ScottR Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Thanks guys. I'm still looking at it thinking I haven't got to the point where there's anything very cool to show yet. I love my standing drill press. Its so handy for all sorts of crap. I used to have a milling vice like yours untill I dropped at the top of the stairs in the workshop. It had split the bottom runner by the time it stopped on the floor But then I came home to find it back on the drill with 30 inch of travel on the bottom runner. The joys of having a mother who is a machinest/welder I realy dig the way you do those headstocks man Paulie, that's a seriously usefull trait to have in a mom. But can she cook? The changes I've made to this HS are not very visible in these shots....and they are fairly minor so they may never be too obvious to anyone but me, I guess. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Nice Scott. Looking good so far. One thing you could look into is drilling the tuners before doing any shaping. My headstocks are tapered on the back so drilling tuners is a bit tricky. The thing I do is I drill a 5/16" hole and use the Stew Mac Tuner Counterbore to drill from the back of the headstock. I think I might be getting a full size drillpress soon and when I do you have convinced me to add a cross-slide vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Nice Scott. Looking good so far. One thing you could look into is drilling the tuners before doing any shaping. My headstocks are tapered on the back so drilling tuners is a bit tricky. The thing I do is I drill a 5/16" hole and use the Stew Mac Tuner Counterbore to drill from the back of the headstock. I think I might be getting a full size drillpress soon and when I do you have convinced me to add a cross-slide vice. You know........ My original plan was to drill the tuners before shaping. I went to get the drill over a week ago, and all they had was the floor model which they refused to sell to me. A new one was on the way...due any minute. A week later I found one in stock in a different location. And the head stock work had already begun. And the vise is the cat's ass. Way easier to get the work located and stable. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idmicheal Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 I think I might be getting a full size drillpress soon and when I do you have convinced me to add a cross-slide vice. I second that. I have a standing press, but I just decided I need a machining vice. I was talking to my neighbor the other day, and he mentioned something about having a machining vice and needing to clean out his shop... Hm... I love the headstock too! It is a great mix between traditional and kinda shredder I love the fact that you do that volute by hand. There is just something about when people do such perfect work by hand that really gets me. I hope I'm that good someday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 I love the headstock too! It is a great mix between traditional and kinda shredder I love the fact that you do that volute by hand. There is just something about when people do such perfect work by hand that really gets me. I hope I'm that good someday Thank you. For me, there is something very satisfying about shaping wood by hand. It's very therapeutic.....a cacoon of peace sort of settles around me while I'm carving. Of course, beer and blues may have something to do with that as well. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skullsession Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 I've been there and gone out with you afterward. It's the beer. There is no cocoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 I've been there and gone out with you afterward. It's the beer. There is no cocoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Continuing on the the headstock carve you can see that the spine from the volute to the tip carve that is normally present in my headstocks is reduced somewhat. I decided I like the midsize Gotohs better than the minis. These are the Deltas which are just like the 510s only with a 21:1 ratio. You can see that I had to carve a relief for the top tuner. Be sure to save all your offcuts until you are done assembling. They help everything fit in the vise. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 I radiused the fretboard to a 14" and polished her up. The ebony is still fighting. I had to leach in some thin CA and re-clamp in a couple of places. Edges only-no structural worries. Ebony is brittle and likes to chip. When you re-set your slots after radiusing, be sure to pull the say to the center. It's a good idea to bevel the slots prior to re-cutting, again pulling to the center. Do yourself a favor and put some 220 grit around your triangle file when you bevel, and your file won't knock out any chips either. This is the first time I've used abalone. Oh my god that stuff polishes up like liquid opals. I WILL be using this again. I can't seem to capture the fire with the camera, but believe me it is blazing! Brett, I know it's against your principals to use fret marker dots or inlays.....but you've got to find a way to use some of this. Side marker dots maybe. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowa90 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 oh god that looks awesome, maybe I'll use abalone on my ebony fretboard for my neckthru Superstrat. How do you prevent the glue from the frets from ruining the boards shine? Mine was like a mirror, but after I pressed the frets it allwent to hell. tape? