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Hi guys, does any body have a good technique to glue a headstock back venner without a vacuum clamp? I just finished a neck and a nice zebrawood back venner will do the trick!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Peter,

I bend the veneer on my hot pipe to match the volute, rough shape it except for the back volute curve which I get pretty exact, and then glue with titebond and a multitude of clamps. I find I need to have a lot of clamping pressure at the back of the volute but not so much as the front hence the clamp mixtures. When the glue is dry I shape the veneer to the headstock - I sometimes use the beltsander, and other tines a piloted router bit:


Dave White38914.5498263889

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I'd make a clamping caul out of the plastic stuff StewMac sells, (Beads that you heat in water) formed to the back of the head. Then glue, caul and clamp!

And don't forget to bend it first as Dave said. I don't have a pipe bender so I use a clothes iron, get it good and hot, clamp it to the head and let it cool.

By the way... nice looking neck and head Joe Beaver38914.5737847222

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Clamping caul for the curve - I made one that fits the curve exactly, plus I like to use a piece of 1/16 inch rubber in there to cushion it. As well, I made a hinged 2 piece bending form that I use with a 12 inch blanket now to bend the back piece - makes bending a 4 piece bookmatched braz rear plate easy.TonyKarol38914.5745949074

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

You tease Tony,

[quote]makes bending a 4 piece bookmatched braz rear plate easy.[/quote]

Come one, lets see some pics.

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I usually just throw mine in the Fox bender with the valute area at the waist. Puts a nice little pre-bend in it. Then I'll clamp it with a piece of 2" pvc as a caul. That forced it into the bend very well.

How thick is the veneer you want to use? I usually use a standard thickness veneer of about 1/32 or .7mm
Take a couple pieces of carpet pad and put that between the clamping caul and the volute. Don't forget a piece of wax paper or you will have fun picking the carpet foam off the volute if any glue gets on it. The foam pad when compressed takes up any gaps that there may be between the caul and the volute. This works really well if your veneer is thin.
Also, Rockler has a sale this week on their vacuum bags with a hand pump. This also works well. You can find it here.

Hi Rod .. most of them never turn out well in photos, they all end up too dark to really show the grain and figure .. but here is a pretty good one. The photo again doesnt really do it justice.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks guys, I kinda do it that way too, but this time I am going to use real veneers (the real thin stuff!) rather the a thicker veneer....
thats why I'mm worried

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Mine are about 75-80 thou - you need to bend them first for the curved area.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks Tony, I just got done gluing mine...some clamps and a felt pad did the trick..
I was worried because this one its only about 20-22 thousands thick (or should I say thin?)

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Robbie, thanks for the tip on the Rockler vaccuum pumps!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

[QUOTE=Joe Beaver] I'd make a clamping caul out of the plastic stuff StewMac sells, (Beads that you heat in water) formed to the back of the head. Then glue, caul and clamp!

And don't forget to bend it first as Dave said. I don't have a pipe bender so I use a clothes iron, get it good and hot, clamp it to the head and let it cool.

By the way... nice looking neck and head [/QUOTE]

Friendly Plastic

You need to bend them first?

I used 1/16" birdseye maple veneer on the last one I did it without bending it first. I use a caul with wax paper/3/8" playground rubber/1/8" masonite and clamp.

John Watkins tells me he uses a caul made from a mousepad for his.