Bart van Weperen's Posts - FRETS.NET2024-03-28T21:22:42ZBart van Weperenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BartvanWeperenhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2192740729?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://fretsnet.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1eoxhpyvtivf9&xn_auth=noMy finished no. 001tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2011-03-27:2177249:BlogPost:540942011-03-27T15:35:47.000ZBart van Weperenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BartvanWeperen
<p>My first self-built guitar is now (finaly) finished! It was a long and sometimes troublesome, hard way but I mannaged...</p>
<p>I have to stay fair: I didn't built the neck, nor the bridge: those I recycled from the "Morris" guitar I once sat on...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>First a pic of the damaged guitar that I used as example:</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517886?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517886?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Info on what damage this guitar…</p>
<p>My first self-built guitar is now (finaly) finished! It was a long and sometimes troublesome, hard way but I mannaged...</p>
<p>I have to stay fair: I didn't built the neck, nor the bridge: those I recycled from the "Morris" guitar I once sat on...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>First a pic of the damaged guitar that I used as example:</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517886?profile=original"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517886?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Info on what damage this guitar had, is in my older blog(s).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here is my #001:</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220519704?profile=original"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220519704?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>As far as I know, this body is 100% "Beech" (I used an online translator to translate the Dutch "Beuken", it is Fagus sylvatica L., family: Fagaceae.) As I wrote before: I didn't make the neck nor the bridge: those were "left over" after dismantelling the "Morris"...</p>
<p>The back:</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220520478?profile=original"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220520478?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>A closer look on the top:</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2192740729?profile=original"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2192740729?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The sides I made out of 3 pieces...</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521439?profile=original"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521439?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> and:</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521946?profile=original"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521946?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I know: this is still verry far away of beïng a Masterpiece... I made a lot of mistakes and wrong choices, but: I had fun building this instrument and (equally important) I am still having fun playing it...</p>
<p>(The strings I use on this -classical- instrument are "Hannabach, Silver Special, medium tension -not that they pay me for that info!-)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>During this build I also (tried to) repair some '60-ish guitars (a "Famos' -not Framos!- and a "Suzuki", both accoustics) and by the time the latter goes back to it's owner, I'll start building a Flamenco... That job will include a self made neck and bridge.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Questions/ comments? Thats what this blog is for, just leave them as a comment!</p>
<p>Bart</p>Morris (classical) Neck-jointtag:fretsnet.ning.com,2010-09-04:2177249:BlogPost:396382010-09-04T15:06:35.000ZBart van Weperenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BartvanWeperen
<p>Maybe helpfull... Morris model "205" dated 05-73, made in Japan</p>
<p></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220514550?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">The back is off. The neck-block appears to be just glued to the soundboard an sides...</p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220514890?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
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<p>Neck and neck-block are connected by 5 dowels (??? excuse my english).…</p>
<p>Maybe helpfull... Morris model "205" dated 05-73, made in Japan</p>
<p></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220514550?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">The back is off. The neck-block appears to be just glued to the soundboard an sides...</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220514890?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
<p></p>
<p>Neck and neck-block are connected by 5 dowels (??? excuse my english). To me it was strange to find a square metal re-enforcement in this neck.</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>no blog, just picturestag:fretsnet.ning.com,2010-07-31:2177249:BlogPost:373122010-07-31T12:46:18.000ZBart van Weperenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BartvanWeperen
<p>Needed a place on the web to ,temporary, store these pics...</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>This is Mod E-3, nr: 0102124 by Guitarras Quiles.</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220514958?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Minor issue: the finisch in the corner where the neck meets the body (trebble side) has gone from transparent to "milky white": the finisch seems to be loose from the wood on that spot... (bad picture, I know)…</p>
<p>Needed a place on the web to ,temporary, store these pics...</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>This is Mod E-3, nr: 0102124 by Guitarras Quiles.</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220514958?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Minor issue: the finisch in the corner where the neck meets the body (trebble side) has gone from transparent to "milky white": the finisch seems to be loose from the wood on that spot... (bad picture, I know)</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220515292?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
