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Present Course

 

The progress of

Sebastian Blomfield   Ben Gray   Alexandre Roque   Barry Vernon

from 3rd May to 23rd July 2010

The latest photos of the group were added to this page on 12th August 2010

 

Sebastian Blomfield:

Twin-necked electric ukelele

Photo - see caption Many of the cavities are more easily routed before the body blank is cut to shape.
Photo - see caption The body shape is then cut out.
Photo - see caption The neck blanks are prepared by blocking up the heels and scarfing the headstocks.
Photo - see caption A veneer is then glued onto the face of the headstock.
Photo - see caption The headstock is cut out before final shaping.
Photo - see caption The shoulders of the tenon join are fine tuned to fit the body.
Photo - see caption The neck alignment must be carefully checked while fitting the tenon join.
Photo - see caption The necks have been fitted and the fingerboards are glued on.
Photo - see caption Hammering in the frets.
Photo - see caption The lacquer is sanded between coats.
Photo - see caption With the lacquer on the instrument is reassembled.
Photo - see caption Sebastian's headstock.
Photo - see caption Time to play...

Ben Gray:

Hawaiian style acoustic guitar

Photo - see caption Ben has joined and thicknessed the front and back and is here cutting the front to shape.
Photo - see caption The first ring of decoration is glued in. Care must be taken that all parts are seated fully.
Photo - see caption The bracing layout is planned and the braces prepared, centred around the common x-brace.
Photo - see caption The braces are then glued to the front.
Photo - see caption Gluing on the bridge.
Photo - see caption Here Ben is cutting the headstock shape out of the head block.
Photo - see caption The sides are bent on a hot iron.
Photo - see caption The body is ready for the back to be glued on.
Photo - see caption Here Ben is scraping the bindings flush with the sides.
Photo - see caption Final sanding prior to finishing.
Photo - see caption The back of Ben's guitar.
Photo - see caption A close-up of the bridge.
Photo - see caption Ben playing his guitar.

Alexandre Roque:

Semi-acoustic guitar

Photo - see caption Alexandre has joined and cut out his imbuia back and is finishing off the thicknessing with a scraper.
Photo - see caption The soundholes are then cut out.
Photo - see caption The edges are then fine tuned using files and a small ground down scraper.
Photo - see caption Meanwhile the back gets braced.
Photo - see caption The soundholes have been reinforced and the braces are glued.
Photo - see caption The truss rod is glued in.
Photo - see caption The sides are bent and checked against the template.
Photo - see caption The front, neck and sides are assembled, with the linings and back next to be fitted.
Photo - see caption After trial stringing the frets are stoned level.
Photo - see caption The guitar is finished and Alex is trying it out.
Photo - see caption Now to get ready for the final photos....
Photo - see caption Alex's headstock showing the brass inlay and purfling.
Photo - see caption Another view.

Barry Vernon:

Steel string guitar

Photo - see caption Barry's soundhole decoration starts with fitting the outer rings.
Photo - see caption Sections of maple and ziricote are then fitted in the space between the rings.
Photo - see caption Barry has fitted leaves of mother of pearl and paua shell and is now cutting out the soundhole.
Photo - see caption The back is first to be braced.
Photo - see caption Gluing the bridge.
Photo - see caption The neck is blocked up to give the heel and headstock angle.
Photo - see caption Bending the sides.
Photo - see caption The inner purfling line is glued in, before paua shell is fitted around the perimeter.
Photo - see caption The frets have been stoned and are recrowned using a special file.
Photo - see caption Final sanding.
Photo - see caption After finishing the guitar is reassembled.
Photo - see caption The back of Barry's guitar.
Photo - see caption Barry with his finished guitar.

 


 

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