Stewart MacDonald 5297, Assembly Instruction Manual, Page: 8 / 42

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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 . 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 gui-
tar 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 linings, 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
surface . If either end is slightly out of square, use a thin ta-
pered 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 .
Stewart-MacDonald’s tool recommendation
Titebond Glue
Item #0620
The luthier’s favorite aliphatic resin glue, for joints that are stronger than the wood .
Water soluble, it cures overnight, sands easily, and resists thermoplastic “creep”
better than ordinary white glues .
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