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____20.
INSTALL THE FRONT
After the BRACE and DONUT have dried, you can test fi t
the SOUNDBOARD to the frame without glue. Centering
the SOUNDBOARD is not diffi cult if you proceed carefully.
Begin by clamping the narrow end to the front of the frame
and then turning the frame so you can see the center lines
inside. Shift the soundboard as necessary to align the cen-
terline with the heel fi rst. (fi g. 19)
Once the SOUNDBOARD is clamped and centered at the
heel, you can slide the TAIL BLOCK one way or the other
until the center lines match up at the tail end. Put a clamp
at each corner to hold the parts straight. (fi g. 20)
Double-check to make sure you have clamped the
SOUNDBOARD to the front of the frame! You should be
able to see the three string holes at the tail end when you
turn the frame around to the front side.
Align center lines to heel then tail
No glue yet. This is a rehearsal.
•
Double-check the alignment of the neck on the front side,
as follows: Put masking tape in two places along the neck
(near each end) and mark the center of the neck
Then place a long straight-edge down the center of the neck
to see how it lines up with the sound hole and the middle
string hole at the tail end. It should be very close. In fact,
the only way it could be off-center is if the soundboard is
not fully seated against the neck at the narrow end. Make
adjustments if necessary to ensure that you have a straight
instrument.
OK. This was a trial run without glue. Now that you under-
stand the procedure for aligning the FRONT to the BODY,
you can glue the FRONT panel in place. Put glue on all the
surfaces that contact the FRONT, including the top sur-
face of the HEEL, the SIDES, LINING STRIPS, and the TAIL
block.
Start clamping in the same sequence as your trial run, cen-
tering the FRONT on the HEEL fi rst, and then clamping
the two corners when the centerlines match at the TAIL
BLOCK. Double-check the alignment, front and back, and
then add more clamps around the perimeter. Once the
FRONT is glued, the frame will stay put. No more align-
ment will be necessary.
FIG. 19
FIG. 20
FIG. 21
FIG. 22
