Open the Mac App Store and go to the OS X Mavericks page and click Download. It doesn't matter if you already have Mavericks installed, this will just update your installer app.
Here's the command line component of the installer app. Run it without any arguments to see how it works.
$ /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
Usage: createinstallmedia --volume <path to volume to convert> --applicationpath <path to Install OS X Mavericks.app> [--force]
Arguments--volume, A path to a volume that can be unmounted and erased to create the install media.
--applicationpath, A path to copy of the OS installer application to create the bootable media from.
--nointeraction, Erase the disk pointed to by volume without prompting for confirmation.
Example: createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install OS X Mavericks.app
This tool must be run as root.Format your thumb drive appropriately.
Run the installer app (in this case, BLUEDABBADE is the thumb drive).
$ sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/BLUEDABBADE --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app
Password:
Ready to start.
To continue we need to erase the disk at /Volumes/BLUEDABBADE.
If you wish to continue type (Y) then press return: y
Erasing Disk: 0%... 10%... 20%... 30%...100%...
Copying installer files to disk...
Copy complete.
Making disk bootable...
Copying boot files...
Copy complete.
Done.Whatever you drive was called before, it'll rename it to "Install OS X Mavericks" and it'll have an "Install OS X Mavericks" app inside of it.
Then, presumably, you can boot off of this drive to install a fresh copy of Mavericks onto a blank, formatted hard drive.
This is a Solutions Log post.