TOOL
Go-bar deck
Clamps a whole braced plate at once, evenly.
| Frame | Rigid top and base, 600 – 900 mm span |
|---|---|
| Rods | Fibreglass or plastic, 6 – 10 mm diameter |
| Rod count | 20 – 40 rods for a full braced top |
| Rod length | Long enough to bow 15 – 25 percent |
| Base | Radius dish or a flat caul |
| Pressure | Light and even, not crushing |
| Rod load | Roughly 2 – 4 kg per rod |
|---|---|
| Glue | Hide glue or aliphatic, with a workable open time |
| Layout | One rod per glue point plus one either side |
| Cure time | Full clamp time before removing any rod |
| Caul | A small caul under each rod spreads the load |
| Price band | Moderate, or built from plans |
A go-bar deck is a frame with a fixed top and a flexible rod for every point that needs pressure. The rods bow between the top of the deck and the work, and each one applies a consistent, even load. It is how braces, bridge plates and patches are glued without a forest of clamps.
The deck is used with a radius dish underneath, so the plate is held in its curved shape while the glue cures. Because the rods are individually placed, a complex brace pattern can be clamped in one pass.
At this stage
The deck is used at the bracing stage, with the plate in the radius dish. Pressure is light — a go-bar is for even contact, not for squeezing glue out of a joint.
Suits these instruments
- Steel-string acoustic
- Classical
- Archtop
Works with
- Radius dish
- Hide glue
- Bracing chisel
- Spruce top
- A bowed rod carries real energy. Release rods slowly and keep your face out of the plane of a loaded rod.
- Do not overload the rods. A rod that is bowed past its limit snaps without warning.
Working notes
- Use a small caul under every rod so the pressure spreads rather than dents the brace.
- Lay the rods out before you glue, so you are not rearranging them with wet glue everywhere.
- Number the rod positions on the deck top so a repeat brace pattern goes faster.
- Release from the outside in, slowly.
Related
Bracing chisel
Shapes braces to a measured taper without tearing the grain.
Spokeshave
Shapes curved surfaces a plane cannot reach.
Radius dish
Gives the top and back their curve, consistently.
Binding router bit
Cuts the channel that takes the binding and purfling.