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Thread: Martin OM Style Acoustic Guitar

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    This is going to be a beautiful instrument, Julie. Hopefully, it will also be equally pleasing with sound and playability...which I suspect it will!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #47
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    Mar 2015
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    That looks great Julie. I had forgotten it had the light wood top. I take back what I said regarding the headstock. I think the maple will pull it together nicely. I know how it can be choosing various woods for a certain project. I sometimes agonize way too much over veneers and banding and stringing for just a simple box...

    Looking forward to the next update!

  3. #48
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    Jul 2012
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    Punta Gorda, FL
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    Thank you, gentlemen!

    Today is binding day. I removed the binding from the mold this morning and it turned out great. I'm amazed at how easy it was to bend curly maple after a soaking in ammonia. I've tried bending curly maple with the steam box and the bending iron. Both created their own difficulties. But soaking the wood in ammonia, with hardly any heating, the wood bent so easily I thought I was doing something wrong.

    The fourth piece is presently on the guitar ready for glue.

    One thing I learned about bending using the ammonia method is you need a mold that covers the entire length of the bend. The inside mold I have does not do that so I used clamps to hold it in place. On one bend, where the inside edges of the clamp were pressing (and in between there was no contact), the wood tended to bend more sharply rather than following the shape of the outside mold. When gluing, I'll need more pressure to even out the bend in those places until the glue sets. Otherwise, bending with ammonia is a breeze.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  4. #49
    Do you use a blend of ammonia and water? If so, what ratio?
    My first acoustic build will be plastic binding. Number two will be wood.
    It looks to me like yours turned out well. Nice.

  5. #50
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
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    Punta Gorda, FL
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Baker 2 View Post
    Do you use a blend of ammonia and water? If so, what ratio?
    My first acoustic build will be plastic binding. Number two will be wood.
    It looks to me like yours turned out well. Nice.
    Mike, I used straight ammonia. If anyone suggested diluting it, I missed that. I did wear a vapor rated respirator and rubber gloves though. And it did stink up the shop for a bit. But otherwise full-strength worked fine.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  6. #51
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
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    Being a bit cautious, I only did the binding on half the guitar. It would have gone easier if I had a banding template (a board with notches in it to accept the banding upon which the guitar sits). It was a little hectic, getting all the rubber bands on before the glue started to set up. It wasn't perfect but not bad enough to require a do-over.

    After a little sanding and some mineral spirits...


    The curly maple I used for the binding is not from the same board as the tail insert or the headstock. The binding finishes a bit darker. It came from a board long ago used up. I'll have to see if I need to darken the other curly pieces.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  7. #52
    That is gorgeous, Julie!
    And thanks for the info.

  8. #53
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    Jul 2012
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    From the top binding I learned it's best to get all the wood strips for the binding or purfling to be shaped, as closely as possible, to the exact shape of the guitar body. I took the fumed and blonde mahogany strips, dipped them in ammonia and let them set up in the mold, along with the maple that was already formed. While the wood was still a bit wet, I set it up on the guitar to dry overnight.


    In this picture, with the inset of the top view, you can see what is required to get everything to fit together.


    After fitting, sanding and a coat of shellac...


    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  9. #54
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    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Darn....that's looking nice!!!!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #55
    That's beautiful!
    I bent the sides on my first yesterday. Really satisfying experience.

  11. #56
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Central PA
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    WOW...my hat's off to you for your skill, courage, talent, and patience!

  12. #57
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    Jul 2012
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    Thank you guys! So nice of you to say.

    Being a bit rusty and a little uncertain, when I reach the next step, I walk away to allow clear thinking to set in. I should be following a book or plans but lately I've been relying mostly on my experience with building electric guitars to guide me.


    Just making sure things line up straight and centered.

    After gluing in the fret dots, it was time to clamp.


    After the clamping overnight, all seemed to be in order


    I put the headstock veneer on using curly maple to see how it looks. The entire guitar body has at least one coat of shellac.

    The bridge just above the neck is made of Indian rosewood. Maybe cocobolo or sipo is the way to go with the bridge. Since sipo is harder, I'll make up a bridge in sipo first.

    The abalone fret dots seemed to work well with the soundhole ring.


    Next up is final shaping of the sides and installing the frets. After that the neck gets carved.
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  13. #58
    I can sort of identify.
    I have built several electric guitars and basses. There are skills that cross over, the biggest of which I think is neck building/carving.
    I'm building basically the same model, only using (loosely) the Grellier plans.
    I am using Cumpiano/Natelson book, but not strictly; sort of winging it like you on past experience with electrics, and common sense.
    Your build is coming along really nicely!

  14. #59
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    Jul 2012
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    Got the fretboard cut around the sound hole. Stripped the finish off the bridge and added some orange dye to get it closer to the colors of the sides or FB and put a washcoat on it.


    A curly maple veneer is presently being glued to the headstock.

    I may actually finish this bugger!
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  15. #60
    Looking great!

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