Maple binding on #42



maybe get started on the necks on Friday.......

All the bits are now in my cupboard for these mandos EXCEPT the truss rods, so I'm stuck til they arrive from Tiawan. still, today I got the braces carved on 42 and the top glued on. I'll leave it upside down like this so that any excess glue stays put rather than running dow either inside or outside in a big ugly streak.....

#42 progress.

All righty. Loads done today as I have pretty much all my free time in a week on a Thursday.

before work, I shaped the back brace and glued it into place.



later, once the glue had set I trimmed the brace and glued the back onto the rim.





the rosette.

Originally I had intended this......



but it wasn't turning out right, so as the neck and body are to be bound in maple, I thought why not the soundhole too? Not many folks bind soundholes as it's pretty fiddley, but as the spalted maple doesn't provide anything in the way of strength I thought a maple/rosewood sandwich around the inside of the soundhole would be just the business... nowhere near as complicated as I thought it was going to be.......



then without the bandages and sanded out.........



then the top brace shaped, the joint cut and all glued in place. the glue was wiped after the pic was taken, HONEST!!



I MIGHT get the braces carved tomorrow and the top glued on, but that'll be it for a week as we have our school open night next Thursday and I need some time to turn my mando building workshop back into a classroom!!

Also, the maple binding and fretboard are in the post from Ohio, the tuners in the post from Canada and the bone for the nut in the post from Taiwan, so until they arrive I'm beached anyway!!

OH yes, I sanded a bit at #40 today too.....

progress on #42.......

So, last night I glued in the tail block, & this morning I glued in the neck block. the back & top were joined and roughly cut to size. in the foreground is a piece of spalted maple for the rosette....



closeup of the spalted maple. This is basically partially decayed wood and the black lines are mould. think blue cheese!! anyway, after laying outside covered in leaves, slugs & beetles for a couple of years it's dried, and heated in a kiln to wipe out any spores to stop any further decay. No strength, but AWFUL perty!!



slot for the rosette being routed out.....



and with the rosette before fitting



linings cut and fitted top & bottom



and a back brace shaped and glued in place.

th bandages came off #40 & 41, and all is looking well. there's plenty of sanding to do before the bits for the necks arrive.





at lunchtime today I bent the sides of #42



after school I trimmed them for length and assembled the mould so it starts to look like the right shape. top & back are also jointed, but I forgot to take pics (sorry!)