Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm just at the point of either gluing the back on or cutting the soundport. Which do you folks do first? I've always fitted the back, then cut the soundport, as I feel the back gives the sides that extra support when cutting the hole. This box has reverse linings so is plenty stiff out of the mould. Am I being paranoid?

Colin

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

Colin, i glued the back and top on first on mine, made it easier to handle the whole soundbox in the guitar visw for this since this was my first time doing it.

I did locate the soundport on both sides of the side and glued my thin veneer strip on the inside, prior to glueing the top and back though.

Hoping thaT i'm helping

Colin, I assume you aren't binding it. If you are going to bind a port, there's really no way to do it but to cut the hole, bind it and then bend the side. It's just next to impossible to bend your binding wood in the extra dimensions required to make a good job.
For this reason, I always cut them prior to bending the side. Sorry, I'm not much help to your question.

Colin,

I usually do mine before gluing the back on. I do not bind mine like Paul does (I bend by hand and I think the side might crack). On several occasions I have even cut the hole before gluing the liners on. I use a computer print out of the shape I want to cut. I glue the print out onto the sides and then cut inside the line using a dremel. Then I using a sanding attachment on the dremal to sand to the line. final shaping and cleanup is done by hand.

hope that helps.

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I drill them after bending the side, and dressing it to height, but before putting in the liners. That way I can clamp in a backing block to keep the Forstner bit from chipping the inside surface.

I've done it both ways. The last one I did, I sandwiched white/black/white veneers on the inside where the ports were to be drilled, to provide a bit of visual interest. I like Alan's idea, but I found that the veneers held, and I didn't get any chip-out when using a Forstner bit.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

I do mine after the rims are bent and kerfed liners are glued on. The I glue a maple reinforcement on the inside to stregthen the area...

_________________
Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Bore from the inside with the Forstner bit; it will be less likely to chip out while exiting than it is while entering. This is counter to the usual idea that you get chipout when exiting a cut, and it's because of the curvature of the side. The bit encouters the end grain areas while cutting a downslope of grain as it exits the convex surface, while it would enter that surface cutting upslope. I learned this from trying both ways. At first it was counter to my intuitions about chip out on an exit, but I figured out why. Of course, it's still a good idea to have some waste block up against the surface that you are exiting.

I bind after cutting, by drawing my bindings through a Klein bottle. Howard Klepper39063.6733564815

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper] Bore from the inside with the Forstner bit; it will be less likely to chip out while exiting than it is while entering. This is counter to the usual idea that you get chipout when exiting a cut, and it's because of the curvature of the side. The bit encouters the end grain areas while cutting a downslope of grain as it exits the convex surface, while it would enter that surface cutting upslope. I learned this from trying both ways. At first it was counter to my intuitions about chip out on an exit, but I figured out why. Of course, it's still a good idea to have some waste block up against the surface that you are exiting, but it actually isn't needed with a sharp bit.

I bind after cutting, by drawing my bindings through a Klein bottle. [/QUOTE]


Howard, do you have a picture and explanation of using the clean, I mean Klein bottle? I've never heard of it.

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Thanks guys I guess I'll do this one before I put the back on. I don't use a Forstner bit but just drill a series of small holes close to the outline (usually oval) then clean up and sand. I do like to veneer the inside of the hole afterwards.

Colin

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

I cut them after bending and kerfing, using a clamped on template and a router with guide and downcut bit - no chipout at all. Last one I did freehand with the router, because I forgot to put it in before the body was all together. Cleaned up fine, almost easier than with a template.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Sorry, Ron, that was a joke. I still haven't got the hang of this smiley face thing. Thought the wink would do it.Howard Klepper39063.6725694444

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

"A mathematician named Klien
Thought the Mobius band was divine
Said he: "If you glue
The edges of two,
You'll get a neat bottle like mine"
                        Traditional

I cut my ports when I have 3 coats of final finsh left to apply. That way there isn't an excess amount of finsh build up around the port opening to deal with. This also allows me to accurately tune the port size to the body with most of the finish on.

_________________
tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

[QUOTE=Tim McKnight] I cut my ports when I have 3 coats of final finsh left to apply. That way there isn't an excess amount of finsh build up around the port opening to deal with. This also allows me to accurately tune the port size to the body with most of the finish on.[/QUOTE]

Now that's a good idea!

Colin

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