First ever build, 60's Strat

[steve1556]

Hey guys, quick introduction, I've been building guitar pedals for a fair few years now and feel like I need a new challenge. I've also never been into Strats but recently I've really been wanting one lately (but having just bought both the Kramer Pacer Satchel Models, and a new bass guitar for a friend in return for his Fender Jim Root Tele) the credit card bill is a bit high and I can't justify paying off 4 guitars on it! So, long story short, I've decided to try my hand at building a 60's style Strat, with the plan that if I enjoy it, to then look at putting myself on a guitar building course.

Because of this, my tools will be slightly limited as I don't want to buy too many if I'm not going to use them again. The good news is that my dad has a router (I've ordered a new set of bits for it), orbital sander, belt sander and at least 1 good file which I have borrowed, and I have full use of his barn if the weather is bad and I need a workshop area. I've got a jigsaw, but my friend has a band saw that I can use if I get it a new blade as his current one is past it's best. The plan is to build as much as I possibly can from scratch, so if I do a guitar building course, I will know which areas to have the most amount of help on. I've ordered the plans from Crimson Guitars, and made a couple of copies of it, then cut the bodies out and stuck them down to 6mm MDF. I've drawn around them as well just in case the paper moves, and started to cut them out using the jigsaw. Unfortunately I don't have a oscillating sander as per the many YouTube videos that I've watched, so I'm either going to cut close to the line and then finish it with sand paper, or try very carefully with the router, not sure what's the best idea. After the template is finished, I'll transfer it onto a 15mm MDF sheet for the actual guitar template, which I'll hopefully get done tomorrow. I have a laser cutter I could use for the templates, but the cutting area is 300x200mm which isn't big enough for a guitar body unfortunately, but I may design fret inlay templates using it.

I'm after a classic Strat tone, so I was thinking of using ash, but it needs gluing so I'll need to buy some clamps. I've found a blank made a sapele, same price as the ash but it's in 1 piece. If I got that then I don't need to buy clamps and glue, but will it still be easy to work with and the same kind of sound? I've just started trying to read up about different tonewood properties.

 

[curtisa]

56 minutes ago, steve1556 said:

so I'm either going to cut close to the line and then finish it with sand paper, or try very carefully with the router

Not with the router. For freehand stock removal it's far too brutal and likely to end up either taking out far too much material or leaving  behind curves just as rough as cutting it with a jigsaw. At the very least it's a safety risk that should be avoided.

Given the tools you have available to you your best bet is to rough out the template with the jigsaw and finish up the curves and contours using files and sandpaper.

 

1 hour ago, steve1556 said:

If I got that then I don't need to buy clamps and glue,

Are you making your own neck? If so you will need those clamps and glue anyway.

 

 

[a2k]

Welcome! I think it's worth investing in a good rasp if you don't already have one. Not too expensive and you can use it through the the project, from smoothing out template to comfort cuts to neck shaping. 

I made my template by printing out a bunch of 8.5x11 sheets, taping them together, gluing it onto mdf, cutting out with a jig saw, and then rasping and sanding from there. Worked pretty well and definitely 5 minutes work on a template can save you hours of work on wood  

A few ideas on getting the tools you need without breaking the bank: Some communities have tool libraries - depending on where you live that might be an option. And there's always the retired dudes with garages packed full of tools and heads packed full of knowledge itching to help. And then there are professional shops who are happy to do a few simple cuts or other tasks for a few bucks. 

[steve1556]

Thanks for replies and the advice, it's greatly appreciated. 

Curtisa - I thought that would be the case, but thought of it as maybe an easier and quicker way to do it. I'll carry on with the jigsaw method on Tuesday as I'm busy all day tomorrow. I'll also go and invest in some more files. I'm a little bit worried about not having a straight edge around the outside as most videos I've seen use an oscillating sander, which I don't have.

I'm also planing on making my own neck, as there is no point in doing half a job, so yes, I'll need some clamps at some point, was just trying to keep costs down this month due to the new guitars.

For the clamps, would these be ok (but in a bigger size) clamp

I've just ordered a 2 piece body blank, would either of these glues be ok glue1 glue2 glue3

A2K - I think I got a rasp from my dad, I'll double check though and get one if I haven't as it will definitely help with the arm rest and body cut out on the back.

