THE JOY OF CHISELLING...

Whilst last weeks work was all about man and machine (i.e. the thicknesser) this week was all about tools.  The chisel as an extension of the hand... or the plane or the humble, but essential, square of sandpaper. In this case I used 120 grade paper (that red stuff in my hand below right, note trendy 1970s rock icon T shirt)

With both pieces of mahogany (top n base) contoured as per last weeks pictures, this week was all about curvature, taking away those sharp edges and creating a smooth finish.

Initially I used the paring chisel in the picture which took away the sharp edge. Then that tiny and pretty cool plane to even out those curves a little more. A scraper helped out at that stage. Lastly a grade 180 sandpaper to end up with that neat shape. I still think it's a little too high...what dya reckon??
 









The art of using the chisel seems to have  a therapeutic benefit.  Lotsa men (maybe women too) love to work with wood and chiselling is often a centre piece of this labour...remember whittling anyone?  It can help hat ease the troubled mind,  a little like the way meditation can. Chisel on I say.

This weeks song considerations included "Enter Sandman" (far too up itself for it's own good really) anything by Level 42 (err?!? nothing by Level 42) Really tho' it had to be these iconic Aussie pub rockers..we all know their catalogue (well the readers from down under anyway) ...so here is their last single with Jimmy only kinda screaming (!) It's a good comment on the Aus/UK/Everywhere Idol/ Who's Got Talent etc crap shows that now seem to shape the music industry.  Sadly they break a guitar in the video:  see John Hiatt  at the end of my second post.

IN THICKNESS AND IN HEALTH...

Today was spent primarily shaping the contours on the both the base

 (finishing from last week) and the top of this "Gibson semi solid to be".

 

Here we see the "Before" "During" and "After" views. What could be so good as working on a "potential guitar", in the sun, on a machine with ne'er a care in the world.  Well lotsa things, I guess but this was a damn good day at the office. The machine in use shall hence forth be known as the Thicknesser.  The guy next door from the battery world shop decided it would be so. It's a variation on the one in the link but the principle is there. Later I used the thicknesser/planer shown in the link to help smooth the pieces of wood attached to the top'n'back (see above left.. the white piece on the guitar shaped bit!!). These pieces of "thicknessed" i.e. levelled wood will help secure the guitar for the chiselling to come. Stay tuned groupies!

Given the nature of todays work a link to "Tales from the Topographic Oceans "  by Yes seemed an obvious choice but hey its a triple album of prog. rock... read the link!!!  The following piece of music is still from Yes, though a solo piece from the far superior and much shorter "Fragile" LP.  There are a few versions around but the studio one is still the definitive version, and hey look at that Roger Dean art. ...Isn't this reason enough to practise your chord changes and fingering: 

NEXT STAGE...

After cutting the shapes and pasting them onto craft wood, the bandsaw again comes into it's own.  The craft wood is much easier to cut compared to the mahogany, and all digits remain intact.  I counted,  still got ten, and of course the absence of claret is also a good indicator of a safe outcome.

These cut outs help shape the back and front of the guitar.  The height of both sides is 11mms at the centre and then they slope off, at  rate of 1.83333mms per contour (those 6 shapes I cut).   Back to the mahogany: it will be shaped according  to the contours and measurements (refer to advanced calculations pictured,traditional approach of pen on paper but checked on mobile phone!) I did refer to the plan.

The shaped craft wood is screwed onto the mahogany, one piece at the time, starting with the smallest, to allow the real guitar shape to be gouged out.  The machine in the picture, being used by Strato, is a custom built thing of infinite use, but without a name. It helps me end up with the shape in the last pic (that's the base, phase two of six).  Four more levels on the base, the full six on the top and then: let the chiselling begin!!!

No reason to post this 'cept it's a great song, even if the band has a crappy name. Enjoy,  catch you next time.