So much effort for so little to look at!
I have now shaped the top edges of the Body so I can start work on fitting the Top.
I marked the centre line on my curved sanding block, stuck a sheet of coarse sandpaper to it, and started sanding down the top edges of the sides. An hour later I got bored. I set the angle of my sanding disk to match the required angle of the outer edges and made a centimetre of wood dissappear. I then carried on with my sanding block carving the End Block and the base of the Neck on and off for a week until the Neck had a one millimetre step down at the centre line. It doesn't sound like much, but it is the highest point of the curve so a lot of sanding is required to get down there. At the edges of the Neck the step is four millimetres. This Swedish Spruce eats sandpaper, I thought the sandpaper was supposed to eat the wood! I did a final touch on the belt sander just to make sure the edges were straight, and I do mean just a touch! It has been by far the most tedious job of the build and I am glad it is over.
Having done that I cut down the Attachment Plates for the two Keyguides to match their space on the Neck.
I have cut off the split edge of the Top so I don't make that mistake when trying to fit it and cut the Neck end straight. Also I have now drilled out and screwed the Saddle to the Reinforcement Block. I will remove the Saddle while I stain and varnish everything later so it can be removed or replaced easily later in life.
The bolts that can be seen in the Reinforcement Block are used to keep it aligned with the Neck during work. I have started working towards cutting the block down to it's final shape. Alright, I have drawn some usefull lines on the sides of the block that will help decide where to cut.
As I said, loads of work for not much to look at. Hopefully my next post will be a bit more exciting!
