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Stewart MacDonald 5297, Assembly Instruction Manual, Page: 3 / 42

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Stewart MacDonald 5297 Assembly Instruction Manual Download Page 3

Getting started

Welcome to guitar building!    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .2
Recommended tools and supplies  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .2
Kit parts list   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .3

Side Assembly

Assembling the sides   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
Making a body mold  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .5
Installing kerfed linings    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
Squaring the neck block and tailblock   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
Leveling the kerfed linings    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .7

Soundboard bracing and fitting 

Installing the soundhole rosette  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
Shaping the X-braces .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
Installing the soundboard bracing    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
Bridge and shoulder brace clamping cauls  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10
Fitting the soundboard to the sides    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10
Opening the dovetail joint    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .11
Installing the soundboard  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .12

Back bracing and fitting 

Installing the back bracing   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .13
Fitting the back to the sides  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .13
Installing the side reinforcing strips    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .14
Installing the back    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .14

Routing and binding 

Trimming the top and back overhang    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
Routing for the plastic body bindings    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
Shaping the heel cap and end trim   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
Installing the end trim    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
Installing the bindings    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17

Fit and fill the truss rod channel

Fitting the truss rod   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
Fill the channel .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18

Peghead shaping and drilling 

Peghead overlay  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
Shape the peghead  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19

Making a fretboard 

Trimming the fretboard   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .20
Inlaying the fretboard  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .20
Installing the fretboard side dots   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .21
Installing the frets    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .21
Installing the fretboard    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .22

Neck shaping and fitting 

Shaping the neck   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .23
Installing the nut    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .24
Fitting the heel cap   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .24
Understanding the neck joint    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .24
The neck heel sets the neck angle   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .25
Fitting the neck to the body  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .25
Neck adjustment: side-to-side  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .26
Neck adjustment: tilt the neck back    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .26
Neck adjustment: tilt the neck up    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .27
Tightening the dovetail joint   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .27
Installing the last frets    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .27

Finishing 

Introduction to finishing and materials    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .28
Sanding the body    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .28
Filling the fret ends    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .29
Sanding the neck   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .29
Spray handles and hangers    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .29
Masking the neck and body  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .29
Staining    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .30
Applying a washcoat to seal the wood    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .30
Filling the wood grain pores    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .30
Lacquer spraying schedule  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .30
Sanding and rubbing-out the finish    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .31

Final assembly and setup 

Prepare for neck installation    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
Install the neck    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
Prepare for bridge installation  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .33
Installing the bridge    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .34
Fitting the bridge pins .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .34
Fitting the bridge saddle  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .34
Installing the tuning machines .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .35
Seating the strings  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .35
Understanding neck relief    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .35
Adjusting string action: nut slots & saddle height  36
Leveling the frets    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .37
Installing the endpin  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .37
CONGRATULATIONS!    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .37

Table of contents

Summary of Contents for 5297

Page 1: ...Triple O Acoustic Guitar Kit 5297 Assembly Instructions www stewmac com ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...ng the fretboard 20 Inlaying the fretboard 20 Installing the fretboard side dots 21 Installing the frets 21 Installing the fretboard 22 Neck shaping and fitting Shaping the neck 23 Installing the nut 24 Fitting the heel cap 24 Understanding the neck joint 24 The neck heel sets the neck angle 25 Fitting the neck to the body 25 Neck adjustment side to side 26 Neck adjustment tilt the neck back 26 Ne...

Page 4: ...h or awl Glue brushes 4167 6 Steel rule 4894 1 2 Chisel 1623 File set 0842 Small rasp 4154 Fret Leveler 0862 Dressing stick 1939 Fret cutter 0619 Deadblow fret hammer 1296 18 Straightedge 3850 020 gauged saw 3572 Scraper blade 0654 4mm Allen wrench 6113 Nut slotting files 0 016 width 0827 and 0 035 width 0832 1 4 diameter bit 4850 Bridge pin reamer 3227 Fret dressing file medium 1602 Radius sandin...

