Tear out in a top, disaster or opportunity?

[Allen]

This tenor has been giving me fits with little things that just are fighting me and testing my patience and skill, with this one the latest.

I had routed the binding ledges with no worries at all, with the only thing left being a small skim around the top and back for the rebate for the purfling strip when on the last few centimetres this happened.

So take a deep breath, walk away and boil the jug for a cup of tea.....still not to happy let me tell you. Come back for another look and scratch my head, get worked up some more and have to walk away again. Contemplate having to replace the top and not really wanting to go down that path. So then started thinking inlay. But what sort of inlay that doesn't look like it was put there to hide some stuff up, and what goes with my Art Deco styling?

Google searches brought up all sorts of designs, but all of them too complicated to seriously consider for inlay into Western Red Cedar, and then how was I to make it look like a design element that was planned from the start.

I ended up walking through my shed a few times, and then out of the corner of my eye I saw the other 4 instruments that I have hanging in the dry room waiting to be buffed out.....and the heel cap that I use with a bit of a pointed scallop. Which I ended up using a couple of years ago to cover up another stuff up with a router. And then it hit me...........

And this is what I ended up with. And pretty pleased with it too.

[colburge]

This tenor has been giving me fits with little things that just are fighting me and testing my patience and skill, with this one the latest.

I had routed the binding ledges with no worries at all, with the only thing left being a small skim around the top and back for the rebate for the purfling strip when on the last few centimetres this happened.

Scallop trim to top_2014March07_001.jpg

So take a deep breath, walk away and boil the jug for a cup of tea.....still not to happy let me tell you. Come back for another look and scratch my head, get worked up some more and have to walk away again. Contemplate having to replace the top and not really wanting to go down that path. So then started thinking inlay. But what sort of inlay that doesn't look like it was put there to hide some stuff up, and what goes with my Art Deco styling?

Google searches brought up all sorts of designs, but all of them too complicated to seriously consider for inlay into Western Red Cedar, and then how was I to make it look like a design element that was planned from the start.

I ended up walking through my shed a few times, and then out of the corner of my eye I saw the other 4 instruments that I have hanging in the dry room waiting to be buffed out.....and the heel cap that I use with a bit of a pointed scallop. Which I ended up using a couple of years ago to cover up another stuff up with a router. And then it hit me...........

And this is what I ended up with. And pretty pleased with it too.

looks like a bum........a really nice bum

excellent fix

cheers

Col

[kiwigeo]

Nice save Allen.....only a master would think of your solution.

Not sure if you already do this but Ive started laying in a cut with my Schneider Gramil prior to my binding/purfling channel cuts and it seems to have reduced tear out and it also leaves a nice clean cut.

[Taffy Evans]

HI Allen, yep been there done that and rectified it the same way, now I use the gramil process, after 30 odd years of getting through the job with out it.

[Kamusur]

That inlay with purfling has ended up looking very nice Allen, and like Martin said the Schneider grammil is a pretty handy tool as well.

Steve

[lauburu]

Allen, if you had've stayed quiet about the disaster, you could've put a much higher price on it and called it the first in a series of design ukuleles to mark the Year of The Horse.
Miguel

[kiwigeo]

HI Allen, yep been there done that and rectified it the same way, now I use the gramil process, after 30 odd years of getting through the job with out it.

My Schnieder gramil was one of my first tool purchases many years ago but it s sat on my window sill for many years until I discovered what a great little tool it is.

[wadkin]

being inventive is one of the things I like about guitar making, I always try an make a feature of mistakes.
I cut the purfling channels with a purfling cutter and scalpel, It doesn't take long to run it round the top. once marked out a scalpel will slice right through the top, I'v found even a sharp router bit will tear out on spruce.

[kiwigeo]

For those of you not familiar with a Schneider gramil:

BINDINGTOOLSSchneidergramilKnifeSPG500.jpg (41.72 KiB) Viewed 11674 times

[Taffy Evans]

And here's my circle/shape following 'Gramil' utilising parts from the the one shown above.

3-DSCF8194.JPG (75.63 KiB) Viewed 11666 times

[ckngumbo]

This tenor has been giving me fits with little things that just are fighting me and testing my patience and skill, with this one the latest.

I had routed the binding ledges with no worries at all, with the only thing left being a small skim around the top and back for the rebate for the purfling strip when on the last few centimetres this happened.

Scallop trim to top_2014March07_001.jpg

So take a deep breath, walk away and boil the jug for a cup of tea.....still not to happy let me tell you. Come back for another look and scratch my head, get worked up some more and have to walk away again. Contemplate having to replace the top and not really wanting to go down that path. So then started thinking inlay. But what sort of inlay that doesn't look like it was put there to hide some stuff up, and what goes with my Art Deco styling?

Google searches brought up all sorts of designs, but all of them too complicated to seriously consider for inlay into Western Red Cedar, and then how was I to make it look like a design element that was planned from the start.

I ended up walking through my shed a few times, and then out of the corner of my eye I saw the other 4 instruments that I have hanging in the dry room waiting to be buffed out.....and the heel cap that I use with a bit of a pointed scallop. Which I ended up using a couple of years ago to cover up another stuff up with a router. And then it hit me...........

And this is what I ended up with. And pretty pleased with it too.

looks like a bum........a really nice bum

excellent fix

cheers

Col

A bit cheeky and a brilliant save that looks part of the plan!
Nice work

[soulman]

Looks good Allen. great save.