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Scott. My friend. Are you a bass player enabler? No way in H377 am I going to start adding little round dots to beautiful fretboards so other meatheads (read rhythm guitarist/bass players) can tell what I am playing... On the other hand I have used pearl and abalone for side markers and it is amazing. Your fretboard looks awesome and I am in awe of the polish on it. However... you are a bass player enabler. nowa90: As for how to prevent glue from ruining the polish when gluing in frets. #1. Don't use any. It is ok the frets will not fall out. While is is great to fill the slot underneath for tone reasons it is not completely necessary (especially in ebony). If you cut your slots to the exact depth you don't even have to fill. #2 Be careful. A very carefully placed bead of thick CA on the top of the tang will not spill over onto the fretboard. #3 Have some acetone handy and clean up immediately. #4 Use fish glue instead of CA. That is the traditional way to glue under pressed in frets. #5 Wick CA in from the side after the fret is seated. Or use a syringe and inject it. #6 I have seen guys use tape. Looks painfully painstaking but I have seen it. Make sure the tape clears the fret as it would be bad to trap tape under the crown. #7 ... add ideas here. Maybe one of the others will chime in with what they do. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowa90 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Okay, but what if the board is pre-slotted from stewmac(don't have the 220$ to get the gear to slot my own)? Maybe I'll just let some superglue run from one side of the fretboard to the other, under the fret tang (if there's a gap between it and the bottom ofthe slot) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Maybe I'll just let some superglue run from one side of the fretboard to the other, under the fret tang (if there's a gap between it and the bottom ofthe slot) No,if it is thin enough to run the length it is thin enough to wick in to the wood.Just don't glue the frets in.I glue the ends after all of the frets are seated and rough filed and beveled with medium CA.It is thin enough to go a hair into the slots without running into the wood.Only reason I glue the ends is to seal out most of the moisture in the air Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Maybe I'll just let some superglue run from one side of the fretboard to the other, under the fret tang (if there's a gap between it and the bottom ofthe slot) No,if it is thin enough to run the length it is thin enough to wick in to the wood.Just don't glue the frets in.I glue the ends after all of the frets are seated and rough filed and beveled with medium CA.It is thin enough to go a hair into the slots without running into the wood.Only reason I glue the ends is to seal out most of the moisture in the air I wick in some thin CA if I find a gap--otherwise no glue. As far as fretboard polish, it is just micromeshed up to 12000 so far. If you get something on it while fretting clean it up and re-sand the area in question. It's not impossible....even if it seems like it might be. Brett, I wasn't suggesting you put markers on top of your beautiful fretboards, that's the sort of thing that would make you wander around in circles muttering to yourself. On the other hand, most of the bass players I know do need some sort of special attention or something...... SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Maybe I'll just let some superglue run from one side of the fretboard to the other, under the fret tang (if there's a gap between it and the bottom ofthe slot) No,if it is thin enough to run the length it is thin enough to wick in to the wood.Just don't glue the frets in.I glue the ends after all of the frets are seated and rough filed and beveled with medium CA.It is thin enough to go a hair into the slots without running into the wood.Only reason I glue the ends is to seal out most of the moisture in the air I wick in some thin CA if I find a gap--otherwise no glue. As far as fretboard polish, it is just micromeshed up to 12000 so far. If you get something on it while fretting clean it up and re-sand the area in question. It's not impossible....even if it seems like it might be. Brett, I wasn't suggesting you put markers on top of your beautiful fretboards, that's the sort of thing that would make you wander around in circles muttering to yourself. On the other hand, most of the bass players I know do need some sort of special attention or something...... SR OK Enough with all the cracks on bass players. Why do bass players watch guitar payers hands? I'll tell you why. If I ask guitarists simple questions like; What key are you doing that tune in? How many verses to the chorus or the bridge etc? On original tunes, do you have a chart? or, What tune are we doing next. I get answers like "I think its in F major" (for a minor blues); "I don't know just follow me." and "No 'cus I play it a bit different each time, keeping it organic." "I don't know the name but it starts on this chord." So in an attempt to keep things sounding at least halfway decent we watch the guitarists hands trying to anticipate what they are going to do next. If guitarists had half an idea (OK I could stop there). If guitarists had half an idea of how hard the rest of the band works to stop their screw ups from sounding as bad as they are, their egos might deflate such that they would fit on a smaller planet. BTW I play guitar too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Okay, but what if the board is pre-slotted from stewmac(don't have the 220$ to get the gear to slot my own)? Maybe I'll just let some superglue run from one side of the fretboard to the other, under the fret tang (if there's a gap between it and the bottom ofthe slot) What Wes said. Just don't glue them. Stew Mac slots are pretty close to right so you shouldn't have an issue. Only reason I glue the ends is to seal out most of the moisture in the air +1 I also fill the sides of the fretboard after I finish fretting right before I polish them. Brett, I wasn't suggesting you put markers on top of your beautiful fretboards, that's the sort of thing that would make you wander around in circles muttering to yourself. SR Ha ha ha... I would like to find a real use for abalone in my guitars but I have spent so many years swearing off decorations that I am not sure how I could put it in... maybe on a replica I could get away with it. It would make nice side dots. I did pearl side dots on the red witch but they were a pain as you have tobe very careful about the depth. Nice work Scott! