First Build - 12 Fret

[tippie53]

you learn more from a failure than you do from success . Being lucky helps sometimes too.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

That guitar has a lovely shape.
I have found it is easy to get one step in FRONT of another in guitar making.
I think it would be prudent to have a step by step list pinned to my workshop wall.

Kevin

[segovia]

I pulled it out of the mold today... and it stayed together. Now I have to get a jig for my radius disk built. Maybe tonight...

Did the stew mac neck come with the corresponding neck block pre machined ?

[segovia]

Bending...this was my first attempt, so I figured it would turn into a complete disaster with me ordering a new side set. But it didn't! I watched John's YouTube videos to setup my machine (which I got from BluesCreek Guitars--and it's awesome), and make sure I knew what I was doing (which I don't). It turned out that I was either lucky, or that bending wasn't that bad after all. I practiced on a thin stock of maple which wasn't quite long enough for the whole pattern, but I may turn a part of it into an inner patch if I attempt to put in a sound port. Anyway, the maple came out okay, so I went ahead and tried my first side. I've got the other one in there now cooling down, so I probably shouldn't tempt the guitar building fairies with bad karma by posting this before I know, but I can't resist. Bending is fun! Although it probably just goes back to that old male truth...anything is fun with the right tool! I wish my wife could understand that, I would get WAY less grief about buying tools.

When I pre-profiled my sides I did take the top face of each side down to flat on my router (again, using the right tool for the job would be awesome...I need a planer). Then I roughed out the bottom profile after using the washer inside the mold with the radius disk trick. Seemed to work great, but I may have cut the sides a little too conservative on the profile. I may have LOTS of sanding to do on the back to get it in line with the neck and tail blocks. But probably better to have extra material than too little.

More questions, I am following with interest. Did you pre cut the sides befor bending ? An you say radius disk trick, does both sides neatly sit in the radius dish now ?

[turnertj]

Yes...the neck block was machined to match the neck. I know, that's cheating, but I'll make a neck on my next build. Baby steps away from the kit guitars!

I'll try to find that radius disk trick, I found it posted on the forum here somewhere. If I can't I'll take a few pictures re-creating it. But you ask a good question, I have no idea if it sits in the disk! That sounds terrible, but I totally forgot to check. I'll try tonight when I get home and let you know.

[segovia]

Yes...the neck block was machined to match the neck. I know, that's cheating, but I'll make a neck on my next build. Baby steps away from the kit guitars!

I'll try to find that radius disk trick, I found it posted on the forum here somewhere. If I can't I'll take a few pictures re-creating it. But you ask a good question, I have no idea if it sits in the disk! That sounds terrible, but I totally forgot to check. I'll try tonight when I get home and let you know.

Thanks, its a technique I have seen discussed but I don't think it has widespread use. I pondered for hours as to the benefits and concluded that the rim on the waist of the guitar is higher up the apex of the radius than are the four corners - but I am still struggling with the geometry of the arc between the blocks as this in theory should be flat. As you can guess I have obviously never tried it in practice

[turnertj]

Segovia...to answer your question, I put the unsanded rim into my radius disk and took a few pictures. It fits pretty well! There is a bad gap near the neck block, so I'm not sure what I messed up there. I was also VERY conservative in getting the sides profiled, so I may have quite a bit of sanding to do!

[turnertj]

Got a few hours in the shop tonight. Nice after a monday back at work! But I made the jig for "driving the bus" with my radius disks. Then I made another mold spreader. I wanted a bit more support in the lower bout before I start sanding. I have this nagging fear I'll start using the disk and hear...ripp...crack...so I made the spreader in the lower bout to compliment the one I got from John earlier this year. Then I went crazy and made the neck-tail block spreader, which when I thought about it and tried to put the mold in my new radius disk jig--it's useless.

I also restarted the binding on the fingerboard, and then got down to carving some back braces! I think I have them at about 1/8" where they will meet the rim, but boy are they probably lopsided from left to right. I'll check on that more tomorrow and do some fine tuning/sanding.

[Jim_H]

Here are some pictures from my first build. A KMG Deep OM. This visual should demonstrate the "dome" across the body fairly well.

Deep Body 000 Build 6.jpg

Deep Body 000 Build 9.jpg

Deep Body 000 Build 10.jpg

[segovia]

Segovia...to answer your question, I put the unsanded rim into my radius disk and took a few pictures. It fits pretty well! There is a bad gap near the neck block, so I'm not sure what I messed up there. I was also VERY conservative in getting the sides profiled, so I may have quite a bit of sanding to do!

At least you have proven it works, maybe the whole rim needs to come down a touch, if you leave it as it is won't you have a gap between he block and soundboard/back ?