Stringholders

As I mentioned in the previous post, I might be deceiving myself but I honestly think there's not much left. Now usually when I say that to myself I will have forgotten tuners, nuts, secret Argapa way of ensuring majestic sound, and stringholders. Well today I made the stringholders and I am on top of the tuner issue and the secret Argapa whatever. 

First I cut the blank to lengths using my wee saw and the bench hooks. I could have used a rule and a sliding bevel but I eyeballed it to relative perfection. 

Then a relief cut to make them conform to the convex shape of the cover plate. By now they were utterly impossible to clamp so I risked my fingers by holding them while carving. 

A few strokes on a piece of 60 grit paper took care of the last fraction of a mm. I got nervous after taking the pic so I masked the shiny cover plate with tape so the sandpaper wouldn't mar the surface. 

I drew the shape of the holes and drilled the holes for the screws that will secure the stringholder. After making the first one I ended up drilling a dedicated hole for a third screw in the centre. This was easier than the old method but it doesn't show in the pics. 

And before screwing it on I drill the string holes. No jig for this either, just aiming to get the angles sort of right. They were 99% perfect, all 24 of them. 

And here they all are in the last pic. 

But first, here's my list for future reference:

1. Make the blank and the string holders as shown in the pics in this post. 

2. Sand the surface of the plate between the existing holes. 

3. Drill a hole between the two middle holes. 

4. Clamp a holder onto the burr around that hole, making a mark in the wood. 

5. Drill for the screw. Thread the hole with the screw, then cut the screw to length and fasten the holder. 

6. Drill the holes for the other screws in the outer string holes. 

7. Remove the holder, mark out and drill the string holes. Countersink them and check the clearance under the ledge. Plane if necessary. 

8. Cut off screws 2 and 3 and attach the holder. Add some ca glue from the underside.