Getting Ready to Close Things Up!

I'm getting ready to close up the archtop tenor.. the sides have kerfing installed and some side braces. They have also been sanded flat on the top & bottom to receive the top & bottom..

I've also done some work on  the neck so it is all glued together..

Sides (or rims as some say) all ready

Test fitting, some excess to trim 

3 piece neck glued up

Archtop Progress

So the top and back are carved to the point where they can be glued to the rims and have the re-curve carved then. The top has also had the braces shaped & glued on and it has been voiced to the best of my ability..

Today I planed the sides down to 2mm ready for bending.

Looks about right I think

And with the braces on the top

Sides ready to be bent

Wood Shavings

OK working on the back of the arch top is making a pile of shavings.. Going well but time to clean up.

Rough work done on the outside back

Preparing the inside, yes I'm doing it the easy way

And more shavings

OK OK I need to vacuum

Done

Tenor #4 is done.. Whew, always nice when it actually plays and sounds OK, this one seems pretty mellow..  All in all it went pretty good, I know now exactly what not to do on an arm bevel, and I think the new neck joint worked out good..

To Recap:

Top 3000 year old Sitka Spruce from Alaska (dug up during construction)
Back & sides Zircote
Neck Peruvian Walnut
Fretboard & Bridge Ebony
Rosette, Arm Bevel & Bindings Flamed Maple
Schaller tuners
Gold Mother of Pearl inlays
Bone nut & saddle
X-braced
Bolt on removable neck
Finish Royal Lac hard shellac
"Irish" or Octave Mandolin tuning (GDAE)

The Other Tenor

Work on the other tenor, the flat top Zircote & ancient spruce one is going well too.. the finish is polished up and the neck is back on ready for measuring and fitting the bridge.

Might even be playing music next week..

Carving Archtop Plates

My weekend working with Joe Egan of Egan Custom Guitars turned out great lots of good tips and progress carving the top and back for the Archtop Tenor Guitar I have in mind. Joe estimates a novice takes up to 40 hours for the top and similar times for the back. I've got about 15 hours into the top and maybe a 2 into the back so lots left to do but the top is looking like  it should, just really a bit more graduation to do and then once it is glued to the sides the recurve can be finalized.

The back has a long way to go and is certainly harder to carve than the top, or at least the wood is harder, the top has more tricky parts & graduations wile the back is pretty much a constant thickness

It's been fun even if it has caused a good number of blisters..

After about 4 hours, shape is roughed out

After about 15 hours the shape is finalized and my version of "f" holes are cut

A small start on the back

See What I can Make with These?

I'm spending the weekend with Vancouver Island Luthier Joe Egan, hopefully ha can pass on some of hi skill in archtop building..

Egan Guitars

Egan Guitars on Facebook

A nice piece of Englemann Spruce & Black Walnut