Page 5: ...t DVD Kit parts list 15 Blueprint body and bracing patterns 16 Heel cap and end trim 17 Herringbone rosette 3 pieces 18 Top brace set plus 2 unshaped X braces 19 Fretwire 3 20 Bone saddle blank 21 Bone nut blank 22 Diamond shaped inlays small 4 and large 3 23 White side dot material 24 Back brace set 9 pieces 25 Endpin 26 Bridge pins 6 27 Hot Rod truss rod 28 Reinforcement strips 3 29 Shim stock n...

Page 6: ...s a shallower 1 1 2 taper Trace around the neck block onto the cardboard and use a sharp knife to cut along that line through the first layer of cardboard Don t cut the front edge where the block meets the guitar sides This allows you to compress the cardboard downward to make clearance for the 1 1 2 taper of the neck block as you press it down against the flat surface of the cardboard Viewed from...

Page 7: ...onal form for supporting the guitar sides MakeaU shapedwaistclampfrom3 4 thickplywood using the waist clamp measurements illustrated The purpose of the waist clamp is to hold the guitar s waist tight to the inner cardboard mold maintaining a constant shape until the back is glued on Use a file to round the two inner edges of the waist clamp to remove edges and protect the guitar sides To start out...

Page 8: ... 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 do...

Page 9: ...ng the neck block and the front shoulder area first Work around the sides to the tailblock moving the pivot point frequently until the sandpaper begins graz ing the white pencil marks on the top edge of the sides It s easytooversandthesidesandthekerfedlinings leavingthe neck block or tailblock higher than the sides and causing a hump in that area later Keep this in mind and give the blocksalittlee...

Page 10: ...earance of the final instrument Pencil the soundboard bracing pattern pictured on the insidesurfaceofthesoundboard cutsmallholesinthebrace pattern at the corners and intersections of the braces lay the pattern on the soundboard transfer the hole positions in pencil and connect the dots on the soundboard when the pattern is lifted away The pattern MUST be correctly centered along the soundboard s c...

Page 11: ...ndworkboard Check the fit of the tone bars in the notches Disassemble apply Titebond to the braces and tone bars reclamp and let the glue dry overnight This work can be done in stages depending upon the number of available clamps Use two flat clamping cauls for each pair of tone bars with the soundboard resting on your workboard to keep it flat at this stage pictured Cut the three flat soundhole r...

Page 12: ...he top the ends of the X braces and the tall shoulder brace must be notched into the kerfed linings The remain ing smaller braces will be tapered to nothing where they meet the kerfing Tapering these braces to nothing will let the top flex a little more For this fitting leave the side assembly clamped to the workbench if you re able to work around the assembly com fortably You can unclamp the side...

Page 13: ...ge 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 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 With a knife and or file remove wood from the linings and the sides in the pencil...

Page 14: ... 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 neckblockandshoulderareafirst theangleofthe neckset won t be affected if you need to pull or ...

Page 15: ...enter strips into five pieces of accurate length to cover the center seam between the back braces Glue and clamp the center strips into place and allow to dry before unclamping Back bracing and fitting Installing the back bracing Fitting the back to the sides Trace the curved brace onto a 2x4 and cut on a bandsaw for a curved back brace caul If you haven t yet leveled the back kerfed linings do so...

Page 16: ...e Use a white pencil to mark the positions of the ends of the Installing the back back braces on the sides File 100 deep notches in the kerfed linings and the sides to accept the braces as you did for the guitar top Now chisel the spruce center strip so it butts against the tailblock When the back assembly fits correctly cut the cardboard inner mold into pieces with a sharp knife and remove them I...

Page 17: ...r workbench for most of the routing and remove it to rout the waist of the body Wood tear out is always possible when routing but espe cially with long grain quartersawn tonewoods Therefore start with four climb cuts so called because the router is climbing or being pulled along as the bit grabs the wood Begin at the centers of the top and lower bouts on both the treble and bass sides illustrated ...

Page 18: ...goutasyoureachthefirstshoul der swinginasyounearthewaist andswingoutas you approach the last brace This isn t easy if you re also trying to make the climb cuts to avoid tear out Ifyouignoretheclimbcutsandrouttheentireback in a counterclockwise direction you ll have more control In that case lower the bit in several passes andusetapeontheball bearingtomakeshallower cuts in stages to eliminate tear ...

