Day 23 - Shoulder back panel (half)

(Originally posted on August 15th, 2013)

When I got home from work, I drew a nice, warm bath.  Now, before you throw on the Barry White album, this was only to soak my HDF shoulder back panel.  I let it soak for about two episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (50 minutes or so).

It was still stiffer than I had imagined it would be, so I was paranoid about it splitting when I clamped it on, but the worries were unfounded.  It went on without very much fuss.

Then I went to a choir rehearsal, and came back about two hours later or more.  Everything was dry when I checked on it.  It was looking good!

Then, I switched from the one construction adhesive I was using to the Liquid Nails.  This stuff is a lot more putty-like, and it was hard to get a solid bead.  This made me decide to try gluing half of the panel at a time.

 I took half of the clamps off, and watched the now-free board spring out.  Again, I was a bit paranoid about splitting if I pushed on it too hard.  I managed to get a bead of adhesive on the top and bottom shoulder frame edges, and also along the side and back strut.  Then, one clamp at a time, I started to cinch up along the edges.

I discovered about halfway through that the top line of the HDF was starting to slip below the top line of the frame, so I had to re-apply some adhesive and re-clamp everything down.  Panic, panic, panic.

Eventually, I got that half of the panel glued and secured.  I wound up using all of my clamps, though, so I couldn't do the other half.  Tomorrow after work, after everything's cured well, I'll glue the other half.  If it keeps up like this, it will take me four days to get the skin on.  And I hope, hope, hope that the Liquid Nails will hold.  The back of the HDF seems so ... "particle-y" ... that I fear it will just tear off when I remove all the clamps.

I guess we'll see!

(Not pictured: a bit later, I put a 3/4" plywood board across the back-center and clamped it at the top and bottom, so that the HDF there would touch the glue on the back strut.  It initially looked like it was bowed away from it.  It still kinda is, but it's a bit more secured.)