- Tools & Jigs

I built some jigs and tools to perform the tasks.

Sanding plate
Attach a 120 grit sandpaper to a glass sheet with double sided tape. Use one that is as thick as you can find. This is critical to getting a flat surface to ensure good joints and flatness.

Solera
Used recycled plywood (12mm, 3mm pieces) and pine pieces to make this. I used spacers sandwiched between the 3mm and 12mm plys to create a 3 mm deep dome.

Bending Iron
A metal cylindrical enclosure around a 75W halogen lamp can go up to 120 degrees, enough to vaporize water and bend wood. Higher wattage or less efficient filament incandescent lamps can increase the temperature, though I have not tried.

 

Rabbet cutter
Useful for cutting rosette grove, neck soundboard rabbet, back strip.

Rosette and soundhole cutter

Bicycle inner tubes

Used to secure the guitar to the solera during gluing. I find it more handy than ropes or clamps.

Magnetic saw guide

Easy 90 degree sawing, especially for fret sawing. 

Baby plane

For tight corners and surfaces.

Kiridashi

For carving, heel, neck, bridge

Thickness caliper

Built using dial gauge and some hardwood pieces. It's rigid enough and repeatable.

Saddle position intonation

To determine the saddle position with intonation compensation. The compensation is about 2mm, and I added 0.5mm to account for the string tension that will pull the neck and saddle closer when strung up. Its about right after installing the bridge and stringing up. I learnt the strings can significantly affect the intonation.