The Luthier Community

Yes- That's right Dennis! I forgot to mention here that Mr. Jesse sent me this persimmon. Dense and the colors will work well on this one.

I saw at least one tree in Jesse's yard in Mississippi.

Thanks,

Dean

Bindings scraped.

I am posting updates to show the small progressive steps of this build just as a kind of journal of progress. For me, that is how an instrument is built. Working a job everyday doesn't allow all nighters or big chunks of time for instrument building, but the 300 little steps approach gets it completed in the long run. I was going to email Joe updates but I am happy I decided to post here instead. These small steps probably bore many but I still hope to inspire a lurker to take the plunge!

Today I start the neck.

Dean

Hey Dean, looking good. And we love seeing the small steps. Nothing boring 'bout that.

And we are all happy, too, that you have posted this up. Keep it coming

G

Freegift wrote:Yes Joe- African satinwood.

And as soon as the weather cooperates, I'm closing up a Satinwood box!

NICE stuff man!

E

Hey Dean
Did you use a sloan hand held binding cutter to cut your binding ledges? If so, I would love to see and learn how to do that. I have the cutter, and want to start using it. The more I build, the older school I get in some of the methods that I use
David

gilmoreguitars wrote:Hey Dean
Did you use a sloan hand held binding cutter to cut your binding ledges? If so, I would love to see and learn how to do that. I have the cutter, and want to start using it. The more I build, the older school I get in some of the methods that I use
David

Hi David-

On this build, I used the cutter to score a line but then cut the ledge with a router bit.

On another build , I used the cutter alone followed with a chisel for the back ledge. Using a cutter like Sloane's or my gramil, I score a line using light pressure and multiple passes scoring both lines, then follow with a sharp chisel ... and repeat. I depend on the hand held cutter to really score a line for my chisel to follow, rather than doing too much cutting. I think you could get relaxed and good at it doing a couple, but just scoring a line seems to help with the router bit and serves as a guide for going back and deepening the cut at "those" places needed because of the back radius or arch.

I route a practice cut in a piece of scrap, then set my cutter to it.

Good luck-

Dean

Wow- lots of dust flew when I opened this thread back up. It has been awhile.

I am kind of settled in my new setting. As I mentioned in Joe's thread I allowed the humidity to plummet during the last 2 months of the heating season. It didn't seem too bad, so I wasn't concerned, until I heard a crack sound while talking on the phone and bent over and noticed this crack in the back. It follows the dark grain line in the upper half.





I was considering adding a reinforcement strip along it's length and filling in the outside best I could. I could use some suggestions from the group. What do you think? Joe?

The humidity must have really dropped because I have noticed a few other cracks in finished instruments I have in the room. Great lesson to learn once again about monitering the moisture content of the room.

Thanks,
Dean

Damned if that doesn't look familiar!
At least it only cracked on the one side. I would say patch it also Dean, but then, what the hell do I know? We're sure learning some lessons the hard way here Dean. Now in general here where I live we have a lot of humidity, so I would guess once it was patched and got here it would then be okay. I'm guessing I did get lax on yours and close the box during a wet spell and since you have dry winters during the heating season it would have continued to cause problems.

But hey, let's get some other opinions. What do you think guys?

Joe