Acoustic Guitar Construction

Routing the top purfling slot, you only have to make a matching stencil of, let's say, 1/3". Clamp it to the top and follow the outside line with the router. Piece of cake.

For routing the side purfling slot, you have to be able to follow the bent side panel and the angled arm bevel. Tricky!! In the video above a huge dremel base is used. That seemed too lumpy to me, so I made a jig for my Dremel base. Since it is very easy to screw things up, I was a bit scared to start the routing. But surprisingly, with patience and a steady hand, it worked perfectly. No sweat after all.

This is how the guide looks:


This is the position how it is used:

Herman,

I re-watched the video and I can see he uses plastic purflings on the side. I would try wood as well as the white in the BWB plastic is too white for might taste. I might try to use a very thin teflon strip .5 mm follow the method and find a Reconstituted stone powder. I would have to leave the teflon strip in until the veneer was trimmed so I would have a slot to fill with the stone.

Also watching the video, it took awhile to see that the jig you pictured to cut the ledge relied on holding tight to the side and bevel corner as there was not a positive index. It seems that care needs to be taken to get a clean ledge. I may have convinced myself it is just one of those things one needs to try.

Try it John,
If you got the angles right, it is plain doable. I can, so you can do it.
Hold the dremel jig tight into the corner and you will be ok.
Herman

John, please explain the "Reconstituted stone powder" thing.
I do not know what that is and what it used for.
Herman

I may have the name wrong but is it crushed colored stone like turquoise. It can be packed into the channel and set with some super glue. I have not done this but was shown a few guitars my original instructor made using it a a thin purfling line.

So, if I understand it right , the stone powder is used as a purfling substitute.
Correct?

Herman wrote: ↑Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:14 pm So, if I understand it right , the stone powder is used as a purfling substitute.
Correct?

Yes! Leave the teflon in until the bevel is complete properly leveled, then pull the strip leaving a thin purfling line that can be filled. I have not done this but I have been thinking about. I want to make myself a concert ukulele so I may try the basic (no bevel) technique. On my instructors guitar it looked really sharp. He had jars with multiple colors of powdered stone. He also used it in fancy rosettes and finger board inlays.