I didn't get to spend a lot of time in the shop today but I did get enough time to build the side mold. Again, I won't bore you with all the details of how I built it. I used the same method I did when I made the OM mold. I made a template, cut rough shapes out of MDF, and used my router to cut the shapes. Pretty simple and effective. If you want to see how I did the OM, click on January and there are details there.
Being a bit of a cheapskate, I am always looking for alternative tools to replace the expensive task specific tools that the luthier suppliers sell. I know the tools on these sites are probably top notch and are well suited to the job they were made for, but come on. Some of the prices for relatively simple items like nut/fret files and peghole reamers are way out of hand. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a suitable substitute for the files, I think I found a substitute for the reamer. I went to local Sears store and found a 6 flute reamer that looked like it would work perfectly for bridge pin holes. I paid whopping $9.00 for it and brought it home. It has a 5 degree taper and it worked like a charm in a piece of scrap wood. I just can't justify spending close to $50 for a tool that shouldn't cost more than $10. I will keep looking for a 3 degree and 2 degree reamer as well as the files. Sometimes I think that these specialty shops really take advantage of their position of being the only show in town. The RC hobby shops are the same way. Prices for things that are for RC planes, boats, or cars are so ridiculously over priced that I finally stopped building planes. It just wasn't worth it. I understand that there is going to be bit of a premium on specialty items, but 5 times the price of a perfectly suitable alternative? That is just plane crazy.
Sorry about the rant but I am sick of getting taken advantage of just because I happen to have a hobby!
Here is the $9.00 reamer from Sears. Not quite as nice as the Stewmac one, but if it gets the job done......
You can see the 5 degree taper here.
A picture of the mold I made based on the Stewmac OOO plans.
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