Clamping a Brace for Radiusing
Although most braces on a lute top are not radiused, it is possible to put a small radius on the brace directly in front of the bridge – to counteract the torque from the strings. The pictures show a fantastic radiusing technique shown to me by fellow luthier Jeremy Clark (Montreal). A straight brace is clamped into a radiused mold – the gap between the ruler and the brace shows how the brace is now forced into its future radius. It is held in place by the clamps.