OM Acoustic Build (Mark Bailey Course)

ArchtopDave

Using some of the excess wood, a piece is used to create the full depth of the Heel.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fx8K-MPqlk8/VtqkQvs1CrI/AAAAAAAABoU/OTiRljR6q3Y/s800-Ic42/DSC_0202.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TLsv-eNvTfg/VroYMnAhEwI/AAAAAAAABk4/lE6z3ViAJdw/s800-Ic42/DSC_0199.jpg

The fun here is trying to keep the laminates lined up as you tighten the clamp. Took me a few goes, because wood with glue on slides around easily, and you can almost guarantee that it slide just at the last moment, when you put the final sneeze on the clamp. In the end you manage to get both bits to stay in the position you want.

ArchtopDave

Then the Neck is roughed out further with the band saw.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qtMERJZVxrE/VrfXXv6Rx6I/AAAAAAAABkU/iiyfbmlWZgE/s800-Ic42/DSC_0203.jpg

ArchtopDave

Further spare wood used to make wings for the Headstock, and glued on.

 https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W1dGbL8qFkM/VrfXc6if8RI/AAAAAAAABkU/xYVa0tULlmg/s800-Ic42/DSC_0204.jpg

ArchtopDave

There's plenty of excess wood, so most of it will later be removed. I used the same Template as I used when making my Electric Guitar with Mark, though this time I planned to make the central part of the top of the Headstock a simple dome i.e no indent as in the Template.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JR8t730iQKI/VrfXfDGpFyI/AAAAAAAABkU/yE06ffRhANc/s800-Ic42/DSC_0205.jpg

ArchtopDave

Back to the Fretboard.

This was bound with Tasmanian Blackwood. You press panel pins into the board that the Fretboard is resting on to compress the Binding against the Fretboard. Obviously this must not be done too forcefully, otherwise you'll dent the wood.ls, 

I wanted to round the very top end of the Fretboard, so I simply created a curve in the space between the 20th and 21st Fret Slots.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fd3YpYJYFco/VrfXlKyZuvI/AAAAAAAABkU/5DoBHogEvHQ/s800-Ic42/DSC_0209.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xvhl24DKV04/VroZGTm1FUI/AAAAAAAABlM/IzG1F1I-w9c/s800-Ic42/DSC_0210.jpg

ArchtopDave

At this stage, I now had woodwork that showed signs of being a Guitar, and at the end of one of my workshop visits had all this. The bent strips of Tasmanian Blackwood on top of the Body are the Binding Strips for the Non Cutaway Side of the Body.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sR2-odVENls/VrfXmSkqUeI/AAAAAAAABkU/izwTTHkgoU8/s800-Ic42/DSC_0212.jpg

Andyjr1515

I'm just ahead of this stage with my Dreadnought with the bindings and purflings already installed.  I'm going to hold progress for a bit until your next posts if you are doing a dovetail joint on this.

My OM I did bolt on mortice and tenon - on the Dreadnought I am VERY tempted to try a dovetail, although it's a big step on an important build having never done one before (of course, if I do decide to do dovetail, I'll practice on some spare blanks first).  I have built a rig that will allow very accurate positioning of the body and the neck, but it would still be a bit of a gamble.  Did you dovetail yours?  

ArchtopDave

Let me get the Binding on first!! Then I'll show the Joint It's certainly an absolutely crucial part of the Build, and, as you said in your Thread, the setup for making the Neck to Body Joint has to be very carefully checked before firing up the Router.

ArchtopDave

Headstock shape drawn on and then cut out using the Band Saw.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xHXSAmOZZp0/VrffejiJb9I/AAAAAAAABkU/fDDw8wgFrvY/s800-Ic42/DSC_0264.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--xT3buvEh6A/VrffcOZTa0I/AAAAAAAABkU/36Y8hd6EBpA/s800-Ic42/DSC_0260.jpg

ArchtopDave

The Headstock was then taken down in thickness by surface routing  the back of the Headstock in a box jig (the Router base plate rests on the sides of the jig so that the depth of cut of the Router is controlled).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fb50yWTnbAk/Vrffi6LA2vI/AAAAAAAABkU/W4Inrn4LD2k/s800-Ic42/DSC_0266.jpg

ArchtopDave

Now back to work on the Body.

 https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-atUARik-wW0/VrfYXbttv-I/AAAAAAAABkU/kqs0JKsC9ew/s800-Ic42/DSC_0228.jpg

What you see here is the back end of the Body with a rectangle of wood routed out. That's Heel Block that you can see between the routed Sides. The rectangle of Thuya Burl resting on the jig is the End Piece.

