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I’m working on my first archtop, a CS-336 design, so the top and the inside of the top need to be carved. The maple top is 5/8" thick. I will likely hog off the bulk with a chisel and/or course grit sanding disk on a grinder. But, at some point I’ll switch to a plane and scrapers to complete the carving. The Ibex palm plane is a bit too pricey for me. The D’Angelico plane is nice but also pricey. I’m considering two planes from Lee Valley. Here they are…

Japanese Shaping Planes (works on the pull stroke – might get fatiguing…)

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.a ... at=1,41182

Squirrel-Tail Palm Planes

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.a ... at=1,41182

Any thoughts on either of these planes (or another cost effective solution perhaps in the $50 range) would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve


PS-
This is a photo from the internet of a typical cs-336 style guitar - just for information...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

You will find the carving of a maple top and back downright painful.
A long time ago I got a palm plane with an adjustable knob on the palm end. It also came with a toothed blade, which was good for flamed maple. I think I got it from International Violin, check out their website. A good trick is to dampen the area you are working on and you won't break out flames...

Thanks for the tip Haans. Anyone else?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I have always rough carved my plates wit the Lancelot carver on a 4" grinder.

It makes relatively short work of it.

You need to be really careful with this tool-no distractions-complete concentration............

I then switch to a 24 or 36 grit disc on the grinder

I finish up with the traditional palm planes (one of which I made based on Irving Sloanes book),scrapers random orbit sanders etc.etc.

That CS is carved top mated to a back and sides carved from a solid block of mahogany. Right?

I've never actually seen one. Is the back flat or arched like an Es-335?

Do you know what it looks like inside? Does the "center block" extend from head to tail? How does the top mate to the center block? Is a mating surface left out of the carving, or is a separate spruce block glued into a fully arches plate (as in an Es-335)?


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I've got nothing for you but I'd love to see pics as you progress if you are going to start a build thread. This is something I've been wanting to try for some time but am way to intimated to even get started, not to mention time is always an issue! My plan for when I do carve out the top would be to to that drill press method and the sort of topographic contour outline.

That has kind of been my approach too although I have never used the Lancelot, just a flap sander. Ever tried this Brad?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0031Q9Z ... QETTDZ2RGW

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Okay, here's where I'm at... The top at this point is simply screwed to the body at the neck pocket location and the stop tail piece hole. I have routed the channel for the binding and a ledge to carve to. Before routing in the pickup holes I wanted to plane the angle necessary for the proper bridge height and the flat portion between the 2 pickups. I have done that now. I will wait until I have carved the top and under the top before gluing the top on and putting in the f-holes.

This guitar is based on the cs-336. Its is not an exact replica. I decided to put in an an access hole to the controls in the back. The back won't be deeply carved, perhaps a slight carve on the edge or none at all. We'll see...

I have seen videos of the holey gallahad and it looks promising, although I'm not sure it's that much better than a sanding disk in a grinder...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

So is the plan to carve the outside of the top first while screwed to the body and then use the drill press w/ depth stop method for the interior leaving the center block area un-carved? Asking because I was thinking of doing something similar as a single cut-away (I suppose you would call that an ES-Les Paul) and I am trying to absorb as much semi-hollow construction ideas as I can.

That's exactly right...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com