The Luthier Community

Joe,

Eben makes a very good point. I think you should describe them as "Sustaire dry weather soundports" that open up and optimise the sound when the humidity drops, and while you are at it patent the idea (well Kevin Ryan patented soundports that are covered by the playing arm so why not )

As for the old time builders, they used to crank up the wood stove in the workshop and braced in their Y-fronts - that's a luthier's technical term by the way

Joe-

Cleat and glue 'em. That will be good for me. Wood is wood is wood and wood does crack sometimes when the moisture drops during the heating season. I know because I was talking to a friend on the phone in my "urban" setting shop one month ago and heard a crack sound and looked down and sure as shit saw a crack in your boycote back. Almost the same spot as the crack you picture in your build. I plan to cleat it as well and all will be fine. I'll take a pic soon. I bet both cracks happened at the same moment in time! We are linked dude.

Nice to see your progress- and good call E-man!

Dean

* also I will set up a humidifier in the area. Maybe you need more plants Joe or a "pond".

Oops, I forgot...

Freegift wrote: I bet both cracks happened at the same moment in time! We are linked dude.

Wow - The Cracks of Doom Just make sure you don't drop any magic rings down them

One of my very favourite quotes is by Charles Hoffman : “It has been exhaustively demonstrated that under rigorously controlled conditions carefully selected pieces of wood will do pretty much what they damn well please.”

Wow, what a thread!
Dave you've got me falling out of my chair here with "Sustaire dry weather soundports", and Charles Hoffman's quote! My new favorite and truest quote.

Okay Dean, I think that is probably the best call. Amazing that it happened to both guitars! Hey, guitars with "mojo" and character is what we build, dammit!

Well from now on I will be bracing and closing boxes stripped down and with the woodstove blazing. So no pics!

Dennis the new back wood arrived today. I'll just take a picture of it and keep it with the guitar, so Dean will be able to see what it might have looked like without cracks.

Thanks everyone,
Joe

Back again.

Upon reflecting upon the advice of a very helpful, anonymous friend, I have agreed that it's better to bite the bullet and re-back this build. It just has too many cracks to be considered a guitar with a couple of repaired cracks. I believe it would just cause more trouble down the line, so...

...used my binding rig to rout the binding off. Then used an iron and a re-shaped putty knife to work the back loose.


And there we have it, cracks be gone!


And looking at the inside of this one, I'm glad it's going to have a new back!


Wait a minute, I may have made a mistake!
I just looked at this new back Dennis sent me under the good light of my studio, and Holy Shit!
This back has some awful nice curl in it! I couldn't see that when I opened the package at the house.

Maybe I can just patch this old back up and reassemble it after all!

Ah hell! Dean probably just read this, I guess I'll have to use it on his guitar.

Joe

HA ha !! Nice work Joe-

I'll post a pic of your back and ask that anonymous friend and all others for recommendations as well. In retrospect, I like your solution better.

Dean

Well I've got the new back joined and braced, ready to close the box again.
And this time all pieces spend some time in the hot box before bracing and gluing plates to rims. I'm learning.


Braces are carved and back sealed with a coat of shellac. This walnut doesn't have a strong ringing tap tone, with the un-carved braces it sounded close to cardboard. Then I was pleasantly surprised as I carved them down, that the plate developed a decent tap tone.

Looking closely at the top I see a bit of separation starting at the glue seam, luckily no splitting like the back did, but obviously the top was also glued to the rims in less than ideal conditions. Okay, I get it, I've learned now to closely monitor and control the humidity when bracing and closing boxes! Some of us have to learn the hard way!


So I've cleated these sections with cross-grain spruce and HHG using magnets to clamp in place.


And yes there is some nice curl in this back, thanks again Dennis!


I've sealed the inside with a coat of shellac to help slow down the box's response to humidity swings, and it's ready for closing after spending a little time in the phone booth.


I'm using fish glue to close the box thanks to it's long open time.

All for now,
Joe