I was lucky in the fact that a local print shop made 2 copies of the guitar plans that I got as they had a printer/scanner big enough to do it. I've cut the bodies out of the 2 copies and used them on the MDF, but if I ever get to a point where I would like to design my own body, using the 4 sheet method as you';ve described is definitely a good option.

When you say about the tool libraries, we have a thing here called Make Space, where you pay a small monthly fee, but you can use all of their equipment after being trained to use it safely. I signed up to one a few years ago so I could use their laser cutter, had all the training on it, but I never received my access card for the building (it was available to use 24/7). After about 2 months of trying to contact them (with no luck), I went to the building to speak to one of the guys running it, I had to ask another member to let me in. The guy I spoke to was extremely annoyed by this because I didn't have a door card, and banned me from the building (despite having already paid for 2 months membership already by this point). Long story short, they kept taking my membership fees and wouldn't cancel the direct debit, and the bank had an issue canceling it, and I ended up being £880 out of pocket because of the debits. So because of this, I'm very reluctant to join another style scheme again. The idea of retired guys with loads of tools didn't cross my mind, and if I need it I'll look on the local Facebook groups for them.

 

Not much of an update here, but I've got the body wood ordered. I've got for a 2 piece Ash body.

[2.5itim]

I don't know if it's available in your neck of the woods but i use titebond original wood glue. 

 As for the clamps I have a couple of those that you posted and I don't really use them much, personally to me I just don't feel like I can get the pressure I want by squeezing. I use mostly f clamps that you twist to get pressure and G clamps. 

I love a nice piece of ash, even tho I have had my troubles with it lately I still find it to be a nice wood to work with, except I hate the smell of it while being cut. 

[a2k]

12 hours ago, steve1556 said:

...if I ever get to a point where I would like to design my own body, using the 4 sheet method as you';ve described is definitely a good option.

It was way more than 4 sheets!

 

[curtisa]

14 hours ago, steve1556 said:

For the clamps, would these be ok (but in a bigger size) clamp

I've just ordered a 2 piece body blank, would either of these glues be ok glue1 glue2 glue3

Clamps with a screwing action will be better suited to joining two halves of a body blank - F-clamps, sash clamps, pipe clamps etc. They will likely be more expensive than the Quickgrips, but you may be able to borrow a couple from other woodworker associates you may know.

A potentially cheap source for woodworking paraphernalia are second hand stores, community markets and car boot sales.

I have no experience with any of those glues, but the Gorilla Glue sounds the most similar to water-proof PVA of the three, which in turn sounds the most similar to the glues typically used by the guitar-building community. You'd have to experiment with it a bit before committing it to a final glue joint. I've used similar water-proof PVA glues in the past which gripped OK but dried slightly rubbery, which made cleaning up the dried glue joint difficult. Titebond Original is available in the UK for similar prices as the Gorilla Glue and is widely considered ideal for guitar construction.

[steve1556]

On 5/1/2016 at 11:07 PM, 2.5itim said:

I don't know if it's available in your neck of the woods but i use titebond original wood glue. 

 As for the clamps I have a couple of those that you posted and I don't really use them much, personally to me I just don't feel like I can get the pressure I want by squeezing. I use mostly f clamps that you twist to get pressure and G clamps. 

I love a nice piece of ash, even tho I have had my troubles with it lately I still find it to be a nice wood to work with, except I hate the smell of it while being cut. 

I've just been on Google, looks like I can get hold of Titebond, but nowhere near me stocks it so I'll have to order it online. I'm waiting on the wood to arrive so it isn't an issue though, 

I did try the clamps in the shop with my finger and they seemed to apply a lot of pressure, but I do realise that gluing wood would take a lot more pressure than squashing my finger. I found these clamps, and they have a local store to me that has them in stock clamps. One thing that I'm wondering is would 2 or 3 clamps be best to hold the wood?

 

On 5/2/2016 at 7:08 AM, a2k said:

It was way more than 4 sheets!

 

Looks like near enough a whole tree! Great way of printing the design out at home though!

 

On 5/2/2016 at 9:42 AM, curtisa said:

Clamps with a screwing action will be better suited to joining two halves of a body blank - F-clamps, sash clamps, pipe clamps etc. They will likely be more expensive than the Quickgrips, but you may be able to borrow a couple from other woodworker associates you may know.

A potentially cheap source for woodworking paraphernalia are second hand stores, community markets and car boot sales.

