I completed a laminate work for the cut-a-way section. I also made a neck block and a tail block. Tail block installation is also completed. I have been using Spanish Cedar for the blocks. I use left over materials from neck making for blocks. So, I can maximize wood usage. Block making requires precise cutting and shaping to seamlessly fit to body shapes.
Next step is solid lining making and installation. I will use Spanish cedar for solid linings.
I have done the side laminate wok. I have been using Yellow cedar for the inner laminate material. After finish the bending work for side materials, I glue side materials using the custom mold. This time, I used the Gorilla glue. I have been using the Epoxy for the side laminate work. However, I discovered that the Epoxy does not show good enough bonding quality between wood material. Epoxy works very goof between Carbon fiber and wood. Tight bond is the best material for me. However, the Tight bond is way too first for the glue setting time. I do not have enough time for the clumping work if I use the Tight bond. Gorilla glue is the the closest glue to the Animal glue according to my guitar making mentor of Late Taku Sakashita. So, I back to Gorilla glue for the side laminate work.
Back making completed. I installed latticed bracing into the Honduran RW back. Lattice bracing enables to use thin materials for the back. This time, I selected the back thickness of 2.2mm. This is my standard thickness for RW materials. This thickness, the standard ladder bracing works. However, the ladder bracing shows a waiving issue, if I use less than 2mm thickness. The other advantage for the lattice bracing is the clacking issue prevention for solid materials. Honduran RW is a very stable material, and it is almost clacking issue free. However, Brazilian RW often causes clacking issue. Lattice bracing is able to minimize this issue. For the lattice bracing install, the vacuum bag clumping technique is the must choice for the perfect gluing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
