A cap made of Kingwood is glued with hot hide glue across the X bridging the open join.
After the X braces have been carved to shape, the lower bout ladder brace is shaped to the curved profile, notched at each end to fit over the X brace legs and then glued in the go-bar deck using hot hide glue.
The process is repeated for the upper bout brace.
The top X brace joint is capped with a piece of spruce cut from the same wood as the braces and glued using hot hide glue.
The X braces are then carved to shape - I use a "parabolic" profile with gentle curves (highest in the centre). I love this part of the process - bracing and voicing the top. The top is stiff and I am going for a stiff thicker top with light bracing on this build. I am a little nervous as there will be a lot of string tension on the top - around 230lb. Still this is an "experimental" instrument and so in the worst case scenario I can always re-top. Next the brace that goes behind the bridge plate is glued on.
6th June 2006:
The first tone brace is then glue in with hot hide glue.
Followed by the second split tone brace.
The two small A frame braces are glued in - these lock into the neck-block - and then the upper transverse brace. This is notched to bridge the X brace ends and the A frame braces and has a hole drilled in the centre for access to the truss-rod through the soundhole. It never ceases to amaze me just how much the tap tone of the top increases when this brace is on - not just in the upper bout area but all over.
7th June 2006:
Next I shape the sides to accept the back. The profile is tricky to calculate as it has to allow for the back doming and the narrowing of the sides by about 20cm from the tail-block to the neck-block. I have devised a method to do this that is too long, complicated (and a bit boring) to describe here. Shaping the sides with a block plane is a task I love almost as much as top voicing. It is very theraputic and you learn a lot about the wood grain of the sides that helps later. Apart from the form to bend the sides, this is the nearest thing to a mould that I use in the building process. It just provides support for tasks like these.
When I am happy thet the back fits snugly, the kerfed linings are glued on for the back. I use Titebond glue for this. I use mahogany reversed kerfed lining as this provides good stiffness to the sides and lets me notch in the side braces and braces that support the carbon-fibre flying buttress braces that lock into the neck-block. I am looking for stiff rigid sides combined with responsive top and back that can be suitably voiced.
9th-11th June 2006:
Next I put on the finger braces on the top. I leave this until last as the stifness and sound of the top at this stage helps me decide how many to use. I have decided on two for this instrument and they are glued on each side using hot hide glue.
These braces are then carved and I then go over all of the braces, tapping the top and listening for a clear sustaining ring at every point I tap. At a dull spot I inspect the brace carefully and more often than not there will be a slight bump or deviation. A small touch with 120 grit sanding paper and the top will ring again. I also look for a "kick-back" of the top when I tap where the saddle will be and leave my finger on after tapping.
When I'm happy with the tops' voicing, I write some suitable words, sign it as Daithi de Faoite and date it. Bealtine has the words "Bealtine - cur breosla ar an ceol, is cur breosla ar an anam" which translates as ""Beltaine fires - feed the music and feed the soul!". Many thanks to my good friend Jon Cronin for the Gaelic.
The side profile for the top is determined in a similar way to the back and then is planed to the right shape. Reverse kerfed linings are glued on and when dry the linings are sanded to the side shapes.
Pockets for the top and back braces to sit in are cut with a router. and mahogany side braces are then glued in, inlet into the kerfed linings. This makes for a very rigid but light side set.
Bealtine will have a side sound port that will be useful as a personal monitor when playing in sessions. I have decided to cut it at this stage. The port outline is marked and the main portion removed by drilling small holes with a scrap piece of wood acting as backing. The port is then taken to final shape with a small drum sander on a Dremmel.
Next the side braces for the carbon fibre buttress braces are made and routed to accept the rods,
They are then glued on using hot hide glue.
The carbon fibre braces are then cut and tested for fit. Mahogany caps are also cut to fill in where the cf braces slide in. Then the assembly is expoxied and left to dry. I absolutely loathe using expoxy glue - messy, sticky, yuck!!
