Stewart MacDonald 5295, Assembly Instructions Manual, Page: 8 / 40

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Eight kerfed (notched) wooden lining strips, or “kerfing”,
are supplied for reinforcing the glue joints between the
soundboard, sides and back . Refer to the blueprint; dry-
clamp (no glue) the kerfing strips to the top edge of the
side assembly using ordinary spring-tension clothespins
(pictured) . Each side of the guitar requires two strips, which
should be accurately trimmed where they meet the body
blocks . Use at least four or five dozen clothespins . The top
(gluing) surface of the kerfings should extend 1/32" above
the edge of the guitar’s sides, on both the top and back
sides . The kerfing is left slightly tall so that you’ll have a little
wood to sand off until the kerfing comes perfectly flush with
the top edge of the sides, and to make up for any possible
misalignment during glue-up . Disassemble, trim the lin-
ings, glue them into place with Titebond, check the 1/32"
clearance and reclamp . Let the glue dry for 4 hours . Install
the kerfing strips on the back edge of the side assembly in
the same manner .
Installing kerfed linings
Squaring the neck block and tailblock
Although they work quite well, the waist clamp and card-
board inner body mold still allow some movement . Handle
the rim assembly carefully, especially until the top and back
are glued on and the assembly becomes more rigid . Lay the
rim assembly topside-down on the plywood work surface,
weight it down again, and use a square at each end to see if
the neck block and tailblock are square to the plywood sur-
face . If either end is slightly out of square, use a thin tapered
wedge pressed between the cardboard inner body mold
and either the neck block or tailblock as needed, to force the
blocks and sides into square
(pictured) . Having the sides
properly squared up at this stage is important .
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