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Ok campers, I've started on my second archtop. I am using Bubinga for the back and sides. The sides bent beautifully after sanding to 0.070" and using my modified fox bender with two 200W bulbs. I thank all who responded to my earlier Bending Bubinga post. However, after finishing the rim (including the end graft), I noticed that something was missing. I had installed the solid linings without installing the side braces first. Will side braces between the linings be sufficient? Anyone got any suggestions on correcting the problem?

Thanks, Chip
I needed to sharpen my chisels and planes anyway.

oops.....

Yes. They are routinely done that way in many instruments. My 1991 Santa Cruz OM has the cleats glued in this fashion and has performed flawlessly for 14 years.

you can cope the ends of the braces to the profile of the edge of your solid linings so that they will overlap the edge of the linings and give the protection against cracks at the juncture which inleting is supposed to provide. a lot more work at this point but may give you peace of mind.

michael mcclaincrazymanmichael38427.8573263889

OK Chip...you're not fooling anybody!!
You just wanted to show off that NICE rim set!!
Nice try there Buddy.
Looks really nice Chip.
Good Luck!!
WalterK

How about cloth strips? It's a time honored technique. The stress riser at the end of the braces will encourage cracking a little too much for my tastes.

skip'em -

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance, if I skip'em, won't that leave the sides vulnerable to splitting?

Chip

I would put them in from lining to lining like Hank said.
I don't think you will have any problems if you do. They are there in case the sides crack or split. If your sides never crack or split then you should never really need them, right? So try something or do nothing, until you do you won't know what works . Experience is the best teacher. Hope it works out for you. Let us know what you do.

I'm with Hank and Ron on this one. I glue little braces from lining to lining if I do it at all. It depends on the type of wood I am using. Some woods I think are stable enough that they are fine without them. So you might even consider going with Lance's idea.

Josh

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Josh House

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[QUOTE=EricKeller] The stress riser at the end of the braces...[/QUOTE]

Stress riser? Do I hear an engineer in the house?

Eric

Handy hint - take a piece of the solid lining, and glue it to a scrap blook of wood. Glue some sandpaper on it so it draps over the lining, taking on its shape. Use this as a sanding block to contour the side braces to exactly match the lining. Several careful sanding/fitting steps later, and you can glue in the side brace and leave no gap, and hence no stess riser, between the two.

You could make those side braces long enough to reach top to bottom, then cut a groove in the top and back linings that the brace fits in tightly, glue em in and shape that brace with a chisel. The top and bottom parts of the brace is shaped to the lining profile, and you do whatever shape you like on the part of the brace between the linings. That's not a bad technique regardless. If you let the brace in tightly this can make a very clean interrior

Heck, this is what Riabbe was saying. There ya have it.

BTW, good looking rim.

JohnJohn Kinnaird38428.6374768519

Those who brace the sides.......Do you do it on all or just on "problematic" woods?

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DES - Shepherd, MI

Allrighty then.

After careful consideration of all of the suggestions, Hank's suggestion of the small braces from lining to lining seemed to make the most sense to me. The other methods, were just a little too tedious for what I wanted to accomplish. Here is a photo of the end result. After I get back from Chicago, I'll glue the back plate to the rim.

Thanks,
Chip



Fixed!