Make Your Own Spanish Guitar - online book

Complete plans & Instruction on how make your own Spanish Guitar.

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	20
	FITTING THE FRONT When all this work has been completed satisfactorily the next job is to cut the re�cesses in the top linings to take the two main cross struts fitted to the face. Follow exactly the same procedure as you did for the fitting of the back. At this point it will be wise to " recap." to see what we have completed so far. We have the sides to which we have top and bottom linings, top and end blocks, fitted. We have the back, complete with cross struts in position and centre strut running down its entire length. The face of the guitar is finished, with soundhole cut out and purfling inlays surrounding it; cross struts, streng�thening bars and fan-strutting in position. Both back and front of the guitar fall neatly and cleanly into position when placed on the sides in the mould. All work has been carefully cleaned up. No surplus glue has been left and everything is nicely glasspapered to a perfectly smooth finish. GLUEING BACK AND FRONT Now we come to fixing the back and front to the sides�but before we can attempt this we must "seal" the grain of the top and bottom blocks. If these blocks are not thoroughly "sealed," when we come to glueing the back and front of the guitar into position the end blocks will soak up the glue like blotting-paper absorbing ink and our work at these points will not grip. Thoroughly " size " both end faces of the two blocks with thin glue, going over them two or three times (or even more, if neces�sary) at intervals after each coating has had ample time to set hard. Sufficient coats of glue must be applied to form a " seal" to the pores of the wood and the job is only thoroughly done when a layer of glue forms on the surfaces of the blocks. When this happens the hard coating is rasped off to the actual level of the wood. Before attempting to glue the back to the sides, first carefully go round the surface of the lining and edges of the sides with a roughing tool�taking care not to spoil the level surface. (A fine hacksaw blade can be used for this job.) Then, with a thin glue, lightly brush the two surfaces to be	glued together�the edge of the back (keeping to a margin of about 3/8" or 1/2" from the edge and covering the area on the back to be glued) and the top surface of the lining and the edge of the guitar sides. When this thinly - applied glue is thoroughly set, we can proceed to the actual fitting of the back to the sides. For this you will need a number of G cramps, large enough to be fitted over the outer edges of the mould, or the amateur guitar maker can improvise by making a number of hard�wood clips as shown in Fig. 21. These clips are made with the space be�tween the jaws about 1/2" more than tie
		Fig. 21.�Details of an improvised cramp (to replace the more expensive G cramps) for use in fitting the back and front of the guitar to the sides. Below: Details of a wedge, two of which are used in each cramp for "tightening" it when in position.