Template Layout

Today I started following the process laid out in the Cumpiano book. I gathered my measuring instruments, a large piece of construction paper, a piece of Lexan and got started. Cumpiano suggests making the template out of MDF, plywood, thin aluminum, or even cardboard. I saw a website (probably OLF) where someone had used Lexan/Plexiglass because they could see through it. I thought that was a great idea and decided that would be the material I use for my template.
1. I marked off the vertical length of the body.
2. I measured the height of the waist at 6 7/8" and marked it on the vertical.
3. I measured the horizontal of the waist at 4 7/8" and marked it.
4. Now it was time to mark the upper bout. Cumpiano provides a horizontal measurement for the upper and lower bouts but not a vertical one. So I had to guess. And that leads to question #1.
5. I guessed at 3" for the vertical of the upper bout. I based this measurement off my $160 Alvarez dread. And I then marked the 5 7/8" horizontal.
6. I guessed at 14 1/4" for the vertical of the lower bout. I based this measurement on the Alvarez too. And I then marked the horizontal at 8".
7. Now it's time for the curves. But then, Cumpiano threw me a curve. He says basically to "freehand" the curves. Wow, really? Ok, I guess I can do that. And that leads to question #2.

So after an hour, literally, of trying to freehand beautiful guitar curves I grab the Alvarez and try to get an idea of how the curves should look. I spend the next two hours refining the curves out and getting them just perfect, or so I thought (tha is called foreshadowing). I was ready to create my template. So I grabbed a piece of clear Lexan that I had picked up from the Borg and placed it over my drawing. I took a decent size nail and sharpened it to a fine point with a sander. Then, I traced around my drawing etching the Lexan with the nail. This was easy to do because, well, the Lexan is clear! I took the Lexan over to the bandsaw to cut out my shape. This is where lesson learned #1 happened. I finally got the Lexan template cut out and cleaned up Tip #1. I grabbed my newly constructed template and ran upstairs to show my lovely wife (hereafter known as "Chicky"). Remember that previous foreshadowing? She looked at it for a minute. Said it was nice, then she said "Hold it up to the Alvarez". That is where my "freehand" mistakes were glaring. Chicky suggested that I create a full size drawing on a piece of construction paper so we could see the whole shape Tip #2. Once, I had the full shape of the guitar I started wondering about Cumpiano's dimension for the waist. I decided I may have to change the waist measurement for myself. After much comparison it turned out that my lower bout was too high, and my upper bout was too low. I measured the Alvarez length, and the verticals of the upper, waist, and lower bout. I computed the ratio of the Alvarez and the drawing I had constructed. For the upper bout I was about a 1/4" off. For the lower bout almost a full inch! Time to rethink this and go back to the drawing board. Using my newly calculated ratios I redrew the guitar. Chicky and I agree it was much better...