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Randy's Tenor (#1)
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Author:  Randy Jones [ Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:35 am ]
Post subject:  Randy's Tenor (#1)
I'm building a tenor based on the Antes O plans. Inspiration for this comes from playing a friends all mahogany tenor after 20 years of a dreadnought. Only previous experience is spending an inordinate amount of time researching on the Internet. Not satisfied with looking anymore!

Back and sides: walnut
Top: redwood from my basement stairs
Neck: mahogany, maple, walnut sandwich

About to order the rest.

Thanks Wud for the deadline!
Author:  Randy Jones [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Here is what's been accomplished so far.

1. Wood has been bought. The curl in the walnut is pretty outrageous. I think the set was $60. (color is more chocolate than red)
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2. Made the mold by pattern routing and gluing up ply.
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3. Tore out a redwood stair tread from my basement
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4. Grain is looking pretty tight and quartered on the top. (color is not this yellow)
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5. Thicknessed the laminations for the neck on my shop built drum sander (Pat's plans - made this summer). Glue up and cut the headstock angle on the table saw sled. The center walnut strip was the only solid wood in a massive particle board desk. Maple from Home Depot.
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6. At the moment I'm storing all the wood inside. In norther california winter the indoor humidity at my house ranges from 30-50%. When it's low 40's. I cut and glue as much as possible. Right now, I'm stuck.
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Next:
• Resaw the top. The stair tread is 1". Perhaps can get 4 out of it. Ordering a new 1/2" timberwolf blade.
• Join the top and back.
• Order binding/purf/bracewood/kerfed lining and uh.. stuff
Author:  Randy Jones [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Oh yeah. Don't forget to replace the stair tread!

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And finish the mantel.

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Then continue on the guitar.
Author:  Hastings Guitars [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
I love how your sound board is reclaimed from a step. You will have to with stand the urges not to take them all up.

Good work on the neck laminations too.

Ed
Author:  Randy Jones [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Hastings Guitars wrote:
I love how your sound board is reclaimed from a step. You will have to with stand the urges not to take them all.


Then they would all match! They make a curve at the top and there are some fairly massive boards of similar quality that when you put your ear right on them.. sound like a weissenborn!

Thanks for your encouragement on the neck lam. I'm a little worried because the walnut in the sandwich is not full width like the maple and hog. Only as wide as the neck. This is stressing the glue joint as the maple and hog move around. I think I'll rough trim the bottom of the neck profile soon so I can see if there are issues.
Author:  Casey Cochran [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
You will have to take picture of yourself playing your new guitar while sitting on those stairs.
Author:  ZekeM [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Casey Cochran wrote:
You will have to take picture of yourself playing your new guitar while sitting on those stairs.


Yes do that! If there are any stairs left by then :D
Author:  Hastings Guitars [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Just thinking, and maybe one of the more experienced Luthiers will chime in, will there be any issues with the truss rod if it falls on one of the neck lamination glue lines?

I'm sure none, but it might be worth asking.

Ed
Author:  ZekeM [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 1:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
I don't see why it would hurt anything. After all the glue lines are stronger than the surrounding wood anyways. IMO it should be fine.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
I'm actually planning carbon fiber reinforcement only. No truss rod. I figure with 4 strings + stability of laminated neck + small body/scale it should be ok. Am I stupid? It will be bolt on mortise and tenon.
Author:  WudWerkr [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Randy Jones wrote:
I'm actually planning carbon fiber reinforcement only. No truss rod. I figure with 4 strings + stability of laminated neck + small body/scale it should be ok. Am I stupid? It will be bolt on mortise and tenon.



The Mand-Jo I built for the last challenge has ( 2 ) Carbon fiber rods in it and 8 strings . The neck is holding just fine . I doubt it will be an issue .
Author:  ZekeM [ Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
It'll probably hold just fine with carbon fiber. I personally like an adjustable truss rod. Makes set up easier and I think it's always good to have it just in case. But you will prolly be ok. I see adjustable truss rods more as a backup plan just in case the neck bows ten years down the road. You just turn a nut an problem solved instead of having to staighten the neck and/or plane the fb flat.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Resawed the stair, and surprise, it turns out it's not redwood after all. Don't know if it's some sort of pine spruce or what. I'm open to any guesses. Seems stiff enough, so press on.

