Just haven't felt like writing. It requires too much introspection. But now I'm off for 2 weeks and am starting to feel like thinking again.
Actually things are moving forward with reasonably few screw-ups. So far. I HAD to take a break for a while because I had surgery on my left hand to remove a "Dupytron Nodule" the size of a Lima Bean from my left hand. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't hold or carry things in my left hand.
It made playing very painful.
The doctor did a great job and things are good.
While I was in having it looked at, the same doctor gave me my 4th(!) shot of Cortisone in the left elbow. They're scheduling me or surgery... The "tennis elbow" keeps coming back.
Anyhow, the stitches are now out, and I'm back in the garage! Stuff is happening. Sawdust is being created!
I got the back and top of the 12 string braced. Now I have to do the sides. I hope to make the bending forms this week. Once the sides are in the form, I can glue the back and top on.
I made a new top for Marilyn's Sel-Mac. The rosette is solid ebony with back/white trim. It's all braced and ready to go.
The bracing is different from the Standard D-hole (which is different from normal guitars i guess) in that it has the ladder brace from the front of the guitar, but the lower bout is fan braced. It is a "classical" guitar.
Plus, the #3 brace is huge!
The top has great "tap tone" and is very ring-ie. I hope this translates to nice tone when it's glued up. I'm still worried that the back is too stiff... We'll see.
I measured the sides and trimmed them to height, then glued the head and tail blocks.
I got the top of the sides sanded yesterday and am hoping to get the back done today. The top is flat so it got sanded on a flat surface where as the back is being sanded in the 25' radius dish.
Also, the necks for both guitars are rough cut. I need to clean up the tennon on the 12 string.
I am using the very bitchen Ryobi table saw my wife and mother in law gave me for xmas!
I've also gotten the drilling template ready for the 12 string, now that the tuners have arrived.
Still much to do. But I feel like I am learning from previous mistakes and am getting better at my craft.
