The odd couple gets married

[Dave Bagwill]

As to the odd couple: after the top had glued on, I tapped and thumped and knocked the top/rim assembly, mostly around the bridge plate area but also everywhere else, and really felt that a little more brace shaving was necessary. So I spent about half a day removing a little material at a time and noticed a more responsive tone when I reduced the mass of the crossbrace.
My theory, which makes sense to me so it's probably wrong, is that the 'buttress' over the 'A' frame braces allows more movement of the top, while still providing the support needed for the lower bout. The whole purpose of moving the soundhole was to free up more of the top ( this is not an attempt to revolutionize the guitar - I'm hardly up to that, and in any case I think it will be new materials rather than new design that will do the revolutionizing if any is really needed ) and the 'A' bracing does seem to me to give sufficient structural support over that big expanse of top; tonally, well, we'll see if I'm skilled enough yet to recognize the necessary adjustments.
Which is only to say that when the top is glued, there is a wonderful opportunity to do adjustments - almost the last opportunity - so I think it's worth a half day or more to make things better if you can. Ken has mentioned this a number of times in this and other forums. (In Latin, the plural is "fora", because the noun "forum" follows the second type of declension and has neutral gender, which we all know of course, but who gives a crap? )

As to the braces - I use a small plane, a hinge with sandpaper glued to it, and a rigid piece of flat steel with sandpaper stuck to it. Pix attached. I hold the hinge so that it brings down the brace sides into an 'A' shape, then use the flat steel to shape as I think it needs it.

[Dave Bagwill]

Well dang, a moment's inattention - snagging a tiny sliver on the carpet I use on the benchtop for protection - and now I have to try and fix something. I think the pix tell the story. Turned out okay and I'm proceeding along.

[Kevin in California]

Good save Dave. No one will ever see it. It is so hard to be sooooooooooo careful so things kind of things don't happen.
I can't wait to see this guitar finished and hear it.........hear it.

Kevin

[Ken Hundley]

Looking great Dave, and nice save on the splinter.

[Dave Bagwill]

Well it's been a few months, trying to get the odd couple and the cutaway Ditson strung up and hopefully make a short sound vid or something. I have not forgotten about this.

[TonyinNYC]

Nice save!
I had a visitor in my shop recently and as I was pulling a wedge body out of the mold to show the guy, a little sliver caught the mold and pulled a LONG sliver up. Now I have to glue the piece back on. fortunately, like your goof, mine will also be on the linings when all is said and done so I am not worried about it failing. Your repair looks...well...like you didn't make a repair!