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Preface
by
Preface
Cover: Steel String Rosette Inlay by Denny Brown Photo credit: Denny Brown Dennistoun Brown 2012 2
Preface
Preface
Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar is a conversion of my notes into detailed building instructions for a 25.4 inch scale length steel string guitar. Like its companion, Construction Notes for a Classical Guitar, it is based on study under Robert OBrien, while he directed the Red Rocks Community College Lutherie Program in Denver, Colorado. The original audience was students in Roberts classes. However, with the release of his Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course in 2012, the rst version was rewritten for the benet of online students, as well. Greatest credit for this handbook goes to Robert OBrien, who in 2003 founded and, until 2012, directed the Lutherie Program at Red Rocks Community College in Denver, CO. This is primarily a tabulation of his teachings. Other information in Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar comes from a variety of sources. I am indebted to fellow teaching assistants, Mike Boggess (www.treesongguitars.com), Jim Mcmurdo and Karen Kemerling (www.k2guitars.com), who have guided my guitar building and, remarkably, have kept me out of trouble. Their wisdom is greatly appreciated. Many of their tips are found in this handbook. The rest, which really doesnt seem to leave much, I learned on my own through a combination of technical successes, a few design opportunities, i.e. mistakes, and outside reading. Robert OBrien, to date, has supervised the building of over 500 guitars by students in Colorado, from teenagers to retirees. Several of his students relocated to Colorado specically to take one or more of his courses. Roberts commitment to teaching is known internationally. The DVDs that Robert made for his early students have guided thousands of guitar builders who have purchased guitar kits from LMI, Intl. More recently, Roberts Online Classical Guitar Building Course and Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course were released, which display his ability to distill the complexities and mysteries of guitar making into logical steps. Besides his personal and professional commitments, Robert nds the time to host and actively participate in a Google Chat Group on guitar building. Participants hail from the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. You are invited to join his group at www.groups.google.com/group/obrien-forum.
Preface
None of this is to say that Robert has made guitar making easy. It is not, and it probably never will be. However, he has given many people worldwide the condence to take the risk to do what for them had only been a dream.
Introduction
Introduction
While these notes are based on several sources, they distill down to one of many ways to build a steel string guitar. Indeed, every luthier has his or her own method to make a guitar. With so many steps, variations quickly develop. Nonetheless, what I have recorded closely follows the current methods used by Robert O'Brien. Experienced builders can use Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar alone as a reference to refresh his or her memory on the steps of building, or to see another way to do things. For the rst-time guitar maker, this handbook alone may be inadequate as a guide to building a steel string guitar. Some things just have to be seen once or twice before they make sense. The materials and dimensions used in this handbook are based on the LMI (Luthiers Mercantile, Intl ) KLSRO kit, used in Roberts classes and in his online course. However, this does not preclude the use of materials from numerous other quality luthier sources. Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar can also be paired with Roberts DVDs and his free YouT ube Luthier Tips du Jour series. Several books and videos are available from other reputable authors. However, all of these resources differ to some degree from this handbook. In the case of Roberts DVDs, certain sections are dated. When there is a disagreement between the DVD and these notes, the methods here are most current. For convenience, hyperlinks are provided within the text to Luthier Tips du Jour episodes and to each Online Classical Guitar Building Course lesson. The T able of Contents also links to respective sections in the handbook. The best learning experience, of course, is to build your guitar with Robert OBrien in Colorado. For those who cannot, his "Online Steel String Guitar Building Course is a remarkably close second best option. It is every bit as detailed as his classes, perhaps more so.
Introduction
You may print this manual. Use it to take notes. Lots of notes. The true discovery of great things in your guitar will happen over 250 pages from here when you rst put on the strings. No sooner. If your guitar is a home run, wouldnt you like to have some clues how it happened? On the other hand, if your guitar doesnt come out the way you wanted, wouldnt you also want to know why? T ake notes. When you are ready to build a classical guitar, be sure to take a look at Robert OBriens Online Classical Guitar Building Course, and the companion handbook, Construction Notes for a Classical Guitar. Input for Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar is welcome. FlatironFrets@Gmail.com. Write to me at
A word of caution
Several steps of building a guitar are dangerous, including those using hand tools. It is the readers responsibility to learn how to use and maintain equipment safely and correctly.
