Acoustic Guitar Construction

No, no, no, no, no. You have too many cam clamps and they are all crowded together. Please send some of them to my "Home for Cramped Clamps" and I will make sure they have room to roam free.
Happy clamps make happy guitars John!
Nice work. It's going to be cool when done.

johnparchem wrote:I am not sure that one can ever have enough cam clamps. I use them a lot.

John

John --- I think you're right --- here's that cover of Jeff Traugott's use of cam clamps --- he's got 35 on this guitar (he's got you beat there!)!!!

I knew I should have bought a bunch clamps more when I was at the hardware store. Mine are too far apart. I did think about that. I glued with the top down, fully supported. The rim is very stiff longitudinally, so I think my upside down method may have more even clamping pressure. He does appear to be using enough clamps.

Thanks for posting the cover.

johnparchem wrote:I knew I should have bought a bunch clamps more when I was at the hardware store. Mine are too far apart. I did think about that. I glued with the top down, fully supported. The rim is very stiff longitudinally, so I think my upside down method may have more even clamping pressure. He does appear to be using enough clamps.

Thanks for posting the cover.

John, I think you're just fine with how you clamped it, and with the number of clamps you used --- I actually just posted the photo as a kind of funny comment on your "can't have too many clamps" comment! (I'm not even sure whether or not Jeff actually uses that many clamps, or if it was just for the look of the cover photo --- I'll have to check with the article...).

Also, I thought I had a lot of cam clamps, and I only have 16 (8 small and 8 large)!!! But I use the go-bar deck now to glue on the tops and backs, so don't really need more. But I love cam clamps and still use them a lot...

Cam-clamps rule!!

Of course I am partial to "tools with motors" but I still use the cam-clamps I made a zillion years ago from the plans in Irvine Sloane's "Classic Guitar Construction" book.

I managed to make a bit of progress this weekend. I successfully trimmed the top where the spruce inlays into the peg head. I had the peg head veneer already routed so I had to trim the top to the right shape in the right place so that it would match up and allow the peg head to be glued to the harp neck. I had a good template and made the shape but just a tad long and slowly sanded back the top until it just fit the rebate.


Before gluing the peg head to the harp neck I played around getting it closer to the final shape. I used my slide vise with a sanding drum to carefully sand the arch down a bit. (Actually it did not take very long before I got rid of the vise and just help the part eyeballing the lines I wanted.)











I was finally able to close the box and trim the edges back.
On to the bindings

Very nice looking box!!