Official Luthiers Forum!

Are there any special considerations for storing my bent sides that are in the
mold with spreaders, and the tail block glued, while I slowly build my guitar?

I'm presently storing It in a closet that's in a room that stays pretty cool, and
I keep the heat off. The humidity (at least for today) is around 47%. I'm in
New York City. The temperature these days is between 40-50 degrees
Fahrenheit. Thanks for all your help.

Seems like some one posted the same topic just before I did. Sorry about
that.

I have a glued up rim that has been in it's mold for 2 years now. I hope to finish it someday.

Jim

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I would still recommend humidity control and keeping the rim in the mold at 42-48% RH.  If you have forced air heat or your place dries out to say the 20's the wood will contract but the spreaders will resist this and a crack might occur.  

Thanks Jim & Hesh

I guess I'm trying to find out what the ideal conditions are for storing the
guitar in between working on it. I doubt that I can control the enviroment of
the entire apartment, but at the least would like to control the closet where
the guitar will be stored, since It will spend most of the time there, while It's
in the process of being built. I'm open for any ideas.

Ron can you control one room where the closet is, that is what I do and have a small humidifier in an 11 X 11 room.

If you can, install the liners so the rim set is nice and rigid. Do you have a case for the guitar your building? Get one of those guitar case humidifiers and put the glued up rims in there with the humidifier. Small space to keep controlled a with the liners installed the rim should hold it's shape fine. That's where the guitar sill most likely live when your not playing it so it should be the easiest place to hold control through your building processes and also once the guitar is finished.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Yeah, finish the rim with neck block, tail block, and linings, that'll help to stabilise it. I've had one of those sitting in my non humidity controlled workshop for a couple of months (while I finish another guitar). I don't see any problems at all and I've been checking it regularly.

Oh, and I should add that we've been getting some pretty crazy humidity swings lately. Down to 25% for a week, then the rains come and it's up around 80% for a week, then back down to 30% or so. That rim still looks good.

Hesh, I can control the room that the closet is in, but It's a big room. So I
guess I'm in the market for a humidifier and a hygrometer.

Rod, I have to make the peghead (Weissenborn Style) first and figure out
how to profile the sides before I cut the sides down, and install the lining.
But once I get the liners in, I do have a hard shell case that It will fit into.

This is my first, so I'm learning from every step in the process. Thanks for
the great tips

Thanks paul, youre comments are encouraging.

I once stored a bent set of rosewood sides with the end blocks glued in for 13 years !!  During that time it was subjected to humidity extremes that varied from 95% to 5%. It endured temperature extremes from 95 degrees to -25 degrees. I finished the guitar 14 years ago and it now sits on a stand in my living room. No problems yet !!

Mark