Archtop Rebuild: Rims and Top/Back Fit

[Eric Knapp]

Hello,

I'm struggling with getting the top and back to fit on the rims of my old Archtop. I built a form which fits the top and back perfectly. Trying to get the rims to fit in the form is the problem. They just aren't the right shape as you can see here:

The waist bend is not sharp enough and the force needed to jam it into the form seems like way too much to my rookie instincts. I measured the outside lengths of the rims and the back which still has its binding. They are exactly the same so it doesn't seem like removing the tail block and changing the length of the sides is the right answer.

Do you think it would be appropriate to heat up the bending iron and adjust the curves? This guitar has been apart for a long time and it seems reasonable to me that the sides have reverted a bit to their straight origins.

Thanks,

-Eric

[Peter Wilcox]

If you don't want to force it in, I think a little tweak at the waist with the iron/pipe would fix it.

[Eric Knapp]

If you don't want to force it in, I think a little tweak at the waist with the iron/pipe would fix it.

Well, I took the plunge. I dusted off the bending pipe I got long ago and then never used. I started with the waist and adjusted elsewhere when it seemed like it needed it. It fits well now with almost no pressure.

That's better!

Fitting a top that once had a binding on it is interesting. I used the spacing at the neck dovetail joint as my reference.

The dovetail was the reference spacing.

I tried to match that all the way around.

Good enough.

At the tail joint.

This has been bothering me for a couple of months and I had to crack this before I could start closing the box. I have a new set of kerfing coming as the stuff I have is old and brittle, and I don't have enough. I'm going to add bias tape to the sides too. It almost feels like progress.

Thanks,

-Eric