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Opening the dovetail joint
Before gluing on the top, remove the side wood covering
the neck joint opening in the neck block . With a sharp stiff
knife or a saw, score through the sides until the waste wood
With the waist clamp still in place on the side assembly, and
with the assembly resting top-down on the flat plywood,
recheck the squareness of the neck block and tailblock to
the sides . Make slight adjustments if necessary by adding
or removing a wedge of wood between the blocks and the
cardboard . Turn the guitar over so the top faces upward .
Handle the assembly carefully now, until the top is glued
on!
When gluing the soundboard and the back onto the sides,
use C-clamps, or cam clamps as pictured, at both ends,
with plenty of spool clamps in between . Carefully prop up
the backside, on each side of the waist clamp, with small
boxes, blocks of wood, or anything that will lift the waist
clamp clear of the table, to allow clamping access at each
end . When the neck block and tailblock are clamped, and a
few spool clamps are in place, you won’t need these props
anymore . The body won’t rock on the waist clamp, nor will
it lose shape from the weight of the clamps or the clamping
process . PRACTICE gluing the top in place by dry-clamping
it in the order of the steps numbered below . After doing a
dry run for practice, we suggest that you remove the clamps
— and do it again! It pays to be abled to move quickly and
surely when glue is applied .
1 . After aligning the centerlines and the body length pencil
lines at the neck block and tailblock, first apply two clamps
with protective cauls at the neck block end . If you trimmed
the neck and tailblock overhangs earlier, align both ends
until flush .
2 . Begin installing spool clamps at the neck block, using four
clamps on each side up to the waist clamp . By gluing the
neck block and shoulder area first, the angle of the “neck set”
won’t be affected if you need to pull or push the tailblock
to the 20" mark .
Installing the soundboard
3 . Align the sides at the tailblock end with the body length
mark, and clamp as you did the neck block .
4 . Start installing spool clamps at the tailblock; use seven on
each side up to the waist clamp .
5 . Remove the waist clamp and install final spool clamps
there
(pictured)
.
Mark the spool clamps from 1 through 12 on each side, re-
move them, and lay them out in order for quick reclamping .
Apply glue to the kerfed linings, align the soundboard and
repeat the clamping process .
KIT TIP: Spool clamps
It's helpful to number the spool clamps during the
dry run so they can quickly be reapplied during the
gluing process . Spool clamps can be made using 8"
all thread rods, wing nuts, drilled wooden spools
and cork or leather lining pads . They’re also avail-
able in our catalog .
can be snapped off up to the scored line . Follow with a sharp
chisel and a file to smooth the sides flush to the inner walls
of the dovetail .
With a knife and/or file, remove wood from the linings and
the sides in the penciled areas to accomodate the ends of
the braces . These notches should taper toward the interior
of the guitar to match the taper of the braces
(pictured)
.
When the notches are cut correctly, the top will fit into place
and be ready for gluing .
the end positions of the X-braces and the large shoulder
brace . Remove the soundboard and trace the brace positions
onto the kerfed linings with a straightedge, using the marks
as reference points . For the X-braces, be sure to hold a long
straightedge between the reference points at the proper
angle shown in the blueprint . The positions of the tone bars
should also be marked if you choose to notch them . The tone
bars don’t notch in as deep as the other braces, and only a
slight filing will be needed .
11
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