Classical Guitar Update

Over the weekend, I finished the neck scarf joint and glued up the back with the maple back strip. I cut the scarf on my bandsaw by clamping a 90 degree block to a miter guide and then clamping the neck blank to it for the 15 degree scarf. Next, I clamped the short piece to the long such that they formed a smooth ramp and sanded the joint surface clean on a belt sander.

The back plate came out good but needs to be thinned down a bit more. 

I'm still having hell bending sides. I ruined two sets -- Jatoba and Mahogany. I tried fabric softener on the Mahogany, as suggested by an experienced luthier, but that only seemed to make the wood rubbery and wouldn't retain its bent shape. I think I soaked them too long and they absorbed enough water to swell to > 2mm thick. Next time I will start out thinner.

Anyway, it turns out that Mahogany is one of those woods that you don't want to soak because it can cause compressed fibers. So much for taking an experienced luthier at his word.

I got tired of the propane torch for the bender because it isn't adjustable and gets too hot, so I bought a cheap electric charcoal starter for $10 at Lowes and compressed it to fit into my pipe. It heated the 3.5" copper pipe outer surface to about 270 degrees and stayed there consistently. That's not quite as hot as I would like, but I was able to dry bend some mahogany pretty easily.  Inside the pipe was 600-700 degrees, so I may be able to get it hotter. It seems that you still have to keep the sides at or under 2mm.