Let's finish this..!

Tonight I haven't got the best of pics, or the complete story of a finished step. The shite pics are as they are because the phone was connected to the workbench-of-rock amp with a short cord, so I couldn't really wield it. And the step is unfinished because it took longer than I thought it would. But I have good news and that's why I blog anyway. 

I think I can finish the two resos this week. Hear that, Andy and Bernard? Maybe I should think of a price soon. 

I made the stepped holes for the tuners but put those on hold because I need to make stringholders first. It feels more right. So I dug out a bridge sized piece of ipe, a wood used for outdoor furniture and other stuff. I got it as a sample to the office. 

I marked a cut line at an angle since I need a certain width to cover the holes in the cover plate. After I ripped it on my table saw I used a no.1 plane and a milled tooth file to shape the upper sides. 

A small spokeshave with a rounded sole made the bottoms concave. Ipe is quite difficult to work but with sharp tools it's doable. 

Fine tuning the fit with sandpaper on the cover plate. 

And here's where we're at. As I told you they're not done, I must drill holes for the strings and secure the blocks with screws from the underside. And the more observant among you are right - it is a brand new shape. I could settle for one shape and stay with that but as long as the holes are at the correct distance and angles any shape works. 

Working with string holders also brings out the glue gun, a tool otherwise far away from all things related to lutherie.