Official Luthiers Forum!

So I've been struggling with how to make and replace a broken brace.
I don't have much of a power tool selection so I've been craving it completely by hand with a chisel, and sandpaper. I can make it look great but the struggle is coming from the fact that the back has a radius.
Can someone give me some guidance as to how to get the bottom of the brace to seat properly?
Thanks in advance.

Put a matching radius on the brace bottom. You can use a profile copy gauge either on the inside or out of the guitar depending on your ability to get the tool in the guitar. Transfer the radius to a cardboard template, cut it out and then transfer it to your brace. You can use a plane to shape the bottom of the brace. When finished it should be close enough to seat properly. You can fine adjust with sand paper.

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Scribe a line, take a short piece of a pencil flatten/thin it so your point just touches the high spot on the new brace and draw your line. A sharp block plane and two ,three minutes later you have a perfectly fit brace. Good Luck

Chalk fit it.

Rub a little powdered artists chalk on the brace. When you rub it on its matching spot - it will leave a mark on the chalk. Plane that spot. Repeat till you have an even fit. You want a chalk color that's easy to clean up and doesn't have any dye in it that would get into the wood... I think I would choose white....

Thanks

I agree with Truckjohn. Get the brace close to radius then chalk fit the brace. Use small plane and scrapper to fit perfect.


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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins