Acoustic Guitar Construction

Hey Tim,
Yes, I always apply some CA for added security. Those brass inserts don't cut into the hog endgrain as well as I'd like.

Do you think that heel looks clunky?

Kevin

Looks great! You are really making me want to do some abalone again.

Kevininca wrote: Do you think that heel looks clunky?

Kevin

Since you asked, I think it does. I know you didn't ask me, but I am good like that. If you keep the same shape but make it smaller, it would look better to my eye. Have you seen the heel on my ukulele? It is massive! I drilled the hole for the insert too deep so I had no choice. If you have a choice, make the heel smaller.

Thanks Tony, I did ask! I Think I'll take it down 1/8" to 3/16". One of these days I'll settle on a shape and size I like and stick with it.

Kevin

Post pictures after you shave it down. Hopefully I'll still be able to criticize it. It's the only thing so far on this guitar that is not to my liking.

It really is quite amazing if you look at many handmade guitars how many different treatments the heel gets. Skinny, wide, flat, pointy, round, and just about everything in between. I'm not a big fan of the skinny little heel that Martin does. I want a little more material there as I think it may help keep the neck shaft supported.

Kevin

Got two more things accomplished.
First I did my first real headstock inlay. I used curly Koa to make a brush script "S" and inlayed it into the headstock veener which is Madagascar Rosewood. I put a small dental burr in my drill press and raised the piece up to the burr and worked the piece around to vacate the area after marking around the inlay with a scapel and filling the cut line in with chaulk....worked like a dream. I very pleased with how it turned out.
I also got my headstock down to final thickness by thicknessing the back using a drum sander and fence in my drill press. I attached a squared 3/4" block to the front of the headstock with double sided tape, and ran the headstock up against the fence past the sander, against the rotation of the drum.
How easy was this????? If you havne't done it this way, you should, cause it was soooooo easy. This will be my procedure from now on.

Kevin

I like that inlay a lot, Kevin.

Could you post a pic of your set-up for thinning the headstock? Sounds like the bee's knees :-)