Acoustic Guitar Construction

I got the neck glued on to the J185 on Sunday, filled it last night. This thing is really coming together. I need to layout and make the bridge. I have the blank cut and the back has been contoured to the top so I should be able to complete that task this weekend if all goes as planned. I am leaning towards masking off the bridge area and then apply the finish. This seems to be the most common method though I have seen some references to applying the finish with the bridge in place. I would think that the latter method would make rubbing out the finish very difficult not to mention keeping the bridge clean from the rubbing compounds. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Tim

Admirable work there Tim, the purfling in particular caught my eye - really well done.

Looks great Tim. Yes, make your bridge and locate it with positioning pins, then mask off the area before spraying. Build up about 3 layers of tape, then when you are done spraying, peel off one layer of tape before you level and polish. This also helps you to gauge your final thickness of finish.

Kevin

Tim, very nice build. EBAY has many cases. Most dealers give the exact dimensions. I had to find one for a 1940 Kay Jumbo Archtop. Thought I was going to have to go to a Gitarro case. But finally found one on ebay. There are many sizes to choose from. I'll bet you will be able to score there. I've built five mortised necks I just tap them into place with a little wooden hammer I built for just such things.

Kevin, thanks for the great tip on using multiple layers of tape. I can see how that would make rub out easier. I had been searching for a J185 case on ebay with very few results but then I tried mini jumbo and found quite a few options so that problem is solved. Thanks again for all the support during this project. Tim

Very nice looking work! Did you use stain on the neck, or is that the color it became after pore filling? Nice dark looking wood!

One thing I would have done differently though: Don't glue on the neck until the bridge is glued and until after finish is applied and rubbed out. Any neck angle issue are now a real pain to fix because of the glued on neck. And, any future neck resets will require the finish to be compromised in the neck joint area.
Still, it is a beautiful looking guitar. Very nicely done. The purfling under the heel cap lining up with the body purfing is classy.

Tim, I'm jealous of your good, no, great work with the dovetail. I only did one and it nearly killed me.
Nice.