ArchtopDave

End piece glued in. Note at the top of it , there's pencilled T, and there is also a faint B at the bottom of the Thuya Burl. Again you need to keep track of which way round a bit of wood is, and which side is facing out and which side is to be glued. If you don't, then it's very easy to loose track of what's what, when you either put it to one side, or may be drop it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8KDdMQtfPtQ/VrfYZzT92TI/AAAAAAAABkU/k3cVaeuJucM/s800-Ic42/DSC_0232.jpg

ArchtopDave

A bit of sanding to clean it up.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RK_TbriZ3h8/VrfYc8QQosI/AAAAAAAABkU/xS1JjQUbKxI/s800-Ic42/DSC_0234.jpg

If you look carefully on the right hand edge of the Thuya Burl, just above the dark streak running into the middle of the Cocobolo, there's a small shiny black semicircle. A small bit of Cocobolo had chipped off here during routing.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ejR-D56-os8/VrfgjG9FtFI/AAAAAAAABkU/0AEnTmaTQ-M/s800-Ic42/DSC_0338.jpg

Here it is later filled with Super Glue and some Cocobolo sawdust. It's the little dark semicircle on the top edge of the Thuya just to the left of that dark streak in the Cocobolo

Andyjr1515

ArchtopDave said:

A bit of sanding to clean it up.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RK_TbriZ3h8/VrfYc8QQosI/AAAAAAAABkU/xS1JjQUbKxI/s800-Ic42/DSC_0234.jpg

If you look carefully on the right hand edge of the Thuya Burl, just above the dark streak running into the middle of the Thuya, there's a small shiny semicircle. A small bit of Cocobolo had chipped off here during routing.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ejR-D56-os8/VrfgjG9FtFI/AAAAAAAABkU/0AEnTmaTQ-M/s800-Ic42/DSC_0338.jpg

Here it is later filled with Super Glue and some Cocobolo sawdust. It's the little dark semicircle on the top edge of the Thuya just to the left of that dark streak in the Cocobolo

If it's any consolation, I can't even see it when you give us a road map....   

ArchtopDave

Now back to my least favourite bit of equipment. It's probably because there are a fair few jobs, where you have a Router in your hands, and you get used to using a Router in this fashion. On the other hand, pressing the Body of the Guitar, which you've spent days and days making, up against a fixed Router feels "not quite right" to me, though the job turns out alright. Also there's the technique of trying to steadily rotate the Guitar Body against the Router whilst , at the same time, having to move your hands in the opposite direction to keep them away from the Router.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N-vU9mzCd34/VrfYf2C31DI/AAAAAAAABkU/sI69voWV6Yk/s800-Ic42/DSC_0236.jpg

The body is put back in the Cradle for routing the channels for the Binding. The height adjustment pegs in the L-shaped clamps are adjusted so that the top edge of the Body is at the same height all the way round. In this photo, the edge of the Guitar Top has already been routed.

ArchtopDave

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-47y0Q-l3fSE/VrfYk6N5Y2I/AAAAAAAABkU/4-MkXLwCZPw/s800-Ic42/DSC_0240.jpg

I've got two channels - one for the Tasmanian Blackwood, and, front and back, there's an extra  for fine black/white/black, which is made of fibreboard.

ArchtopDave

Andyjr1515 said:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ejR-D56-os8/VrfgjG9FtFI/AAAAAAAABkU/0AEnTmaTQ-M/s800-Ic42/DSC_0338.jpg

Here it is later filled with Super Glue and some Cocobolo sawdust. It's the little dark semicircle on the top edge of the Thuya just to the left of that dark streak in the Cocobolo

If it's any consolation, I can't even see it when you give us a road map....   

This is what you ideally want - only he, who did the deed, knows.

ArchtopDave

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C5eSxS-Ym-k/VrfYp5KOHAI/AAAAAAAABkU/EUETfykPRDA/s800-Ic42/DSC_0248.jpg

Notice on this photo, that the Top is covered with wide strips of sellotape going across it. These are put on first. They have been "detacked". This is done by simply sticking the tape to your own clothing first to remove a reasonable amount of sickness from the tape.There is a risk with Spruce that you can pull off strips of fibres when you remove tape. Even when it's detacked you need to peel it off with care. This isn't a problem with many other woods, so I didn't have to do it on the Back. Once you have the top covered, then the Binding can be glued and taped down - this taping needs to be done as firmly as possible.

ArchtopDave

On to Binding the back. The Binding strips are temporarily taped, whilst glueing is carried out.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zJMeMEdieyc/VrfYt_MtnGI/AAAAAAAABkU/u9D7Xey0fKI/s800-Ic42/DSC_0252.jpg

 As the Binding on the other side has been glued, you start at the back end on this side, and start by making sure to ends the Binding join together well.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jmKiE_XY_c4/VtrlZsBGxPI/AAAAAAAABpQ/Xc0kX3s_fZM/s800-Ic42/DSC_0250.jpg

Notice that you get glue "sweeze out" which stops you seeing how well, or not, you have applied the Binding (you have to pray!).

ArchtopDave

When the tape came off, most of the Binding was OK, but a few areas need adjustment. This is done by heating the area in question with the Bending Iron to soften the glue, and then tapeing it up again.

 https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x8hmV96QIBQ/VrffJjhI_pI/AAAAAAAABkU/hOEDaRRnpjg/s800-Ic42/DSC_0259.jpg