My first classical guitar

[Kevin in California]

Herman, so far I like the glue fine. It seems to give a little more time before it starts to skin over, I hate it when glue does that, but it grips well pretty quickly. I haven't tried using it yet when it is 100 degrees in my shop.....arg! Will be 103 here today. Is it better then Titebond? Couldn't say for sure. What I did find with Titebond, at least the Translucent variety, it does not respond to heat the same way if you might want to take parts apart later, don't use the Titebond Translucent.

I used double sided tape to secure the headstock template while I do the drill press routing. Not the kind with the foam layer, the flat tape, 3M brand. Works well and will pry off pretty easily when you are done. I do cover most of the surface with it as you don't want it to move on you.

[Herman]

Thanks Kevin, I'll search here for the 3M tape. Can you give me/us the product number?
103F? Waaahh! Here sunny and 68F.
Herman

[Kevin in California]

You remember the heat don't you????

[Herman]

Can't recall the heat. The beautiful people I do.

[Kevin in California]

Okay so I have the sides attached to the neck now and the kerfing is glued to the top of the rims. I've sanded the radius on the back rims on my radius dish to a 15' radius and the back is now ready for the kerfing. I felt like I had a really close fit of the sides in the neck as I had to slowing sand the sides down to fit in the slots I'd cut, and then when it was all assembled I was seeing a little bit of a gap between the mahogany and the sides, at the top of the heel area on both sides..hmm. So I wedged in a bit of fibre on the "inside" of the guitar to push the sides out and tighten up the fit there. It is better. I'm hoping that when I carve away some of the mahogany when I'm forming the heel it will all be nice and close fitting. I can see where the better way may be to cut those slots oversize enough to PLAN on putting in a small wedge on the back (inside) so the sides fit really tight and close in slot on the outside. Hmmm.
After all the kerfing is in I'll cut the slot for the end graft piece, which will be curly maple bordered with the red and black purfling scheme that will be used on the back strip and the binding/purfling.

[John Parchem]

looks like it is going well.

[Kevin in California]

All the kerfing in on, top planed down flush with the sides, the back re-contoured in the 15' radius dish. Last night I joined the back plates, thicknesed and cut out the perimeter shape.
I also made up the end graft, which shows what the binding/purfling scheme is going to be. Curly maple with red/black purfling. I'm doing this on the top, back and sides. Next step will be to make and attach the back braces, and make the slot for the end graft. I will be attempting to do my first mitered purfling joints on this one.

Kevin