#2 LMI OM Monkey Pod

[kencierp]

Here's what we use instead of a radius dish even in our vacuum press/clamp -- you can perfectly match your brace contour.

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/contourtool.html

[convict27]

Ken, The contour is not the problem, but more the fact that the sides of the rim come away from the mold without the spreaders in place. Watching Robbie O'Brien's video he even gives a fair warning to make sure your spreaders are able to come out the soundhole or you will have a real fun time pulling the top back off to remove the spreaders. Do most of you make special spreaders to keep the rim against the mold while attaching the top or do you just go without the spreaders inside when joining the top to the sides?

[kencierp]

I know the "horses are already out of the barn" -- but a note to others, if you purchase the pre-bent sides and the mold from the same supplier -- the sides should pretty much snap into the mold. A wasit clamp is more or less to stabalize the rim, not for crushing the sides into shape. Also, I have never heard of using a spreader clamp of any kind when closing the instrument, be it top or back, so if this is on someone's video its a new one on me. The old school classical guitar makers will tell you every time forcing the parts into shape and stressing the components is a detriment to sound quality and perhaps the longevity of the guitar. In this section you can see a slick, simple waist clamp I picked out of the Kinkead publication.

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/masterwork.html

[convict27]

Thanks Ken! That is a wonderful relief to hear. The sides did fit really well into the mold, but I used the spreader to mainly keep them in shape. On the Robbie O'Brien DVD that came with my kit is where I saw him talking about the spreaders. I went ahead and joined the top to the sides and closed the box last night without the spreaders installed. Everything fit up the way it was supposed to from where I trimmed the sides and kerfing for the braces. I took the clamps off this morning before heading into work and it all looks good. I will post up photos when I get off of work this afternoon. We have a Major Typhoon barreling down on us within the next 48 hours so I want to get as much done as I can before I might possibly lose power.