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Recap

Last time we saw this little one, it was fresh out the mould. The edges were removed. Now, we go ahead and prepare it to get it's sealant coat. If you want to see the previous entries, just click here.

Heel Ornament

Nothing too flashy here. It's just a piece of pine on the heel for aesthetic purposes. My idea of this piece is making contrast with the back color. If it is dark, the ornament is light, and vice versa.

Preparing for bindings

Bindings are the hallmark of a great luthier. They actually don't serve any function. It's just something to brag about the skills. You can see some beautiful ones that are made with different patterns and so. I'm sticking with the traditional kind. But before doing anything of this, we need to open a space on the sound board to fit the bindings. I went to the workshop to get this done quickly. It was also my first time using a router. I think I did a pretty good job.

Installing bindings

After the slot is opened, it's time to get the bindings in place. I did a lot of work and the results were ok, but, now, I know one has to glue the pieces of the bindings in order to put then in one try. What you'll see in pictures is the difficult way to put them. First, you need to trim this strips of wood so they have the same height as the sound board. Then, it's time to glue them using whatever means necessary. I help myself with masking tape. It holds the pieces in place easily and one can apply as much as needed to keep pressure on. When the first layer is ready, we move to the outer layer. This is easier to glue. We use the masking tape trick again. However, since we can use this layer to correct any defects in the inner one, we use chord to apply even more pressure. I always make the joke I'm make an Hallaca knot (an Hallaca is a traditional Venezuelan dish that is made in December, it is corn dough with a feeling of meat and vegetables, wrapped in a plantain leaves and entwined with a thick thread).

Trim the excess

Once this is glued properly, we can use a chisel to remove the excess. Then we sand the whole piece and we have our bindings installed.

Fretboard

The fretboard has been sitting idly while all these other pieces get some action, time to get it in place. Since the neck already has the shape, there's not a lot to do here. There are also some guiding lines drawn on the instrument. We only need to make scratch patterns on the neck and the back of the fretboard (surfaces in contact). We apply glue and then hold them tight with clamps. Having the fretboard on is a key part for what is next.

Strumming guard.

The height of this piece is proportional to the height of the fretboard. Now that it is in place, we can determine the piece to use here. Also, put any kind of ornaments and else. It will also help cover the borders of the rosette. The difficult thing here is not to cover the bindings, so we need to measure and cut it to fit and keep showing the bindings. Once all this is completed, we can glue it and keep it in place with clamps.

Using a rotary tool and tons of sandpaper

This is a step of trimming everything that doesn't look good to the eye. We go through any defect that is sand-able. With the use of a rotary tool a lot of these are easy work. Sandpaper helps us with some difficult stuff. It is helps prepare the surface for sealant.

Natural finish

The fretboard is the first piece to receive a finishing coat. This is because we need to put the frets. So, we sand it flat with our glass sanding block. Clean it. Then, we start the process of sealing it with teak oil. This is done in steps. We apply the oil. Let it dry. Then, sand it with 400 or higher grit. Rinse and repeat. This is done until we are pleased with the results.

Meanwhile, a bridge

While the sealing of the fretboard takes place, we use the time to make the bridge. This is the second piece to receive the natural finish. Taking this block of wood, we make the measures and cut. Then, we sand and use every tool needed to get to the end result. I used my rotary tool to cut the saddle slot. However, I almost lose and eye because the cutting disc broke in pieces. Remember kinds, always use safety goggles while working with this kind of tool. Anyways, the goal was achieved and I also started to seal it with teak oil.

Frets on

Installing the frets is another test to your abilities. It isn't difficult. You just need to hammer the fret wire in place. However, here is where you'll see if your slots are even. No pressure. Once the frets are in place, we file the endings and then make this bevel on the borders. This is both aesthetic and functional. The latter is preventing any cuts the player might get while sliding their fingers down the fretboard.

A Mosaic

I tend to make an asymmetric mosaic to adorn the head stock. I wasn't going to let this chance slip. However, I wasn't sure about the design. This is my idea. I used some pieces of the same kinds of woods present in the instrument. It isn't difficult to make. You just need to get the pieces together as you want to align them. After this, you only trace your design and cut. The last steps are to glue in place and cut it to shape.

Rounding the neck

Now that the frets are on, we can round the back of the neck. Before I had a rasp, I did everything with cutting tools. A rasp works wonders here. I marked the initial and final heights and made a reference cut. Then, I started to file away material until I had a rough shape. Then, it's all sandpaper to smooth the surface and get work the shape.

Some other details

The last details come in little things. There's the division between the neck and head stock. It is a shape I make using a can as guide. There's a lot of different designs for this. Then, we need the holes for the tuning machines. After we trace them on the head stock, we use a drill to open them and then test if the tuning machine can get in. We also take this time to make the measures for the setting of strings and nut. The strings are measured from the nut to the soundboard. This gives us the position of the saddle and also the position of the strings on the bridge. Lastly, we can measure the height of the string on the nut. These too last pieces will determine the action of the strings in the instrument. And with all this work, we can start applying sealant, then start it's finishing layer.