Senior Project: Step 3, Huzzah!

Tuesday September 18, 2007 (3:12 – 4:11 PM, 7:13 – 9:31 PM, 3 ¹⁷/₆₀ hours, 21 ¹/₅ hours total)

Musicmakers did respond, and they said:

“Hi Matthew,

Small warpage on the sides should not present any problems
as these pieces will bend back to form during the assembly
process. Gluing the sides to the base, top, and all the braces
will ensure that your side pieces are straight.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Matt”

I thought it was friendly of Matt to respond so quickly, which is making me like Musicmakers even more. I was not too sure about the answer, so I waited for my Mentor to show up. He did arrive slightly late, but we had a splendidly enlightening discussion about the wood, clamps, glue, techniques, harp companies, and so forth. He had to go, though, so he left with the promise that he’d arrive later tonight to lend me more clamps, tape, towels, and other sundries.

A little after seven, my mentor came back with what he said he’d bring and more. I helped load it into my handy dandy work area, which I am intent on keeping organized. He said that I should take my sweet, sweet time, wipe up after the Titebond glue (I love this glue already), and that there was no rush. So I did my best to live by his words to me, but I fear that I may have gone too fast. I did my best to slow down (I just do not want to do something wrong), so I gradually hammered the base of the harp into place with a rubber mallet (very carefully) to make sure that it was just in the right spot. After tightening the clamps and triple-checking the fit, I decided that it was as perfect as I was going to get it. I drilled a ⁷/₆₄” bit 1 ⁵/₈” inches into the wood for the six sides of the base into the sound box’s side, and then I glued and screwed it in. After clamping it up, wiping the glue off (a lot, just to make sure), and ensuring it was safe, I called it a night. It is getting late, after all.