pan_kara Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 wow, thats some serious intervention.. the surprise during carving was due to the spalt or its just something that happens from time to time? BTW you should not shield the cavity in the cocobolo top one - it looks so cool with the orange peeking through (not that a lot of people would get a chance to see that...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 The cavity I assume was a little bit of rot, however it was in a non Spalted area so not easily predictable. I've has this happen twice while carving necks, once in Wenge and once in Mahogany. Never while carving a top before though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 Drilling holes between the cavities with a 12" bit. Notice the thin piewce of scrap I have clamped. That is to rest the drill bit against so it cannot touch the rear side of the pickup cavity and damage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted February 14, 2014 Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 kinda crazy how similar we do things. I use that exact method for drilling the wiring holes as well. How thick do you make your super strats, center body measurement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 I buy stock at 50mm. Thickness to 45mm and carve from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 I use a pipe to make those holes... but my drill bit is way more dangerous than yours. What really always worried me is to get the exact angle of the hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 I use a pipe to make those holes... but my drill bit is way more dangerous than yours. If you look at any of my old build threads I used to use a bit like yours - until one day it snapped and as I had a bit of pressure on it I slipped and put a big gouge in the top of the guitar. I also noticed that those bits have more flex, which is why I swapped to the type you see in my pic which makes it easier to draw a straight line from A to B. I also used to use the pipe trick, except I had to find a better way after one day the drill bit grabbed the pipe and spun it and before I knew it had happened had carved an indent into the cavity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 Drilling holes between the cavities with a 12" bit. Notice the thin piewce of scrap I have clamped. That is to rest the drill bit against so it cannot touch the rear side of the pickup cavity and damage it. I still use my hand... maybe a piece of wood would be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 I buy stock at 50mm. Thickness to 45mm and carve from there. Ha ha ha what are you building cutting boards? Try 34 mm to 31 mm in the center (even slimmer on the carve sides). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2014 I still use my hand... maybe a piece of wood would be better. Depends what is laying around, if you look at some build pics I also use a metal rule at times. Does the same job but the timber is better.Try 34 mm to 31 mm in the center (even slimmer on the carve sides). I have a extra deep carve so the sides end out around 30 ish. That's why I need thick tops to work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Here is a pic from a guitar I was assembling today. Wartorn finish on a Warhorse: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 Another Warhorse finished up today and ready for collection, this time with a Wartorn finish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted February 22, 2014 Report Share Posted February 22, 2014 I love it!... minimal electronics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowa90 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I buy stock at 50mm. Thickness to 45mm and carve from there. Ha ha ha what are you building cutting boards? Try 34 mm to 31 mm in the center (even slimmer on the carve sides). D: Be careful! I only have 2mm of wiggle room in my current strat. Wouldnt be a problem with a toggle switch and a hardtail, but always check out how deep you need your hardware to go. There's only 2mm between my trem post and the route for the trem claw :/ I also recessed the trem plate, which I may stop doing for this reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Build pics will be a fair bit slower over the next few months as I've just started a shopfit on a 300 2m building. BIG job and I won't be using a crew. Doing it all by myself with exception of a couple things like electrical for legal reasons. Anyway, heres a few guitar progress pics I snapped through the week. Here is my trainee doing his first fretjob on a guitar I'm having him make for himself as a learning project: I got around to fretting this Cocobolo board: Bit more work on this Explorer build: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Good plan having your trainee learn on a build for himself, it gives that little bit of extra incentive to be careful and get it right. How's he doing? Does he understand how fortunate he is to be learning in such a well equipped and roomy shop? How deep does that axehole go on his single cut? SR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Good plan having your trainee learn on a build for himself, it gives that little bit of extra incentive to be careful and get it right. How's he doing? Does he understand how fortunate he is to be learning in such a well equipped and roomy shop? How deep does that axehole go on his single cut? SR I'm not sure of the exact measurements, its a fairly large hollow chamber but the top is also left reasonably thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Couple more progress pics. Daynes SS6 got to see sealer today: The seven string Explorer was headstock branded: My sanded guy getting it ready for color: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevinTacheny Posted March 18, 2014 Report Share Posted March 18, 2014 im definetly going to build an explorer at some point. ive always wanted one theyre so cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted March 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 im definetly going to build an explorer at some point. ive always wanted one theyre so cool! The Explorer is cool, however the way that the lower horn is shaped it is hard to get a nice feeling neck heel. Took a bit of extra attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted March 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Here's a quick snapshot of the E7 I'm working on at the moment. This is raw stain, still no finish as yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 I do like the look of that neck heel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Call me stupid (or a rhythm guitarist) but I've always preferred the traditional style of heel. Still, that is a nice elegant solution to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted March 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 Call me stupid (or a rhythm guitarist) but I've always preferred the traditional style of heel. Still, that is a nice elegant solution to it! It's not about the looks, it's about the comfort. It's simply something I can't explain with photos, you'd have to physically feel one of my heels joints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntinDoug Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 I love the branded logo... very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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