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Dear all,
I have been thinking about making a mold as well as a body form as a guide for bending (with iron pipe).
I have searched in the internet and watched many youtube video about how to make a mold.
Most of the time I saw builders using a band saw to rough cut the shape and then used a router to cut the shape flush.

Well, I don't have own or have any access to a band saw or a router.
I only have a couple different hand saws and a dremel tool.
So, I am wondering whether any one can point me to the right direction.
What is the best way or best hand tools for making a mold?

I wonder how did builders make the mold before when there is no power tools around?

Thank you for your input. I deeply appreciate it.

JC

i suppose if i HAD to go at with ONLY hand tools, id use a coping saw to cut the initial curves and files, rasps and sandpaper to finish refining. just thinking out loud here, but i think if you use three layers of ply or MDF for the mold, you could rough cut each layer with the coping saw (assuming thats one of the hand saws you have), then glue the layers together and refine the shape with files, etc. i would check often to make sure that everything is square. it would be quite easy to round edges over and get things nice and wonky doing all of that by hand.

i dont envy you! good luck!

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sweat the small stuff.

Some builders (including some really good, really famous ones) don't use a mold. I believe that would be your best bet without power tools.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

I used to use a Bow saw for cutting out my chair seats.....think: hand held band saw...and your the power. Very efficient tool. I can see that cutting a mold easily.

And....you can make one.http://woodjoytools.com/...I think this guy still sells the blades.
rakeandsplay.com

Agree with Heath, for solid molds. But you'd probably be better off going with the adaptable mold style, where you make a workboard with slots cut into it, and clamp blocks in the slots that just touch to the pattern. Here's a cool style, where the blocks double as spool clamp screws for closing the box

For a bending reference, I'd be more inclined to use just a thin masonite cutout. Easy to make with coping saw/rasp, not a lot of material (i.e. cheap and light weight), and doesn't take much storage space.

Currently all my references are just hand drawn on paper... I start by drawing the whole guitar body, then trace half of it and cut out as the master template. Use that to draw the shape on the wood, and to draw it on another sheet of paper for side bending reference (because this one gets all wrinkly from the water during bending). But I might start making the masonite templates for all my shapes, since they are cheap, relatively easy, would be quicker to trace around, and helpful during bending to see the shape over the full depth of the side, rather than just one edge laid on the paper.

I assemble totally freestanding, but they do come out just a touch asymmetrical I call it hand-built charm.

The instructions and video that comes with the StewMac kits calls for a card board form that goes inside the body with a U-shaped plywood clamp for the outside at the waist. I've made a kit and a scratch guitar that way. The only tool you need is a sharp knife.

Buy one.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

In a city as big as San Diego, you might have access and not realize it. For example, you may find a park district, high school, or college with adult classes--maybe even free. When I lived in Illinois, I used the shop in one of the public parks that had adult classes.

You could make one like these.
I made a better solid mold,
and use that instead,
but these do work,
just not quite as accurate.

that's right - why do you feel you need a mold ? Pick up the Cumpiano book - and you will get lots of mold free building info in there.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

I guess it all depends on how good your sides come out, bent.
Some wood seems to need a little help to stay in the right shape,
others not.
I'm sticking with a mold.

Step 1: Call John Hall
Step 2: Umm, there is no step 2.

Glenn

Go to LMI , Pick the mold you want and hit " Pay with Paypal " No hand Tools required .

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Never met a STRONG person who had an EASY past !
http://wiksnwudwerks.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/GatewayA ... rAssembly/

Cumpiano still builds without a mold on a workboard. The idea that he now uses a mold is incorrect. Molds are unneccesary.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Dear all,
thank you for all your valuable input to my question.
It is very nice to hear from experience builders.

Th reason that I can only stick with hand tools is that I am only making my instruments in an one bedroom apt. I have no shop, so....
I will have to evaluate my situation and decide what to do.

Thanks all..

Buy a cheap jigsaw. An expensive one works better, but a cheap one will allow you to build the forms you want.The first one I bought was a B&D cheapie for $6 (quite a few years ago). I did a fair amount of work with it. It was about as loud as a sewing machine.

I know in some cities people are starting to set up pay for play shop space. You can go in rent time in the shop, have access to the tools and there are folks around to help you get going on the equipment. That option was available near where I live and San Diego is a much bigger town than Portland.

cheers! Bob

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If brute force doesn't work you're not using enough of it...

JC,
To make things easier for your self get one of these from Sears: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00917434000P

For $29.99 you can't go wrong. By the way it has variable speed, comes with 2 blades and a edge guide. Just keep everything square when cutting.

Ron

Thanks Todd, Filippo for your kind suggestions.
I guess I should tell a bit more about what I was doing....

I am building ukuleles in my apartments, not guitars. I think since there are a lot of processes or techniques are similar, so I have been reading a lot of info from you guys and asked a few questions. It is always very refreshing to read what you guys wrote. Following many of your suggestions, I got pretty much all the hand tools that I need for building.

I have done a couple stew mac ukulele kits. With the sides pre-bend, it makes everything so much easier. But after making a couple, I think it is time for me to move on and learn more about the whole building process. Then I started a scratch build.

The reason I thought I might need a mold and a body form is that I ran in to some problem when I try to bend the sides on my current build.
I have post a question before. viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=31984
I thought maybe having a form and a mold will help me bend more accurate sides.

I think the way to assemble the Stew Mac guitar kit is very clever. I think I will definitely try that. But I will have to bend the sides right first.
haha...
Well, thank you all for your patience to read my long story. Everything you guys shared is valuable to my project.

JC

Just one more thought here. You could make yourself a spool mold. It wouldn't be a full mold, but, it would give you a reference shape and you could tell if the sides were vertical as you bend. If you use slotted holes in the base, you could make it adjustable. I don't have a picture, but it consists of a flat work board and sections of large dowel rods, cut into sections, square on the ends, screwed to the outline of the shape on the board, so the sides fit in it like a mold. Dave White uses this method quite effectively. If you plan it right, you can cut slots perpendicular to the line of the shape, all around the mold, and screw through the slots. It is then adjustable if you want to put different shapes on the same board.

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Waddy

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