Trimming the Panels

After gluing the back panel on, I cut both the front and back panels to size using a flush trim router bit.

Gluing the Back Panel

To glue the back panel in place, the book I am following recommended using a thick rubber strip that is long enough to wrap around the body of the guitar to provide uniform pressure all the way around.  Since I don't have such a strip and could not find one, I did it with clamps.  I practiced with a dry fit to see if the clamps would work and it seemed like it was okay.  So I spread glue on all the kerfing and clamped it in place.  I just did this a few minutes ago and so I hope I don't have any surprises when it is dry.

A couple of my clamps don't have soft rubber pads and so I put some scrap would in to protect the back panel.

Back Spine Inlay

Before gluing the back onto the rest of the body, I added an inlay on the seam in the back panel.  I purchased the inlay and slotted a 5/16" wide grove for it using a router.  This should have been done before I braced the back panel, but I did not think of it.  It was a bit harder with the curve in the panel, but not too bad.

I'll put a matching strip of inlay on the bottom, or tail, once the panels are trimmed to size.

Adding the Kerf Strip for the Back Panel

Before the back panel can be glued on, the sides need to be lined with kerf strips.  The strips were cut like the ones for the front and glued on lined up with the open edge.

Once all the edges are lined, everything needs to be sanded flat so the back panel will fit correctly.

Shaping the Sides

After both sides have been attached to the front panel, they must be cut down to the proper width and shaped to accept the back panel, which is not perfectly flat.  The head and tail blocks set the side widths and each end.  And instead of sloping straight from one to the other, the back panel will have a curve to it.  Here's what the sides look like after I shaved them down with a planer.

Bracing the Back Panel

I finished the back panel some time ago.  Now is the time to add the braces, which will give the panel stability as well as hold it in a slight curve much like the front soundboard.

The braces are made from the same wood as the front braces.  But the pattern is much different.  Basically, the stripe down the middle is about 3/32" thick to reinforce the seam in the middle.  And the other braces all run perpendicular to the seam with a curve carved in the bottom to hold the panel in shape.

Gluing Second Side to Soundboard

I added the second side just like the first.  Here are the pictures:

You can see in the pictures that the sides extend higher than the head block and tail block.  In the next steps, I'll be trimming the sides and shaping them to receive the back panel.