Mold type - your comments

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vacooley

Mold type - your comments

Post by vacooley »

OK, I hope I do not start a firestorm with this post.

I just completed a guitar using an outside mold (KMG preferred pro). I am intrigued by the adjustable mold KMG sell as I plan to build a few more guitars over the next few years.

Is there anyone out there that has used BOTH types of molds? I would love to here pros/cons.

A couple of question areas I have are:

- With a 'conventional' outside mold I can glue up the neck and tail blocks in the mold. This seems preferrable.
- I used the 'conventional' mold to bend my wood bindings. It was easy using some heat, weights and tape.

Thanks
naccoachbob
Posts: 477
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:25 am
Location: Nacogdoches, Tx

Re: Mold type - your comments

Post by naccoachbob »

The thing I like most about KMG's adjustable mold beside being able to change body styles, is that there are "caps" that have wings on them. I use the wings to put rubber bands around the top or back when gluing them to the sides.
Ken C

Re: Mold type - your comments

Post by Ken C »

I have only used KMG's adjustable Mega Mold. It has some plusses and some minuses.

Plusses:
+ Mold is adjustable to any body shape you want to build.
+ With the contour bar, contouring the back is very precise and is a snap.
+ As I discovered, the contour tool can be used to layout perfect side templates
+ As Bob noted, easy to hold body in place, glue on a top or back, and clamp with rubber bands.

Minuses:
- Less precise than your existing mold in holding the neck block, tail block, and sides square during assembly.
- Base warps easily and KMG won't sell a replacement.

Despite the positives, after a couple of guitars I was quite annoyed by the two negative items I mentioned above. I wanted more precision out of the adjustable mold than it was designed to deliver, including the ability to precisely glue the neck block in place while the rims were in the mold. I struggled with whether I wanted to dump the mega mold and move to a fixed mold similar to what you are currently using. But I hated to give up the contouring tool. In the end I decided to modify the mold to provide for greater precision while building. I wouldn't consider going to an adjustable mold without getting the contour tool. This is what really makes the adjustable mold shine.

Ken
tippie53
Posts: 7011
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Hegins, Pa
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Re: Mold type - your comments

Post by tippie53 »

I find the outside mold more accurate and better for holding symmetry. Once a body is placed into a mold I like to keep it there till it has the top and back on. The key at this point is to match the mold style to your building style.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
kencierp

Re: Mold type - your comments

Post by kencierp »

The KMG Mega Molds are used in the classrooms at the
http://whetstoneschooloflutherie.com/
No reports of warping, product quailty problems or trouble with construction accuracy -- The forth generation MM has some advancements including PVC posts which allow room for really big guitars
deadedith

Re: Mold type - your comments

Post by deadedith »

Once again we see that what works for you, works for you. I've only used the MM and the funny thing is - the better I get, the better the mold is :-) On the box I just closed up, I took great pains to be very very accurate in measuring (twice) and fixed up some jigs for cutting very straight lines and for notching braces - a jig for the dremel and also used the binding router table - and I almost was able to use the 4 rubber bands on top and bottom gluing. Of course, I used about 453 because that is just the way I am, but the point is, so far it is me not the mold that accounts for errors.
YMMV
DaveB
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