Official Luthiers Forum!

Within the last 5 days, I have totally destroyed 3 great looking tops. The 1st one failed at the glue joint. I was doing some touch up on the bracing, and my hand rolled heavily across the joint, and it cracked.
The 2nd one ran out of wood when I accidently jerked down on the drill press when I was cutting the rosette channel. And the 3rd one wasen't actually a lost cause. I pulled an old set of spruce down from some older stock I had, planed the edges so that I could glue it together, then glued it together, and laid my form on it to trace the shape of the SJ design I was using and noticed that it was about 1/16th too short on the sides. That's when I walked out of the shop.
One of those weeks?BlueSpirit38728.2268865741

Geez !! ...Take a break Doug !

You'll have nothing left

    Regards KiwiCraig

_________________
CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
_____________________________________________

I feel yo pain Doug. Maybe a good wide purfling goove will take up that 1/16 short.

Doug, yes take a break, i have noticed too that there are some days if not a week where i should not be in my shop other than for cleaning purposes to kind of put meself together! My heart feels for you man!

Serge

Don't be afraid to do a 4 piece top. Sergie de Jonge does it all the time. Take the off cuts from around the upper bout and glue a piece on either side of the lower bout. And I know what it is like to have one of those days

Josh

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Hey, these tops aren't ruined, you just have to rethink your plans for them. Cracked at the center seam? Clean up the edges and joint again. The second one sounds like an oportunity for an inlay or an alternative / mulitple soundhole placement. The third one, either use extra wide purflings or save it for a smaller guitar.

_________________
Rian Gitar og Mandolin

1/16" short on the sides is not a problem; your bindings will take care of that. If you want wood to work with until then, glue some ears on at the lower bouts. Don't even have to be nice ears, since they'll be cut out for the bindings.

As for the rest, it happens <bg>

Doug, all is not lost.

The second one is a great opportunity to try binding the soundhole if the cut was for the inside rosette diameter.

And what Mario and Arnt said about the third top, and repair the first one by all means.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

See, this is what I love about this forum. I have a bad day, come here to vent and whine, (Huh! My wife is right about that.) And what happens? I walk away feeling great because you guys understand, and also I'm loaded down with the knowledge of how to fix or re-use the tops. You guys are the best.

we're all with you Doug!

stay strong and think of the 51 good weeks you have ahead this year Its good to get done with all the screw ups in the first week of the year.
Evan

_________________
http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

Try smashing something, Doug.
Just kidding. At least you screwed up early in the process and got it all out of the way.

I try to keep a cheap garage-sale guitar around to throw against the shop wall if I make a "biggie"... ...Not really, I couldn't destroy even a cheap guitar on purpose! But it seems like a good idea from time to time.

_________________
http://www.presnallguitars.com

Thanks Guys. Today was better.

Well Doug if it makes you feel any better you have made my week good. I am excited about my first batch of tonewood! cant' wait to get a hold of the nice maple and I am sure the
spruce will be just as good or better! Save those tops even if you dont do the suggestions above you can always cut them down to Ukulele size soprano ukes are downright small compared to guitars even parlor.

Zac

zac_in_ak38729.0959606481

_________________
Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here