Woodworking Wednesdays | Here We Go Again!

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Hello there, my fellow artisans and handcrafts enthusiasts!

We are back on the luthier shoes to start making a new instrument. Since the previous project didn't end well or at all, we are taking things one step at a time to make sure the instrument become their best versions.

Let's get to it.

This is the layout of this project. It will have a Cedar (cedrela odorata) top and neck; back and sides in Salmwood (cordia alliodora); fretboard, bridge, nut and saddle in Purpleheart (petolgyne); strum guard in Pui (tabebuia billbergii).

The pieces of the sound board are already together since I took some time a while ago to make sound boards and backs from some pieces of cedar I had left in storage.

Today, we'll go ahead and make the glue up for the pieces of the back.

There's only one step that takes lots of time. It takes even longer if you're rusty with the skills. It is to make the middle of the piece flush. With lots of patience and the planer, we remove material from it until we can hold the pieces together against a source of light and see that no light comes through the seam in the middle. If we are good enough making this joint, there shouldn't even be a seam between the pieces of wood.

I'm still a newbie on this step so having a slightly visible seam is ok.

With the pieces ready for the glue up, it's time to use the trusty jig for this job. This jig has already joined more than 20 tops and backs. Those are very small numbers for other luthiers, but since I work from home and have very little equipment, it's quite an accomplishment so far. And in case you're wondering if there's only glue for this and that's it, just wait and see.

We need to use a chord and this diagonal pattern to push the pieces together. We also add some wood wedges to prevent the back from rising from the jig and giving us an uneven result. Then, it's just a matter of waiting for the glue to dry and we have joined a back.

And this is the result of this session of work. It might not look like a lot, but making the joint is very hard. It is still hard after some years of work and it takes lots of time. Next time. we'll see some of the shaping of this piece and the sound board, plus the start of work on the neck.

For now, enjoy the amazing grain of this Salmwood. It is an amazing wood with great sound qualities. It could even be used as a sound board. It's also very interesting to work since it is an aromatic wood. Once you start sanding it, you'll get this bay leaf aroma all around your work area.

Thanks for reading. See you next time!