Projects in the Somogyi Workshop From the Last Few Weeks
This is Ervin’s side bending jig, the heat comes from rows of lightbulbs inside. Here I’m bending laminates for the solid linings of my build.
Three layers of mahogany fresh out of the bending jig. They need some touching up by hand on the bending iron to be ready to be laminated for my solid linings. Note the sides which are sitting in the laminating form. The solid lining will be glued up inside of the sides, to ensure they conform accurately to the shape they need to be.
Here I’m testing out the fit of the solid linings under clamping pressure. From the bottom up, there is the form, then the sides, then the three layers for the solid linings, then the snake which distributes the clamping pressure.
Double sides, and solid linings all laminated. Sides are East Indian Rosewood/Mahogany, and linings are mahogany.
The linings then get cut into strips. The top and the back are domed, so the linings have to be cut to match that dome.
The sides go into the mould, and the tail block joining the two sides gets glued in.
Next the corner block is glued.
Finally the head block completes the circle.
And here’s the head block clamping setup from the other side.
The linings are cut to fit snugly in between the blocks, and are then glued in place.
The fit of the linings on the cutaway block is tricky due to the curved surfaces and compound angles.
The rim after some clean up inside. Note how it’s not sitting flat on the table. This is because the back surface of the rim is shaped into a 15 foot radius dome.
I was learning the Somogyi way of bracing a top.
As I was learning the process, I was following along on the top for my own build.
Glueing in the bridge plate, donut, and transverse brace all at the same time, on Ervin’s top.
Here’s my top, after bracing, with the sound hole cut out. Wish I could show you more, but there’s a few details which are somewhat of a secret.
Sometimes we have to deal with some tool maintenance. For example the starting capacitor on this dust collector keeps exploding.
Here’s an example of a typical workflow. There’s a guitar in progress which needs a neck. There’s a shelf of neck blanks in various stages, so I go there, and grab one that looks good. I then figure out what’s going on with it and if it will be suitable for the project.
This particular neck needed a wing on one side, so I added one, and then carried on with the next steps of neck construction.
Taking the neck close to the final thickness taper.
Glueing on the front of headstock veneer.
Thicknessing the headstock and shaping the curve of the volute at the same time.
Bending the back of headstock veneer.
Glueing on the back of headstock veneer.
Cutting the shoulders of the tenon.
Drilling the tuners.
Roughing in the headstock shape with the routers. The router on the left runs in reverse, allowing you to cut each part of the headstock with the grain to avoid chip out.
The top part of the headstock is then shaped by hand.
After shaping the headstock, the next steps would be to shape the tenon, and set the neck on the body. The neck set has to wait until the body is at that stage, so for now it goes back on the shelf.
This Espalda guitar is about to get the fretboard glued on.
The fretboard is preheated to give more open time for the hide glue.
Fretboard clamping setup.
Louis Manteau, the other Somogyi apprentice, working on the Espalda guitar’s volute.
Louis preparing to glue the bridge on a Jumbo guitar.
Bridge glued on the Ervin Somogyi jumbo.
After 8 weeks, I finally upgraded from the couch to a bed. It really makes it feel a bit more like home.
Enjoying the Oakland sun, on the front steps of the Somogyi workshop.