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks... I've seen those side dots, they look like a real PITA. It's not like abalone is a new discovery or anything....but I was unprepaired for the fire and depth. Maybe you could put one dot on your truss rod cover or HS and never tell anyone what it's for. That should drive your bass players crazy. I thought you might chime in Nevin....FWIW, I happen to like all the bass players I know, and can't imagine music with out them. They are still entertaining to poke from time to time. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thanks... I've seen those side dots, they look like a real PITA. It's not like abalone is a new discovery or anything....but I was unprepaired for the fire and depth. Maybe you could put one dot on your truss rod cover or HS and never tell anyone what it's for. That should drive your bass players crazy. I thought you might chime in Nevin....FWIW, I happen to like all the bass players I know, and can't imagine music with out them. They are still entertaining to poke from time to time. SR When I got my first Parker my bass player went nuts as there are no markers.... however he and I learned to talk more music instead of playing follow the leader so much and it actually was a benefit. For the record I like bass players, drummers, and singers. It is hard to make good metal without them. now to un-hijack the thread How is the Jatoba working for the neck? Is it heavy? How did it machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Yea follow the leader means someone is always behind the beat. I like necks without front markers and if you have a nice board like this one I start wondering, why put frets on it? The I remember that guitars tend to need them. This is a great build thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 now to un-hijack the thread How is the Jatoba working for the neck? Is it heavy? How did it machine? I really like using jatoba for necks.....although I really should try something else sometime just for a comparison. It is super stiff and transmits sound extremely well. Those properties also allow for a very thin neck. It feels good. It is heavy....but once everything but the neck is removed, it's not bad at all. It sounds very good, some say mid-rangy. It drills and routes nicely-- with sharp bits. Dull ones will get hot fast. It is hard on jointers....at least the extremely rough cut pieces I've got are. I really like using the long tenon to get the strings tied to the jatoba at both ends.....more or less. The bridge screws anchor into it any way. Maybe that's voodoo, but it sure is a lively feeling neck. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 now to un-hijack the thread How is the Jatoba working for the neck? Is it heavy? How did it machine? I really like using jatoba for necks.....although I really should try something else sometime just for a comparison. It is super stiff and transmits sound extremely well. Those properties also allow for a very thin neck. It feels good. It is heavy....but once everything but the neck is removed, it's not bad at all. It sounds very good, some say mid-rangy. It drills and routes nicely-- with sharp bits. Dull ones will get hot fast. It is hard on jointers....at least the extremely rough cut pieces I've got are. I really like using the long tenon to get the strings tied to the jatoba at both ends.....more or less. The bridge screws anchor into it any way. Maybe that's voodoo, but it sure is a lively feeling neck. SR Maybe I will pick up a piece and see for myself. It might be better than covering the shop in Orange dust every weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Definitely, definitely cleaner than padouk.....definitely. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 I like bass players.Guitarists have to have somewhere to send the second string groupies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 I really like using jatoba for necks.....although I really should try something else sometime just for a comparison. It is super stiff and transmits sound extremely well. I'd like to make one from bloodwood. It has similar working properties to jatoba, as well as weight and density. We already know it's bright, so I'd wager that it'd be a great neck material. And it'd look stunning with a matching fretboard and a white body. I have a pair of Rickenbackers I've had in the planning stages for about a year now. Both will have jatoba fretboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 I really like using jatoba for necks.....although I really should try something else sometime just for a comparison. It is super stiff and transmits sound extremely well. I'd like to make one from bloodwood. It has similar working properties to jatoba, as well as weight and density. We already know it's bright, so I'd wager that it'd be a great neck material. And it'd look stunning with a matching fretboard and a white body. I have a pair of Rickenbackers I've had in the planning stages for about a year now. Both will have jatoba fretboards. It should make great fretboards. It tends more towards mid-ranges than bright IMO. Notyou had a jatoba top on his abused blues and it sounded great. Of course the charring might have changed its characteristics somewhat. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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