Chris, Thank you very much for your generous offer. What would be a good way to contact you about my project and I could get the wood from you. All I have around here is Home Depot and I don't think a 2x4 is what I want to use for my first try.
Thanks Bennett LCDR Bennett Solberg, PhD, FACHE -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Chris Nogy Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 10:30 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [HG] Building question I am hard pressed to see pieces other than a peghead that would require lumber more than standard 4/4 or 8/4 dimension, which should be readily available at most places that sell lumber. In the US, Woodcraft stores have a pretty good selection, and they are in lots of major cities. Also a supply that is often ignored is hardwood flooring companies. But the key to laminating is and has always been to keep voids from forming in the laminates. Use a thickness sander if you have one, or make certain that your planer is set up well (planers are notorious for leaving less than ideal mating surfaces. If you have to use a large hand jointer plane to make sure your mating surfaces are perfect. I use water-thinned aliaphatic (white carpenters, like Titebond, not white craft like Elmers) and prime both surfaces with a thin coat, then when it is dry, I sand them level and apply another coat of thinned glue, and glamp with call blocks working from the center of the piece to the outside. Good clamping pressure and clamp distribution is critical. The reason for this is that vibrations can break down glue joints, and where there is a void there is usually some flex in one or the other piece that has held them apart, an active force working in the laminate. Vibration from an instrument can start in one of these voids or pockets, and destroy the glue joint from inside. You can end up with buzzes and strange vibrational dynamics if you don't have a good, void free joint. You can, and I also suggest if you have access to it, use hide glue to make your joint - treat it the same way, prime the wood surfaces with a thin layer, then activate it with a hot, wet cloth, add a little more glue, and clamp from the inside out. Don't use the brown 'hide' glue in a bottle, cook up your own, you can order it from many places. Hide glue makes a strong joint, and it helps to dampen the vibration effects in the wood joints, because of the thin bond line, the deep penetration, and the flexibility of the material. There is a reason why hide glue is so revered in instrument making - it doesn't get in the way of sound like other glues do. But in all honesty, you should try to find single pieces of wood. If you can tell me what you need, I can probably round up pieces and get them to you at a minimal cost (I probably have most of what you need in my shop). Hope this helps Chris Nogy *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 1/31/2007 at 9:41 AM Solberg, Bennett J LCDR NMIMC wrote: >I am having trouble finding boards thick enough for some of the larger >pieces. Would it be feasible to glue two boards together to achieve a >board >of appropriate thickness and then cut it to shape? I have a neighbor with >a >joiner and planer which should theoretically make it a good fit. Thanks > >B
