Hi, I thought I would post a few photos of a build journey a few pics at a time to save a big lengthy post at the end of the process.
This may be of interest to some members as there appears to be quite a bit of interest on here regarding Resonator guitars., and this is my journey to building a low-cost full-size resonator guitar.
This is the first time, other than the very first instrument I built, a mountain dulcimer back the early 1970’s, that I have built using plywood. And its not instrument grade laminated timber its hardware shop grade 3 ply. You know the stuff that bows up like a photograph in the sun. For this reason, as soon as I got it home, I cut it up into usable dimensions and put weights on the pieces. But that might depend on where one lives.
I will not show every stage but mainly the important milestones with some comments along the way. Enjoy…. I hope…………………….

Next, working on the back. Taff

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Hi yet again, Thanks Jerry for your comments. In the course of photo taking of the build process I also took many photos of machines, jigs and tools. I will show them later.
One important tool is the chisel, first of the continuing top build photos. I start with them very sharp [shaving hair stage] and after a little use a bit more stropping to keep the edge fine and going at it again.

Still to come.....inside reinforcements, applying stain/lacquer, building neck ect....

Taff

Taff, as always I'm in awe of your craftsmanship and your teaching technique. By not having a shop area(so damn sick of using a picnic table) to work in I couldn't entertain the notion of approaching something anyway near this no matter how inspired I felt. But I must say I've learned a vast amount from you and others here that gave me that little nudge to build something, for that I thank everyone! I am curious about your clamping setup, are there spring in the metal tubes and felt on the ends of the wooden dowels?

Hi Hooch, I started off a bit like you, but instead of a picknick table I had a crate surrounded by tarpaulin walls off the back of a brand new house and dirt for a back yard. Doing guitar repairs. 

I'm just a little bit ahead of the photos so the guitar is not set up yet, I know its going to be a bit of a job getting it to be free of buzzing and rattles.

Here's some photos of the finished body, waiting for lacquer application. Another first in this build is that I'm using rattle can lacquer, just to keep this project as cheap as possible. That's $17.00 as against $120.00 or so for the nitro lacquer I would normally use.

The clamping system is a modified version of what is normally used. Yes there are springs in the tubes, so that I get a more even pressure, instead of just bending the dowels into a big curve. There is a shaped caul 25mm wide laid around the perimeter of the top that not only spreads the down force but protects the guitar timber.

Thanks for the nice comments guys. Taff

I do have a tent like you see at craft fairs, but the problem is my activity is dictated by the weather and with this artic freeze coming through not much is happening! With the limited space in my 5th wheel trailer( it's an RV Clark) I sneak in a few small projects but sanding and painting isn't on the list(no understanding from the wife LOL)! If I can get all my legal papers and funding in order for my main goal/project ill be able to rent a work shop. Taff thanks for the clarification on the clamping system. How/What Do you use for installing frets evenly. My fret jobs are a nightmare to say the least! Btw if you are wondering what to get me for Christmas, what you are building would do! :-)

 Hi, the never ending story.....ha ha.Here’s the neck part of the build.
The neck is laminated and has a carbon fibre bar reinforcement as well, it’s a lap slide square neck so it would not need a truss rod. The peghead overlay is Cooktown ironwood and the neck is Queensland Maple, the fingerboard is Burdiken Plum. All Australian timbers.
I bandsawed the peghead to near thickness then put it through my thicknesser on the end of my belt sander. Next is fretting and fitting the fingerboard.

Taff

Hi Hooch, to answer you fretting question....there's plenty of info on fretting out there, but here is what I would say gives a perfect job. With a three string size/wide fingerboard that is flat, you should get a good job easily, if you follow the rules. Having said that I have a mate that has built two cbg's and given me the fretting job each time.

1- hardwood fingerboard

2- The correct size saw that suits the fret tang is important, the beads on the tang are meant to bite into the walls of the slot. If slot too tight you have to hit too hard putting the fret out of shape and maybe loosing the even crown on top of the fret. Too loose and of course the fret will not seat down and stay down.  

3- The fingerboard must be flat, no bow

4- level the frets with a straight edge with a fine grit sandpaper glued to a surface. A carpenters level for instance or a 500mm length of 50x25mm aluminium box tube.

5- A firm hard base to work on and a dead blow hammer.

I have found that a good fret job takes time. If you feel the fret wobble in its slot as you cut or file the ends, the slot is too wide, and there will be problems later. I tried some cheep fret wire and I found it was too soft and very easy to damage the crown.

Cant cover it all here,s so practice, practice, practice.

Taff

Thanks Taff. Pretty much what I've been doing. My fretsaw has a .018 wide kerf, been using a 12" file for leveling with emerycloth glued on one side, but I like the idea of the carpenter's level! I've noticed builders on here that use things such as an old die press(which I'd love to get my hands on), their drill press with 't' adapter(don't own one, no room) as well as someone doing the frets 3-4 at a time. Placed them in the slots and sets them with a long block of wood and hammer. I just thought with all the cool gadgets and toys, that you'd have some magical contraption to do the fretting. :-) Great idea on the thickness sander btw, going to borrow that and your gluing setup with the dowels. Since the guitar is all "Aussie", can you play anything besides "Waltzing Matilda" on it? LOL Man that thing is beautiful! Without a doubt! Are you going to have time to get it to me for Christmas?

Hi again Hooch, nothing magical, sorry. just a crap load of fret jobs on all sorts of necks and fingerboards.

Hand tools all regular.........I lied, some are modified.

Oh, the fretting jig, shown, might be considered special, but I lived without it for 45 years. 

Maybe some use wood between fret and hammer, cant think why, it would restrict my view of what's happing, and I would think I would have to hit harder as the timber is absorbing some of the energy meant for the fret. Or it might be that to stop damaging the fret crown due too tight a fitting fret.

But each to his/her own. I'm willing to try anything. That why I've got so many tools and jigs.

Ta 


 Thanks for taking the time to document your process!

Doug

The fingerboard is next.
I cut the fret slots on my fret slotting machine, so I need the board blank unshaped. After slotting I install the position markers and cut it to shape on the bandsaw and then fine tune on the sander. As it’s a lap slide no radius on f-board in needed.
The board must fit exactly so that the 12 fret sits over the start of the neck/ body junction, so I can’t allow the board to move under clamping pressure. The remedy for this is shown in the photos.
Two very small nails are tapped into the neck and cut off at an angle to leave a point, I then line up the fingerboard and press it onto the nails marking its position for gluing. Add glue and clamp up.
The fingerboard can be fretted before or after being glued to the neck.

I'm a bit ahead of the photos and the guitar is finished. No complaints, well not many. Taff

I also use 2 "finishing" nails to keep the fretboard steady while gluing to the neck. I put them in a fret slot and pull them out after it's all in place and in the vise clamps. The fret covers the tiny nail holes.

Love the veneer on the headstock It all looks great.

Thanks Paul, its a good idea, but I more often than not fret my boards before gluing on, so haven't use your method. But other manufacturers have, as I find out when removing fingerboards and bridges for repair.

That peghead overlay is a bit more than a veneer, its 2mm thick so that it helps to form a channel for support of the high nut to sit in.

Taff

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