Guitar Side Template
Source: Guitar Plans
Shaping the Sides For Back Plate:
The diagram above indicates the Guitar Side Template that I made for the Ultimate Guitar Building Dreadnought guitar. Note that there is a straight side, which would be the Guitar Top Plate, and an irregular side, which would be the Guitar Back Plate.
After making this template, tape the ends on the head and tail joints of the side. Then carefully tape the top side (the straight side down. Now trace around the back contour with a medium sharpie dry marker to put a heavy line on the side.
Ultimate Guitar Tip #1: It is possible to rough cut the sides to shape prior to bending them too. While it is far easier to mark and trim the contour on a flat surface, you have to use caution to get the side perfectly registered when bending as you have little room for error. Just carefully mark the centerline of the waist on the faces and edges of the sides to be bent so you can monitor them while placing in the bending jig.
Keep in mind that the template should be made about 1mm wider than the actual guitar so you can sand away the dry mark line.
Next you can take a sharp Low Angle Plane (I use the Leigh Neilson Low Angle Plane) and cut down the sides to within about 1mm of the marked line.
Finally take a long sanding surface and cut down right to the center of the line. You should block up the side opposite of the sanding surface to get the right amount of crown in the head and tail block. Be sure to spend extra time on the head and tail block areas and get them perfectly contoured.
You will be able to finally sand the sides after installing the lining for the backs.
Ultimate Guitar Building Tip #2: Here is how you estimate the proper amount of angle to place on the Sanding Surface. Measure the crown for the back plate on your Guitar Plan. Let’s say it is 5 mm at the highest point. Next double that about and add a block 10 mm thick on the Sanding Surface opposite the sanding end. As you are sanding, make sure that the Sanding Surface rides on this block and your crown will be correct.
Ultimate Guitar Building Tip #3: You will find that cutting the head and tail block carefully to within .5 mm to 1 mm of their final height will save a lot of elbow grease and sanding the end grain of these hardwood block can tack considerable time.
Tags: bending guitar sides, how to build a guitar, how to shape guitar sides, making a guitar, shaping the guitar sides