Page 19: ...lete one side of the soundboard and allow 6 8 hours drying time before binding the other side Remove the tape by warming it with a heat gun or a hair dryer held at least 6 8 inches away Pull the tape off at a 45 angle pictured When warmed the tape will lift easily without pulling out wood fibers Glue and tape the back bindings in place The binding joints at the neck block and tailblock must be tri...

Page 20: ...ow slide the Hot Rod Truss Rod into the neck channel from the heel end with the adjustment nut down Set the neck into the neck block Using a 4mm Allen wrench check for sufficient access to the adjusting nut Adjust the hole size if required Fit and fill the truss rod channel Fitting the truss rod Trim flush to peghead face Align adjusting nut to the end of the neck joint tenon Fill the channel Befo...

Page 21: ...ak angle where the peghead begins Pencil a mark on the peghead face 3 16 from the nut line Align the peghead overlay with this mark This will leave some extra overlay wood to be trimmed away when the nut is fitted later Using Titebond glue and clamp the rosewood overlay ve neer grain running lengthwise to the face of the peghead aligning it with the pencil mark Use at least four C clamps with prot...

Page 22: ...eating smooth straight surfaces We usedacarpenter slevelandfastenedthesandpaper to it with double stick tape pictured Making a fretboard Trimming the fretboard Mark the location of the dot fret markers on the fretboard using the centerline that you made earlier Refer to the blueprint for location and size of marker to be used For single fret marker positions make marks on the centerline midway bet...

Page 23: ...rst fret in place and hold it so that it can t tip to prevent wood chipping pictured Seat the two fret ends with one sharp hammer blow each then hammer back and forth across the fret Since the fretwire is more curved than the fretboard the fret straightens as it s hammered in This causes the barbs on the fret tang to move sideways in the slot tighteningthefit Avoidtippingthehammerfacesothat its ed...

Page 24: ...startwrap Installing the fretboard before running the super glue into the slot Use wax paper between the caul and the fretboard With flush ground fret cutters nip the fret ends close to the edge of the fretboard don t dig into the wood Use a smooth mill file or sandpaper on the carpenter s level to bring the fret ends flush Then holding the fretboard flat against your work surface use the mill fil...

Page 25: ...tool or sanding grit just before you think you need it to avoid overdoing it with any one tool KIT TIP Neck sizes Although the neck has been machined to reason ably close tolerances plenty of extra wood has been left to accommodate different neck sizes and shapes You can make tracings from the blueprint andcutoutneckcross sectiontemplatesforcheck ing the shape of the back of the neck if you like W...

Page 26: ...eel cap In this example 3 1 4 3 250 C The distance from the neck body joint to the saddle On the Triple O that joint is at the 12th fret and C 12 13 16 12 813 A x B C X Inthiscase thosenumbersare 125 x3 250 12 813 032 So in our example X 032 which is 0 008 greater than 1 32 Thisistheamounttoremoveatthebottomoftheheel flush to the wood and avoid tearing it loose Now continue final shaping the heel ...

Page 27: ...n ing inner area up to the tenon pictured After under cutting the cheeks this way you should have a neck fit that is very close Still you may need to remove a little wood from the outer contact edges to adjust the neck alignment Removing wood from the upper part of the neck cheek edges will raise the neck decrease the angle remov ingfromthebottomwilllowerit increasetheangle Taking wood from either...

Page 28: ...he abrasive side facing the cheek Slide the strip almost but notquite tothetopedgeoftheheel thistopedgeshould be left intact Be sure to angle down to keep the heel cap in contactwiththesides Holdtheheelagainsttheguitarbody and pull the strip out toward you pictured This removes a little bit of wood while conforming to the shape of the guitar body Shake the sawdust off the sanding strip and repeat ...

Page 29: ...oard is in the way so you ll need to use a sharp chisel to remove the long taper of wood on each cheek Cut in the direction of the top edges A final light Neck adjustment tilt the neck up When the cheeks fit accurately and look good on both sides fit a piece of the supplied thin stock to shim into the loose side of the dovetail A bolt on neck doesn t require a shim and is not intended to fit tight...

