OM Acoustic Build (Mark Bailey Course)

Andyjr1515 · March 2016

Lovely job

the_jaffa · March 2016

Wow!

So impressed with this build. Thanks for taking the time to explain and talk us through

ArchtopDave · March 2016

Next Job - putting the Frets in. First of all the Fret Slots need cleaning up. The double squares of Inlay are at the 12th fret. To the left in the 10th and 11th fret slots, there's greyish white glue residue more obvious at the top of the slots. Also note the rounded hole in the 14th fret slot; this is where a panel pin was temporarily put in to hold the Fretboard in position whilst it was being glued to the Neck. It'll be hidden once the Fret is in.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7Lr2a87C5FE/VuMGlhm8yeI/AAAAAAAABqo/O9AHBgNlrQIXviv7Xit6PvH7aZ7VFw56ACCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0081.jpg

Here are the tools. To the right, on the fretboard, is a saw for cleaning Fret Slots, next to it a hook shaped knife blade in a handle. The squarish bit of metal is a depth gauge for checking that the Fret Slots have been fully cleared - near each edge, there's an engraved line to show the depth needed (different on each edge for different fretboard radiuses).To the far left is a triangular file - once the slots are clean, the edge of each is just bevelled a little to prevent wood from the edges of the slots shearing off when you insert the Frets. The strange looking black tool on the table is for removing the ends of the tangs of the frets - this has to be done because there is no slotting of the Binding, so the tangs have to be shortened before the Frets are put in.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q_NK-nANcTY/VrfmAyyJYTI/AAAAAAAABkU/3edmwCx8AAcLUVux20PfPKNMYcspC1mHQCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0083.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

The Frets are cut - each is measured against it's own Fret Slot and cut so that there's a bit of overhang.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jCoUwx7rzPc/Vrfl__gr2nI/AAAAAAAABkU/BXpRa9IHBQ0aANlHUULLzDDX_LkfZmC3gCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0065.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

In they go.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SPmCcA6Pr_w/VrfmGFpi0mI/AAAAAAAABkU/_r2-gEu0A8A1E3xG8uBufEiDxkMDB4_CQCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0085.jpg

Notice that The Neck and, in particular, the top end of the Fretboard is supported. Support for the top end of the Fretboard is important, because there's no Neck here. You don't want break off your Fretboard whilst hammering the Frets in!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cHrhHLbA7QY/VrfmJf6s-BI/AAAAAAAABkU/jXIEpMI3VJEGGfLeN_x6QTD_X40QpR8dACCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0090.jpg

TTony · March 2016

Whenever I see photos of *that* workshop, the tools & jigs, the steps in the guitar-building process ...

... I just want to go back there and have another fun week building something!

ArchtopDave · March 2016

Side Dots. It can be a bit of a pain putting these in. They're 2 mm Dots (Gold MOP in this case). It's easy to drop them, or loose sight of them. Also, when you're glueing them in, they can just pop out again - either from glue pressure, or may be there's an air bubble trapped underneath one. Additionally they'll stick to any bit of glue, so if there's bit of glue on whatever you're pushing them in with, then this bit of glue's enough to pull them out again.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ddak8xD7WgY/VrfmKvF8rbI/AAAAAAAABkU/Wr4Afrkoo7QWve6hXY90G9rmnpQs7sDuQCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0097.jpg

Holes marked, and then a punch used before being drilled. Dots inserted. The "wet look" in the photo below is from the Super Glue Accelerator.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BZE33Do1UBM/VrfmOoIjMrI/AAAAAAAABkU/31X6RbNFNaoh8Br8zPxi1OIprHaM6_6FACCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0100.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

The Neck Volute and Heel need finishing.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KFERg5w3Jb4/VrfmPeiEkqI/AAAAAAAABkU/AxFk2aTWCR8olyFVg228n3FPJiyxzbZzQCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0104.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6uDpLA7EgAQ/VrfmZhFStVI/AAAAAAAABkU/hYWBQyiz1qs2f4SMQkNEji4WUNGUQ07YwCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0107.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

Also I put a Heel Cap of Cocobolo on the Heel.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X4LjulZUI74/VrfmbZ6wLJI/AAAAAAAABkU/yfaqGuWtpp8-m9cVq6wKTvDFsDTNO5GFACCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0109.jpg

I like round the edge of the Heel Cap off. The corners, which form part of the Neck Joint are left sharp to make sure the Joint looks as good as possible, but then I round off the rest of the edge to make it feels as comfortable as possible when you press your fretting hand against it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ycaFe2Y_HIE/VrfmeuJNZHI/AAAAAAAABkU/prSN8Z0c-b0W0acKo0OnY6QibpS3-2nZQCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0124.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

When I was buying some wood from the States, i needed to make the order up to the Company's minimum order value, so I bought a piece of nicely coloured Gabon Ebony, which was described as a Bridge Blank. As you can see, it was 10" long and about 4" wide, so big enough for 4 or 5 Bridges at least. Used a bit of this wood to have Tuner Buttons made.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7nZUk7zHWbM/VroZMKpcDrI/AAAAAAAABlM/G3ikPtgJhpQQ9tk1fquDrTGbcDDexBVoQCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0176.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

Here's the design I made for my Bridge, and a cunning Ruler for marking the Bridge Pin sites out.

