Official Luthiers Forum!

+1 on Colin's technique.

When I started building from scratch 10 or 12 years ago I actually ordered a set of unbent but profiled sides from Martin for an OM and Dred. Used them to make plexiglass templates.
Now you can get plans for almost any body shape that has the side profiles printed. Just photocopy them and make a template. If not available Colin's technique is great and the other techniques mentioned should work well too.

I have always profiled before bending and left them just a little longer on each end. You can put a piece of tape on your bending form, your half template, or your mold to accurately mark the waist and ends and then transfer those marks to the unbent side and/or template.

I just profile the back and leave the top dead straight. The minimal profile sands in quickly during radius sanding.

If you are using the same wood for binding (which I like) you can cut your binding strips before you cut the profile if the side is wide enough.





I usually clamp the side and template into a jig after cutting on the bandsaw and finalize the shape with a flush trim bit on the router table but that's probably overkill.



I leave the end blocks a little long and sand them down when doing the radius sanding.

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

OR....you can go to Waldron Instruments and you will find an extensive selection of side profile templates made by Kevin Waldron with the dimensions taken from actual Gibson, Martin, Taylor, (and selected others) guitars.

You can cut slightly oversize and still be streets ahead by using the actual profile. After bending, a sessionb of skimming on a radiused workboard and presto....

Make you life easy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz6xzVRA51E
I also pre shape the sides here is a video on how I do it

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I think there were basically two questions here. How do you profile the sides, and do you do it before or after bending. I have seen Mike's post before, and basing the profile on the radius dish makes a lot more sense than just using plan if you are in any way planning on using the radius dish down the road. The height (depth) at both end blocks is still determined by the plan. So I'm going with that. I'm still undecided on before or after bending. I've always done before.

I just finished up my first cutaway bend using Collin's preshaping technique and is was amazing.

Thanks!!

Mike