Hello, dear readers
It’s woodworking time!
Buen día, estimados lectores.
¡Es hora de trabajar!
Here I come with a new update in the progress of this cuatro. I have made some progress in shaping. If you remember the the top, I got the reinforcements on. I also flattened the bridge reinforcement and added my harmonic fan. This last part is the responsible of giving the instrument a brighter or darker pitch.
Esta es la actualización del progreso del cuatro. La forma ha avanzado bastante. Si recuerdan la tapa, ahora tiene los refuerzos. También rebajé el refuerzo del puente y pegué el abanico armónico. Esta última parte tiene la función de ajustar el sonido del instrumento para que sea brillante o más opaco.
The last part to be added to the top was the strumming guard. This one has a simple yet elegant design. What was not elegant was gluing it. As you can imagine wood bends with humidity and applying glue is just making wood moist. It was a nightmare to get this pieces together and keep them flat. You are going to laugh at the weights I used to perform this feat, but the results were good in the end.
La última pieza por pegar en la tapa, por los momentos, fue el golpeador. Este tiene un diseño simple pero elegante. Lo que no fue para nada elegante fue pegarlo. Como se pueden imaginar, la madera se dobla con la humedad y aplicar pegamento es básicamente humedecer la madera. Fue un calvario matener estas piezas planas. Se van a reír al ver todos los pesos que tuve que acomodar para lograr esto, no obstante, los resultados fueron buenos.
And here I got to use my new tool: the circle cutter. It performed better than expected.
Aquí pude usar mi juguete nuevo: el compás de corte. Los resultados superaron mis expectativas.
Here you can see the process of putting the reinforcements in place after the mouth hole was cut.
Aquí pueden ver el proceso de pegar las barras de refuerzo después de cortar la boca del instrumento.
This was another sensitive part of carving. Basically, I left a very thin space for the tuning pegs, so I needed to make the surface flat enough to put some decorations that would give me the minimum width to accommodate the tuning pegs. This process took 3 days of carving with the knife and sanding. Also using a ruler to make sure I wasn't making it worse.
Esto fue algo delicado. Básicamente, dejé un espacio muy pequeño en la pala para las clavijas, por lo tanto, tenía que dejar a escudra la superficie para poder colocar chapas decorativas y tener el grosor mínimo para acomodar bien las clavijas. Me llevo 3 días de utilizar el cuchillo y papel de lija junto con una escuadra para asegurarme de que no empeorara la esta parte.
Getting into decorative terrain this is my idea for the head stock. I have seen similar designs everywhere and wanted to try making one of my own. It resembles some guitars I have seen on Instagram and Pinterest (those amazing sources of inspiration and ideas).
Yendo hacia el lado decorativo,esta es mi idea para el clavijero. He visto diseños similares en todos lados y quise hacer uno propio. Se parece al clavijero de varias guitarras que he visto en Instagram y Pinterest (esas increíbles fuentes de inspiración e ideas).
This is another mold I needed to make. Fortunately, I already had the design. So it was just a matter of moving the measure to a sheet and pasting in on carboard. This is the opposite end of the neck - opposite to the head stock -, the one that foes inside the body of the instrument. There you can see where the top -wide part - and the bottom -thinner part- rest. Also, the part that goes at the lower end of the curve is the heel what will be displayed at the back of the neck. The line that makes a sort of middle section is the guide where the ribs of the instrument will rest.
Esta es otra plantilla que tenía pendiente. Afortunadamente, ya tenía el diseño. Así que solo tuve que transportar las medidas a una hoja y luego pegala en cartulina. Este es el extremo opuesto al clavijero. Aquí es donde descansan la tapa - extremo ancho - y el fondo - extremo angosto. Además, la parte que está al final de curva es el tacón externo que se verá atrás del mástil. La lína que hace de división en el medio es la guida para los aros.
Last part of the post. This was the opening of the rib slots. I made a mistake that I'm going to fix once the ribs are in place. That's why one slot is bigger than the other. Besides that, these required a lot of carving and it's not even complete at the moment. There's more carving to do, but that's how far the cuatro has advance at the moment. Once this piece is complete, I can glue the fretboard and pieces of the headstock and we will be ready to close this baby up.
Última parte del post. Se abrieron las ranuras para los aros. Cometí un error con una y por eso se nota que hay una ranura más ancha que la otra, pero esto se arreglará una que los aros estén listo para ser ensamblados. Además de eso, esto llevó bastante talado de madera y no está completo aún. Queda mucho tallado por realizar, pero hasta aquí ha avanzado el cuatro hasta el momento. Una vez que esta pieza esté lista, se puede pegar el diapasón y las piezas del clavijero y estaremos listos para cerrar el instrumento.
That is all for this entry. Thanks a lot for reading. See you in the next chapter.
Eso es todo por esta ocasión. Gracias por leer. Nos vemos en el próximo post.
All the pictures used in these post were taken with my phone.
Todas las fotos en este post fueron tomadas con mi teléfono.
Creating something with one's hands is very rewarding no matter what it is; Add in crafting with wood which is one of the most enjoyable things ever and...Well, it's legit. Good work.
It is. I still can't believe I spent a lot of my life wanting to get into this and not doing it. Well, at least I'm where I want be do regarding what to do and enjoying it. Thanks a lot for your support!
Sometimes we're slower to come to a realisation or the right place in life...When we get there though...Well, you're living it. ✅
It's been a bumpy ride, but that's the kind of fun life gives us from time to time, especially when we are bound for discovery. Thanks a lot 🤗
Keep travelling that bumpy road; It'll smooth out, get worse and then better again. That's the way it goes. 😀
I bet it is. I don't mind the bumps in the road. They are actually the texture of life. 😄
Texture of life. Nice phrase and way to put it.
Agreed @galenkp
DIY project have the innate satisfaction that they give the creator.
Do you do any DIY? I know you do photography, but what DIY have you done if any? What would you like to do?
Yes, I did my first DIY project here. Its something very simple and basic but it was fun while making it.
I really do want to get into DIY, its very rewarding when you do things with your hands.
Origami is fun! I've done some myself, not much though and I'm not very good at it, I suppose because I've no real passion for it. I did it with a kids group and had some fun with the little tackers.
Haha, very fun. I think if you make an origami of something that excites you, you would love it.
Kids are the best 😊💙
I'm planning to make a crane soon, love how it looks.
I'm Always left in awe whenever I come to your blog, I've seen a long process of the cuatro and I gotta say, it has being impressive.
DIY projects are always very rewarding, bet you would be proud of your self with this one, :).
Thanks a lot. Now you know how I feel when I look at your photos.
It is tough and rewarding at the same time.
And yes, I like how it is coming along. 😅
Thanks for coming by.
Haha, I do know now.
I would be popping in here often, don't leave me hanging bro 😉
Ha, ha, ha. I'll try no to, but my connection might think otherwise. 😅
I pray it doesn't. 🙏🏼
Thank you for sharing this amazing post on HIVE!
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Stay creative & hive on!
Thanks a lot for your support!
Saludos @bertrayo eres muy creativo gracias por mostrarnos tus talentos aquí.
Muchas gracias. Es genial tener esta ventana para mostrar lo que se puede hacer con las manos. Incluso unas medio torpes como las mías.
Saludos, @naide71