after laminated plates for an ES-335 style buld

[old_picker]

any ideas on sourcing these?
i need decent quality preferably maple hopefully with figure
looking at European and US sources currently
not averse to using Asian product if it is of excellent quality
thanks

[Woodsy23]

I built an ES355 in 2011 and obtained the plates, sides and other main pieces for the body from Ken McKay of Upnorthstrings http://www.upnorthstrings.com in Michigan USA. They were great quality and, as I understand, he obtains the maple and poplar ply from the same source as Gibson did. The bad news is that I don't think he supplies these kits any more. At least he doesn't advertise them on his web site. However, you may be able to talk him into supplying some or all of the kit. I think the kit was about US$600.

[blackalex1952]

Veneers can be sourced here in Australia, and I suggest you check out the posts in this forum about making your own vacuum bagging system. If you don't want to spend on a vacuum pump, find someone with a vac system and take your own bag to their workshop, eg a picture framer who laminates posters on to mdf sheet, perhaps. There is a venturi vac system which is fairly inexpensive, you only need a compressor to operate it, available on ebay.Flat pre laminated sheets will not conform to the top and back shape of the 335 or whatever guitar you want to build.I would make a carved form the shape of the guitar top, a back one as well or a radius disk...that you can place the veneers on and then put it inside your vac bag. The bag can be made from vinyl from Bunnings or whatever,with packaging tape to seal the edges(double fold first). I make my seal out of a piece of electricians pvc tube, (you know, the stuff they run cable through) and a piece of dowel.I run the pvc through my bandsaw, taking off the top 1/3 then roll the vac bag opening closed with the dowel and clip the pvc on as a seal...it's all there on the internet how to. I use a yellow vac sealing tape, which is a bit like blu tac, available in Aust to seal around the vac hose where I let it in to the bag. I use shadecloth as a breather fabric. I also have a double laminated glass window that I got from the local tip. It has two laminated safety glass sheets either side, with a vacuum seal in between. They are fairly common. I use the yellow vac seal tape and a sheet of plastic to make a vac bag system with one flat surface. To shape the form for the top, I use MDF craftwood, and the final smooth shaping I do with glass off cuts as I used to picture frame and glaze which means that I have lots of old glass pieces. I cut my glass pieces into curved scrapers, as soon as they go blunt I simply cut another...any curve you like!The glass is dangerous if too much pressure is applied, but if the scraper is pulling a shaving, no dangerous pressure needed.As soon as the glass stops cutting, get a new piece.I have never had a problem, and find it quicker than sharpening scrapers all the time, also a fast way to get a sharp cut for the final cut!
When vacuum bagging, the type of glue is important. Water based glues are a bit of a hassle, unless some kind of water absorbent is placed in the bag as well. Most vacuum bagging glue ups are done with urea formaldehyde(Selleys 308) or epoxy.These glues dry by chemical reaction. I have used hide glue in the vac bag, with lots of absorbent paper sheets...prefer not to.I wax the mdf form as well, as a precaution, and use something that glue will not stick to to sandwich the veneer.Veneers, if possible, are layered in odd numbers( eg 3 ply, 5 ply) and with the grain direction alternating cross grain to long grain. Another method of laminating is to use air pressure with something like fire hose or motorbike inner tube for the sides, or a large bladder or section of a truck/tractor tyre for the tops and backs to apply pressure to the laminating form. This method doesn't require a sealed bag and is good for titebond and hide glue because the moisture has somewhere to go.

[old_picker]

yep the mckay kit would be the way to go but NA - i can buy a complete body and neck from ken but sadly not enough budget -
i should build it myself anyway - looking at steve holst, acme and ron olsen in the states for plates at this point

not sure about doing the lams myself - not rocket science and i guess once set up subsequent builds would be easy
if i have a good run on this project i may consider building the mold [s] or have it cnc'd

thanks for the input - much appreciated

[Hard Road]

G'day Ray, Is it a one off or you planning on doing a few? I can help you out with a CNC'd mold if you want to go down the laminated vacuum trail yourself, I am actually building 3 all solid (CNC'd carved inside and out) versions at the moment. Cheers Paul.

[old_picker]

gday paul thanks for the offer - at this point one guitar is planned - it is a wet the the feet exercise - depending on how it goes others may follow - tooling up will be minimal and setting up to do plates is premature - seeing as you are almost there with molds perhaps you might consider pressing some extra sets??

[Hard Road]

The ones I am doing are all solid carved inside and out, no laminates. But the STL file I use to create the tools paths can be used to carve a contour mold as well, cheers Paul.

[old_picker]

interesting - yet more fuel for the fire in my brain - i have pm'd you in the other place
cheers
ray

[Hard Road]

A pic of the all solid 335's I am building (Not acoustic but it's a Semi?)