Let me tell you again, making braces take ages - you can quote me on that.
Yesterday, I spent most of the day at it. I have now completed the braces on the back. I followed Robert O'Brien's method. I glued the back strip in place and then placed my sides over the top, marking the blocks and measuring the lengths down to where the braces are. I used a T-square to mark where the braces go and then chiseled out the channels. Gluing them in place was not the easiest, not having a dish, I used the sanding curve as a support underneath - seems to have turned out alright.
I've been reshaping the cross braces. When I tapped the top, it was giving me a solid "thud" sound with no shape or life at all. When I compared my brace to the dreadnought brace that came with my Stewart Macdonald kit, I noticed that these current braces were thicker and taller... I shaved them down using a chisel, my Dremel and sandpaper. I've also worked on the shape of the longer braces in the lower bout. My feelings about the result are a little in different and time will tell. I am really starting to think that it is all hit and miss this brace construction. Even though I have spent hours reading, I still have no real reference point as to how I adjust or maintain a tone or sound. I some what blindly shape away, tapping the top and thinking "Does that sound brighter?" Time will tell.
Today I cleaned up the shed. It was cluttered and I was struggling to find things or have them at hand easily. I like my clean surroundings.
Time taken : a few hours.
Tools used : Chisels, Dremel, papers, clamps, knives etc
AU$'s spent : Nil
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3 comments:
Hi Ted,
I asked a question in the post when Billm explained the math involved with the radius. When you get a minute could you read it and confirm what I wrote. I would re-post it but there is no reason to re-type the whole thing.
Oh, and I got that magic e-mail yesterday. My kit is on it's way!!! I guess I need to head out to the shop, do some cleaning and fire up the de-humidifier. The humidity was around 85% yesterday. That is unheard of around here in the winter but this has been a really strange winter in New York.
Hi Ted, (again)
Your blog inspired me to make my own journal. I decided that your blog was so much fun to read while I was building my Dreadnaught, I might as well do the same thing. I figure that maybe someone else might be able to learn from, or laugh at me and I will have some fun in the process.
My kit should arrive in the middle of next week so I will start posting new stuff as soon as I get started. If you want to see, I have posted some pictures of my Stewmac dreadnaught for people to look at.
www.davidsguitar.blogspot.com
Thanks for the idea of a journal, and I hope you don't care that I copied your idea for a blog! Oh and sorry for the second and deleted posts. I was trying to do an edit and mistakenly deleted the second one. :P
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