Parlor guitar

[Dave Bagwill]

So I'm going to build a parlor guitar, modeled after an 1840's instrument that caught my eye. The guitars were not as wide back then and it gave them a certain aesthetic that I like.
So I made an outline and cut the shape of it out of some melamine. Cut a hole in the shape to accommodate the square block in the KMG MM fixture, taped it down, marked every 2" around it using a 2" long piece of stiff sandpaper, then just followed the procedure Ken has on his site for laying out the side profile.
Did that, cut out the profile from some .090 bubinga, some.025" maple, and some .060" mahogany for the inside. It just about matches the bubinga as far as color - not really, but it is close.
Thinned the sides using the router in the sled that I built - boy it does take the wood off quickly and nicely - then finished with the belt sander.
Good to go. Using the KMG 00-12 mold as a bending mold, since the curves are the same as for the parlor.
Will glue after lunch, will take a pic or two.

[Dave Bagwill]

First side is out of the bag, the second is in.
I did a little clean-up of some glue, but other than that all went well. The kmg 00-12 form has the same profile, but is a little longer than my template, but that end of the rim is easily trimmed and brought into conformity.
I show the basic clamping layout; I also clamp along the rims at tight curves etc. The waist caul is very imprtant.
No spring-back, which is nice. The black line on the inside lam is so I line up the waist of the wood with the waist on the form.

[dave d]

Great to see the pics - very interesting.

[Kevin in California]

Very cool Dave, you are really moving along with the laminating thing.

[John Parchem]

The laminated sides are very cool.

[Dave Bagwill]

I cut 20 strips, 5/8" x .045, using the tool in the pic - took just a few minutes. I used an improved shooting board.
Then I stacked four strips at a time, clamped them in place as solid 'kerfing', turned the rim over, super glued the lams together and to the rim , turned the rim rightside-up again, removed one clamp at a time and superglued that area, replaced the clamp, moved to the next clamp. Quick process.

[Kevin in California]

That is a sweet way to do it