meh

Building my first guitar – part II

Since I posted the first part, I have spent most of the time working on my tools rather than the guitar.

I was reading a book about woodworking, where it was stated that it is very important to keep your tools sharp. Nothing new really: it makes sense that your sharp cutting tools have to be sharp. What I did not really realize was how sharp is sharp – Apparently, a chisel should be sharp enough to shave the hair off the back of your arm.

I found several videos on Youtube that show different methods for sharpening your chisels (and plane!). Some use sharpening stones, others use sandpaper, but the technique is mostly the same. I was lucky to already have sandpaper of different grits, from 120 up to 1600 – so this was what I used.

I was not dedicated enough to the sharpening process, and did not get to the mirror-edge razor-sharp shave-your-hair grade – but my efforts did improve the usability of my chisels and plane significantly.

I continued the work on the headstock, chiseling and shaving it straight. Also seen in this picture is the beginning of the truss rod route. I have found it quite difficult to route a 5mm wide route with a 6mm chisel, so I will get a new chisel before I continue with the route.