Happy holidays all, catching up on some of the progress Ive made while I'm on a train.
I have all the side and soundboard molds made up (just plain 3/4" particle board) and then faired in with durhams wood putty. I made the side molds in two pieces so I can use it as a half mold for forming the sides and a whole mold for holding the body shape when I glue the top.
The sides I laminated out of 3 layers of 1/16" maple with the center ply orthogonal. I got a bunch of plies from roarocket (
http://www.roarockit.com/skateboard-.../#.WkFqn2Uyk-I). They're intended for making skateboards but hard maple is hard maple and the price is right. I used a bike inner tube to pull the plies into the mold which works pretty well for awkward shaped things if you don't have a vacuum press set up.
I also got the soundboard joined and thinned down to .100" and it pulled down to the arch without much trouble.
Next up will be the neck and end blocks, and trimming the sides to the top contour.