Non-Strata

Now that we have all these strata/levels/layers - it's time we got rid of them!

Really?  

Yes, really.  

You put all the time and effort into creating the stratum templates and cutting into the top of the guitar body - only to remove all the work you just did.  Because it is going to save you time.

Let that sink in for a sec...

Okay, that's not completely true.  It also makes things more precise.  Left to my own devices (e.g. going freehand) my Les Paul carved top would probably look more like a Strat body.  

...and not by choice!  

So, now we SAND!

Lots and lots of sanding.

I didn't take a ton of pictures of the sanding process.  But here's the rub (pun intended)...

You are trying to turn those 'steps' into one mound.  If you are good with a card scraper or a small hand plane (or a finger plane) you can start off using one of those.  I'm terrible with planes and my card scraper needs to be sharpened - so I just busted out the sand paper.  To start I used a small powered sander (a Black & Decker Mouse).  It's not the best sander but it got me started.  I switched to a small sanding block and completed the shape by hand. I think I used 80 or 60 grit paper to get the rough shape and then moved up to 100 to smooth it out a bit. 

One note about my sanding block:  I found it useful to wrap a small (1 inch by 1 inch by 3/4 inch) piece of mahogany scrap in some scotch-brite and then wrap the sandpaper around that.  Having a sanding block with a little 'give' worked for me.  It might (or might not) work for you.

On the Left - Where I'm going.
On the Right - Where I've been.

This is not the final shape - but I'm happy so far.  The mound is a little too abrupt right now but I plan on taming it a bit.

Pictured: Arched

Pictured: Mounds

Pictured: Swells

Pictured: Carved

Pictured: The end of the analogy.

The top still has a lot of shaping to go between now and it's first Marshall stack - but I think this is off to a good start