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Hello Everyone!

I will be posting progress and photos under this topic during my build. As always your comments and thoughts are good to hear.

I decided to go with the OLF SJ plans. Ordered them from StewartMac. The arrived quickly and I have been bouncing from plans, to forum, to books every evening. The SJ shape appeals to me more than others available. I think the size and shape will suit my playing style.

I ordered a master grade spruce top from Alaska Specialty Woods. I dont really know what I am looking at as a new builder. So I spent some time smelling, tapping, and bending. Getting to know the wood. The grain is very tight and even. The stiffness with the grain is very good. Across the grain seems impressively stout. I would guess it is 50% of the lengthwise stiffness. If you work your way up and down the piece you can find areas that are slightly more or less stiff across the grain. Makes me wonder if the bottom part of the board is stiffer would it better suited for the bottom bout of the guitar or the top by the soundhole. I dont know if that makes sense or not. When you tap it it there is a tone like a church bell and then a seperate base tone. The bell tone seems to end before the base tone. Overall I am very pleased, but what the heck do I know?

The indian rosewood back and sides I got from RC tonewoods. I really like the looks of them. It is striking how much more heavy, dense, and rigid they are compared to the spruce. The lengthwise stiffness seams the same as the spruce. Across the grain it is much stiffer. I love the smell. When you tap it the two tones I hear are: the higher tone is more like a hum than a bell. The bass tone is DEEP and LONG. Like a subwoofer.

Bellow is a photo of my mold. It was build with 3/4 inch particle board that has a coating. I think it came from some cabinets on an old job. The blocks are some trex decking I had lying around from my boat spray rails. It is 2.5 inches thick. I cut and acrylic template of the shape. Traced it out. Cut one side. Sanded. Then pattern routed the remaining 3 pieces to that. I took great care in its curves, alignment, and squareness.

Time building: 6 hours

Thats it for now. Happy building!

Hi Craig,

I too am building an OLF SJ. Rims are radiused and ready for the top and back. I am now working on the bracing and hope to have it closed up this weekend. Good luck with yours!

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

Thanks Ken. What woods have you chosen?

Figured maple back and sides with a cedar top. Bindings will be curly eucalyptus. Single brazilian rosewood perfling pin on sides and back. Five piece mahogany neck. Still debating what to do for the fingerboard. I was thinking of dark rosewood, but may go a little nuts and use cocobolo.

Ken

_________________
http://www.casperguitar.com

One thing I would add here. I would not recommend particle board for your mold. Particle board where the wood chips are exposed is extremely susceptible to moisture absorption and swelling. I assume you at least seal the edges and non laminated surfaces with shellac. In no time at all you are likely to have issues with this mold. The melamine on the top and back surface stabilizes the particle board only in that plane, which is actually the non-critical plane for a mold. You spent a good deal of effort in making a quite nice looking mold. But I have to tell you that you would have been better off to have use birch ply in the long run.

West System Epoxy. My work bench is particle board with a coat of epoxy. It holds up very well.


Agreed, but I generally use what I have around the shop.

Thanks
Craig