I have no experience with any of those glues, but the Gorilla Glue sounds the most similar to water-proof PVA of the three, which in turn sounds the most similar to the glues typically used by the guitar-building community. You'd have to experiment with it a bit before committing it to a final glue joint. I've used similar water-proof PVA glues in the past which gripped OK but dried slightly rubbery, which made cleaning up the dried glue joint difficult. Titebond Original is available in the UK for similar prices as the Gorilla Glue and is widely considered ideal for guitar construction.

Thanks for the input, I've given my intentions relating to the advice in the reply above. I've found some new clamps which I think would be better suited and I've found that I can buy the Titebond in the UK. Regarding the glue, especially as it's my first build, I'd rather stick with tried and tested glues rather then choosing the wrong glue and messing everything up.

I'm also thinking that with these clamps that I've found being quite adjustable, I could also use them for cluing the neck parts together. As it's my first build, I'm planing on using a 1 piece neck, most likely Maple but I'll see nearer the time on whats available. Also, for the body wood, I've read that I should leave it for a few days before gluing it together in case it bends slightly and needs planing again, so it's likely the body won't be glued until sometime next week.

[Prostheta]

Wood moves for two reasons; environmental changes (including adding water from glueing) and physical alteration. The water added by glueing shouldn't change it permanently if it does play games. Usually when it reaches equilibrium again it's more or less the shape it started out in. Cutting wood up and shaping it can release internal tensions if the wood wasn't dried properly (too quickly, case hardened, etc.) or if the grain has some whacky stuff going on in it. If you take your time with all steps and work slower than the wood does its own thing in, you're usually able to capture any movements and bring it back into line.

I'm currently making a laminated neck blank for a bass. After I've cut each laminate from lumber and rough sized it, I need to leave them for a week or two to see if they want to move around. The wood I'm using needs to "unwind" a little sometimes. Super stable when seasoned well and handled properly, but a bit pretzeltastic straight from the raw.

[steve1556]

Thanks for that, helps to explain the wood and what happens to it. I've ordered the wood from a company on eBay, and just realised that I've seen them mentioned somewhere else (can't remember if it was on here or somewhere else when i was researching bits) and they were recommended for guitar blanks.  If anyone is interested it's Sherwin Group, although they don't advertise them on their website, they do them at good prices if you contact them apparently. When the wood arrives, I'm planning on leaving it a couple of days just to make sure.

In the meantime, this picture is from last week when I mounted the templates onto the MDF (although I think I should have used 3mm rather then 6mm MDF from what I've now read), but I'll see how I get on with this, worse case scenario is that it takes me a little bit longer to do it.

Last year I assembled a Tele Partscaster, turned out rather well, which has caused this project to happen. I'm a sucker for flame and quilted maple tops! It's fitted with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails, but I made a mistake on installing them and the screws wouldn't fit so had to use some bolts. The pictures were taken before the intonation was setup.

Also, a couple of years ago i found my old BC Rich Warlock in the garage halfway through an awful paint job that I started well over 10 years ago then forgot about. I've just started to assemble it back together even though I repainted it a couple of years ago now, and will be done soon hopefully. I'll be working on this between the various stages of the Strat build.

Edited May 4, 2016 by steve1556

[steve1556]

Tried to finish up the templates today, and the initial cut with the jigsaw wasn't close enough to the line. I was trying to sand it down using p60 sand paper wrapped around a bit of wood, for the most part it was going well, then tried the jigsaw again to take some bigger parts off, and managed to cut into the template a few times (I'm also not sure that I've made the neck pocket too big now). I've decided to throw them in the bin, and tomorrow morning I'll get some 3mm MDF and try them again, but this time I'll make sure to use the jigsaw much closer to the line. An oscillating sander would make life a lot easier right now!

I picked up the clamps yesterday, hopefully the wood and glue will be here shortly as well.

[Prostheta]

Hi Steve - if you screw up a template, you can repair it instead of starting again. Polyester car body filler or anything soft and sandable like that is great for repairing a template. Once you've made it and you're happy with the shape, it's easy to copy it to a new sheet with the router to make a perfect single-piece template. @verhoevenc's tutorial on template-making....

http://www.projectguitar.com/tutorials/instrument-building/the-comprehensive-guide-to-body-template-making-r23/

....advocates making the initial template in thin stock which is easy to shape by hand, and then copying that to the "proper" material. That's great also.

