New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
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- Gidgee
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:26 pm
- Location: Noumea, New Caledonia
New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
Hello,
New here... and I don't really live in NZ nor Australia, but in Noumea, New Caledonia (I'm french), a 2hours-flight from Auckland and Melbourne.
I just finished a wood body squareneck tricone built in black acacia (some pictures here: http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php ... 347#p23347)
The next one will use the same mold, but with a single cone and a spider bridge:
It is needed (no, wanted ) to be tuned in C6 to play hawaiian-style music
Getting wood and gear here in New Caledonia is really hard, so I dont think that the real wood woking process will begin before next year.
Any idea to bend safely the back without breaking the glue joint?
Thanks,
Xavier
New here... and I don't really live in NZ nor Australia, but in Noumea, New Caledonia (I'm french), a 2hours-flight from Auckland and Melbourne.
I just finished a wood body squareneck tricone built in black acacia (some pictures here: http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php ... 347#p23347)
The next one will use the same mold, but with a single cone and a spider bridge:
It is needed (no, wanted ) to be tuned in C6 to play hawaiian-style music
Getting wood and gear here in New Caledonia is really hard, so I dont think that the real wood woking process will begin before next year.
Any idea to bend safely the back without breaking the glue joint?
Thanks,
Xavier
- Nick
- Blackwood
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- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:20 am
- Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
- Contact:
Re: New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
Welcome to the forum Xavier! and a nice job with the Blackwood tricone (I have a single cone round neck Reso on my list of "ones to build before I shuffle off").
Not sure how you'd get on with your request with back plates that are already joined, personally I'd be bending each half individually then joining them. This is how Maccaferri tops are done and relatively simple to do with a bit of care and a pattern.
Not sure how you'd get on with your request with back plates that are already joined, personally I'd be bending each half individually then joining them. This is how Maccaferri tops are done and relatively simple to do with a bit of care and a pattern.
"Jesus Loves You."
Nice to hear in church but not in a Mexican prison.
Nice to hear in church but not in a Mexican prison.
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- Gidgee
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:26 pm
- Location: Noumea, New Caledonia
Re: New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
Thank you Nick !!
I checked your website and noticed that you build Maccafferi guitars. Do you have a link to step-by-step pictures of the process? Will you agree to help me with your advices when it will be time for me to do that?
Thank you,
Xavier
I checked your website and noticed that you build Maccafferi guitars. Do you have a link to step-by-step pictures of the process? Will you agree to help me with your advices when it will be time for me to do that?
Thank you,
Xavier
Re: New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
That falls into the 'Way Cool' category.
Re: New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
I'll follow this thread with real interest, I am building a weissenborn at the moment and was wondering what to do with the mold, etc. Thought of building a weissenborn body with a spider bridge resonator. Please post lots of photos.
Cheers,
Geoff
Cheers,
Geoff
- Nick
- Blackwood
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Re: New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
I don't have a step by step pictorial Xavier but it's a fairly simple process if you have your wits about you. Do you bend sides using an iron or a 'heat lamp form' ? Because you'll need to employ the same techniques on those two back bends. If you use a bending iron then you need to draw out the shape you'll need by copying the pattern/profile you have there. If heat lamps, then you'll just need to make a form with that rear profile in it and bend the same as you do your sides.Xavier BARON wrote:Thank you Nick !!
I checked your website and noticed that you build Maccafferi guitars. Do you have a link to step-by-step pictures of the process? Will you agree to help me with your advices when it will be time for me to do that?
Thank you,
Xavier
Thickness down your back set bringing each individual half to within hand sanding thickness of final thickness. You can at this stage, if you like, roughly cut out the outside shapes onto their respective halves leaving 5-8mm outside your finished shape to be cleaned up later.
Personally I leave the halves rectangular at this stage and cut the shape out once the halves have been joined, that way if my bends aren't exactly in the right place it won't matter as my final shape hasn't been cut yet. Shoot the center seam joint edges but you won't have to get them spot on at this stage because you'll need to shoot them again once they're bent, just get them close. Place the two halves side by side and pencil in where the bends go across the plates. Bend the left side plate first (when looking from the rear of the guitar) and get the bends to match up with your plan profile after that it's just a simple matter of bending the right side plate to match up with the left.
Once you've bent them you'll go back and shoot the center seam, I made a 'form' (Just a 70-90mm wide piece of scrap wood) with the back profile bandsawn out of it, make sure your cut is, or at least cleaned up after bandsawing, to be perfectly square with the sides and parallel with the back,flat face otherwise your shot edges won't be square with each other! You can then hold the back halves down on this form and shoot the final joint as you would normally with a shooting board.
I then use the tape method to hold the center seam whilst the glue dries. Once glued you can tidy up the joint by hand sanding down to final thickness.
Sorry if this explanation isn't very clear (Especially as English is a second language for you) but it's hard to put into words, clearly and concisely, what I can see in my head in a way that anybody that hasn't done it before, can understand. Let me know if it isn't and I'll try to expand on areas that aren't very clear.
"Jesus Loves You."
Nice to hear in church but not in a Mexican prison.
Nice to hear in church but not in a Mexican prison.
- Bob Connor
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Re: New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
A couple of options to simplify the process and avoid the bending process altogether could be:
a) Keep the instrument a consistent depth as in the pic below.
b) Make the side more like a traditional Weissenborn side profile with a gradual taper as shown below.
These may not appeal to your aesthetic sensibilities but they would certainly be alternatives to simplify the process.
Regards
a) Keep the instrument a consistent depth as in the pic below.
b) Make the side more like a traditional Weissenborn side profile with a gradual taper as shown below.
These may not appeal to your aesthetic sensibilities but they would certainly be alternatives to simplify the process.
Regards
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- Gidgee
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:26 pm
- Location: Noumea, New Caledonia
Re: New project: weiss-like squareneck Dobro woodbody
Geoff,Geoff wrote:I'll follow this thread with real interest, I am building a weissenborn at the moment and was wondering what to do with the mold, etc. Thought of building a weissenborn body with a spider bridge resonator. Please post lots of photos.
Cheers,
Geoff
I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a long time if you want to follow THIS instrument, as I still don't even own the wood. (yes I have the mold )
But you can see the full building thread of my tricone, with a lot of pictures here:
http://slide.forumactif.com/t7943-trico ... -bois-fini
Sorry, it's a french-speking forum, but the pictures speak themselves...
Nick, many thanks to have taken the time to write full explanations for the bending process. I use an electric bending iron that is a bit short to bend a full sized half back, I used my wife's steam iron to soften the wood (it softened the joint glue too, but the bending was not too tight), and it worked not so bad. This time I'll try to do a sharper bend, and I'll bend separately the two back halves, as suggested. Sure I'll come back here at the right time begging for your help
Bob,
Yes this is only an aesthetic problem... but I wanna solve it... for the finished guitar, and for me. I'm not in a hurry, it took me 5 full monthes to build the tricone, full time of the free time that my real job let me free spending a full week bending that back wont be a problem for me as I just build for my own pleasure and use.
I checked all you websites guys, your guitars are really great
Xavier
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