There are three things here that have to go back together. First, the soundboard needs to be glued on, then the bridge and fret board segment. The soundboard presents a problem because the body of the guitar without a soundboard attached has warped, and needs to have its sides pressed back in.
For the soundboard we considered a few options. The first was using several C-clamps to line the guitar. However, due to the irregular shape of the guitar, this seemed to present significant room for error. The adhesive used was LocTite epoxy, which sets in about five minutes, so setting clamps in place was a race against the clock and would likely require a few sets of hands. Bar clamps were another consideration, but similar perceived difficulties. Garret decided that the best thing to do would be to create a jig, a setting shaped like the guitar which the pieces would fit into.
The edges of the soundboard were scored, or roughed up with sand paper to enable better adherence of the two pieces. The soundboard was then set in the jig, followed by the guitar, and weight was placed on top of the guitar to ensure a good seal. This method was also preferable to the clamp method for one other reason. Our sandwich board has wooden honeycomb inside, which can collapse under too much pressure. A clamp applies acute pressure, which has the potential to puncture the soundboard. By distributing weight over the whole guitar, the board is less likely to be crushed.
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| Taping a perimeter to score the edges |
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| Scored Soundboard |
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| Soundboard in jig with guitar and weight on top |
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| Soundboard glued to body |
After this the placement of the bridge and fret board were determined, outlined on the face of the guitar, and glued in to place. The final piece without strings is shown below.
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