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Mike Franks
 Post subject: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:39 am 
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Like most of us, I made my own mold spreaders with wood and turnbuckles until I found a way to make them with 1&1/2" pink foam insulation board. I cut a dedicated spreader for each instrument model and insert them by opening the outside mold, positioning the spreader and then closing the mold for a slightly compressed fit. The foam is very friendly to the thin side material and form-fits itself through compression. The foam spreaders work for everything that I build, from ukuleles to jumbo body guitars. Each spreader is cut to be a perfect match to the instrument as opposed to the "one size fits all" approach of the wood & turnbuckle spreader.

If I want to leave the spreader in place while gluing on the top and back, I first cut it in half and allow the 2 halves to stay together through compression. After the top & back are glued in place, it is very simple to remove the spreader through the sound hole.

Mike Franks
www.mjfranksguitars.com


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These users thanked the author Mike Franks for the post (total 6): jshelton (Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:47 am) • TimAllen (Wed Mar 14, 2018 12:15 am) • ernie (Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:15 pm) • Pmaj7 (Tue Mar 13, 2018 5:36 pm) • Colin North (Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:06 pm) • Bryan Bear (Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:31 pm)
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meddlingfool
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:02 am 
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Nifty...
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Clay S.
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:30 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Great idea! Multiple layers of corrugated cardboard glued together might also work if the pink foam isn't handy.
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Ken Lewis
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:46 am 
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Yes sir! [:Y:]
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Brad Goodman
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:18 pm 
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ingenious...
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Bryan Bear
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:33 pm 
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Now that's a great tip! I'll have to remember this; I can see this coming in handy in other situations as well.

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bcombs510
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:59 pm 
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Yep, I have a couple uses for this right off the bat. Good call.

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Joe Beaver
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:14 pm 
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I sure do Like that idea!!!

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rlrhett
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:52 pm 
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Yep. Adding that to my arsenal for sure.


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bluescreek
 Post subject: Re: Easy Foam Spreaders
PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:23 am 
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nice

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