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while finish sanding, grain filling and sanding, or applying shellac, say for a french polish. I haven't figured it out. Thanks for the help.

Make yourself a Troji. Full cut plan and instructions are included in the attached PDF file created by Rod True.

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Craig

Agree on Troji, or vacuum:



The other thing I use a lot is this simple workboard which has a backstop and a cleat to catch the front of the bench. I often will clamp the cleat for stability.





Brad


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I have to say I PURCHASED a troji years ago and it is a FANTASTIC tool. Totally worth it. I forgot where I got it from… somewhere in Canada I think.


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For scraping binding, leveling sides, fine tuning upper bout angle, cutting the body mortise and end graft etc., these are my go to rigs.

IMG_6872 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

IMG_6871 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

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

I have also used the cradle for doing binding ledges. Drill a hole in the front and bottom through the jig and into a work board or bench. Then use a short dowel through the holes to hold it in place:!)


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Terry, is this a pivoting plate that flattens the upper bout area below the fretboard? If so, do you hold it in place, double stick tape the bridge proxy down, or…? It looks neat!!


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Probably fine to link it, I don’t think any of the forum sponsors sell them. Plus, Josh is a good dude.

https://www.canadianluthiersupply.com/products/troji


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Troji for sanding sides, doing end grafts or fiddling with the neck joint. A cradle when I'm installing the binding. Also the cradle for scraping the bindings on the top and bottom, Troji for scraping bindings on the side. Top and back sanding are done on my downdraft table with a towel to protect the surfaces. French polish for the body is done on the bench, again with an old towel to protect the guitar. I pore fill with just some paper over the bench, don't care if I touch it - I just wear nitrile gloves. The shellac dries so fast that it's not a problem to steady the guitar with my other hand; again, I wear nitrile gloves. For French polish on the neck I just hold the neck by the fretboard extension when I get to the heel end.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks for all the good ideas!

Yes, I copied it from the Charles Fox design after I took his course in 2004. The 1/4” plexiglass mimics the fretboard and the pivot thickness the bridge. I just hold it in place with one hand while sanding.

I try to sand the proper upper bout angle into the rimset with another jig before closing the box so the Fox sander kind of fine tunes things.

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

24" x 20" 3/4" ply board with 4 "armchairs" screwed to it.
Body is held by 2 wedges moving an strip on the "armchair"
Everything cork/felt lined.
I'l try for a picture.
OH, and a "Troji" for the side, etc..

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Would love to see the jig you use for sanding the upper bout angle into the rimset (or anyone else's jig for doing this.)

Thanks,

Chuck

I was using a StewMac pattern vise, clamping the body which presented the head block at a 30 degree angle. I used a small benchtop Black % Decker Workmate, on the floor, to present the lower center side seam for cutting the wedge (that was a pain in the back). I just finished a Moxon that clamps to the edge of the bench and can hold the body at any height I choose. The Moxon cost about $150 to build (Acme Screws- $50, Hard Maple Jaws - $50, Leather to line Jaws -$41, Forstner Bit for Jaw Screw Nut - $16). THe Moxon will also clamp a long piece on the side so you can plane the edge true. THe vise is portable and can clamp on any edge like table saw, jointer, bench ect. I wish I had built this years ago, its was fun to make and will be around for several lifetimes.

I sand the upper bout flat with a flat board sitting on a 1/8" mock bridge, in the bridge position, made from MDF- that is, sandpaper on a stick sitting on a lil piece of MDF. Sand the upper flat BEFORE routing for purfling so the purfling height is uniform around the upper bout.

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Measure Twice,

Karl Borum

It’s pretty unsophisticated, just a piece of flat wood with a piece of 1/4” plexiglass attached to represent the fretboard and covered with adhesive 80G that pivots on a transverse bar the thickness of the bridge clamped across the body at the bridge location. It’s definitely not a precision instrument but it works pretty well for me and I am too lazy to refine it. I use it after the back is attached.

I know Jim Olson and Charlie Hoffman had router jigs that did the same thing.

IMG_2428 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

IMG_2430 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

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

Perfect. Thanks for sharing.

Chuck