<p></p>
<p>Same for where the fretboard meets the rosette (also on trebble side).</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220515449?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
<p></p>
<p>This is a real issue (or it will be pretty soon!) The bridge is getting loose from the soundboard... As next pictures show, the crack is about 2 to 3 milimeters deep on places.</p>
<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220515973?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
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<p><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220516451?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220516533?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220516852?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>
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<p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><img width="721" alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517002?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></p>part twotag:fretsnet.ning.com,2009-08-05:2177249:BlogPost:168822009-08-05T11:50:00.000ZBart van Weperenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BartvanWeperen
Update/ blog 2<br />
<br />
It's not just difficult to build a guitar, it's also difficult to make an accurate progress-report...<br />
There are so many stages in building, so it's easy to forget to “archive” one.<br />
<br />
For those who wonder how I assembled the sides:<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" height="2136" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517734?profile=original" width="2848"></img></p>
I cut 2 pieces off a “spare” sideboard, bent them to the right contour and making sure the grain of these pieces doesn't run parralel to the grain of the sides, for extra regidity.<br />
And yes: first I tried to…
Update/ blog 2<br />
<br />
It's not just difficult to build a guitar, it's also difficult to make an accurate progress-report...<br />
There are so many stages in building, so it's easy to forget to “archive” one.<br />
<br />
For those who wonder how I assembled the sides:<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517734?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
I cut 2 pieces off a “spare” sideboard, bent them to the right contour and making sure the grain of these pieces doesn't run parralel to the grain of the sides, for extra regidity.<br />
And yes: first I tried to glue a patch directly to both side-pieces...Take a look at the mold I'm using, and maybe you'll understand why I thought it was better not to do this gluïng while using the mold (a clamp at middle hight on the sides would drive the sides out of shape, since there is no mold to counterpressure the clamp).<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220518329?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
That's why I'm sure that any new mold I'll make will be sollid...<br />
<br />
Not using the mold of course gave me allingment problems, so I had to reglue after I added extra blocks at the right position in the mold.<br />
Finaly it looks like this:<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220519458?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
<br />
So far for that almost forgotten part of my progress.<br />
Now back to the bracing.<br />
<br />
With the original at hand it was easy to duplicate/ replicate the braces, but how to get them glued up under even pressure? That's where the cut out pieces of my mold came in handy. I liked the way this setup looked like, so I give you 3 pics.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220520670?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521019?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521579?profile=original" alt="" width="2136" height="2848"/></p>
<br />
It finaly came out like this:<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220523073?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
I also started making the braces for the top, but for now I'm waiting to glue them on. There's still a lot to do to the top and I'm sure that it's better done when the top can lay flat on a workboard, instead of resting on braces.<br />
<br />
Cutting out the soundhole didn't result in a perfect circle (I know: it's just a lack of craftmanship, but if I persist, maybe... one day). I used a piece of pvc rain-pipe, put cardboard arround it to get the right dimension and wound sandpaper as a last layer. With that construction it was easy to sand the soundhole to a perfect circle.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220526729?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
(the braces are just layed out, not yet glued, the pipe I used for rounding the soundhole is also on the workbench)<br />
<br />
The linings I made from the leftovers of the wood I used for the sides.<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220527585?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
(Don't pay attention to the ads: they're a) in Dutch an b) expired by now)<br />
<br />
Again it looks like cats are great lovers of wooden musical instruments (Maybe I'll credit them as my quality inspectors on my label)<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220527866?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
<br />
Latest things I've been doing:<br />
I started making the neck. I “pre-shaped” the heel, sawn what will be the neck itself and added an extra piece (2 cm thick) for the headstock.<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220528164?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
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I also made the neck-block and have glued it to one part of the side, the other side will follow.<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220528148?profile=original" alt="" width="2848" height="2136"/></p>
<br />
And yes: again more mistakes... Allthough I wanted to make a copy of an existing guitar, I had decided to make the copy using a dovetail-joint. The mistake I made was to cut the heel short.<br />
There's simply not enough wood left for that kind of joint. OK: I could make a new heel, but on the other hand: I could also try to make this a bolt-on neck. By now I've decided to do the last.<br />