You decide what is going to be the Top E to Bottom E distance. The slots in the Ruler are gradually further apart the further you go along it. So you find the E to E distance that you want on the Ruler, and the the slots between allow you to mark each Bridge Pin positions.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t48ZJFLelgI/VrfmjKJvlpI/AAAAAAAABkU/MSvniyyw1H0tFEFRFbeeWhzzNw9SoijiQCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0113.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

Line drawn to mark the distance from the front of the Bridge, and then also scribed. Pin positions marked first with pencil, and then with a punch. As with other bits of wood, I've marked (with the 2 arrows) the front of the Bridge, so as to avoid any stupid mistakes.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mHFcH7AXSE0/VrfmnoDR1MI/AAAAAAAABkU/uFPDMgP9LmUNIVtMVkawA75UyByNWWn1ACCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0115.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

Saddle Slot then made. The piece of wood at the bottom of the photo is a Guide for routing. I first made a small slot in the surface of it to check the the router bit was the right size for the saddle I'd selected. What you cannot see is that the edge of the Guide (below the bottom edge of the photo) is angled, but you can see the result - you run the Router Guide against the wood Guide to produce the angle of the Saddle Slot.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UxGj7DYiqaI/VrfmqvQ8U7I/AAAAAAAABkU/vgsX4DpfYdY7hQTUSXSrK3jk3c4vPFuTACCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0116.jpg

joeyowen · March 2016

This thread is a better cliffhanger than most tv

ArchtopDave · March 2016

I then cut out the back edge of the Bridge. I used a bit of a hairy technique on the Band Saw to do this.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CRdYoAd2gSQ/VrfmtJ7irlI/AAAAAAAABkU/fYAYuOMY4jY7lxRudQ5KmKW0zGjSvk2_gCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0119.jpg

It's impossible to cut this shape on a Band Saw by simply cutting round it. The shape is too complex and curvy. All you can do is debulk the wood to begin with. But, you can do the following with the Band Saw....

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d_eBo7dfOzk/VtrlWh0l9bI/AAAAAAAABpQ/DmU9TNlwFxAMWZSqC15diwL44GA8F0yngCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0119.jpg

Notice that the edge is jagged. What I've done is cut vertically straight towards the white line with the Band Saw. I've then moved over a tiny bit, and made another saw cut, leaving just a thin slither of wood between the cuts. Either the motion of the saw blade will cause the remaining slither to break off, or you pull the wood back slightly, and nudge the slither to get it to break off. As with any bit of sawing or routing, you have to deal with the sawdust trying to obscure your view. However, in the end it's possible to cut out quite a complex shape.

ArchtopDave · March 2016

Back to The Neck. Nut Slot cut.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RbLHwYxmUm8/VrfmwbK5_GI/AAAAAAAABkU/Lp88yQ8JCuQxdZNiFESl2vMXRIBYLY7wwCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0122.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

All my work is now done for the moment. The next stage is out of my hands. Mark with give the woodwork a final sand with a power sander, and then Billy will spray it. I wanted a Nitro Cellulose finish, so I'm saying good bye to my guitar for 3 months. Nitro has to hardened sufficiently before it can be polished, and the timing of this process is somewhat variable. So here's how I left it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xe1x0uZyesY/Vrfm1xYq0rI/AAAAAAAABkU/wyzdIYKFomsiRBhJRZccjPau3fFRt6bBwCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0133.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RK-pdX3M-ok/Vrfm3HrqCMI/AAAAAAAABkU/741ilaH6Hx40T3mnwp8qejb-LSfITbz-wCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0134.jpg

ArchtopDave · March 2016

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ccOPsqJAlQY/Vrfm364bFTI/AAAAAAAABkU/4U7NuDaJTAYHhgQbZYa801E3W3mZgFBpwCCo/s800-Ic42/DSC_0142.jpg

i only remembered at the last moment to take a photo with the Bridge in place, and was glad I did. Even allowing for the distortion produced by the camera lens, I felt that the Bridge looked a bit too hefty. Whilst at home waiting, I thought about this a fair bit, and studied my template with reference to the Bridge design that I'd used to produce my shape, which was a standard Bridge shape with a simple curve round the back of it. I reckoned I could take a tenth of an inch off the back of my wood, and I did this, when I went back to finish the guitar.