right”, so the surfaces have been scraped and sanded and will be re glued today.

[kiwigeo]

All looking good Allan do you shape the bottom of the braces to fit the dish radius?

Trevor Gore has a neat method for securing braces in the go bar deck. A strip of MDF with a channel cut down the middle with a ball end cutter. The channel fits over the top of the brace and the go bars apply pressure to the upper side of the strip. This method is especially effective for the short tertiary braces on the falcate braced tops.

[demonx]

I have mini clamping cauls that I’ve made similar to that for other jobs, however when I glue the braces I leave the top flat so there’s a surface for the rod to press down on, then I shape after it’s all glued up.

Yes I sand the base of them prior on the radius dish so they match the top radius, and then I use the radius dish in the go bar deck at glue up.

[demonx]

I had a big of spare time at the end of today’s word day, so I knocked out the headstock, glued the scarf and started shaping the top bracing by hand.

[demonx]

When working with acoustic sides you are working with very small tolerances, for example, the top one is drum sanded to 1.9mm, the bottoms one was drum sanded to the same 1.9mm however after hand sanding the drum marks out it is now 1.8mm which is the target thickness that I like to bend at. If I had of drum sanded to the target thickness, then after hand sanding they sides would be too thin.

[56nortondomy]

Have you decided on whether it’s going to be a cutaway yet Allan ? I’d be thinning a cutaway section down some more but if it’s a non cutaway should be good. I’ve got a Gidgee set from Pete here I’m just waiting on a project to use it on so I’ll be interested to see how your bending goes. Wayne

[demonx]

Have you decided on whether it’s going to be a cutaway yet Allan ? I’d be thinning a cutaway section down some more but if it’s a non cutaway should be good. I’ve got a Gidgee set from Pete here I’m just waiting on a project to use it on so I’ll be interested to see how your bending goes. Wayne

I decided no cutaway on this one.

If it was I usually take the cutaway down to 1.6mm, I’ve never had an issue with it cracking/breaking (after the very first initial learning curve) so maybe I’m being over cautious, but I’ll just keep doing it how I’ve been doing it.

The last guitar I build before this one had a Gidgee cutaway and I didn’t have any issues bending it at all, bent like anything else I’ve done.

I haven’t taken any finished pics of it, but here are a couple that were on my phone:

[demonx]

The sandwich I use is spring steel, blanket, aluminium foil, cooking paper.

I put a bit of tape which hangs out )green in photo) at the waist so I can find it easy incase the blankets move.

Wood is spritzed lightly with mineral free water.

This photo I took whilst I was patiently waiting for the blanket (which I’d forgotten to plug in) to heat up!

[demonx]

The bulk of the bending I generally get done before it even heats up to the “250” setting, then I bake for fifteen minutes at “160”. Then I let it cool down inside the bender before it’s removed and put in the form.

I did some trials a couple years ago on different methods and I found this helps it stay in shape as opposed to being pulled straight out.

[kiwigeo]

Nice looking bending rig...someone's got some loot

[demonx]

Nice looking bending rig...someone's got some loot

Not anymore, the people that sold the rig to me have it all now!


I was going to pull the bent side out and take pics before I knocked off tonight, however someone came and I was distracted. I left it in the bender overnight, will pull it tomorrow morning and bend the other side before my first customer shows up.

[johnparchem]

The acacia top looks great, I never thought to use a flush cut saw like you did on the purflings. This will be a fun guitar build to watch.

[demonx]

The acacia top looks great, I never thought to use a flush cut saw like you did on the purflings. This will be a fun guitar build to watch.

I used to just run it through the drum sander, however one build the black plastic binding in the rosette ran through the drum and then as the belt pushed the plates through it grain filled a black strip down a good potion of the top the width of the rosette. Was a nightmare, I figure if that can happen with spruce, imagine what damage it could do with a more open grained timber like this Blackwood!

Ever since I’ve removed the bulk by hand and just use the drum to finish it off.

[demonx]

Always a first for everything, this time it’s the paper gluing itself to the Gidgee.

I’m wondering if it’s because the Gidgee is extra oily and it was left in overnight... no idea, I do know I’ve left both Blackwood and rosewood sides in overnight before and never had the paper dry up like that before. Oh well, suck it up and add paper removal to the list of jobs to do!

[demonx]

Well... there goes that theory. I’ve just pulled side two from the bender AFTER baking but before it cooled down and it is the same.

I guess it’s the Gidgee but I didnt have this happen on my last Gidgee set.

Oh well

[demonx]

For the last day and a half I’ve been getting HTTP error message anytime I attempt to upload a pic, so the thread is a few updates behind.