Foreword
Denny Browns Construction Notes series for guitar building is the set of books I had planned to write for my students, but somehow I never got around to actually doing it. With a young family and a growing lutherie program, this task never managed to move to the top of my T Do list. o I was thrilled when Denny unexpectedly presented his rst book on the classical guitar to me in December of 2011. I immediately asked to use it in my classroom and hoped he would write a steel string version, too. (Obviously, he did.) Actually, I think that I was not only thrilled, but relieved that this long overdue project was nally complete. Denny went above and beyond what I had envisioned and created an interactive manual. Students have instant access to my online courses and Luthier Tips du Jour videos just by clicking on the active links throughout the text. Since Denny introduced these texts, my students work has improved signicantly. Students now have a written study guide that allows them to prepare for class ahead of time. In the shop, they have a detailed checklist to minimize mistakes. And as importantly, they have a place to record notes on their progress. As an instructor, these books have made my life easier and helped my students build better guitars. Denny has meticulously captured how I build guitars. He also offers some additional perspective, which is a bonus for the user. These handbooks have become an indispensable part of my teaching and are now required reading for students in my workshop. Using these books will make your guitar-building experience more rewarding and easier than ever, leading to the result you want: a guitar that both looks and sounds beautiful. Robert OBrien Parker, Colorado www.obrienguitars.com
Foreword
Forward
Denny Brown discovered ne woodworking in 2007 after retiring from a career as a general surgeon. He found one of the premier woodworking programs in the United States just forty-ve minutes from home. His passion for ne craftsmanship and detail led him to Robert OBriens guitar-making classes. Denny builds both steel string and classical guitars. He is a teaching assistant for OBriens guitar building classes in Denver, Colorado. He is also the author of Construction Notes for a Classical String Guitar and writes the My Guitar Notes blog at www.atironfrets.com. Denny lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and children.
T able of Contents
T able of Contents
Chapter 1: Sides
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar Prep the End Block Prep the Heel Block Cut Sides to Length Glue the Sides to the End and Heel Blocks
T able of Contents 20 21 21 22
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Chapter 1: Sides
Chapter 1: Sides
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: o Intro (free) o The LMI Kit (free) o Relative Humidity (free)
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: Cutting Sides to Width See Luthier Tips du Jour: Band Saws
11
Chapter 1: Sides
Safe-T-Planer Set Up
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: Thicknessing See Luthier Tips du Jour: Safe-T-Planer Note: In 2012, production of the Safe-T-Planer was discontinued. A similar product is the Drill Press Planer
o Put Safe-T-Planer in the drill press o Tilt the table very slightly downhill so the exit side of cutter is wider than the entry A folded piece of sandpaper under the in-feed side of the table is enough o Set the depth to 2.7 mm o Set the drill press speed to 2000-2500 RPM o Make sure the table is clean so the board is not lifted by debris and cut too thin est o T cut Feed a piece of scrap under the Safe-T-Planer and measure the thickness of the cut Adjust table as needed and redo test cuts until correct
12
Chapter 1: Sides
o With one person, push the board in as far as possible using a hold down block, then pull the board through with a hold down block on the outfeed side Final thicknessing options o o o o Thickness Sander (preferred) Scraper Hand sander See Luthier Tips du Jour: Scrapers Thickness Sanding Sides
Thickness sander
o The target point is 2.2 mm and exibility suitable for bending (a good indicator is the beginning of ex transversely) Measure the thickness of sides, tops and backs with a dial caliper
o Send sides through sander at 30o angle to avoid overheating the sanding belt o A single pass without changing the setting may be all that is needed to ne-tune the thickness o Measured nal thickness of sides = ______ mm Consider thicknessing the back pieces now while the Safe-T-Planer is set up, see Chapter 3: Back
13
Chapter 1: Sides
End Line
End Line
110 mm
O cm
o Mark up
