Veneering a Guitar Body

Advice on gluing up a guitar body made with an exotic wood core and veneers. June 11, 2014

Question (WOODWEB Member) :
I need to make a body blank for somebody. It is a double guitar and need to be 24" on each side. The client wants 1/4" zebrawood on each side with a mahogany core that is 1 1/2". My plan is to cut pieces of ZW 5/16" on the bandsaw and glue the machined side down to the mahogany core using ultra cat ppr glue. Then put the glue up in the vacuum bag. Once dry sand the ZW back down to 1/4" and 2" thick. Does anybody see anything wrong with the process? What is the best way to keep the pieces of ZW from sliding while in the bag?

Forum Responses
(Veneer Forum)
From contributor L:
Les would approve. I would be hesitant to make the assembly with 1/4" thick material. It may be ok. I have tried multiple thickness bent laminations with mahogany that worked (no movement). Use shorter 23g pins to hold it in place while in the vacuum press.


From the original questioner:
I would be worried that somebody that is machining the body at another time might hit them. Do you think that veneer tape would work?

From contributor L:
I doubt the pins would do much damage to a cutter bit. If you glued the zw together first (if it needs to be edge glued) then held it in place with masking or packing tape it probably would not slip. I have used masking tape for this.

From the original questioner:
Do you think that I can get away with doing one side at a time so the glue doesn't dry and easier to get in the vacuum bag?

From contributor L:
I do.

From the original questioner:
Great – thank you Contributor L.

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