Today, I finished shaping the heel and made the ‘log’ of the central motif for the rosette. I also made spool clamps for the solera and started to make a mould out of MDF for the laminate sides of the guitar.
Unfortunately, the motif didn’t work as planned and I will have to make the log again. The 1mm strips of wood I’d ordered were not uniformly 1mm square and when the planks were put together, the motif was out of alignment. Oh, well. I learned a lot and the whole process was surprisingly simple providing the materials are cut to the right size in the first place!
That’s the neck finished for now. The playing area still needs to be worked on, but work on the head and foot is complete. I’ve learned that a great deal of work goes into the neck, requiring a range of carpentry skills: measuring, marking, planing, cutting, carving, gluing, filing and sanding. I’m already eager to start another and apply what I learned the first time.
Today corresponds to Roy’s book pp. 147; 183-190.
Working out the rosette dimensions.
The motif was designed by my daughter. It’s the initials of our first names: JGS. Here, I am working out how many boxwood and rosewood 1mm lines are needed.
Various calculations relating to the area of a 35mm sound port relative to the main 90mm sound hole.
The ‘planks’ of the ‘log’
This picture was taken before the glue was applied. There’s tape on the rulers because apparently the steel would discolour the wood.
Glue seeps inbetween and coats the square lines.
Finishing off the heel with a scraper…
and a rolling pin wrapped in abrasive paper.
I made sure that the critical surface of the front of the wedge slot was flat.
Transferring the centre mark from the top of the heel to the back.
The finished foot/heel with a coat of protective shellac.
Glued planks for the log. I needed five planks for my log. The long plank was cut into two.
The log glued together.
Laminating off cuts of 18mm MDF for cutting out the mould for the laminate sides
The finished log with the JGS motif. It didn’t work because the boxwood lines were not the same dimensions as the rosewood lines, despite them both supposedly being 1mm square. We tried to compensate, but it didn’t work out. I remade the log on day 9.
Cutting spools from two rolling pins for the spool clamps.
The 24 spool clamps were cut on the band saw and pillar drill from two rolling pins and some 6mm threaded steel.
