Installing the End Graft

The end graft helps hide the seam created where the two rims join in the back of the guitar. Ken provided a piece of maple for this, the same maple as the bindings. If I do it right it will be a nice constrast to the rosewood.

Stabilizing the body for this step was a challenge. I saw where a few builders had used a ladder back chair or some more elaborate extension of their work bench. I spotted these 2x4s that I had just brought down to the basement after using them for supports for window air conditioners and thought hmmm? Just maybe they can make a base wide enough to support the box. I placed some card board strips between the box and the 2x4s clamped it up and voila, a perfect work set up - well, it was a little too high but I wasn't about to complain.

So I cut the angles in the maple, laid it out on the box, used a metal straight edge and a new blade on my box cutter and went to town. Easy to do. I used a chisel and cut the slot a little tight. This allowed me to file perfectly straight lines for the final fit. It came out nice:

and the final glue up

and the finished product (albeit upside down):