Prostheta Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 That was my fault. For whatever reason, I clicked "Edit" instead of "Quote" and spent ten minutes trying to restore your original post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) That was my fault. For whatever reason, I clicked "Edit" instead of "Quote" and spent ten minutes trying to restore your original post. Ha! I did wonder how I'd managed to cock it up. I'm sure it was correct when I posted it ... and probably explains why I couldn't edit my original post Edited October 14, 2015 by Norris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 These things happen. I wanted to point out that you'd built the body back to front, but obviously it's far too late now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Pros- I tried to send you a message about that yesterday-but couldn't.......SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Really? Try PMing me now. Ghost in the system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Really? Try PMing me now. Ghost in the system? Nope. I posted about it in the Moderators chat forum. Rather than clog up Norris's thread any more, why not check that post out and go from there.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Incidentally, where did you source your Ash from? If it was a good price I might be tempted to spring for some myself to do more site project work with. Ash ("Saarni" here) seems difficult to find in Finland, plus most suppliers of blanks charge far too much for what you buy when you have the ability to joint and thickness yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Incidentally, where did you source your Ash from? If it was a good price I might be tempted to spring for some myself to do more site project work with. Ash ("Saarni" here) seems difficult to find in Finland, plus most suppliers of blanks charge far too much for what you buy when you have the ability to joint and thickness yourself.It was supplied by the chap who runs the guitar building classes. He's a luthier by trade, so buys a lot of wood and passes on his trade discounts to his "students". The ash is apparently English Light Ash, the same species as US swamp ash - so I'm told. I don't have individual prices for the wood, but the whole lot cost me around £130 (ash back, book-matched flamed maple top, maple neck blank & maple fretboard blank), which incidentally is about the same price as the brand new tobacco-burst Squier Affinity Strat I bought for my son a few weeks ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Very nice! Well, I'm going to need to start making more and more projects "happen" and Alder gets a little boring after a while. I guess since I am aiming to be factual and education rather than producing simple eye candy I should be good. I bet shipping from the UK is a bear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) I had a couple of days of holiday this week, so in between household DIY, visiting family (big month for birthdays) and cooking, I managed to get a bit of work done on the guitar. I flush trimmed the back piece with the router - luckily avoiding any tear-outs and minimal scorching. Then I spent a couple of hours on the fine grit sanding table. It's starting to get smooth on the back, and is close enough for the time being I broke my first template for the inner chambers - the jigsaw is now well out of the way on a shelf, it will not go near the guitar again! Then I made another template in 6mm MDF & used it to route a larger piece of 15mm MDF with plenty of overhang to support the router when I route the chambers. I asked my father-in-law if he had a pillar drill. Yes he has, but also has a spare one (honestly, who has a spare pillar drill?!). Anyway it's now on long term loan! (Mwahh-ha-ha he'll never see it again! ) So then on to removing a lot of the material to save my router bit It's a lot lighter already, but looks like the bees have just moved out . Hopefully in the next couple of days I'll get the router on it & get back to work on the top piece, which still needs a lot of flattening off. Edited October 15, 2017 by Norris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Funny you should say that about the jigsaw. Which brand and model is it? I'm about to write a nice controversial article about how useful and relevant they are in a workshop.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 I find them useful for cutting a useful sized piece of MDF out of a 4'x8' sheet which then goes to other equipment to be worked, and ......well that's about it.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 It's an old Black and Decker but then I probably didn't fit the most appropriate blade for the job either. As @ScottR says, it's useful for hacking out of a sheet, but far too unstable and wayward for much else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Old is a clue, plus the blade type. I'll save this for the article, and hopefully I'll be reviewing a Festool and a cheap-ass jigsaw with a bunch of tests I've devised. It won't make your old Broken Dicker any better outside of a new blade, though it'll help get the most out of whatever the tool you have can manage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 (edited) Chambers routed. I had a slight gouge where the router base slipped off the edge of the template, but it won't be seen. Edited October 15, 2017 by