Kay Project Guitar!!!

OK, I can't wait a day or 2!!  Here goes!!!!

I covered all surrounding surfaces with tape and wedged open the gaps with toothpicks.


I mixed 5 minute epoxy and heated it with a hair dryer for a few seconds to thin it.  Then I wiped it into the gaps with my finger.  A few times.  Denatured alcohol cleans up epoxy very nicely as long as it's not set.  I quickly wiped my fingers before clamping.

It's possible there's a very slight gap between the top & neck block because of the setting epoxy.  But that means I got a decent amount in there.  Whatever it is, it's done!!

The rosette clamp.  The idea is to push all the loose parts and the plastic binding on the rosette back into place to be glued.


But, we have a problem.  The plastic binging has shrunk!!!

A couple of days ago I used epoxy to reinstall the transverse brace in front of the neck block. I used epoxy because when figuring out and practicing how to clamp the brace I found I'd have to put the glue on both ends of the brace and the area under the top when I had just repaired, and it took some time to maneuver the brace inside the guitar without touching it to anything inside. If I put the glue all on the brace I wouldn't be able to handle it. I also had to set the brace 1/8" farther towards the neck block because I removed the aprrox. 1/8 wide binding around the soundhole.

I actually forgot to take a picture of this step, so I put the clamps back on after I had glued shims in the neck pocket to adjust the neck angle.

Yikes! Sounds like that step was a pain in the gluteus! 

It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I figured I'd need to use magnets as reference point to line the brace up.  The I realized all I had to do was eyeball it straight to the top and the neck pocket.

Well, I tried various solvents and the only one that had any effect was Goof-Off, which also dissolved the lacquer.  The pickguard will go back on!!  Later.  I'm going to try to flatten it.  It tried to heat it with a hair dryer and clamp it, but I don't think it was impressed.  I also need to fill the low spots on the top where I removed the lacquer.  And work on the bridge and bridge plate.

I agree with Derick. While I'm not a fan of the HUGE batwing "batguard" on that guitar, it does echo the design of the overly-ornate bridge, and so it (or a replacement) should be on the guitar.