Measure 3 cm in from both ends and draw square lines (end lines) The distance between these two line should be 74 cm o For a mark up directly on the guitar, use this length and position the space over the most desirable part of the sides
Label this line WAIST Label the end line NEAREST the waist NECK Label the end line FARTHEST from the waist BUTT aper cut o T On the NECK end line, mark 95 mm from one edge
Draw a straight line from this mark to the end of the nearest waist line Band saw this line and discard the cutoff o Label the template 14
BACK TOP
BUTT
95 mm
46 cm
74 cm
Chapter 1: Sides
Along the side with the tapered side, mark BACK Along the uncut straight edge, mark TOP Do not get these backwards! Label the template STEEL STRING, in case you later make classical guitars ransfer all of the labels and lines to the opposite side o T o Cut notches at the ends of the each line to aid marking the
Bookmatch the sides and lay the two pieces side by side Select the desired outside surfaces Fold the sides together with the desired outside surfaces on the outside of the sandwich Mark the layout orientation o Use white pencil on the outside of both pieces o Select and mark the neck and butt ends Remember that the neck end will be tapered o Mark the jointed edges as the top o Align the side template on the sides so the top edge is ush against the top (jointed) edge o Use the side template to mark locations of the waist, neck end and butt ends Mark the waist on the edge, too o Mark the front taper Mark inside the taper line with an X, so the mark remains after the taper is cut Band saw the taper
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Chapter 1: Sides
Crack Repair
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: Crack Repair Cracks can and will occur, particularly in the sides Most cracks are 50 mm, or less, but they can also be very dramatic The rescue is frequently CA glue, plus accelerator Dark wood cracks, especially with the grain, tend to hide well Do NOT use CA glue for tops o Light colored woods stain with CA glue In all cases, the principle is to get the wood on either side of the crack lined up and held in place while glue sets Another pair of hands might be handy, if using CA glue with accelerator Minor Fixes
Get the wood lined up Let thin CA glue ow into the crack Apply accelerator and hold until set
Major Fixes - for example, a long split in the side o Identify the length of the crack and mark each end o Get the two sides lined up precisely, whatever it takes This is critical o Let thin CA glue ow generously into the crack along its entire length If the cracks is clamped, sand over the crack with old sandpaper to ll irregularities in the crack If the crack is being held by hand, apply accelerator o Repeat on the other side o Scrape and sand smooth
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Chapter 1: Sides
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: o Bending, Part 1 o Bending, Part 2 See Luthier Tips du Jour: o LMI Side Bender o Side Bending by Hand o Making Forms
Super Soft
An optional step Spray the sides with Super Soft, as instructed on the bottle Let dry between paper under a weight overnight
Set up
Obtain or make a guitar form for your plan Set up bending machine with the correct bending prole Lay the guitar form on the bench in line with the bender, i.e. neck end in the same direction as the bending machine is set up Mark the up side of the guitar form BACK, and the other side TOP using tape Lay the sides on top of the guitar form on the table with the outsides up, the back edges to the center and the neck /butt oriented in the same direction as the form and bending machine
17
Chapter 1: Sides
Position the wood o Put the rst sheet of spring steel in the bending machine Line up the spring steel parallel to one side of the bending form o Spray wood lightly with water o Put one guitar side outside up on the spring steel and line up the top (jointed) edge parallel to the edge of the spring steel o Position the waistline of the guitar side in the center of the bending machine Add the heating pad, then the second sheet of spring steel Double check positioning Spring-clip the sandwich together When bending o Do not walk away from the bending machine o Avoid distractions such as conversations, telephones o Heating moves very fast and can quickly lead to a disaster
1. Heat to 300o - 325o F and hold there for 5 minutes by turning 2. Heat to 325o - 350o F and turn the heating pad of fas soon as 3. Heat to 325o - 350o F, cool, then reheat to 325o - 350o F,
then cool
18
Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar Cool and remove the side Place the side in the guitar form
Chapter 1: Sides
