Ready to bend..

I had planned to spend a couple of days at the workshop getting all the bits ready to start assembly but the weather has been too hot so I only managed to thickness the sides and mark them up ready for bending.

The experience of thicknessing the back plate and soundboard allowed me to quickly get both sides down to an even 2.1mm thickness for each rib without the previous dramas I encountered thicknessing the other plates e.g. tearout, plane not being sharp.

Before and after shots.

I still have to do the final shaping of the headstock and start the basic shaping of the spanish heel.

The large gap around the edge of the rosette is bugging me so Im trying to decide on the best solution. I have a few options:

1. Add 1 or 2 rings of black/white purfling to cover up the gap.
2. Remove the existing rosette and replace with larger diameter rosette.
3. Flip the soundboard over and inlay rosette on what is now the "back" and make it the front/outside face.
4. Plug the gap with left over spruce using epoxy.


I will probably have to spend a bit of time experimenting on scraps before I commit to anything. Im currently favouring option 3.

The weather is looking favourable over the weekend (not too hot) so I should be able to get the headstock and heel block ready for assembly, sides should get bent and probably start making some of the struts.