Acoustic Guitar Construction

Here is my way that I got from B. Burns, very inexpensive and easy and repeatable, if need be. I've been using the same homemade bags for years.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=789&hilit=+vacuum+bag

Dave Bagwill wrote:The upper picture tells the whole story.

Hmmm,...that pic was not loading on my office PC. But, it pretty much tells me all I need to know.

Ken, I am not sure I understand what you do not understand. Only the lams are in the bag, then the whole thing is clamped to the bending form. Maybe I am missing something.

Tony -- as mentioned here

Just to be clear, my skepticism is only the result of the goofy stuff that runs through my brain – I am just thinking out loud here – I am sure what Dave and John posted is perfectly accurate and for sure I know Collins is a fine and respected craftsperson.

We tool and fixture designers tend to see things is a little different light -- the basic concepts of total accurracy and repeatability are paramount. With those parameters in mind I am not comfortable with how the cutaway is being formed in the pictures in above process. Not to worry --- its my problem.

ken cierp wrote:Tony -- as mentioned here

Just to be clear, my skepticism is only the result of the goofy stuff that runs through my brain – I am just thinking out loud here – I am sure what Dave and John posted is perfectly accurate and for sure I know Collins is a fine and respected craftsperson.

We tool and fixture designers tend to see things is a little different light -- the basic concepts of total accurracy and repeatability are paramount. With those parameters in mind I am not comfortable with how the cutaway is being formed in the pictures in above process. Not to worry --- its my problem.

Yes but we are all here to solve problems, no? Design problems, construction problems, mental problems, they are all the same. We fix em! OK...maybe not the mental ones.

Eric is back with me and we're doing a scratch build - ziricote b/s - we just bent the sides using the Michael Collins method - I made a narrow bag, purchased some of the breather mesh from joewoodworker.com.

We used .045" ziricote outside and inside, with a .025" maple veneer between. The ziri/maple/ziri sides bent very easily, clamped to the mold inside the vacuum bag. I left the pump on overnight, using titebond ll premium as the adhesive.
The sides came out perfectly, with no springback. Will have some pix next week.

Dave Bagwill wrote:Eric is back with me and we're doing a scratch build - ziricote b/s - we just bent the sides using the Michael Collins method - I made a narrow bag, purchased some of the breather mesh from joewoodworker.com.

We used .045" ziricote outside and inside, with a .025" maple veneer between. The ziri/maple/ziri sides bent very easily, clamped to the mold inside the vacuum bag. I left the pump on overnight, using titebond ll premium as the adhesive.
The sides came out perfectly, with no springback. Will have some pix next week.

What do you find to be the advantage to that Dave? Cost? Shape? I would have thought the veneers would be thinner, approximating a total thickness equal or less to a solid side.

Pictures all clamped up in the form please -- Thank you