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A friend was selling a couple of StewMac 000-18 kits (slothead, mahogany and sitka) for a VERY good price. He had purchased them from another fellow on the AGF, and I guess the build was not in his cards.

So the box is sitting on my bench and I am having a blast thinking about what I want to do differently from my first build, and how far to take it. My initial list is modest. My wife does not want any new machines in the basement, which is ok with me. So my goal is to create a really nice guitar that sounds good and looks sharp. #1 came out wonderfully. #2 will be better.

Also, I am in no rush at all. The first build took three months, and towards the end, I really pushed it along because I was so curious as to how it would come out. With this one, I am looking forward to the journey.

So here’s my wish list to start:

• An external mold - StewMac uses a cardboard internal mold technique, which works, but it’s finicky. Plus, the sides need a little re-bending and the mold will help in that.
• possibly some MOP inlay for bling, and definitely some nicer fret markers
• I’m going to bind the fretboard, maybe the headstock too

One really funny sidenote: the kit dates from 2008, so the wood is nice and seasoned! Plus, there was a StewMac catalog in the box from the same year. Great prices (1/2-2/3 of 2024 prices)! I wonder if I can use them on my next order?

Rick

Rick
Sounds like a bunch of fun. I tried that internal mold on my very first kit from LMI. It wasn't great so I made my own mold. It should be easy for you to do if the back and top plates are cut out, use them as a template. If not you might get a set of plans and use those.
Or look on the net you may find a free download of plans for a 000.

Kevin

Exactly where I will end up going Kevin. Thanks for the good wishes.

The last thing that Kathy wants to see is a large carton arriving with a guitar mold packed inside (we’re trying to get rid of 40 years of accumulation in the house and she already let me get a new drill press ( the 1940 Atlas dramatically shorted out and tripped the circuit breaker))

I’ve got my Delta bandsaw, and StewMac includes the plans. Time to make some sawdust!

First decision: MDF or Plywood?

I have 2 molds I made for a classical and an archtop from MDF.
It's fine stable and heavy . Use either, the plywood will last longer.
My other 2 are plywood.

Having made a couple of molds, I'd consider buying one from John. Considering the cost of materials and one's time, John's molds begin to look more and more like a bargain.

I mentioned that this was an old kit (2009). There’s some evidence of possible water damage to the sides, possibly just due to poorly controlled storage. Fortunately, the top and back have no issues.

Hopefully, you can see the grain that I’ve been dealing with. I’ve worked with wood for a long time, and this stuff was confounding. The sides are mahogany. There is a grain between the hard straight areas of lengthwise grain that rises out of the plane of the wood, creating a fuzzy texture. It was really hard to tame it.

What finally worked was my Alan Carruth ‘super scraper’ followed by some light sanding. This scraper is about 3/16” thick and made of a hardened steel. It works because of its hard, sharp edge - no burr required. Alan notes that it’s akin to glass scrapers used in violin making. I had to make sure that the edge was honed ‘just so’ and put in a lot of elbow grease. And even with the scraper, you have to be so careful to ‘read’ the grain direction. Each fuzzy patch is slightly different. PITA!

While on the way to this solution, I also tried some miniature planes (Harbor Freight specials that were tuned up), and some very sharp straight chisels. Both worked, but not great.

After it appeared that I got it to where it was acceptable, I used the old trick of wiping on mineral spirits to see what the grain looked like and confirmed that it was good enough.

I’m not out of the woods yet. The inside face of the wood is ‘wavy’ and may need some flattening before gluing the side braces. And of course when finishing, you often don’t see issues until you start putting the filler\finish on. Any area with grain coming out of the surface is going to preferentially suck up the color. Complicating all of this is that further scraping is going to make the sides thinner and I would assume, this would affect their strength. I am borderline tempted to purchase a couple of new sides as insurance.

Luthiery is a great hobby for those who don’t have enough surprises and problems to solve in their life.

MaineGeezer wrote: ↑Thu Oct 10, 2024 10:14 am Having made a couple of molds, I'd consider buying one from John. Considering the cost of materials and one's time, John's molds begin to look more and more like a bargain.

The option is definitely on my radar.

Not surprisingly, the guitar mold is taking a lot of work. The 3/4 plywood that I purchased is tough on the Bosch Colt router. I’ve likely spent as much as I would have buying a mold from John. But, I will see it through. My bandsaw is a champ, as is my shop vac.

And this is keeping me distracted from the main event, which is re-caulking our walk in shower. I fixed the wet sheet rock and re-sealed it, but today, a small leak appeared in the newly mudded joint. Curses, foiled agian!

Ha! I feel the pain. Home improvements have added at least a year to my yet to be completed “first build”. Hang in there!

I had a blast making sawdust and creating an exterior mold. It probably cost as much as buying one from John, but the exercise gave me a chance to think about the process and tune up my tools (How in God’s name did I ever let all of the blocks and bearings on the bandsaw get so out of adjustment??? It’s amazing what a difference that makes.)

And this is a pretty picture to the newbie.

But my experience is telling me… needs more clamps! Work towards a passive fit! Do something about that little warped edge at the tail end!

I’ll try to enjoy the moment.

Oh yeah, tightening those turnbuckles feels so good.