PreviousIndex Next Brace Arching The tops of most high-quality "flat-top" steel-string acoustic guitars built today are not really flat. The top is arched slightly, bulging outward. This arching serves a number of purposes; an article about it can be found at http://edge.cs.drexel.edu/GICL/p eople/sevy/luthierie/workb oards/Arched_W orkboards.html . In order to build a guitar with a slightly arched top, we need to arch the braces that will be glued to the underside of the t op. This is easily done with the nifty jig pictured below . The jig clamps a brace into a desired arch, but in reverse - it clamps the brace into a concave arch, with the ends higher than the middle. The concave top surface of the brace is then planed flat; when the brace is released from the ji g, the brace springs back so the bottom surface becomes flat again, and the top surface, which was planed flat while the brace was bent, becomes a smooth convex arch. The jig consists of a movable jaw that clamps the brace in position by squeezing its sides - this way, the top surface is open for planing. The jaw has sandpaperglued to the face to provide extra gripping power. Brace arching http://gicl.cs.drexel.edu/people/sevy/luthierie/guitarmaking_guide/bra... 1 of 8 3/15/2013 1:19 PM
Brace ArchingThe tops of most high-quality "flat-top"
steel-string acoustic guitars built today are not really flat. The
top is arched slightly, bulging outward. This archingserves a
number of purposes; an article about it can be found at
http://edge.cs.drexel.edu/GICL/people/sevy/luthierie/workboards/Arched_Workboards.html.
In order to build a guitar with a slightly arched top, we need
to arch the braces that will be glued to the underside of the top.
This is easily done with the niftyjig pictured below. The jig
clamps a brace into a desired arch, but in reverse - it clamps the
brace into a concave arch, with the ends higher than the middle.
Theconcave top surface of the brace is then planed flat; when the
brace is released from the jig, the brace springs back so the
bottom surface becomes flat again,and the top surface, which was
planed flat while the brace was bent, becomes a smooth convex
arch.
The jig consists of a movable jaw that clamps the brace in
position by squeezing its sides - this way, the top surface is open
for planing. The jaw has sandpaperglued to the face to provide
extra gripping power.
In the photo below, a spruce brace is shown clamped in the jig.
The brace is pressed down so it contacts the curved bottom surface
of the jig, and then the jawis tightened to hold it down.
![Curriculum Framework Over Arching Statement[1]](https://img.dokumen.tips/doc/110x75/577d29c81a28ab4e1ea7d264/curriculum-framework-over-arching-statement1.jpg)
