Soundboard and back glued and trimmed

I got the back glued up and used a router with a flush-trim bit to clean up the edges.

Next, I routed the binding channels using my Dremel and mini-router base from StewMac. So far, it's looking pretty good. I'm doing Walnut binding with BW purfling. I'll get some pics up as soon as I finish.

Classical guitar nearly finished

I finally made the hold-down cleats for my workboard. Using a dado blade, I cut a channel in some scrap 1x2" maple. Then, I cut them to length (approx 3") and cut off about 1/4" x 3/4" from the bottom face to allow a recess for the soundboard. Finally, I hit them with the belt sander to remove all the sharp edges and corners. 

I bought a box of 4" bolts with wing nuts from HD and installed them through the bottom of the workboard.

Here I've glued in the sides to the head and tail blocks and also the soundboard kerfing. I didn't have any easy means of clamping the kerfing with this style of building, so I simply held them in place for a minute or so until the glue started to set.

Here I've bent and installed the Basswood linings. I found that it was easier to bend and laminate two 1.5mm strips than one 3mm strip. It's important to bend before gluing because the glue likely won't tolerate the heat of the bending process.

Fitting the back was a challenge. I measured, marked and cut the notches for the braces in the linings and  tapered the sides for the curvature of the back. It fits well but there is a gap between the lower end of the back and the tail block. Unfortunately, I made the back a little thicker than necessary because sanding it was dreadfully difficult. This stuff is so hard that 80-grit sand paper on an orbital sander makes a smooth-as-silk finish. Anyway, because the back plate is so thick, it's a bit difficult to bend into shape and I am concerned about forcing it. Here I have applied light pressure trying to "convince" the back into shape before I glue.

Classical Guitar Update

Wow...I haven't gotten to work on the guitar much for almost a month. I was really sick for a few weeks and now we are crazy busy at work. I did manage to laminate some veneers to the head and shape it. Then I glued the neck and tail block to the sound board and have the whole setup sitting on my assembly workboard waiting for me to glue up the sides.