Norris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Looking all above board. Even though sheets of thick MDF like that are hella expensive and bang up at a glance, they make stunning template stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 No, it's not cheap but I needed something to support the router base . I couldn't have used the 15mm edge on my thin templateBy the way, I forgot to mention it weighs in at 1152g - that's just over 2.5lbs in old money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 26, 2015 Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 Those are good looking chambers. That thing will be light enough to carry around in your pocket.SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2015 I'm going to dye the top chamber red so you can see it through the F hole (although mine won't be an F shape, or in the usual position ), so I'll do some better preparation. It should be a good early test of the ink dying in a place that doesn't matter so much too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted November 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 A couple of weeks ago I scored a Stanley Bailey No 5 Jack plane on ebay. The owner had reconditioned it, which meant it wasn't attractive to collectors, but lovely and clean for my needs ... actually using it. It cost around £30 (approx $45 USD) delivered. Anyway this weekend I got out my sharpening set - double sided stone, small bottle of oil & idler wheel clamp thingy, and am rather pleased that I put a darned good edge on it. It's very satisfying taking an inch wide ribbon of wood across the full length of the board, that is so thin it's almost transparent, with no snags or vibrations - just smooth, clean planing. Yay for me! Anyway, not much to update except that the back of my top piece is now very, very flat, especially after an hour or two on the sanding table, and is now ready for rough cutting into shape. I'll get that done on the bandsaw at class tonight. I then need to get the top chamber smoothed, dyed & laquered before I join the two pieces. I might also get a bit of a move on with the neck, which is still at the template stage.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 2, 2015 Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 Great find! A plane that is able to be tuned into good working condition is a joy. I find that on a lot of planes, the mouth is just too large or the frog isn't very flat and has seating issues. Taking any metal off the sole always opens up the mouth as does fettling the frog! That said, those issues are nothing compared to not being able to get a razor edge on the iron. Sounds to me like yours is working a treat.FWIW, if you have some Autosol handy then get honing/polishing up your edge. Whenever I sharpen chisels or irons, I see whether they'll shave the hairs off my forearm. If they don't cut with zero resistance, they need more work. The problem with that test is when you get lax and let the corner take a bite out of your skin....!So, am I right in thinking that you are now well and truly riddled with build fever then? You'll be pricing up a jointer plane next, however I think a block or apron plane have more uses (cough). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted November 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) I think the combination of my Jack plane & my sanding table will be sufficient for now. Any larger plane and I might get some balancing issues on my workmate . I really must get the garage cleaned out & get my (home-made) workbench in the middle of the room. I'm sure it would be a lot easier working then. Anyway, not really worth pictures, but hey - it's my first guitar and I'm having fun. I got the top piece rough cut last night and it's starting to look decidedly like a guitar. I also got the neck blank squared up ready to rout the truss rod channel and cut a 6mm strip for the fillet. This week's jobs are to order some pickups & prepare the top chamber ready for dyeing. I've now also got some maple offcuts for some dyeing/finishing tests. I've decided to go with a set of Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocaster pickups - they are fairly reasonably priced and get some great reviews. Edited October 15, 2017 by Norris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 3, 2015 Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 Well, take comfort in that you are managing a lot more will less; some people manage less with a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 3, 2015 Report Share Posted November 3, 2015 "but hey - it's my first guitar and I'm having fun. I got the top piece rough cut last night and it's starting to look decidedly like a guitar."Nothing like the project beginning to look like a guitar to increase the excitement! It doesn't really look like a first guitar though. It looks like several past that. Very nice progress.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted November 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2015 It doesn't really look like a first guitar though. It looks like several past that. Very nice progress.SR Thank you very much for your kind words. I'm taking my time and trying to do a decent job of it. I've got a lot to live up to given the standard of the builders here on PG, and am taking inspiration and learning a huge amount from every build update and finished guitar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.