Imagine Water

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to water lately. It makes up so much of our daily lives our bodies are largely water. The human body is about 60% water in adult males and 55% in adult females. Fact is we simply can not live without it.

Ever sit along side a stream, a river or on the beach and just absorb the sights, sounds and smells around you? Watching the tides roll in and out, the streams forming over the rocks as they head their way back to the sea?

Ever consider how the stream, the river and the ocean are one system? The streams flow over the rocks and meet up to form the rivers which flow into the seas. The seas produce moisture that condenses in the atmosphere that moves inland and gets trapped by the mountains. The clouds drop rain which forms streams and the cycle repeats endlessly much like the tide changes and rhythmic surf coming and going on your favorite beach.

Point being it’s all water, it’s all connected and all continues in a rhythmic cycle.

Water has a way of seeking its own level. Water is capable of penetrating into the smallest of cracks and holes. Water seeks the lowest points on the planet not the highest points. Waterfalls are called waterfalls because they fall. Water naturally goes toward the lowest point without question. Water overcomes all obstacles by wearing them away, flowing around them or moving them.

Since we are so dependent upon water for our very survival maybe we should act more like it and even possibly stop polluting it.

Acoustic Six String on the Way

After much thought and research I have decided it’s time to build myself a 6-string acoustic cigar box guitar.

I found a nice all wood cigar box with brass hinges and clasp. It has some nice artwork right in the middle of the lid that I think will look good. The wood is lighter in color with a decent grain pattern on the top and bottom with a darker mocha colored wood for the sides and end.

I spent quite a bit of time just sanding it and getting it ready for the golden oak stain. I was going to use tung oil but plan on using a several coats of polyurethane and didn’t know how well it would hang onto the oil.

I found a couple of dings in the wood on the bottom and decided to try a technique I found on utube for “pulling them out”. I put a few drops of water in each one until it beaded up. Just short of the running stage so it would still hold its form. I came down the next morning and the water had done its trick. The dings were gone and the wood was perfectly level.

I got a really good start on the neck for my CBG. I used a 2 inch wide piece of red oak and beautiful piece of African padauk for the fret board. I finally got to try out my Stewart MacDonald fret miterbox and saw along with my new fret template guide. All I can say is, "Nice!"

There will be a tail piece that extends out of the opposite end of the cigar box to anchor the strings to. With 6-strings there will be a lot of tension on the neck and by having the neck extending clear through the body will cut down on any tendency to warp the neck.

Retire when the work is done; this is the way of heaven