Page 30: ...rections If you decide to use spray equipment always thin nitrocellulose lacquers with nitrocellulose thinner only KIT TIP Aerosol Lacquers Aerosol lacquers have a tendency to spit if the spray tip gets clogged Wipe the tip clean often Also youcancleanthetipbyturningthecanupside downandsprayinguntilthespraystreamstops We recommended doing this each time you are done spraying to keep the tip clean ...

Page 31: ...ghead the heel and a good portion of the neck up to where you are holding it Loop an S shaped wire hanger through a tuner hole and hang the neck for spraying the center area You can also rest the neck fretboard down on a riser block and spray it in the horizontal position If you have a bolt on neck use the two holes in the neck block to bolt a handle onto the guitar body For a dovetailed body ahan...

Page 32: ... wood accept the filler Let the neck and body dry overnight Wear clean cotton gloves whenever you touch the wood Lacquer is highly flammable always work in a dry well ventilated area away from open flames or sparks Be sure to wear an appropriate respirator while spraying Spray one uniform washcoat of clear lacquer on the neck and body This is a coat that s not so heavy as to cause runs Applying a ...

Page 33: ...t lacquer you ll leave a deep impression which will be much more difficult to fix Day Three Lightly scuff sand the finish with 320 grit paper again and clean off all the residue You can be slightly more aggressive in flattening the sprayed surface now but be careful on the curves of the neck and on ANY of the edges of the neck and body it s easy to sand through the edges Don t try to sand out all ...

Page 34: ...nd setup Prepare for neck installation Forthebolt onneck glueisneededonlyunderthefretboard extension LIGHTLY clamp the neck and the fretboard ex tension down onto the body and then tighten both neck mountingboltsfirmlythroughthesoundhole Nowapplyfull clampingpressure usingclampsandshoulderbracecaulsas you did when dry clamping before stripping the lacquer Wipe off the excess glue for about five to...

Page 35: ...ocation be sure both sides of the bridge s front edge are equidistant from the last fret Prepare three small wooden clamping cauls to fit over the center and sides of the bridge pictured Use a hand plane file or sandpaper to match the bridge s contours and glue sandpaper to the bottom of each caul to help keep it steady when clamped For the two pyramid bridge wing cauls make blocks 1 x 1 1 8 x 1 2...

Page 36: ...ethestrings andshouldbenodeeper than 1 3 to 1 2 the diameter of the string just enough so the strings don t pop out the remainder of each string will fit in the bridge pin groove The slot widths should match the Fitting the bridge pins Trim the length Mark the center of the saddle From the centerline measure and mark 1 1 2 out from each side Equally from each end saw off excess to make a 3 wide sa...

Page 37: ...andthestraightedgetodetermine the amount of relief The heavier you strum the more relief you ll need Bluegrass players may need more relief finger pickers less and the majority of players will be somewhere in between Turn the truss rod nut counterclockwise to bring the neck up adding relief Turn the nut clockwise to pull the neck back reducing relief Go slowly and carefully a little adjustment goe...

Page 38: ...ovethenutbygentlytapping it from the front and back sides to unseat it and then pry it upward gently Place the nut in a vise and file down the top surface until the slots are approximately half as deep as their string diameters Re contour the upper edges of the nut using a file sandpapers and polishing compound The first stage of setup will produce a medium high action this may be suitable for blu...

Page 39: ...ole with a tapered reamer until the endpin fits snugly Installing the endpin Leveling the frets Using a flat fine tooth mill file gently level the tops of the frets with long full length strokes down the fretboard Re store and polish the rounded crown on the top of each fret with a fret crowning file and or 400 and 600 grit finishing papers Work along the length of each fret to remove any scratche...

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Page 42: ...21 N Shafer St Athens Ohio 45701 USA USA Canada call toll free 800 848 2273 9am 6pm weekdays Eastern time 24 hour fax 740 593 7922 www stewmac com i 5297 08 15 ...

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