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The fourth and final set of binding is glued up.
And it's looking pretty good
So now I have time to work on the fretboard.
First, I install the frets and file and sand the edges to make them smooth.
I check them with a magnifying lens to see if any of the frets have lifted
up or arn't seated fully. Then I use a steel straight edge to double check
that everything is level.
With a very small file and some sanding sticks I polish the ends of the frets.
Those inlays sure came out nice.
Next, I lay out the cuts for the strum hollow and the bridge "island"
And I cut them out.
That brings us to the drill press with a sanding drum in it.
After that I take it to the sanding table and work through the grits to 220.
I then put a coat of shellac on it to bring out the color. This also makes it
easier later on when I put the finish on the rest of the instrument.
Now we can really see the grain in that bocote. What a great choice of wood!
You can also see how the thin line of maple feathers out on the island and the
strum hollow. The blue tape has a line on it indicating approximately where the
bridge should go. I'll set the exact location with a digital tuner later.
Then I finished sanding the headstock. All the curves are smooth now.
I think we have a tiger in that wood!
The glamour shot.
Tomorrow when the glue for the binding is dry I'll scrape and sand the
binding and body. Then I glue the fretboard onto the body. It's going to start
looking like a dulcimer real fast.