Getting the table square on the garage sale special took most of the time and it struggled, but pulled through in the end. A proper 3tpi blade would probably help. I was using a 6tpi off the shelf from lowes.

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Author:  Randy Jones [ Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Any guesses on the top wood?

Here's what I know:
1. Very tight grained
2. Had a pitch pocket
3. Fairly yellow/tan
4. House built in 1930 in northern ca
5. The cut board has a strong smell. Not like incence cedar but similarly strong. My wife says it stinks, I like it.
6. Seems stiff and resistant to rh change so far.

?? Yellow cedar ??
Author:  Jason Rodgers [ Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Doug Fir.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Mon Jan 21, 2013 7:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Did a bit of reading up on Doug Fir. That seems likely. It also seems as though thinner and or lighter bracing might be in order.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 1:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
As I was thicknessing the top on my drum sander, I discovered by the time I removed the washboard from my saw blade the book match was a different color. I think this is because I used the bottom of the stair slice, and the one above that. My expectation was that the darker color that fooled me into thinking it was redwood was just at the surface. Turns out it goes about 3/16. I wonder if it was sealed or something. Anyhow, sliced off another and will match the two middle slices.

After thumping the boards and listening for that "rings like a gong" type comment i've heard before ... yeah. It sounds like tapping on a thin piece of wood, aaaaaaaaand also like the bells of Notre Dame!!!!! Now, who has a wine label that needs writing?
idunno
Author:  Randy Jones [ Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Home cookin' to join the top:
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Had to redo the top as it was showing a few slivers of light upon inspection. Second time's the charm.

The end results (not sanded):
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I also routed and cut some reverse kerf lining from the mahogany neck scraps. Pics of that in the next go round.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Sat Mar 02, 2013 2:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Shipment from LMI on the FedEx truck for delivery! Purfling, brace wood, bridge and fingerboard. Goal for the weekend is to build and try out a bending pipe. Using a paint stripping gun for heat. We shall see.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Wow. Some observations:
1. This is harder than it looks on YouTube.
2. Your first experience bending should not be on your final sides.
3. Not having practice wood is no excuse for 2.
4. Deciding which way to bend the waist is not based on "instinct".
5. Reversing the waist when bent the wrong way is not ideal.
6. Find the right air flow balance between roasting your chestnuts and melting your dad's heat gun is tricky.

The crack pipe (that's her official name):
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Sorry Dad. On the bright side, the possibility of more grandchildren exists:
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Results drying:
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Hmmm. Need to regroup once they are dry and assess the damage.... er... progress.
Author:  Doug Balzer [ Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Hang in there Randy! The learning curve is half the fun.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Sun Mar 03, 2013 11:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
After letting it dry and inspecting, didn't turn out as bad as I feared except for 2-3 cracks like below. I have way more side height than I need, so I can definitely cut them off. But that is the curliest part of the side and if I can keep it, I'd like to.

How do you go about fixing cracks like this?
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Overall, starting to look like a guitar so I'm pleased.
Author:  PeterF [ Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Superglue and clamp it both sides. I had a crack all the way across one of my sides and now you can barely see it. I did glue it before bending though, so that might be harder.
Author:  Randy Jones [ Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Over the weekend made some spreaders for the mold. Much easier to store without a zillion clamps. Spouse happier! Well, except for the fact that it's on the mantel.
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Then I made a circle cutter which proved to be a nice exercise to practice precision drilling. May come in handy later. Its loosely based on Chris Paulick's take.
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Sadly, my little dewalt 611 plunge base is big enough I can only make 5.1" minimum circles. Should have measured.
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So now I'm trying to devise some kind of home brew base and tongue/pin that can extend under the router from my current pin block. Grrrrrr...

Sorry for the terrible pics.
Author:  ZekeM [ Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Randy's Tenor (#1)
Randy,
What if you used the same basic system as you are using for your circle cutter, but instead of having the blocks level with the base of the router, you had them underneath. You could then adjust the pin almost to the bit making tiny circles possible. Seems like a pretty easy fix. If you can understand what I mean haha :)
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