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oval soundhole
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:44 pm 
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First name: Brian
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I have used a flat top on the steel string guitars I have built so far and I was wondering If I could do the same for the a classical top. I have one 20' dish I use for the back, but lack the funds and recourses to make/buy another one for the top.
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Alexandru Marian
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:46 pm 
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Sure. Use a Hauser plan.

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Ti-Roux
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:53 pm 
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You don't need a radius dish to create radii. What's your building method? Solera?

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oval soundhole
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:09 pm 
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I don't have any work boards or jigs, other than my bench, a piece of plywood and the back dish
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Ti-Roux
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:24 pm 
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Free hand? So you should go for a flat-top.

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Tony_in_NYC
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:50 pm 
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For a radius clamping caul on the cheap, check this out:
http://kennethmichaelguitars.com/contourcaulkitinstrction.html

You will be able to clamp your radiused braces and when you are done, you will have a nicely contoured top.
I have used that method and it works and at $1.25 for a pack of index cards, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than a radius dish. You can clamp the top on using rubber bands for another $2.00.
Not everyone can afford a couple of radius dishes.
Hope you work it out.

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oval soundhole
PostPosted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:55 pm 
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That won't help me, but thanks
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jfmckenna
PostPosted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:27 am 
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Tony_in_NYC wrote:
For a radius clamping caul on the cheap, check this out:
http://kennethmichaelguitars.com/contourcaulkitinstrction.html

You will be able to clamp your radiused braces and when you are done, you will have a nicely contoured top.
I have used that method and it works and at $1.25 for a pack of index cards, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than a radius dish. You can clamp the top on using rubber bands for another $2.00.
Not everyone can afford a couple of radius dishes.
Hope you work it out.


That's very interesting but this problem is easily solved by using a flexible slat as a clamping caul. I've been doing it like that for almost 20 years now. Hope I'm not missing something?

---

As for flat top classical, I've never tried it before but after building my first true flat top steal string a few months back it sounds very interesting. Go for it!
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David LaPlante
PostPosted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:31 am 
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Brian, simply sand a bit of radius into your braces (just the main two harmonic bars above and below the sound hole) and clamp them flat to your surface when gluing. They will spring back (albeit to a lesser dgree) and impart a slight arch to your top. A slight arch is desireable as completely flat tops tend to go concave. Slightly arched ones, most likely in the case of Hauser over time flatten out.
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Alexandru Marian
PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:49 pm 
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Another thing you can try is to brace it flat in very low humidity, say 30%. At over 40 it will get a belly.

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Steve Davis
PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:57 pm 
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At over 40 it will get a belly.

Like the rest of us
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