Lattice Jig

Granddaughter and kids went home yesterday.  We went to Lowe's where Lora bought a white Christmas tree (something she has always wanted) and I bought a quarter sheet of birch ply (something I can always use).  I adjusted the platen on my thickness sander, and put a coat of poly on the drum.  I will put another coat on today, then during the week, I'll install the sandpaper, and all is for the good.

The lattice jig is really a rather simple affair, though it is somewhat ingenious, and I don't know who to credit for that ingenuity.   I took my design from LMI, and simplified it.   It is used for joining the plates for the back and soundboard.  I'll picture its work when I get to joining the plates for my next guitar,

It consists of two lattices, each of which consists of two rails (thinking of the rail road analogy again) and three ties (with a bad pun on ties).  It is assembled using standard wood-working techniques.  I cut 2 inch strips to length, then set up my dado blade to cut over-lapping notches.  I cut them slightly deep, at about an inch and an eighth, so I could keep it all perfectly flat during glue up.

The bottom lattice required the most work.  Between the notches for the two rails, I removed enough material to accommodate 1/4 inch MDF and some sheet plastic.  It provides the base against which the top rails bear, keeping the plates flat at the seam.

On one side, the rope is knotted into a single hole, and on the other, once it is crossed back and forth over the plates, it is snaked through the three holes pictured.  Drill the holes before assembly.  I glued and pinned it on my table saw, so it would be perfectly flat, threaded the rope and tested it on some scrap 1/8th ply.  It worked as advertised, so I can actually begin work on the guitar.  I will need to dig through my wood, but I believe I salvaged the mahogany for the back and sides, along with a book-matched piece of redwood for the soundboard.

If not, I will need to wait for the pieces needed to repair my band saw come from the manufacturer, and there is another project that I can tackle -- a circle cutter to define the rosette channel.  For that, I need a 1/4 inch brass rod (about 12 inches).  I have the necessary screws and inserts -- those I did salvage from the flood -- and the body I can make from oak off-cuts left over from the bench.  I could also continue making my shop cabinets.  I have in mind a router cabinet and another to hold my hand held power tools.  Never a lack of things to do.