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Resonator Cover plate

Hi All, i am planing to make a resonator cover plate using a piece of copper sheet.

What do you recommand in case of thickness? Are 0,8 mm enough to make it robust on one hand and easy enough to form it?

Thanks in advance Rob

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Permalink Reply by Rob on March 31, 2016 at 4:15am

O yeah, building a silent resonator guitar .... ;-) btw i am talking about the cover plate .....

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Permalink Reply by Rob on March 31, 2016 at 5:57pm

Well i like both ways. A clean built with a decent box in combinnation with the right timber for fretboard looks also very nice.

But, i also like the "used" look. My 2nd project at the moment is licencense plate CBG. And as you can see below the plate is definitly in used condition and the timber for the box is from an old palette. Looking for rusty screws and nails at the moment ...

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Permalink Reply by Rob on March 31, 2016 at 6:03pm

Thanks, for answering. Seems than pretty much ok with .031 or slightly thicker. And if it gets some dings and dongs over the time, thats no problem for me - thats life.

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Permalink Reply by Randy S. Bretz on March 31, 2016 at 11:59pm

I made mine from a piece of 1/2" black walnut, carved it dome shape.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on April 1, 2016 at 12:21am

0.031" copper is pretty thin to resist flexing. You could use the copper to cover a 1/8" masonite base, it should hold up well and look very good.

I built a wooden resonator cover for mine that came out pretty good. That too is an option.

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on April 2, 2016 at 8:09am

That is beautiful work!!

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on April 2, 2016 at 8:27am

Thanks,

I kept trying different designs until I got something I liked. I'm working on a copper bridge cover/palm rest. That will make playing a little easier.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fred Johnson on April 1, 2016 at 3:44am

That's more than thick enough,it's not going to take any load.This guitar front is 0.66 thick,planished with a polished faced hammer,both to change the appearance and work harden the copper.

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on April 1, 2016 at 6:56am

If you build a bridge cover as is often seen on resonator covers, then there will be some downward pressure on the cover caused by your palm resting on the bridge cover. If you do not build the bridge cover, then there is effectively nothing pressing on the reso cover so 0.031" should hold up.