Thread: #2 Build N. Silky Oak Classic

Hi Greg,

Both I guess

Problem is that as the only tone deaf non-musician in the family, I can't make the judgement............. I'm at the mercy of the musicians

regards

Originally Posted by Alastair

Also had some fun convincing the bridge NOT to skate away on the glue film, before I got it to grab.

Looks like it's all coming together Alastair.

Re the bridge floating on the glue.....did you use a couple of locater pins through the saddle to hold the bridge in place during glue up?

Once I've positioned the bridge I drill two 1.5mm holes through bottom of saddle slot and into the top. I then push 1.5mm wooden pins through the holes. I make the wooden pins up by hammering matchsticks through a 1.5mm hole drilled in a cabinet scraper. Once the bridge is glued up you can trim off the tops of the pins in the saddle slot with a 2mm chisel.

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

Looks like it's all coming together Alastair.

Re the bridge floating on the glue.....did you use a couple of locater pins through the saddle to hold the bridge in place during glue up?

Once I've positioned the bridge I drill two 1.5mm holes through bottom of saddle slot and into the top. I then push 1.5mm wooden pins through the holes. I make the wooden pins up by hammering matchsticks through a 1.5mm hole drilled in a cabinet scraper. Once the bridge is glued up you can trim off the tops of the pins in the saddle slot with a 2mm chisel.

That's a bloody good idea!! I use locator pins for fingerboards. I used to use 1.5 mm drill bits. They all snapped LOL. Now I use little pin nails. I like ur way beta!

Originally Posted by floody_85

That's a bloody good idea!! I use locator pins for fingerboards. I used to use 1.5 mm drill bits. They all snapped LOL. Now I use little pin nails. I like ur way beta!

I use 1.5mm diameter brads hammered through holes drilled in 1st and 11th fret slots to locate my fretboards. With wooden pins, the pins can stay in after bridge is glued up. I guess you could use wooden pins in the fret slots and just run a fretsaw through the slot after glue up to clear out the slot prior to fretting. You could even test fit the fretboard and install the pins in the slots and then remove fretboard and instal frets leaving wooden ins protruding below the board.

Im looking to start my first acoustic soon so little tricks like this are great. Im still looking for plans for a bender looking for radius dishes as well. This build has inspired me!!!

Originally Posted by floody_85

Im looking to start my first acoustic soon so little tricks like this are great. Im still looking for plans for a bender looking for radius dishes as well. This build has inspired me!!!

Good to hear...about time you switched from making those toy electrics to building a REAL guitar.

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

Good to hear...about time you switched from making those toy electrics to building a REAL guitar.

Hahaha. Nah still building the "toys".. just really wanna join ur dark side!! The amount of jigs and stuff I need is a little intimidating. And I can't seem to find radius dishes!

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

Looks like it's all coming together Alastair.

Re the bridge floating on the glue.....did you use a couple of locater pins through the saddle to hold the bridge in place during glue up?

Once I've positioned the bridge I drill two 1.5mm holes through bottom of saddle slot and into the top. I then push 1.5mm wooden pins through the holes. I make the wooden pins up by hammering matchsticks through a 1.5mm hole drilled in a cabinet scraper. Once the bridge is glued up you can trim off the tops of the pins in the saddle slot with a 2mm chisel.

Hi Martin,

I thought about it, but in the absence of that in C&N, elected to stay with the script.

I had outlined position with blue tape, so it wasn't too much of a problem, more just patiently and slowly increasing pressure, while repositioning any slip, until it stayed put.

regards

Week 17

Well we finally got there.

Even though my anal nature isn’t (and likely never will be) happy with the finish, I took an executive decision to finish this weekend.

Used an old set of salvaged strings to set up the string spacing, and roughed out the nut and saddle. My initial cut on the saddle was miscalculated, and it had to be redone. I have left the 12 fret action at the top of spec for the moment. On the chromatic tuner the intonation seems spot on.

On Sunday, I finalised nut and saddle, and put on a new set of strings. And now my frustration sets in. I can’t comment on the musical success of the build. My son says it’s “fine”, and he and my daughter are already fighting over who gets to play it, but there will be no descriptive comments from me on how it sounds, or how the tone develops.

Build details:

Soundboard Engellman spruce.
Back and sides Q/S Silky Oak (Cardwellia)
Neck Figured Queensland Maple
Headplate veneers New Guinea Rosewood/Jacaranda/Imbuia
Bindings and backstripe Imbuia
Finish Blond Shellac French Polish
Fretboard Solomon Queen Ebony
Bridge New Guinea Rosewood
Nut and Saddle Bone
Tuners Rubner 110 Ebony buttons
Strings D'Addario EJ45 Normal Tension

And some pics: (Apologies for the quality, but shot in a hurry when the downpours briefly abated.)

Attachment 198334Attachment 198335Attachment 198336Attachment 198337
Attachment 198338Attachment 198339Attachment 198340


regards

Job well done mate! It looks great.

Looks like a great job you have done there Alistair. Keep pressing the players for comments.

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Looks like a great job you have done there Alistair. Keep pressing the players for comments.

Thanks Sebastiaan,

Despite Martin's horror stories about Engellman, I found it no problem to work with, apart from a tendency to tearout in the 2 small areas on wild grain, but that was manageable.

It IS getting played; last night, my son even chose to sit and play it for an hour or so, dragging himself away from his new Gilet OOO, (which I take as an extreme compliment.)

I'm looking at getting him to lay down a short sound file, to share here.

regards