RestorationAD Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Roughed the top in. Still not sure this is the top for this guitar but for now it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 I totally agree about having serious pipe clamps for body glue ups. I cringe everytime I see shots of those narrow beam type clamps being used. Which is confusing me, since your first shot showed the same type of clamps as the second; those were just newer looking. What was wrong with the useless set? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 I totally agree about having serious pipe clamps for body glue ups. I cringe everytime I see shots of those narrow beam type clamps being used. Which is confusing me, since your first shot showed the same type of clamps as the second; those were just newer looking. What was wrong with the useless set? SR Sorry 2 shots same setup... In the old set the 2 red clamps were from Harbor Freight. They would push the middle of the blank up for some reason (because they are cheap POS).... Anyway that always forced me to do sill things like clamp the top to a piece of aluminum. The new setup is 2 Bessy 3/4" pipe clamps for the bottom and 2 Bessy 1/2 pipe clamps for the top. Using the 1/2" on top is just easier and less bulky... This way it is easier to move the setup after it is clamped (since I am always working on about 6 guitars at once). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 This is a tip that will help you live with the beast. If you cut a small piece of foam (or you can use a small bead of dried silicone) and drop it in the throat of your router. It will help prevent bottoming out the bit. When the bit bottoms out it is way more likely to vibrate lose and cause destruction (ask me how I know). Use a high density foam with good spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Se the depth of the first cut to be half (or less) that of the trussrod. Never try to cut your trussrod slot in one pass as it is too much load for a 1/4" bit. On the second pass get the full depth. I tested the full depth (left over from previous neck) and a cut at half depth before finishing up. Always use push blocks. I use a guide line as a stopping point for the slot. On my router fence the center of the bit is marked as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 The ALLPARTS trussrod fits exactly in a 1/4" slot except for the welded allen nut. That requires a bit of rounding. I try to make my rods extremely tight fitting (without binding) so we need to finesse the first few inches of the slot so the allen nut fits. To do this I chuck a 1/4" rasp in the battery drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Profiling the neck involves finding a center line and attaching the template. After that we bandsaw the excess as close to the template as we can... we then further sand the edges without hitting the template. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 After a pass with the 3/4" template bit we get the final profile. It seems like a lot of steps but it is the best way to get straight clean lines without tearout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Cutting out the body. Lay the template on the wood. Then trim as close to the template as you can get with a bandsaw. Next like the neck profile we sand the edges as close to the template as we can. Follow up with a pass on the router and this is it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 This is a tip that will help you live with the beast. If you cut a small piece of foam (or you can use a small bead of dried silicone) and drop it in the throat of your router. It will help prevent bottoming out the bit. When the bit bottoms out it is way more likely to vibrate lose and cause destruction (ask me how I know). Use a high density foam with good spring. Good tip. Pay attention folks, lots of good tips here. I like the chucked up rasp too. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Missed a step somehow... The ALLPARTS rods are a bit thicker on the ends than in the center. To keep the slot as tight as possible I route it a hair shallow. I then use a really sharp 1/4" chisel to scrape the excess under the end and nut area. After a few minutes it all fits pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted April 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Wings for headstock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Dude, you have chocolate shavings in your trussrod slot.. mmmm.. choooclaateee... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted April 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Align the board and use clamps to hold it in place. Pin the fretboard with 1/16" pins made from broken drill bits. I pin in the nut as I use a 3/16" nut and it covers the hole. I pin the other end in the cuttoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted April 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Prep both surfaces by freshly sanding them. Blow off dust and wipe with lacquer thinner. Use scotch tape to protect the trussrod from epoxy. I cut the scotch tape within a 1/16" of the trussrod channel (to maximize gluing surface). Then clamp away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 Everyone stay tuned... I decided to spend a few minutes on this today. Pics soon. I wasn't going to build anything this holiday season. But I couldn't resist after I found a piece of wood at the local shop that was too awesome to pass up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 12, 2011 Report Share Posted November 12, 2011 Everyone stay tuned... I decided to spend a few minutes on this today. Pics soon. I wasn't going to build anything this holiday season. But I couldn't resist after I found a piece of wood at the local shop that was too awesome to pass up. Good. I'm getting the bug again myself. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 So a little T-88 and we have a top... A very decadent top. An 8.5mm decadent top. And a nice slab of Limba to use as a back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 After sanding them up we lay on some T-88 epoxy and clamp it up. I used the T-88 instead of the titebond on this one do to the wood types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 decadent top needing epoxy instead of titebobd all clues point towards cocobolo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 decadent top needing epoxy instead of titebobd all clues point towards cocobolo Nice guess but Cocobolo is cheap compared to this one... Though I think next year I am going to do a coco top and a bocote top along with some bloodwood and maybe a wenge one. I have enough for at least 2 more of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Ebony? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Ebony? SR Winner! Gabon even... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 14, 2011 Report Share Posted November 14, 2011 Ebony? SR Winner! Gabon even... That is decadent...but it had to be done. Watching this one will be fun. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juntunen Guitars Posted November 15, 2011 Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Looking forward to the ebony top. I like the look of ebony, hate the tone when it is an acoustic guitar bridge. When you glue the fretboard you mention using broken drill bits as guides. If you roll a bit in parafin wax you can use a good bit for that as well. Just drill it in and after about 10 minutee titebond has tacked up so you can just back it out then. Just a small tip, it really doesn't matter which way is used. That is really interesting. I wonder if there is a report somewhere that explores the strength of the bond at various lengths of time after glue up...but prior to cure. SR I have a chart that goes over all kinds of different types of adhesives and the amount of time it takes for them to set and all that. If that is of interest to anyone I can try to get a scan of it and post it up here. I must say that of everything in your builds RAD I think the neck is my favorite. Something about the laminates and how clean they look draws me to them more than most of your tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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