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All,
I am gluing a Quilted Magogany Sapele Top to my mahogany body with Titebond. (Original Titebond,Bob)
My questions are...Do I entirely coat the body with a glue layer using a brush and put the top on and clamp? Should I fill the body top in with epoxy first for a nice smooth layer, or leave the mahogany as it is with the pores open for the glue to grab onto/into? What epoxy do you all recommend to fill this guitar in with? That's it no more questions! (for now!)
Thanks alot!
Mark

I'd leave the wood as is and just glue it. I don't know if it would have any benefits or drawbacks, its just more work. Glue is easy enough to spread with a piece of scrap or something ;) No sense wrecking a brush.

So make a glue sandwich, line er up and get some weight on it. IF both surfaces are flat you don't need a lot of clamping pressure. Just make sure they are lined up straight and get some weight on it.

Thats how I do it anyways =)

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[QUOTE=Jason] IF both surfaces are flat you don't need a lot of clamping pressure. [/QUOTE]

Yep, that's the key!

Make sure your surfaces are clean and smooth (planed is best, then scraped, then sanded to 220 or so, although the differences, in this case, are neglibible). Line everthing up (this is where a nipped off brad or two in bits that won't get carved through is handy; titebond's rather on the slippery side of things), apply glue to one surface (body top's easiest), spread it evenly, either using a spreader, brush, or the best glue spreaders on earth AKA your fingers. You want a fairly thin, even layer on there. Less than you probably think is necessary. The more excess glue needs squeezing out, the more clamping pressure you're going to need to get a good, tight joint.

Then, well, get every clamp in the house and clamp that baby up! Or, y'know, couple of cinder blocks in the middle and a few clamps around the permiter should help. Use cauls, and don't worry about over clamping. I really doubt you can.

[QUOTE=Mattia Valente]
Then, well, get every clamp in the house and clamp that baby up! Or, y'know, couple of cinder blocks in the middle and a few clamps around the permiter should help. Use cauls, and don't worry about over clamping. I really doubt you can.[/QUOTE]

I actually use a couple snipped off thumb tacks and a cinder block or bag of crushed gravel.

The only part of "overclamping" I'd watch out for is if you really torque a corner or part of the block you might cause the whole plate to warp in another section. If your surfaces are truely flat the weight/clamps aren't a big issue. It's the same as the guys joining top/back plates and barely using any pressure. If you have to squeeze a joint together your leaving the glue to maintain that pressure after you've removed the clamp.

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CVT Inc.
A tour of our shop (Somewhat outdated)
My Personal eBay profile. BCWoodBug