What keeps it from going BOINGGGG!

[Srick]

The StewMac technique of building with a cardboard form and waist clamp is ingenious. But OTOH, I really appreciate why most folks use a mold.

One thing that has me wondering: there is an incredible amount of stress placed on the bent wood with either technique. After all, the bent wood wants to be straight. What keeps those bent sides from just going BOINGGGG!?

Are there any techniques to ‘relax’ the wood while it is in the mold, or in my case, clamped? (Ie. With a heat gun). Or do we just assume that the wood will eventually comply and adapt to its new shape?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Rick

[banjopicks]

You should be bending it with heat to as close to shape as possible before putting it in the mold. Not much tension when done right. How are you bending your sides?

[Srick]

They are pre-bent (Stew Mac kit) and they are close, but not a passive fit in the least!

[Skarsaune]

Not much tension is the goal.

If the sides have "relaxed" from their as-bent states, it can take a good bit of oomph to squeeze back into shape.

Might be time to rig up a bending iron. Your wagner heat gun and a piece of squished aluminum tubing will work.

[Srick]

Unfortunately, I’m a little past that stage. The ‘oomph’ (aka Armstong method) technique worked well. And I agree, they probably relaxed from their pre-bent state. Since that Wagner heat gun has a really precise temperature control, I may just try heating the sides while in their final shape to hopefully relax some tension.

And that is one of the disadvantages to the inner cardboard form\waist clamp technique- you really can’t judge how far off the sides are until both the neck and tail block are glued in place. OTOH, considering that StewMac sells a lot of kits, I suspect I’m not the first to notice the issue. And if it were really a big issue, there would be complaints right and left.

Fingers are crossed.

[Skarsaune]

... you really can’t judge how far off the sides are until both the neck and tail block are glued in place....

My first build (a Martin kit), I used the waist clamp.

The precut top or back is a pretty good gage of whether your sides are going to work or not - if the top won't cover the sides, ya gotta problem!

[Srick]

Update: I got a reply from StewMac and the support tech, Gene, didn’t feel it would be an issue. Considering how many of these kits have been shipped and built over the years, I suspect thatbtheir support team has seen and heard it all. Plus, with the slow pace of construction, the git will end up being in the proper configuration for several weeks (before the top and back are glued) and this is likely a good thing.

Update 7/31. Removed the waist clamp in order to switch sides and the guitar stayed pretty close to form. So far, so good for a first build.

On the list for the next build: mold, radius dish, and go bar deck.

[phavriluk]

Two radius dishes, different radii, one for the soundboard, another for the back.

My opinion is that Stew-Mac peddles their kits with the cardboard cutouts as gimmicks to attract customers who hope to assemble the kit with minimal additional tooling. Nice try.

Whether we build one or fifty guitars, the need for tooling and the attendant expense is virtually constant. Building one guitar is an awfully expensive way to get a guitar.