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Well, after asking a bunch of questions (thanks for the help guys), I started building this past week.

So far I've glued in the rosette and scraped it down, fit the sides in the mold, and glued in the tail and neck blocks.

Tonight my daughter (age 11) and I glued the kerfing. We're making it for her, she's picked up playing pretty fast, but my D-18 and D-35 are just too big for her to handle comfortably. This OOO-28 should fit her better.

Rick

be sure to post progress and don't be afraid to post when you need help.

It's so easy a kid can do it!
I wish my sons were old enough to help. What great memories you will have!
Keep posting the build pics and definitely ask if you have questions.

That's a great photo Rick! I'm sure she will appreciate the instrument much more seeing it go together. Can she sand?

Fun project with your daughter, Rick! Hopefully she will have as much fun helping as she will playing!

Tony, my son is old enough, 17, but alas has no interest! He took guitar lessons for about 5 years and now won't even pick one up. I think he views it as something his old man loves, so he, therefore, can't enjoy it. He'll come around.

Ken

Kerfed lining is all in, and the side support braces as well.

Was working tonight on truing up my back for gluing. Tried it with a plane but kept getting one end or the other gapping. It must be a problem with my technique since I was using a big old Stanley #7 plane that I know has a flat sole. I finally gave up and used a long aluminum sanding block from my old RC airplane modeling days and got the pieces true.

My center back strip is pretty straight, so I'm debating just gluing it in rather than routing and inlaying it later. I'm debating because when I candle the back I can see lots of light through the interior of the pattern of the strip (it's a zipper pattern), making me doubt its strength. On the other hand, there will be a reinforcing strip and the braces on the inside, so maybe that's not such a problem. I can also load the strip up with glue - that should fill the holes and strengthen it some.

Rick

How nice to be able to share the building of her guitar with her. Treasure the time together, it passes too fast.
(mine is now 32).
Looking forward to seeing more pictures too.

Kevin

I think its great as well that she is helping. My three sons are always trying to help, but at 3, 5, and 7, they start looking at tools as pretend lightsabers and comlinks about 13 seconds into the project. Give em a couple more years.

As far as the back is concerned, gluing the strip between the back pieces is how I have always done it. As you said, you will have teh center reinforcing strip to keep it all together.

I was slowed up for a couple weeks until I found a neighbor with a thickness sander to thin my back a bit. I'm now able to proceed again. Just finished gluing the braces onto my back.

Wow, a neighbor with a thickness sander? I'll trade you your neighbor-with-a-thickness-sander for my neighbor-with-a-personality-disorder!