maanantai 9. tammikuuta 2012

Herringbone rosette and the tool to get it done

Cutting the rosette channel on the top takes a tool. I've never had a proper one, but finally got it done. I'm using a dremel tool with an acrylic base plate. Now, with the new addition, I'm equipped to cut any circle needed.

The Moonspruce top took a classic fine herringbone rosette with black and white purflings around. Unfortunately, the inner ring didn't sit deep enough in its slot and got partially cut away as I planed the rosette rings flush to the top. It'll need a re-routing later. Fortunately, it's the final result that gets to be judged, not the in-progress flaws...

Simple, but effective. Threaded rods epoxied to the baseplate and through the "circle tool". The radius is set by turning the nuts.

Bending the fragile herringbone purfling

The new tool in business


Glue in the slot, everything in place


Planing the rings flush to the plate

Them planes come in different sizes.

I prefer the fine pattern in this herringbone over the bolder (and more usual) type.

Done. The fretboard extension will cover the slot. The inner circle needs to be re-cut and the top sanded. 

Here is the rosette re-done, top sanded and sound hole cut. An observant reader will notice that the inner circle changed from b/w/b to b/w/b/w/b.

Lovely herringbone!

keskiviikko 4. tammikuuta 2012

Top of the tops

Finally got to plane the Moonspruce top for the Jouni's anniversary guitar. The top was sold as master grade, and to my eye, ear and hand it truly is! Beautiful sheen, narrow grain with silking, deep ringing tap tone and extremely stiff. I feel privileged to build with this kind of a wood, and hope my building skills will be up to the task. It's gonna make a nice guitar, definitely!

It was nice to thickness the top with the razor sharp blade that I managed to put in my trustworthy 8€ flea market plane. These new polishing papers from StewMac helped a lot in the final honing of the iron.