WELCOME TO MY NEW WEBSITE !
NEW Side Laminating Form!
Laying out the positions of the bolts.
COMPLETED SIDE LAMINATING FORM with custom shaped OAK pressure blocks.
Another view of the completed side laminating form. This took me the better part of 5 days to design and construct. I call this an "outside form" as opposed to the opposite, an "inside form". When I laminated my first set of sides last year, I designed and built an "inside form". It was much easier and quicker to make than this form. It worked well for the 2 sides that I laminated on it. But I decided that if the double sided guitar was successful, I would put the time and money into building an outside form, such as the one above. I believe that using this NEW form will be easier and quicker. Well, the "double sided" guitar was a HUGH success! So, I am now going to make ALL of my new guitars using "double sides". At least until I am proven wrong! I just think that it will be easier to use this NEW form in the long run. I may be wrong once I start using this form. I won't know until I laminate my first set of sides on it. Fingers crossed!
September 3, 2014
UPDATE: September 10, 2014
I have now laminated 4 sets of sides on this new form. I had a few kinks to work out, but I worked them out. This new form is a joy and a breeze to use now, with a bit of care. That said, I have also used my "old" side laminating form this week, laminating 2 sets of sides with it. I must confess that the old laminating form works as well if not better than my "NEW" side laminating form. I like them both, and for different reasons! So, I guess I will use both forms as necessary. Each form has it's own "personality". In other words, each form has it's own quirks! Learning how to work around those quirks is the secret. Both forms produce perfectly laminated sides, as long as I do my part correctly!
OLD (2013) Side Laminating Form
A shot taken TODAY, 9/10/14, of my old form in use. I am laminating a set of sides in this photo. The outside of the double side is Camatillo rosewood from Mexico and the inside side is Indian rosewood. I am using these double sides for a guitar that I am making for Omar Olivas of EPCOT's Mariachi Cobre band. Double sides and a thicker back will increase the VOLUME of this new guitar. I found that I had a hard time hearing Omar's present guitar when he plays with the Mariachi Cobre. His current guitar is just not loud enough. They do not use any kind of amplification, therefore, the instrument has to speak for itself. I am trying to make a LOUDER guitar for Omar. His new Desmond guitar should be ready by the end of this year, 2014.