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 Post subject: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:16 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:33 am
Posts: 12
First name: Troy
Last Name: Little
City: Thomasville
State: PA
Zip/Postal Code: 17364
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I have a Martin D 42 and I study that structure as I reach each new step on my D 35 Build. I am preparing to join the top to the rim but before I close the box I am trying to make sure I didn't miss anything. I noticed that my D 42 has a peice of cloth or material over the cross brace joint. I have searched this forum high and low but could not locate any mention of this step. It may be that I am not searching for the correct term? Is this added for strength or is it to eleminate buzz???? What type of material is it and where can I get it? Any help would be appreciated! By the way, when I toured the Martin factory I saw this being applied and the tour guide did not know why they add this or what exactly is was.

Troy


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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:28 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 9:01 pm
Posts: 3031
First name: Tony
Last Name: C
City: Brooklyn
State: NY
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
That is to reinforce the lap joint. Some people use another piece of wood on top of the cross at the joint. Some people leave it out. If your joint is tight, its your call.

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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:35 pm 
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Koa
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Posts: 1982
Location: 8.33±0.35 kpc from Galactic center, 20 light-years above the equatorial in the Sol System
First name: duh
Last Name: Padma
City: Professional Sawdust Maker
Focus: Build
Its called cheap insurance and is linen installed with hide glue. Hemp is your next best bet. Other fabrics ain't worth the effort.

Padma

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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:44 pm 
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Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 12:00 pm
Posts: 2020
Location: Utah
the Padma wrote:
Hemp is your next best bet.


Are the leaves sufficient or do have to use the buds? 8-)


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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:09 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:33 am
Posts: 12
First name: Troy
Last Name: Little
City: Thomasville
State: PA
Zip/Postal Code: 17364
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks for the quick response guys! I guess that will give me a reason to take my wife to a fancy resturant for Valentines Day....I'll swipe the linen napkins! The joint is nice and tight and I glued the heck out of it. Not sure how much more it will add but I was surprised that it hasn't been discussed more?


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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:34 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:49 pm
Posts: 2915
Location: Norway
Oh, its been discussed, more than once. Most folks these days (including me) recommend a thin sliver of spruce to reinforce the "open up" part of the joint instead. Its as easy to install, if not easier, and I believe it does the job better. Martin has used the cloth reinforcement forever it seems, which means its been used on a lot of successful instruments over the years. Lots of folks buy Martin because of "tradition", so why would they change? You don't have to think that way, though... ;)

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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:09 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:46 pm
Posts: 2124
First name: Freeman
Last Name: Keller
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
A small bore rifle cleaning patch works pretty good (and will save you the cost of that dinner) but like many, I've gone to the spruce graft on all of mine


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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:15 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 11:43 am
Posts: 668
First name: Aaron
Last Name: Craig
City: Kansas City
State: Missouri
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
I didn't put anything over the lap joint of my first. But on my second, which had a much tighter joint to begin with, I used a small wooden strip glued accross the joint after voicing the top, and it was amazing the amount of stiffness the small, and I mean small, reinforcement strip added to the top. Hard to explain, but the tap tone tightened up more than expected. Regardless, I don't think it hurts anything, and it adds extra strength to a relatively weak joint for an extra bit of insurance. An ounce of prevention . . . .

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 Post subject: Re: Cross brace question
PostPosted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:32 am 
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Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:10 pm
Posts: 2764
First name: Tom
Last Name: West
State: Nova Scotia
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Tony: Listen to what Aaron had to say.....!!!
Tom

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