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I'm at this point and am extremely frustrated, especially with the back rims since the back plate effectively bends along its length. I've tried and tried to get everything lined up and routed out the slots for the lower bout braces but when it came time to route the other two I found out that when I bent the plate I'd run out of material so that the kerfing was exposed.

I think I need to slide everything up about 1/8" but that would mean that those nice clean slots I cut are useless and I now have less kerfing in that area to give a good glue joint. In fact, my back plate now wants to "lock in" to those grooves and it's throwing everything off. Does anyone have any advice they could give? Please don't tell me I need to start out with all new kerfing! GAH!

Why not glue in pieces of wood where the slots are, sand them to shape and then recut the slots where you need them? Seems to me that would be the easiest fix. Its all covered by your binding anyways so its no big deal other that you knowing what's there. :-)

Thanks for the ideas. The slots are just a little off so it's just a mater of routing out a little more on one side. Good idea about theen rubber bands, Tony.I'd need some long ones though to span both my sides and the mold too though, wouldn't I?

Aww, c'mon Ken! If we all thought that way we'd put StewMac out of business :p~

I prefer not to cut through the sides. As an engineer a sharp corner can be a stress riser that can start a crack. Still that is not to say that it won't work. I would suggest a high figured set should be inlet to the kerfing.
there are other reasons , if you use plastic binding , this can over time leave a witness mark. It isn't that hard relieve the kerfing. Most builder I know don't cut through the sides , Henderson , Nichols , Martin.

I was wondering if one could do that John. Of all the info I was looking at it appeared as if most cut at least the X braces into the rim (some more). To do that would sure make things quite a bit easier that's for sure.

OK, I think I figured something out with what I had laying around in the basement: bungie cords.







I agree with you, John. I don't like the look of braces sticking through the sides like buck teeth. At the advice of Freeman on my top I trimmed the brace ends on the X brace lower bout to nothing at the kerfing line. The upper transverse brace will be fitted to spruce side braces due to another boo boo. OTOH the upper bout X brace ends are similarly ugly and the cuts just as sloppy. Hopefully the binding and BWB purfling strips will cover my boo-boos - and that I learn from my mistakes for the next one!

Hi Neil,

Just curious -- how thick is that back plate -- in the photos (perhaps an illusion) it looks to be over an 1/8". I'm thinking if its more than .100" that may be why it takes so much "bungee" force to hold it down?

kencierp wrote:Hi Neil,

Just curious -- how thick is that back plate -- in the photos (perhaps an illusion) it looks to be over an 1/8". I'm thinking if its more than .100" that may be why it takes so much "bungee" force to hold it down?

It's 0.11" thick and does indeed seem overly stiff. I'm anticipating on doing a lot of sanding after I close the box.