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I bought the only OM building plans I could find and they don't have the template for the sides. They show the sides, the end
dimensions etc. but not the side before bending. I've tried a couple of times to cut out a template and transfer it to
a plexiglass sheet with results I'm not that happy with. Anyone know of one or have a cut-out I could use to make
a template? Am I missing a plan that shows that side?
Thanks

Bruce

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Bruce I have one I took off of a Martin OM-15
Send me your address and I'll mail you a copy.

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Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Bruce,
The new ones and old ones are different.
Which are you looking for?

David, the one I've tried to trace is off an original OM, I asked Bob to send me his, I can see how close it is
and make the adjustments if they seem significant. I don't know why I had such a hard time tracing that side,
just never came out the exact way I wanted. It was close but it should be better....

Thanks
Bruce

_________________
Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

This is kind of cheating but you can call the Martin 1833 shop and they will mail you a couple of profiled but unbent OM sides and you can use them as a template to make your plexiglass template and then use them on a guitar. I bet John Hall would so the same thing. I actually did that a few years ago and it worked great.
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Terry, good idea, might just try that. Bob's drawing will work as well. I should be set. Thanks to all.
Bruce

_________________
Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Why not make your own template, it takes about ten minutes and will be very accurate for your mould and radius dishes, not all moulds and dishes are born equal. There is a tutorial on how to do it, you can find it here.

http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=8117&hilit=template

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

There's a topic going in the CNC related forum page called Free DXF/dwg cad or something like that. You'll find a link there to some CAD or PDF's of a Martin OM. The plans include the side profile.


http://www.grellier.fr/plans.php?lang=en

Hopefully this link works. I've never 'linked' anything before.

-Clint

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-Clint Beacock

The tutorial on side templates is great, I am thinking of doing a Linda Manzer wedge and was wondering how to get the angles right or at least close enough to dish sand to final shape. By setting the mold on the dish with both angles included I think a template might be created for each side.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Clint, the link worked great, thanks. Great information.
So, here's what I tried yesterday, with fairly good results. I'm trying to copy, as close as possible, a 1931 OM-28. I taped
a flexible fabric-type tape measure onto the side of the OM. Starting exactly at the end pin joint and going around to the
heel. I then took a piece of sturdy cardboard and started with a vertical line as my end point for the side on the bottom
of the guitar. I took measurements of the sides every 2 inches and transferred them to the cardboard. After a while, I had
an exact copy of the side, length, height etc. I have found that no two old Martin's are exactly the same but this
is a good place to start. I'm going to either transfer that cardboard copy to perspex or strengthen the back of it with poster paper and work with it as is. Probably better to use perspex as it's more stable, we'll see.
This was the only way I could see getting a nearly exact copy of an old guitar side. By taping the flexible measuring tape
around the guitar, my vertical dimensions could be transferred to the cardboard at exact increments. BTW, it sure seems
that Martin used the metric scale when laying out these old guitars, they line up perfectly in mm's, not so well in inches.

I'm sure there are lots better ways to do it, this one seemed to work well for me.
Thanks to all for your input and ideas, greatly appreciated.

Best
Bruce

Edit
Just a photo of the cardboard template, it does not look like much but is quite accurate. Just laid it up next to a side, should work well. I don't want anyone to think that I'm under the impression that I'm re-inventing the wheel here, I'm sure many of you have done the same thing, only better. This was just an attempt to see what I could come up with as I'm
trying to copy a specific guitar as closely as possible.

_________________
Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

I just taped some craft paper around the side with the edge at the top and then traced the back edge with a pencil. Cut the craft paper profile and there you have a paper template to work with. That back profile more then likely is going to get changed a bit when you sand the rim in a dish. Are you going to over size it some to make up for the sanding?

Chris, I think I will have to, if not, I'll end up either under-sized or I'll take off some of the taper. Probably always best to
leave that side a bit over-sized, good point.

_________________
Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Don't forget to deduct the top and back plate thickness.

I always profile after the the blocks and sides glued togather but then again I no longer profile the top at all only the back. I cut my profile out of .022" thick ABS plastic flashing (two mirrored profiles/one piece template). This is thin enough to set in between the assembly mold and the rim to trace out. since my tol rim profile remains flat I put top side down on a flat surface make sure the butt centerline ot the template matches up with the centerline of the rim and trace a way. I then use a cut-off blade in my Foredom to cut the profile. takes maybe 10 min to trace out and cut. I have a conventional shaped template and cutaway template for each size guitar.

I have an electronic (DXF) of the Martin OM if you want it. Juat PM me your email address