iluvteles Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 This years build is going to be a 24 fret strat with gold plated EMG 81/85 pickups, laminated neck blank and a angled headstock. After a lot of thinking I have decided to go with the Cocobolo drop top that has a little owl and fox in the figure. First off is to square up the drop top edges ready for gluing. I check the fit by viewing the joint and if you cant see day light then its a good fit. Clamp up and have the long wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 How are Brad and Angelina doing, anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted February 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Covered in gloopy glue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted February 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Used my brand new drum sander for the first time today. I'm a bit disapointed. The new £40 worth of sanding belts cloged straight away and gave horrible lines on the tops. They will come out at final sanding but its not the point. The cherry one was for ebay but nobody wil buy this now. I'm a bit sad. Things like this always seems to happen to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightninMike Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Cocobolo is very oily as you found out.... Sandpaper will almost always get loaded up quickly, and the dust balls up with the oils.... will the tops be fine? yes.... use a scraper that is very sharp and you will be ok.... take long strokes and don't cut into the wood, but allow it to pull.... if you haven't used a scraper, practice on offcuts first then just go for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted February 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Thanks for the advice. Yes the tops will be fine but they just look like pap at the moment. I'll buy a scraper and report back. This Cocobolo seems like difficult wood to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 This Cocobolo seems like difficult wood to work with. But it is soooooo worth it. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 You also don't have to lose the 40 pounds of paper. Take it off, spray it with oven cleaner. Once clean you can re-run the cherry and it should clear up asap. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowa90 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 could you not run one of these magical devices on the paper? http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20192&cat=1,42500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Cocobolo is very oily as you found out.... Sandpaper will almost always get loaded up quickly, and the dust balls up with the oils.... will the tops be fine? yes.... use a scraper that is very sharp and you will be ok.... take long strokes and don't cut into the wood, but allow it to pull.... if you haven't used a scraper, practice on offcuts first then just go for it +1. This is how I do it. This Cocobolo seems like difficult wood to work with. But it is soooooo worth it. SR +1 could you not run one of these magical devices on the paper? http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20192&cat=1,42500 No. It will just make rubber buggers all over the place. In general Belt cleaners only work on woods that can be cleared with 90 PSI air blower... The only way to fix the paper now is what Chris said. I don't bother cleaning the paper... I just do all my Coco at the same time using 60 grit paper as the heavier grit clogs less. Then I fix it all up with a scraper. I am going to be doing several Coco tops this year so I will document the process. Also I use T-88 (thanks SR) to glue Coco to anything as it is one of the few glues that doesn't care how oily the Coco is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I've never worked with the stuff - it doesnt look that grainy though, can't it pass through a thicknesser? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Scraping Cocobolo is less tiresome on the skin and lungs also. One of my all time favourites for fingerboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Thanks for all the advice. Once it was glued up it was too wide for the thicknesser so I used the drum sander. Its the main reason I bought the drum sander to run glued up tops and bodies through as I'm not the best at glueing up and always end up with a lip. Just a pass either side on the drum sander gives a perfect top or body blank. I found out the hard way about Cocobolo but its not the end of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I've took the belts off they were 80 and 120 grit. I' used the oven cleaner spray foam that Verhoevenc surggested and it works a treat now. Thats why we are in forum to help fellow guitar builders out. result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I'm not 100% decided on the neck yet so I decided to knock a American Black Walnut and Maple lam neck up just to see what it looks like. If I dont like it I'll just put it on ebay. No harm done. In progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 (edited) Got the template for this build now. Its 24 fret with a curved neck pocket and an extended cut away and smaller lower horn. I'm real happy with this template set. Edited March 1, 2012 by iluvteles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 Was going to cut and plane the laminated black walnut and maple neck blank but after getting all the toys, piles of washing and other assorted workshop pap out of the way my 6 month old band saw just wont fire up so thats it until I can get it sorted. Photo of the blank in its rough state. I'm not sure it will work with the coco top and fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Got the neck blank finished. I got 4 neck blanks out of it altogether but I just dont think they will go with a Cocobolo fretboard. I just did not think long and hard enough about the design before I started making saw dust. I never learn. Think I'll put them on ebay the next free listing weekend :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2012 Been wood shopping today. Spent £300 on wood. I now have in my little wood store Padauk, Mahogany and American Black Walnut. This plank of Padauk is for the body back and the dyed black Sycamor will go inbetween the Padauk and the Cocobolo top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 A little bit of progress today after the weeks of "the wifes list of jobs to do". I like bookmatching but the Padauk just was not thick enough and I had to take what I could get. I was thinking of running a length of Wenge down the center to break the two sides up as they are not book matched but I think I'll get awy with it as is. I've jointed the edges. Tip Make sure the plank is cut parraelle or however you spell it as you will be routing forever. Next glue it up and clamp like hell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 I was thinking of running a length of Wenge down the center to break the two sides up as they are not book matched but I think I'll get awy with it as is. I think you will too. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 The body blank turned out very good. Cant even find the glueline. The design is to have a 1.5mm thick laminate of dyed Sycamore then the Cocobolo on top of that. I had bother with the Sycamore slipping so fingers crossed that it has'nt moved too much as there was only about 5mm each side to play with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I took all the clamps off only to find the glue had gone through the black Sycamore and stuck to the MDF caul. Not to hard to fix but pap like this always happens to me. > But the good news is that the Sycamore did not move too much and still reaches both sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Thats better. No more MDF and wire channels cut. I was going to chamber the body but playing on my solid Sapele strat that sustains forever last night I decided to keep it solid. Coco bolo top is now glued on but i for got to take a photo. Coming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvteles Posted March 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Got all the profiling done today and its turned out great. I'm really happy with the outcome. I used double sided sticky tape to keep the template in place and profiled it out with the router. I have a router table but I like this method the best. I just dont feel safe with a router table. Front back and side. The black Sycamore had turned out very well. This years build is going well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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