[steve1556]

I wish I saw this post before buying some 3mm MDF to make new templates with! Thanks for linking to the guide, it's very helpful. I didn't even think about repairing it to be honest. Luckily I peeled off the paper templates very carefully and I managed to reuse them again on the 3mm sheet, and this time I cut a lot closer to the line with the jigsaw so I had a lot less to sand off. I found that working with the 3mm sheet was a lot easier and I found it strangely therapeutic as I was out in the garden, the sun was shining but it wasn't too hot (I hate summer!), and had my headphones in.

The good news is that the initial templates are near enough done, I just need to cut out the trem cavity, but my drill press is only small so the drill bit wouldn't reach, so I need to get the normal drill out and drill a couple of holes. It's likely I won't be able to do it until Tuesday or Wednesday next week though.

I'm a bit worried about my template router bit. It's got the bearing at the top, but the cutting bit it 1" long, and I'm wondering if it's too long to do the body with? I'm borrowing my dads router that uses 1/2 shank, but I'm struggling to find bits that are shorter, however, I'm finding bits that are shorter with a 1/4" shank, but that would mean buying a new router. Any insight on that would be a great help.

Yesterday, I went shopping with a friend and he has recently gone from playing guitar to playing bass, and wanted another bass guitar (this is the friend mentioned in the first post who gave me a great deal on his Jim Root Tele, I'm planning on trying a bass build for him in the future.). I took this time in the shops to check out the Strats to help give me an idea of what to do, good job I left my credit card at home as I would have walked out with a gorgeous sea foam green Strat that played just as good as it looks! Back on topic, after we got back to his house, I checked out his bandsaw for when I cut the body. I need to get a new blade for it, and when looking at the specs of blade, I'm guessing TPI is teeth per inch. What would be a good amount for a rough body cutout on 44-45mm ash body blank?

If things go well, I'm hoping to maybe start cutting the body out next weekend, at the latest, by Monday or Tuesday. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm very worried about messing it up, hence the reason I'm taking my time with this build and doing as much research as I can (this forum is a goldmine!). As I've never used a router before, I'm going to get some cheap wood (I'm going to try for some scraps, if not I'll probably go for Pine as it's cheap) so I can do some practice with the router before attacking the body blank.

Onto the progress pics! 

Cutting the body out, I used relief cuts for the inside of the body which helped massively.

Using the drill press to do the pilot holes for the jigsaw in the cavities. The drill press is only a small hobby one for when I drill the enclosures of my own effect pedals. Sorry about the mess, now it's warmer the garage is going to have a big clear out. You can also see the laser cutter (cheap Chinese one that I massively upgraded) and the ovens that I use for powder coating my effect pedals.

The pilot holes all drilled.

Templates more of less done (apart from the trem cavity).

The glue has arrived!

The router bit I mentioned above.

 

[Prostheta]

Good choices. Titebond I is infinitely better than II or III for a number of reasons (I'll write those up sometime) plus a shorter bit is far safer than a far longer one.

The templates are looking good! Remember to spend some time letting your fingers read the consistency of the edges; any faults here will be transferred directly to the workpiece, so dialling in perfection now is planning for it later. 

[SIMpleONe89]

If you have a thicker template, the longer router bit shouldn't be an issue as the bearing can still contact the top part of the thick mdf. You could also use shims under the template but that won't be as ideal as I found it harder to line up the template without it contacting the body.

[Prostheta]

Have you looked for a spare 1/4" collet on the router?

[steve1556]

On 5/8/2016 at 0:40 PM, Prostheta said:

Good choices. Titebond I is infinitely better than II or III for a number of reasons (I'll write those up sometime) plus a shorter bit is far safer than a far longer one.

The templates are looking good! Remember to spend some time letting your fingers read the consistency of the edges; any faults here will be transferred directly to the workpiece, so dialling in perfection now is planning for it later. 

I've seen a few videos on YouTube and a few articles online saying that the first version seems to be the best for guitar building, so I'm sticking with what the experts suggest!

I've felt all the edges and they seem for the most par,t pretty smooth, There is a few bits on the inside of the templates that I need to tidy up a tiny bit. may use a small chisel for that, but I'll decide what to do when I get time to do more work on it.

20 hours ago, SIMpleONe89 said:

If you have a thicker template, the longer router bit shouldn't be an issue as the bearing can still contact the top part of the thick mdf. You could also use shims under the template but that won't be as ideal as I found it harder to line up the template without it contacting the body.

