Beginner Brace Carving Tips

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I share some of my best brace carving tips including sharpening tips, setup tips and chisel techniques.
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[@masteronone2079]

An interesting explanation of how skewing your chisel changes the angle. It's something I have always done without really considering why it works. Thanks.

[@stevesstrings5243]

That rule is a great tip! Thanks!

[@ruisousa4835]

Hi Eric, that story stick is a great idea. I never thought of that, i'm always mesuring and marking where to start the carving of the braces. It's much faster with that stick, thanks for this tip.

[@alandust2188]

Wow, this was so good I'm going to have to watch it again just to make some notes....thanks!

[@MOHANMSHARMA]

Very well expained

[@short6691]

Fascinating!
I have watched brace carving at ukulele factories in Honolulu. The ladies at the Kamaka factory made short work of it. The braces are short. Perhaps two minutes per top. No effort to “voice” the tops which surprised me. In the 1940s and ’50s the factory employed deaf workers as they were less expensive to hire. Yet this is a premium brand used by many famous performers. At the Kanelea ukulele factory they used engineered lattice braces (rather complex looking like a cantilever bridge) laser cut and glued in place. No carving at all…
I very much enjoy brace carving though I can’t say I voice with confidence. I do tap testing of the top, but more as a ritual than a deterministic process.

[@EricSchaeferGuitars]

I've responded to your comment in this Q&A video. Check it out! ruclips.net/video/Ma-I2E0HwkI/видео.html

[@user-gy1qb7oo5w]

Hola! Estoy construyendo mi primer guitarra acustica. Creo que pegue mis barras tonales en el lado opuesto. Digamos hacia el lado de los graves. Esto afectaria el sonido?

[@BMWHP2]

Thanks for this video. Good points. That is a nice "crooked neck" chisel.
My preference for carving the braces is, using a chisel that I made myself.
A streight normal chisel, but with the sharp edge exactly in the middel, no flat side. You get a bit of a rounded "sloping" piece to of metal up to the cutting edge.
It will work better when using it on more difficult woods that tend to split or have "curley fibers". My 2 (amateur) cents
ruclips.net/video/yHl-JvHGDyA/видео.html

[@walterrider9600]

thank you Eric. is angle of attack the term you were looking for on the chisel . i have a question please . on the work sharp i have one it works fine on my chisels but tends to round off my plane blades ? any suggestions i use the the bottom of the disk not the top .

[@EricSchaeferGuitars]

I've responded to your comment in this Q&A video. Check it out! ruclips.net/video/Ma-I2E0HwkI/видео.html

[@larrycoon3794]

I assume that was just a Dremel & the StewMac Precision Router Base I saw you using to carve the side slots? I like that idea for depth control -- I've just been using a chisel for this job.

[@EricSchaeferGuitars]

I've responded to your comment in this Q&A video. Check it out! ruclips.net/video/Ma-I2E0HwkI/видео.html

[@larrycoon3794]

@@EricSchaeferGuitars Nice! Great idea completing the process using a second rig to precisely get the exact brace height.

[@bobdechenne]

Which finger plane do you use for brace carving?

[@EricSchaeferGuitars]

I've responded to your comment in this Q&A video. Check it out! ruclips.net/video/jXzxvn8Anfc/видео.html

[@user-by1xw4fu3h]

Moscow👏

[@slidersson]

To much talk zzzzz