<br />
<br />
With all these pictures, these blogs tend to take a long time to be downloaded. No problem for peaple with an ADSL/ DSL internet connection, but when using a low-bandwith connection I can imagine it taking too long. So: I'll end this part and will continue in an other blog.My first...tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2009-08-04:2177249:BlogPost:168552009-08-04T15:30:00.000ZBart van Weperenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/BartvanWeperen
This is why I started "working on"guitars.<br />
The picture shows my old “Morris” classical, that I once mistook for a chair (I sat on it...).<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517047?profile=original"></img></p>
You can see the cracks in the top (most on bass-side), but there's more damage to it...<br />
<br />
I was told that repairing this damage was a waste of time and money so I tried to keep this instrument as playable as I could. I just used a sports-tape (the kind that is also used by athlets) to cover all cracks and to close…
This is why I started "working on"guitars.<br />
The picture shows my old “Morris” classical, that I once mistook for a chair (I sat on it...).<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517047?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
You can see the cracks in the top (most on bass-side), but there's more damage to it...<br />
<br />
I was told that repairing this damage was a waste of time and money so I tried to keep this instrument as playable as I could. I just used a sports-tape (the kind that is also used by athlets) to cover all cracks and to close the gap between top and side. To prevent the top from goïng inwards, I made a few posts that I placed on the sides, resting on the back and thus supporting the top. To my surprise it still sounded good.<br />
<br />
Some years later my wife wanted to give me a new guitar and so I picked up a clasical (a “Guitarrass Quiles” E-3 made in Spain).<br />
<br />
Again time went by but the injured “Morris” was something I couldn't forget.<br />
<br />
After having build some cabinets, and after having concluded that cabinet-building isn't something you want to do in your home (kitchen) the thougt of repairing old Morris came up.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517327?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220517422?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
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I started looking on the internet for any info on guitars, repair and building. There's a lot of information and “minformation” arround, but finding Frets.com (and later also frets.net) was realy one of the best things that could have happened to me that time.<br />
<br />
Now, back to the Morris. The factory has an US e-mail adres so I contacted them for aditional information on my guitar. I attached some foto's but Morris couldn't tell me anyting on this instrument, saying that all Morris guitars have a type-number starting with a letter...<br />
The label just says “Mod 205” and stamped on to the upper soundhole brace is “125F3” in red ink.<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220519359?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
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Now I had to find out if it would be possible for me to repair this instrument. I realy love the neck...<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220519697?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
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The damage is on the bass-side. (The white stuff is the remainder of the sports-tape, proof enough not to use it...)<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220519880?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<br />
This was the best cleanup I could do.<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220520414?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
This is part of the damage...<br />
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Aproaching this as a “restauration project” I thought it would be best to patch the damaged parts of the top an try to reglue top to side and to reglue loose braces.<br />
<br />
But: patching this would mean I would have to patch the whole bass-side of this top, from fingerboard to waist. Next pic shows why:<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521040?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
I was sure that this repair/ restauration isn't something I can do: I simply just don't have the skills (yet). (And: what would a heavily patched top sound like?)<br />
<br />
Next thought: what if I would try to copy this Morris? Should I want to copy it, then I would have to take it appart... That was something I thought “even I” could do, following Frank Fords examples and copying some of his tools. If I would make an even bigger mess of things I would at least have tried. So: get the back off. (On the pic you can see that I had no indea how the purfling/ lining were attached)<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521417?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220521790?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220522486?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220523030?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
And now for getting the back off...<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220529634?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
And off it came:<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220530020?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
I could have done far worse...<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220530182?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
Then I made a drawing, as accurate as I could, measuring everything there was to be measured. Next stop?<br />
<br />
A friend gave me about 1 m3 of (steemed) beech (Lat: Fagus sylvatica L.). It had been lying in his attic for over 18 years. He could also provide me witch a jar of Hide-glue ganulanes. (I'm still looking for my own supplier of HG)<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220531452?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
