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The sides and back on my first build are Honduran mahogany and I pre-profiled them using the plans for the OLF Medium Jumbo.



I wish I'd taken a pic but when I took them out of the mold it was clear that I'd bent the left side twice. It looks all twisted now. Is it possible to steam the glue-up on the blocks and re-bend one of the sides? Bear in mind, one the sides looked like this:



Bending went pretty well but my inexperience shone and I tugged when I shouldn't have. We glued it back together - twice, in fact - with CA glue.



My questions are these: is this something worth my time to fix or should I try to sand in the correct profiles with a radius dish - or should I just start over with a fresh pair of sides?

Hi,
It really depends on how much side you have.
You said they were pre-contoured? That should have taken away most of the extra material, but perhaps you still have 1/2" to work with. You could plane/sand one side flat (being the top) and try to get the radius back into the back with planing and a radius dish and hope that you dont end up with a guitar that's too thin.

Otherwise, I'd try to release the glue with hot water and a heat gun, buy a new side and re-do it. You'll have to estimate the contour (which you can do from the remaining side) and re-thin the side, with a plane/scraper/sandpaper.
You'll have to think about the sides not matching...Maybe you would have to but a2 new sides to get a grain match.
I'd check to see if you cant save it first by flattening the top edge, and re-contouring the back edge.

Let us know how it goes.

Mike

Since you've only started, and you're going to put a lot of work in that guitar,
if I were you I'd get a new set of sides and start over.
The crack concerns me more than the sides not matching.

With a crack that big and that accessible I would use hide glue or yellow glue, (or LMI white). CA is great when you can't really get to something or if there is a special reason for using it. That could have been glued and clamped in such a way where it would have been stronger than the wood and completely invisible.
The fact that you had to do it twice doesn't inspire confidence in the joint and has me agree with Alan.
L.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

yeah, these guys are right, you'll be spending hundreds of hours on this, might as well do it proper.
Chalk up the $40 it'll cost for new sides to education.

Neil: I see you have a good plan for your guitar,I make the assumption you also have a book as a guide to getting things done in the correct sequence. When I started building guitars I had one of the first books on building steel strings by David R. Young. Had worked with metal and wood most of my life so had a fair handle on doing things with my hands.Still I was terrified that I would mess up real bad and not be able to complete the project.I did make some mistakes and managed to get the guitar finished. Did not look as nice as I wanted and certainly could have sounded better but it got completed. Perhaps the biggest thing I learned doing that guitar was how to do things in my mind before proceeding with the wood.I had to think many steps ahead as if playing checkers or chess. What will happen down the road if I do this as my first step? Will I cause my self grief if I do this now. This was the sort of thing that I had to learn to do before commiting to an operation. So my best advice to you is plan ahead in your mind each step and it's consequences. Good luck,you can do this.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

You guys have convinced me to get new sides. If anything it'll be fun to go through the process again. Everything went well until I after I had the first side in the mold when I noticed it was bent a little funny to my eye and I foolishly gave the corner a tug. It cracked like a rice cracker and my friend (who provided the wood and has been tutoring me) chastened me like I was one of his kids. I deserved it!

After that I was a bit flustered! Next time I'll keep my head and NOT fool with it!

Tom, I've been following Kinkead's book but not to the letter. I've been referring to the Blues Creek and O'Hara Guitars youtube videos for the particulars. Like I said, I also have a friend on hand who has a little more experience than me.