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Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Interesting - I never have.

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Thank You and Best To All

Some folks radius the plate and some don't. I'm in the don't camp. I put the X on first and the plate next and at .100" or so for the plate, it easily conforms to the top radius. I think either way is acceptable.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Perhaps, just glueing on the bridge plate in the radius dish is what TOdd meant. THanks Todd.

Larry, I would let the RF return to the normal dry, as opposed to the current severe conditions we have now. There is a chance of rain later in the weekend. Give it until Tuesday or Wednesday and see what you have. I have had to work around the So Cal RH myself. I did close one up when I shouldn't have. It never got right, had to take the top off and remove/reglue the braces. It was a mess!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Just a quick follow up on this issue and one of the things I HATE about hobby building. The part I hate is I can never remember the process from build to build so It's like I'm constantly starting over.

Anyway after I braced the tops I measured the free top angle and it measured too high or 'over set'. I placed the free top on the rims and cut the bracing notches, pressed the top down and checked again. Still too high an angle. Then I trimmed the waist and the UTB areas to lessen the angle and got it right on EXCEPT I was measuring this on a flat surface which was in essence moving the upper and lower bout edges down with the radius of the back distorting the angle.

Then when I glued the top on, this time on the 15' back radius dish, in the mold, without that distortion, the angle was now too little. SIGH. And of course now I remembered the process I used BEFORE to get it right, which I had forgotten because that was months ago. Sigh. I sanded the upper bout to get the angle back but now understand the initial free top angle was probably about right but I need to test the top in the mold and over the back radius dish. Sigh.

I'll write down the process and try and remember the next time and maybe this post will help someone else.

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Thank You and Best To All

The RH when the braces are glued on and when the box is closed are key. I make a note of both and always shot for about 35-40% on both. I learned that the hard way.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks Todd.

Larry,

Just curious how you made out with this top?

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

martin never radiused a plate or bridge

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Joe, check my post 5 or 6 up from here. I basically forgot the process I used before and was testing with the the rims on a flat surface which was distorting the angle when I pressed the top down to test the angle. After gluing the top with the rims set in the back radius dish the angle was then too shallow instead of too deep (after adjusting the rims). Easily re-adjusted again by taking a little off the upper bout at the neck block but not the way I'd prefer to do it.

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Thank You and Best To All

Good deal, glad it worked out

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust