Finishing and Starting

Nice when things progress smoothly..

The Crossover guitar has had it coats of Royal-Lac post catalyzed finish applied, A new finish that I am trying for the first time and so far so good, it does get very good reviews by those who have tried it. it needs to cure for 5 days then I can buff/polish it.

The Tenor Ukulele is done and plays actually quite nice despite all the build issues.

The Celtic Hap has had the pillar and neck cut to shape and I need to start on the soundboard glue up soon.

Also new projects are getting going:

I've jointed 3 tops to take to the guitar voicing course I'm going to in June so I just need to fit the rosettes to those and they are ready to go.  Of course that will take some time as I am trying a slightly different way of building rosettes as I mentioned earlier.

I've also started another Tenor Ukulele this one using Wenge (left over from the crossover guitar) and Western Red Cedar.

Lastly I've started a bit of an experimental instrument. I really like the Mandocello sound but personally don't play double courses of strings very well and also that low C on a Mandocello is tough to get enough tension on using a scale length I like so I'm trying what I call a Cello Guitar. A 4 string guitar tuned to Cello tuning CGDA and using nylon strings designed for Goldtone's Cello Banjo... I just need to decide on the bracing for the top.  I'm using a Gibson L0 body shape so either a classical style fan bracing or maybe a version of Gibson old H bracing for that body style. We will see..

"Scraps" from cutting out the harp parts, I'll need to find some way of  using all that Koa and Walnut

The start of a Tenor Uke

Tenor Uke Rosette, Koa on Western Red Cedar

Finishing, Harp & Course Prep

I've got a lot of varied stuff going on. I'm putting the seal coat of finish on the Crossover Guitar, using Shellac Finishes Seal-Lac and that is now curing and then needs to be sanded and the actual finish applied. For that I will be using Royal-Lac post catalyzed shellac. I'm quite excited to see how it turns out..

The Tenor Uke is getting a simple Tung & Teak oil finish..

I've been lucky enough to get a spot in  Robbie O'Brien's steel string voicing course in June (http://www.obrienguitars.com/) so for that course I need to have 3 tops prepared with rosettes installed so I am playing around with a different way of cutting rosette segments on the CNC.. We will see how it works when I go to make the rosette. The actual cutting on the CNC went Ok once I realized the belts needed tightening..

Enough for 2 rosettes out o a burl blank

I'm also doing a little bit of work on getting the pieces for the Celtic Harp roughed out..

Bridges

The bridges for both the cross over and the uke are made, mostly CNC with a bit of hand work, Came out not too bad, Not attached in the photos, just sitting there.

Now on to pore filling Wenge..

CNC setup

Necks Carved on Both

Both the Crossover guitar and the Tenor Ukulele have the necks carved now.. The Crossover is Wenge for the back and sides so lots of pore filling to do for that one and then I need to make a couple of bridges, finish the fretwork and put the finish on both.

Time for One of the Fun Parts

Progress is good, ready to start carving the neck on the Crossover Guitar and just have to fret the Ukulele and I can start on that neck as well.. that and make some bridges and I can start finish prep..

Binding on the cutaway turned out OK as well..Nice for a first try..

Cutaway point binding, the tricky part.

Neck & Headstock Work

So I'm actually making progress on the crossover guitar..

The neck to body attachment is mostly done and the tuner slots are routed into the headstock.

This will be a completely removable neck so it has what can best be described in wood working terms as a floating tenon which is glued into a mortise in the neck and floats in a mortise in the body similar to a regular bolt on mortise & tenon neck. The reason for the floating tenon glued into the neck is to that propell nuts can be used and there is no possibility they will tear-out of neck end grain.

There will also eventually be a fingerboad support routed into the body.

Tenon with Propell Nuts

Neck Mortise

Glued in Place

Ready to Route the Slots

Done

Came out good!

Test fitting tuners

New Year - Same Guitar

OK this Crossover Guitar just does not want to become a guitar. I've been trying to make progress but it has been two steps forward and one back.. Speaking of backs the guitar has a new one after the last one did not do well with the humidity changes here.

It is however now finally looking like a guitar.. nothing is permanently attached yet but it does all fit.

Whew......