Today I leveled the edges of the shell and installed the first set of stringers where the top will attach.. I’ve gone on ad nauseam about the benefits to longitudinal rigidity from using steambent stringers, as opposed to the kerfed softwood linings mass producers use; I won’t belabor the point except to note that this set of steambent stringers is white oak– even more rigid than anything I’ve used in the past. I also bent the stringers from thicker stock. I had to use big clamps to get them to mate up with the Ovankol sides.
I am pleased with the result. Tomorrow I’ll add the second set of stringers to where the back attaches to the shell.
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Below you can see the steambent stringers dry-fit into the shell.
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On another note, the CNC machine is progressing… slowly. I ran a test job today with a waste piece of pine and it ran fine for awhile– until vibration caused the cutting bit to loosen and drop deeper into the workpiece. I had to hit the emergency stop button PDQ or it could have wrecked the cutting bit and scored up the cutting table (again). I am not sure the router I am using has a good enough bit holder to use in this application. The CNC machine has been a lot of struggle for, so far, no return. Good for the character though I suppose.