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So I have devised a method to easily cut the long ends off the sides.

1) Cut a band saw kerf in scrap and snugly fit a thin spacer into it

2) With the sides firmly clamped into the mold, spread one end around the band saw blade, then clamp it back together with the thin spacer in between. Now holding the two sides down and against the end of the mold, I push the mold through the blade with my hip. I have put the top side down because that is a straight edge and is easier to line up than the back with its profile

3) Minor sanding to make a perfect joint that fits the mold nice and tightly. If you are putting in an end graft, you are done - I don't use them very often.

Holidays coming - a little more spare time from volunteer work as a carpenter on our local tall ship. Pretty cool to have a 30 pound piece of Osaage Orange and have them say "make one of those"

1) Glue in the neck and tail blocks. Lining up the neck block accurately is very important if you already have the mortice for the neck tenon cut - this one is walnut. The tail block is cherry and has piece of high quality 1/4" plywood on the back to help prevent the sides splitting if the instrument gets dropped.

2) Stick the rim in the mold and install the spreaders to keep it in place. Now with the pivot bolt in my backboard, I will use a radius beam instead of a dish to taper the edges of the rim ready for gluing the back to, in this case, 15 feet radius for the back

3) Start at the end blocks. I made a guess at the angle on this block before I installed it - not too bad

1) Using a plane and then the sanding beam, I work the end blocks down til they are flush with the sides and at the right angle

2) I adjust the height on the pivot bolt and spin the beam around the sides to get the right taper on the edge of the sides.

3) Now for some kerfed linings. I am using up shorter lengths of lining from previous guitars - I made these pieces on a bandsaw jig. Kerfing (slotting) the linings allows them to bend around a curve. Here I have wet the backs and am clamping them on the rim to dry to shape

Nice work Ed.

Merry Christmas all - and best of the new year. So many things to do besides guitar builing that this is going slowly (but steadily). I hope to have more time as things settle down.

One reason I do this documentation each time is to help me improve by "remembering" what I did last time. Another reason is that you all might have some better ideas that could make my next one gooder - anybody?

1) Glue on the linings using the time tested clothespin-with-extra-rubber-band-as-clamps technique

2) Now I take the linings down with a plane to almost flush with the sides at roughly the correct angle

3) Then the beam gets them flush

1) Flip over the mold and do the same thing with the top edge of the rim, this time with a 28' radius beam

2) I need to get the neck to point in the right direction so the action is good when the guitar is finished. With my particular heights on the top dome, bridge, and saddle, I draw a line 1/8" down from the top of the rim at the neck block, then extend the line around the rim to "0" at the center of the waist

3) Use the plane to get the neck block and the side close to the line

1) With the end block down to flush, I then use the flat beam on the rest of the upper bout - also using a straight edge and my eye to get everything in the same plane

2) Whoops - forgot my side tapes. I would like them to go from edge to edge of the rim and be under the linings for best side-crack protection, but now they will butt up against the back linings and be under the top linings.

3) Gluing on the top linings, then I will plane near flush, use the radiused beam in the lower bout, and the flat beam on the upper bout. Ready for top and back

1) Here's my redwood top, after 65 years hanging on a friend's living room wall. Those dots are 10 grain lines apart, so 35-45 an inch

2) The cabinetmaker down the street let me use his lovely bandsaw and I got 3 pieces at .16 -.18" with virtually no scrap out of a piece that was 11/16" thick

3) I haven't decided yet which faces are the best bookmatch, but this one looks pretty good

1) Rough shape with some alcohol to darken it

2) This is my figured maple back

3) And the colors will look great together

Ed, thanks so much for the updates, please keep them coming. Love the design and the repurposed wood, great fun to follow along.

Also, what did you make from the 30 lb block of Osage Orange?