Back making

 MD has a Honduran RW back with spruce lattice bracing. Center strip is a 1" wide spruce cross grain. Center strip gluing is a tricky work, because the center strip slips due to the glue's viscosity. If minimize the apply amount of the glue, it will create glue voids. If it applies too much, it creates a slipping problem. To avoid the issue, I have been using vacuum clumping technique. Vacuum clumping does not show the slipping issue, no matter what amount of glue is applied. I apply, more than enough glue. After 7-minits of clumping, I remove the back, and remove excess glue. Then, put the back into the vacuum bag, and takes 20minits more vacuum clumping. 

I also cut back bracing wood from Adirondack spruce logs. Lattice pattern is completed. Lattice brace has 12' radius doming. Lattice brace is almost ready to install the back.

Back joint and center strip install

 The Custom MD uses Honduran Rose Wood for back and sides. This material has very nice quarter sawn cut. I joint the back, and then I installed the back strip and Black-white border. I do not sandwich the back center strip that some guitar makers sandwiches. I make a channel and then install the center strip in the channel. This makes much better back joint stability. Back strip material is Madagascar RW that has much darker color than Indian RW. I also added BW border to make nice color contrast. 

I also cut a laminate material for sides. I have been using Yellow cedar for the laminated side. Yellow cedar is a light weight material. However, this material has very nice high pitch tap tone. Spanish guitar makers have been using this material for back and sides for replacement of Spanish Cypress. I also use Yellow cedar for solid linings. Next week, I will have side bending and laminate work.

Top bracing work

I did top bracing work for the custom MD project. Bracing work starts from the bridge plate install. I picked a Brazilian RW for the bridge plate. All bracing wood are curved for 30' radios for the top doming. I have been using a custom vacuum clumping system for the bracing wood gluing process. Vacuum clumping technique is able to avoid glue voids, because air is sucked out, and it makes solid joints between brace wood and the sound board. Some people believe that the animal glue makes good sound. I do not believe the glue material has an effect for improving sound. I believe the perfect glue joint is more important than using glue material. It is very heard to use animal glue for vacuum clumping, because the animal glue set way too first. Thai is why I have been using the Yellow wood glue for my vacuum clumping system.

 

Rosetta making

 I did Rosetta making this weekend. MD has a Brazilian RW Rosetta with original ornamental. I have not done the install work for the ornamental. However, I will do in next couple of days. I also completed the sound hole cut. Inside of the sound hole, I also added a black dyed poplar. This additional layer is able to seal a moisture penetration to the spruce top cross grain. This additional work not only makes a unique look for the Rosetta, but also makes an additional moisture resistance.