Official Luthiers Forum!

Is there a simple method to transfer the brace layout from a plan to the top?

Not sure if you'd call it simple, but it works for me. I just make cut outs on the plan at the brace junctions and at brace ends, also at the centre line at head and tail. Just overlay the plan onto the top and mark with a pencil. I never use commercial plans, but if you didn't want to cut holes in the original just make a tracing.

In true 'Blue Peter' mode (the Brits will understand) here's one I made earlier.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Colin curiosity has the better of me what is true 'Blue Peter' mode?

If I get a for an answer I realize I earned/deserve it.

Those words in conjunction over here in the colonies Carry quite a different connotation.

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

I use the same method as Colin - for transferring bracing locations from plans to tops that is.........

Well, since on my plans the top brace layout is drawn as looking through the top I have to flip the layout over and since I plan on making several of these I guess I should make a template from polycarb or plexi. I do have some 18" X 24" C THRU graphic sheets that probably would work well and are easier to cut then plexi.

Blue Peter is the iconic British Childrens' television programme. It has been running for the best part of 50 years, and every adult under 60 can remember the names of the presenters from their era. Over the years they have shown children how to make things from everyday objects, and of course under the counter they always had one they'd 'made earlier'.

By the way it was Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves and John Noakes for me.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

That's right the Blue Peter logo for the show is a galleon with the blue Peter flying. To be given a 'Blue Peter' badge by the programme is an honoured accolade, you'll still see British experts, scientists, historians etc wearing their Blue Peter badge with pride, it's better than a Knighthood! A gold Blue Peter badge is probably the highest honour than anyone in the UK can receive.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Todd,

It is, and that is what the programme was named after.

One highlight was when they showed you how to make Tracy Island from Thunderbirds from stuff you would normally throw away. 1001 things to do with sticky backed plastic . . .

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I plot my brace plans on 8mil transparent mylar, then punch a small hole in each brace edge intersection. I lay the plan on the top and line up the centerline and sound hole location. I use the holes to transfer a pencil dot to the top. I then remove the mylar plan and connect the dots.

I have a center line and the center lines of all of the braces penciled beyond the guitar's outline. I lay the top on the plan, lining up the center line and the soundhole, line up a straight edge to the penciled marks and mark the top.

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Ken Whisler, guitarist and luthier

For any guitar design I plan on building more than a few of of, I build a simple template from acrylic that registers with the soundhole and gives me perfect placement of the x-brace and upper transverse brace. The rest are very easily registered off there with simple acrylic or even MDF spacers/templates. I haven't taken a pencil to a soundboard for marking brace layout in a long time.

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Richard
http://www.guitarmaker.com

I have a Plexiglass Body Half with the brace centers marked and a small hole bored at the end of each brace. I mark with a pencil, then lay the braces between the dots. I mark across each dot with a straightedge laid out between the dots for that brace, and put a cross line at the end of the brace at each end.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Here's what I came up with. I used the triangle cut outs and 1/4" holes which I saw on LMI's plexi templates. Thanks for the help guys.