First kit build - Martin dred

[rcplanefan]

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome! No, this won't be the last build. I love most of the work, and thinking about the projects is almost as much fun as actually doing them. I will definitely be posting photos and thoughts as I go along. Again, please feel free to send me tips or thoughts as I get into this. I learn from doing and from feedback!

Ken

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Hi Ken
Nice to have you on the forum. I know you will enjoy the process of building your own guitar. My first was a kit similar to yours. My second was a scratch build and I never looked back, although I still play that first guitar.
On #18 now so it might get in your blood as it has for so many of us here.

Watch the details and you'll be fine. Please show us pics as you progress. We will help if we can but I know most of us are still learning with each build.

Again welcome aboard.

Kevin in California

[rcplanefan]

A little progress - put a few coats of shellac on the sanding disks (John's suggestion to aid in removing the sandpaper later), and I've created a jig to hold the mold. Just test fitting everything now, but it seems like we are on the path to making a guitar now.

[TEETERFAN]

Nice looking workspace! It looks like you are making good preparations and getting a nice array of stuff to help with the build. All that helps.

[MaineGeezer]

I notice the 1-2-3 blocks you have supporting it. Does that imply you're a machinist?

[rcplanefan]

I notice the 1-2-3 blocks you have supporting it. Does that imply you're a machinist?

Ha! Very observant. Actually no, I'm not a machinist though I did work in an area with many skilled machinists. We built lots of equipment - I was the inventor of Press'n Seal (Glad food wrap), and one of the many machines we built was the first pilot machine to manufacture it for a test market. I was lucky enough to learn a lot, but I'm in no way a machinist even if I want to play one at home occasionally.

First setback - I calibrated my hyrgrometers today and they are way off. Humidity in my shop is actually about 30% instead of 40%, so now I wait for the shop humidifier to arrive. I should have done that first thing, but I was lazy and relied on the factory to calibrate it. Lesson learned. At least I haven't actually glued anything yet.

[rcplanefan]

Nice looking workspace! It looks like you are making good preparations and getting a nice array of stuff to help with the build. All that helps.

Thank you for the comments, Kevin. I appreciate you checking in, and please feel free to make any suggestions you see as I move along. I'm here to learn.

[TEETERFAN]

You’re welcome. Make sure you pass along any secret uses for that “Press and Seal”.

[Skarsaune]

Another engineer here, who started with a Martin kit several years ago.....just played #1 at the holiday market this past saturday, and have 11, 12, and 13 (scratch builds) on the bench. Welcome!

[rcplanefan]

I've made a bit more progress in the past few days.

First, I got the bookmatched back pieces glued together with a nice trim strip down the middle. After a quick final sand, I think it looks pretty good.



I have also gotten the rims prepared (as per John's videos) and then installed the neck and tail blocks. I didn't do as clean a job as I might have liked, but they are straight and square. I learned a few things about how much glue to use that I hope to remember next time.

After trimming some of the neck block down (it stood proud a little more than 1/8" on each side), the rims are back in the mold, and the kerfing for the top has now been installed.