Bend waist Slowly bend the large bout then the small bout Hold at 300o - 325o F for 5 minutes o (Optional) leave side in the bender at 260o F for 15 minutes Cool and remove side Place the side in the guitar form
19
Chapter 1: Sides
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: Heel and End Blocks See Luthier Tips du Jour: o Heel and End Blocks o Hand Planes o Sharpening
o 108 mm (tall) Sand the rough sides of the block and bring them close to nal dimensions
o Finished dimensions will be 76 x 19 x 102 mm o The ends of the block do not need to be sanded The height of the block will be brought to size when the guitar is radiused later in this chapter o Plane a bevel on the two vertical corners that will be on the inside of the guitar This is cosmetic, be careful of blow out o Mark centerlines on both ends of the block o Remove the sides from the form o Slide the end of the guitar form off of the bench o Place the block beneath the tail end of the empty guitar form, line up the centerline and trace the contour for planing Plane the block to t ush inside of the form The line is for reference so that the contour can be planed parallel to it Dont round corners and be careful of blowout Check t, sliding the block up and down in the form to look for gaps Sand to 180 grit
20
Chapter 1: Sides
o 88 mm (tall) Sand the rough sides of the block and bring them close to nal dimensions o Finished dimensions are 70 x 32 x 82 mm o The nished thickness MUST BE 32 mm for the neck bolts to t A little less is okay, more is not o The ends of the block do not need to be sanded The height of the block will be brought to size when the guitar is radiused later in this chapter o Plane a bevel on the two vertical corners that will be on the inside of the guitar This is cosmetic, be careful of blow out o Mark centerlines on both ends of the block
Chapter 1: Sides
o Band saw the sides just short of the lines Save cutoffs for cauls o Finish to the line with a sander o Replace sides in the guitar form in the correct orientation o Reinsert the spreader o Clamp sides to the guitar form to eliminate gaps around the lower bout
5 cm to either side
T ools o o o o o
8 - C-clamps 4 - Cam clamps Spring clamp Wax paper Rosewood cutoffs for cauls (from the last step)
o If there arent enough clamps, or a more relaxed two-step pace is preferred, only half as many clamps are needed Set up
o Be sure the guitar form is top side down on the bench o Mark the centerline on both ends of the blocks and on the glue faces Put the blocks at the correct ends of the guitar form o Make sure the sides of the blocks are square to the bench
22
Chapter 1: Sides
Glue up o Set up the clamps with a dry run, this has to move quickly if both ends are being done simultaneously o o o o o Place wax paper on the bench under where the blocks will be Apply glue to the correct face (marked midline) of either block Position the block ush with the bench Align the centerline with the form using the marked lines Clamp sequence Use wax paper beneath the outer cauls, if needed Clamp one corner with a spring clamp to hold the cauls Watch for skating of the end block Clamp both back corners rmly, removing the spring the clamp after the rst C-clamp is applied Position clamps towards the outside of the block for a ush t Check the block for square to the bench Repeat this sequence with the other block Remove the sides from the form Use a spring clamp to hole the cauls in place Add clamps to the top corners of both blocks Clean glue squeeze out Add two cam clamps to the center of each block
Scrape and sand the inner surfaces of the sides to 180 grit
23
Chapter 1: Sides
Radiusing
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: Radiusing See Luthier Tips du Jour: Closing the Box Radiusing is putting a curvature on the top and back of the guitar to create slight domes in the top and back when are glued to the body o It is very easy to become disoriented and make mistakes in this process o Pay attention to having the dish with the proper radius (15 or 30) and working on the correct side (top or back) of the guitar.
Authors Note: I radius the top rst and the back second, the reverse of Roberts method. I nd it keeps me out of trouble. The end and heel block heights will need to be nalized while radiusing. This should be done from the back side. I nd that if I radius the back rst, I am tempted to make any nal height adjustments from the top, since the back is already nished. Making adjustments from the front risks taking the top edge out of parallel with the grain gure on the sides. There is a signicant taper on the back upper bout of the back, so parallel grain is not expected there. This is purely cosmetic, so it is of no functional importance.
