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Just wanted to get a general idea of how you personally prefer to do it, and your reasoning behind it...

Before and after. Before, to a rough template so final profiling with a radius dish, after, is quicker

+1 for uvh sam..

Me too.

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Close before, fine tune after. It is a lot easier to cut a flat board than a bent side.

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I prefer to bend sides at a uniform width, which is typically just a bit wider than the final dimension at the tail. Once the tail and head blocks are in, a small block plane quickly gets things close enough to move to a dish.

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Aaron Craig

I've done it both ways. I currently like roughly profiling while flat, then bending and gluing, then later getting things perfect with a dished sander. I have more useful leftovers this way. You have to pay more attention during bending, though. Having two left sides is no big deal if the wood stays a uniform width, but it is a replacement level mistake with pre-profiled sides.

Two steps as well. Before the bend, then final with radius dish. This way, you can nearly always take a set of bindings off the sides. Our general practice is to rip the bindings, profile the sides, then put the bindings back on near where they came from for a beautiful color match...

This is very true, but, you will only do it once. I hope.(doh!)

Everyone finds what works best for them. Me I hate sanding, so i get the sides close and then place the sides on a radius dish, scribe and plane as necessary. I also do the braces this way.

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

I do profile before before bending as it saves a lot of work . Bending a 5 in wide pieces makes for a lot of work to taper and radius the sides. On Classicals I don't think it would matter that much as they don't have the same amount of taper as a steel string.

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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've only done classicals thus far, and do it as Aaron has described. Cut the sides to the dimension of the tail (tad higher), bend, and then plane a slight taper on the back of the sides down to the head block, once the sides are glued to the top. Very little sanding needed.

I also do it as Aaron and Martin have described with the profile drawn on the sides before bending. A small block plane makes for short work. Though I must say I have been tempted many times to cut first but always seem to go the safe route.

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

I cut my sides to be as tall as the end block. I then bend. Then I profile them with a plane, and finish up with a radius sanding board. No real profiling prior to bending.

I profile before bending, and I do not use a radius dish.
I don't know if I'd recommend this method to a beginner because gluing the blocks has to be perfect, but it works for me.

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Here's where a CNC and CAD/CAM software can come in really handy...

I created a 3D model of my last OM, and then created the cut file for the sides. Bend, and then I simply glued on the linings a hair proud and use a radius template (also made with the CNC) to sand the linings to the correct curvature, and then glue on the back.
My top rim stays mostly flat.

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I do it like Nils. It doesn't take long to make the profile with a sharp spokeshave. Then sand it to radius in the dish. I might try profiling first on the next one. I don't see a reason why not to do that. Cutting the profile on the band saw would be quick.

ME too. I've done it both ways. I started off prebending but found that if I leave them square it helps if I over shoot the bend and end up with some cut off which would place the predefined profile off line. I use a hot pipe to bend so I guess if using a bender it would not matter.

Yes, same way here...!
Tom

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I prefer to have my sides flat when bending. I use a silicone heating blanket. /bending form .My tops are flat. Having 2 flat sides .I have the option of choosing which one to profile , so I can get some contrast in the grain of the sides. I use laminated sides , so there is extra work involved. I run a fine pencil line on the inside of the sides in the mold sitting on the 15 ft back radius dish. I profile quickly on the trusty rockwell 6 by 48 sander . glue in the blocks, a quick radius sand and the back is glued on with fish glue , it too is sometimes laminated. Top is glued on last .the current one is WRC with balsa lattice bracing

Only one thing to add- I usually bend on a hot pipe and profile sides later with a block plane. Last build I smacked off a chunk of the sides with the front on the plane and had to repair. So, watch out what you're doing with that plane!

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

One of the reasons why I prefer a spokeshave for this task.

I use a spoke shave too.

I had the same problem with a block plane once but fortunately I had a lot more room to recover.

Yes, I'll not be using a plane again.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I profile after bending. I use a chisel to rough it out and a block plane to smooth the taper. I check by laying a level across both sides and sliding it from the butt end to the neck end. This will show if you have one side higher than the other at any point (assuming your bench is level to start with)