This post originally appeared on www.luthierforum.com and as such is just a copy and pasted, watering down of the word.
Drawings....hmm
So many of you have asked me about drawings, plans, details. Ya right.
Well as you know ... there aren't any.
Well there weren't any until I needed them. I can no longer do experimental builds by the seat of my pants. Having worked out the design concepts and the building snafus...the time has come to get serious on how to do the builds with accuracy and a greater degree of quality to the construction. Yup, drawing time. Look see, its got measurements...to help in "getting the pig clean".
This is a cross section drawing for the next incarnation of the Gratitude build concept. The things different than "standard" build techniques are
1. the ribs are twice as thick as "normal" (what ever normal is). This is to permit the sculpting of the rib as seen on the right side of the drawing. It will also permit carving of designs into the ribs...(see the Padma Builds 2 Mandos soon coming to this forum)
2. the top and bottom plates are carved identical in their profile.
3. the top plate is glued on with thin glue and a sheet of typing paper. The kurfing and the plate is then carved to its arc. The bottom plate is then permanently glued, the top is removed and the back plate and its kurfing is carved into a curve. The white typing paper will split in half to make removal of the top easy. When the top is replaced, you will end up with an oval shape on the inside...no jaggies for kinetic waves (moving energy sound waves) to get messed up on or rub against. Nice smooth transitions.
This results in an instrument that is curved on all 4 sides or surfaces INSIDE AND OUT. Very organic, ergonomic to hold and play. Basically the sound box becomes a top and bottom "skin" on a thick and solid "drum" frame (the ribs or sides)
The air chamber now is actually an oval inside a larger oval, that of the outer shape. The inner oval is the mystical magic void or womb from which the sound is born through the f holes or what ever sound port employed. Give some thought to the void space of an instrument as "womb". Think of self as sound waves being pumped by that top. Now see self having to deal with all that bracing and kurfing and start to feel just how comfortable all them structural pieces of wood really are. Hmmm.
Think about it. Feel it dude. If ya can't feel it ... may I suggest stamp collecting as a hobby.
This Drawing is based on a 24.5 inch string length.
In time I will do a variation of the drawing incorporating recurves into the top and bottom plates. In time I will also start to post the philosophical babble of the design concepts. (The whys and where fores of me insanity and will include some more babble on the design.)
I also included the original drawing for Gratitude. Which of course don't gotts no measurements
... but you don't need any anyhow as its got the formula for generating all the measurements you need based upon your chosen string length and the Golden Section Ratios.In time when I get a round 2 it (round tooits are hard to find), this drawing will start to get embellished with some numbers that can be transferd to a tape measure and calipers for them that needs that reassurance or are too lazy to do the maths.
So there they are. If anybody is up to attempting one...let me know. It should be an interesting and fun challenge for you and I wood welcome having someone to commiserate with.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with me nightmares, may I suggest looking at the Gratitude and the Grace builds playing else were here on this forum.
Or if you just wanna be entertained and see all it in slide show format go here....
http://luthiertube.com/mediadetails.php?key=85f313dfafc00aa9ca91
Drink and munchies suggested ...
................................................................
Blessing
the
Padma
this her post is in accordance with the Prophet
.