Radius the T op
T ake out a 30radius dish with sandpaper o Clamp the dish to the bench with cam clamps, leaving room for sanding
T urn the form TOP SIDE DOWN and put pieces of blue tape around the back edges o Anything that keeps things oriented is good o When radiusing, the blue tape should be up Put the guitar TOP SIDE DOWN in the radius dish and assess for gaps T urn the form over and plane down the proud points on the top side o Plane towards the heel block to avoid splitting Recheck for gaps o Repeat planing until the sides are close to the desired radius of the dish
24
Chapter 1: Sides
o Use chalk on the side edges and the produced sawdust in the dish for a guide in sanding, until there is no gap o Additional planing can be used gingerly to speed the process
If desired, kerng can be added to the top, now, and the back radiused after the glue has dried
Clamp the dish to the bench with cam clamps, leaving room for sanding Put the form TOP SIDE DOWN on the bench and be sure the top of the guitar lies at o With a white pencil, mark in three places on the sides where they meet the form, for reference if the guitar slips in the form and needs repositioning T urn the form BACK SIDE DOWN and put pieces of blue tape around the top edges o Anything that keeps things oriented is good o When radiusing, the blue tape should be up T urn the form BACK SIDE UP Plane the block height down to near the target heights arget heights: o T End block 100-105 mm o Tilt the plane angled up towards the center of the guitar a little to accommodate for the 30 radius Heel block 80 mm
Put the guitar onto the radius dish BACK SIDE DOWN 25
Chapter 1: Sides
o Make sure there is enough of the sides protruding from the form in back to radius without inadvertently sanding the form o Wrap ngers around the form If they touch the sandpaper, adjust the form higher If an adjustment has been made, ip the body top side down and be sure the edges are ush with the table top Put the guitar BACK SIDE DOWN in the radius dish and assess for gaps T urn the form over and plane down the proud points o Plane towards the heel block to avoid splitting Recheck for gaps o Repeat planing until the sides are close to the desired radius of the dish Sand in the 15 radius dish with a twisting motion o Use chalk on the side edges and the produced sawdust for a guide in sanding, until there is no gap o Additional planing can be used gingerly to speed the process
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: o Kerng o More radiusing and Kerng See Luthier Tips du Jour: Kerng The kerng will be the glue surface for the top and the back Be sure the inside is sanded to 180 grit Do top side rst o Actually, this doesnt matter, but the top can be seen as practice run, since mistakes will be hidden Check that the sides are square to the bench in the form Kerng clamps are gloried clothes pins with rubber bands around their arms to add more closure force o Commercial kerng clamps are available from LMI
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Chapter 1: Sides
Glue up
Break off the kerng to about the amount that is needed Lay the kerng on a at surface and apply glue to entire strip, blot, dont spread Position the kerng 1-2mm proud of the side edge Begin at the heel block (front) and get as ush to the block as possible Bunch kerng together if it breaks Apply kerng clips ush next to each other as you go o Lean clips forward into the body interior After the left and right strips are applied, apply 4 cam clamps to the corners of the form with arms up, then ip the form onto the arms o Alternatively, clamp the form upright in a bench vise Remove the spreader and inspect the kerng for gaps Adjust clips or add small spring clamps where the kerng is not ush with the sides Let glue set up a bit and scrape gross glue squeeze out Clean kerng gaps with a razor blade Clamp time: 30-45 minutes If desired, kerng for the other side can be shaped while the glue dries on the rst side urn the cam clamps facing the other way and turn the other side up o T o Reinsert the spreader o Shape the kerng as was done on the rst side o Continue with the glue up after kerng clamps have been removed from the rst side
27
Chapter 1: Sides
Otherwise, shape the kerng and do the glue up exactly as was done on the rst side Sand kerng to 180 grit T ouch up any sanding on the inside
Struts
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: Side Struts Struts are strips of wood that are glued to the sides vertically between the kerng o They are decorative, structural and, perhaps, tonal They will help limit the length of a split in the side, should one occur The struts further stiffen the sides and may help project tone Struts can be made from scrap wood, such as cut offs of back and brace wood o Some builders make immaculate laminated strips of various woods to add to the decorative value Use three to four struts o One on the upper bout, one behind the waist and one or two in the lower bout Make the struts 2.5 - 6 mm thick o Thicker strips can be scalloped or tapered on the ends to transition down to the kerng Position the struts symmetrically from left to right o o T be precise, count kerng spaces along the side o Mark the locations Cut each piece a little long Fit each piece between the kerng using a sander to adjust the angles of the ends o Mark each piece with its location on a piece of tape o Square the end that will be at the top o Put the strut in place on the guitar side and estimate the angle needed to be cut off o Sand the angle and adjust it until it ts Glue up o Apply glue to the struts, less is more
28
Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar o Position them straight up and down Use a square from the top, if desired o Clamp in place with spring clamps o Watch for skating o Clean the squeeze out o Clamp time 30 minutes
Chapter 1: Sides
End Wedge
See Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course: End Wedge See Luthier Tips du Jour: End Grafts
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Chapter 1: Sides
30
Chapter 1: Sides
Notes:
31
Chapter 1: Sides
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