The Templates

So it's been a couple of days since my last post. Honestly nothing much has in the physical realm has taken place. I've been busy working away on cut out templates for the lattice work of my radius dish. The beauty of being a visual effects artist is that I can design and build all my jigs in 3D to make sure that all my measurements line up and everything be as it should. I've been running into a few errors and lack of details in the book and dvd's that I have. I've had to essentially reverse engineer the radius dish using the François Charles Plans. At some point I'll create a post on all the steps I to create the dish, just need to finish creating the dish before do so.

Anyways, Templates! Yes, the reason I am posting in the first place. Shortly after I purchased my scroll saw ( same day, infact) I figured I'd break it in buy making the templates that everything here on out would derive from. Using 1/8th hardboard I was able to cut out the templates pretty easily with the scroll saw. I used print out templates like I showed in a previous post to transfer the design and dimensions to the hardboard. Using tape and spray contact cement I'd adhere the paper template to the hardboard, then proceed to cut out the shape on the scroll saw. Worked out wonderfully, there were a few close calls as far as maintaining a close cut to the design as I was and am still honing my skills with the saw. Yet the more I work with it the more confident and precise I am getting with complex shapes.

So the Templates cut relatively easy. Final shaping was done with sanding blocks and a shaving gel bottle with sand paper, which was cool because it match the radius I needed exacly to shape the curve on the cutout. I made sure to pay special attention to all the curves, making sure there were no bumps or lumps and that everything flowed nicely, that the curves matched completely up to the cut out on both halves. I'm pretty stoked seeing this early shape. Also, if you notice, I took the time to mark off all the bracing for both sides. Not only did I put where all the bracing is located, but also the thickness of each brace as well. This will help as a quick reference to make quick marks on the actual top and back of the guitar. Also will help with cutting the brace material to proper length and the appropriate miter each brace will have when it butts up to the sides.

Here is a view from the other side showing the sound board bracing. I'm not sure if its entirely visible but, you might make out the pliage dashed line between the 3rd and 4th horizontal brace. This is where the peak of the arched top is located. Well its getting late, but I figured I'd post something. Oh btw, I got my go bar fiberglass rods in on monday, I'll post pics of them while I am gluing together my radius dish.

Greg