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Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=31087		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
I've never found a totally satisfactory way to clamp the carbon fiber reinforcing bars into a neck and keep them flat against the bottom of the slot all along their length unless you leave them a little proud. I just tried this on a couple of necks and it worked great. Make the depth of the slot so that the bar rests just below the surface of the neck. Use a 1/8" dowel (metal or wood) with spring clamps and it will self center in the trough and works as a good clamping caul. Use some wax paper or clear packing tape between the bar and the dowel.

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Author:  Dave Stewart [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
I use finishing nails ... same idea (spring clamps) but no wax paper.
Author:  Dave Fifield [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
I put epoxy in the routed-out well and then just push the CF bars in gently with a small wooden spatula till they bottom out, then fill the tiny gap at the top of the bar with more epoxy so that the epoxy ends up just proud of the neck surface. No need to hold the bar in with clamps in my experience. After the epoxy is cured (24 hours), I carefully hand-plane the excess epoxy back to exactly level with the neck/fingerboard joint surface. I've never had any issues doing it like this. I don't like the thought that you could possibly build some tension into the CF rod by "forcing" it in with clamps....

Dave F.
Author:  dberkowitz [ Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
You folks are way too complicated. I mask off the surface to lessen my work later, I bury the bars with strips of mahogany, and use a MDF board with tape on it that I wax, and five or six clamps and I'm done.
Author:  TonyKarol [ Wed Feb 16, 2011 2:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
I am with David .. mask off, epoxy, push them in, then some wax paper and 4 clamps with Allied truss rod keys underneath to hold things down. They sit a hair under the top surface.
Author:  Kent Chasson [ Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
Or even simpler, glue them in at the same time you glue the fretboard on.
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
It always seems like the bars I get are not dead flat and tend to rock a little in the channels. I like to have them bottomed out all along their length. That's why I started clamping them. Using a finishing nail or a truss rod wrench as a caul is a great idea, simpler than what I did. I did some drawings and burying them with a strip of Mahogany over them puts them pretty close to the surface at the first fret when I do a V profile so I have not tried that so far. Thanks for the ideas guys!
Author:  geetarman [ Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Clamping Carbon Reinforcing Bars
Kent Chasson wrote:
Or even simpler, glue them in at the same time you glue the fretboard on.



which is what I did! I made sure they were flush within the slot. tapered the headstock ends, put a little epoxy in the channels, throw the truss in and glued the fretboard right on.
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