So: how to make a top, back and sides from these planks (3x18x65 cm)? I had to find someone who could resaw these planks to a width of say 3 mm. I managed to find a factory that could help me. Only slight offset is that they say it's only possible to get two 3mm pieces from one 3 cm board... That means losing 2,4 cm. of perfectly good wood.<br />
Maybe one day I'll own my own band-saw.<br />
<br />
I had the factory cut up several planks and they machined them down to about 3mm thick. The rest would be up to me, shaving them to more or less the final thickness, using a planer. Now that is a realy difficult job, especially if you are (on the same job) learning how to sharpen your tools....<br />
I take it that you've all been reading Frank Ford's info, so you should know what a “Wagner Safe-T-planer” is. Try google-ing this tool for suppliers within the Netherlands/ Europe and you'll end up with nothing, zero, zilch, nada. That means importing (with all aditional costs) and the extra waiting time. By going through more forums and the like I found a supplier of something verry simmilar to Wagner's device, only now it's called “drill press safety planer”. For less than 35 euro it was delivered the day after I ordered it.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220531658?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
Next step: making the sides. I'd need a bending iron, heat source and a form.<br />
I thought I'd get away with a 2 layer MDF form. Using wood to get the hight I need.<br />
By now I know that my next form(s) will be made out of as manny layers of MDF as needed to get the right hight, as the form I'm now using makes that the sides have a possibillity to deform due to the lack of counterpressure in the middle. They can bulge (and they will).<br />
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Here's my bending-iron, just a short table-leg (steel), mounted on a steel “table” (my neighbour happend to work as a welder at that moment and he gave me that stand to use with my drill press)<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2220532896?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
I use 2 clamps (i took all plastic off of them) to hold it in place, using a blow-torch/ soldering torch to heat the pipe).<br />
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I realy was supprised how easy it was to bent my wood. (Not that the first result was perfect....)<br />
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As you can see I need 3 pieces to make my sides... This brought it's own problems. The bottom-piece ends just over the middle of the lower bout... That means I have to try and bent the last few cm of that wood also, but: there's no way to keep that piece down over the hot pipe..<br />
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This is how I fixed that, using two “stacks” of two 5 Euro-cent pieces under a piece of steel.<br />
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Now I could get some pressure on the last cm, by just sliding it under that “ruler”.<br />
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Now for attaching the side-pieces. I thinned down an extra board (3 mm to approx. 1.8 mm) an sawed two pieces off. I only needed some water to bent them into the right contour. Next mistake: I glued two pieces without using the mold, so I got it wrong.<br />
Nice characteristic of HHG is that one can easely undo the gluing... Here's the right set-up:<br />
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(I cover up my mold, to make sure there isn't any direct sunlight (heat)on the wood, in this stage that can realy warp it). I clamped this for a week before I took the sides out and took it downstairs to take a picture. Seems our cat already is my first adept...<br />
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Next step was levelling the sides. Another mistake I made was gluing in the end-block before the sides were levelled... I took that out, to later reglue after I had sawn it to the right dimensions.<br />
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By now (some two weeks later) the sides still are in their mold (better safe than sorry) waiting for the next step(s). Again a picture...<br />
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On to the back and top.<br />
I had to do most of the final thicknessing before I glued these pieces together: My drill press cant handle pieces that wide (Yes: I also made that mistake...).<br />
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I found it difficult to get the top and back halves realy flush. On my lightbox I kept on seeing some light kreeping through. Finaly -lots of patience and a lot of checking on the lightbox- the pieces fitted correctly.<br />
I used a piece of MDF as a gluing table. Putting a row of nails on one side, fit one piece against the nails, then lifting what would be the seam by putting a piece of wood (approx. 2 cm high) under it and then laying out the other part, fixing that too agains a row of nails. Removing the “lifting wood” gave firm and even pressure for an almost seemless top and back.<br />
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This will be the inside of my back, the outside looks like this:<br />
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I don't want to use any decorative strips on the back, but had to reïnforce the inner side. I used a piece of Ash (I think it's white Ash, in Latin: Fraxinus exelsior) that I pre-shaped before gluing.<br />
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Next mistake I made? After sanding top and back ending with a #240 grit sandpaper, I remembered an old trick to even do a better sanding job... The trick is to slightly wet the surface to be sanded and leave it for an hour or so. This brings up the grain...<br />
A piece of advice, should you want to try this: don't do it, unless the top/ back is tightly glued to the sides. Why? Well this is what happened to my supposed to be flat back:<br />
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It could be a helpfull way in making a doomed top/ back though... Anyway this happened within (well within) 5 minutes, and it took some 3 days of pressure (and also wetting the other side) to get the flat back back...<br />
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Now I'm working on the back bracess... See my 2nd blog in a few days