I'm planning on using a 15mm MDF sheet for the template, so if the bearing can be near the top of that, it will leave approximately 10mm for the cutting bit. Hopefully that won't be too much as I'm not massively keen on the idea of raising the template up.

13 hours ago, Prostheta said:

Have you looked for a spare 1/4" collet on the router?

I thought of that idea while I was at work earlier! Thinking about it, if I can change the collet on the router, the smallest length bit I can find is 3/4", which if I placed the bearing at the top of the template, would leave about 5mm of the cutting blade being used. I'm going to attempt it with the 10mm, go slowly and hope it's fine. This is where I'm planning on using to scrap wood to check. If not, I'll look at either a new collet or a new router, but I'm not too keen on that route, especially if i can get away with the bit that I've got. Another cheaper way of getting around it could be using a much thicker template then the 15mm one that I'm currently planning to use.

Small update, the wood arrived today! After a test fit, it seems like it's perfectly planed. I'm going to be going around to my dads tomorrow after work, and as he has a lot more space in his barn then I do in my garage, I'll probably try and glue and clamp it together then. I ended up getting 3 36" clamps instead of the intended 24" ones as the place only had 2 in stock. Also, this could do me well if I decide to build an oversized body in the future, I won't need to then buy new clamps.

 

Here is the wood.....

[ScottR]

I can't tell from your posts if you've considered this or not.....so I'm going to toss it out there at the risk of telling you something you already know.

The thickness of your template does not have to be a limiting factor in  the depth of the cavities you are routing. Once you are deep enough, pull the template off and use the walls of the cavity as the guide.  If your bit is too long, start with a shallow cut in the middle of the template cavity and stay away from the edges....freehand if you will. Then repeat in the same area one step deeper until your guide bearing is below the wall of your template. At that point widen the cut of your freehand cavity in shallow passes  until your guide bearing is running on the wall of your template.

SR

[steve1556]

ScottR - Thanks for the insight and I didn't consider the routing from the inside out. The way I was thinking was rather then use the 15mm MDF sheet that I already have, and to buy a thicker sheet (maybe 25mm). I haven't properly finished the initial templates yet, so I've got some time to think about which route to take.

I haven't really done much progress on it this week due to time constraints with work and a family member being rushed to hospital (and now I'm run down and full of cold which isn't helping). I'll try and finish the templates at some point this week, On the plus side, I managed to get the body bits joined together! Only used 2 of the clamps rather then all 3 (all the videos I've watched used 2 clamps, and I was running short on time. I made a mistake and measured the body in cm, but the clamps were listed in inches, and mis-calculated the size of them when I ordered them. They are massive!

My dad is fitting a new kitchen, so I made the most of it and borrowed his dining room/kitchen storage area for a day when I went round there.

Pictures of both sides of the wood (pictures are bad as it was in the boot of my car)

I've found a place that has a planer that is wide enough to plane the wood down slightly (one piece is slightly thicker then the other), which is being done on Wednesday.

The fingerboard arrived today, found a shop on eBay doing them for a good price, and they guy has a website selling loads of bits and pieces Guitars & Woods. He is in Portugal but it arrived in a few days and extremely well packed. There has been some glue applied to what looks like a crack, but it's hardly noticeable and I only noticed it because the glue isn't flat. I reckon that when the fingerboard is planed it will be near impossible to see. The wood is Bubinga  and is a lot darker then the pictures (I had the lights on the hob exhaust unit to get a good pic, and they turned out to be too bright).

The neck arrived today, I've gone for Maple, and from the same seller as the guitar body blank. Completely forgot to contact them directly, as I've heard they do the wood slightly cheaper when selling direct (I went through eBay again). No pictures of that yet.

I'm just planning ahead here, but when I do the fretboard radius, would this sander make life a lot easier? Radius Sander

Also, I'm going to be ordering one of these rulers when I start on the neck, looks like it will be really handy! Ruler

The router bits that I got on eBay don't feel as sharp as the ones that came with my dads router, so when I go get the body wood planed I'll pick up one of the bit sharpening cards and lapping oil. The bandsaw blade has also arrived, so I'll get it fitted to my friends bandsaw at some point. I only managed to find one place that had the right size blade for his machine. I got a 10TPI one, but now after having done some research, I think a 6TPI blade would have been better, so I'm just going to feed in the wood very slowly to avoid any problems.

[ScottR]

 

52 minutes ago, steve1556 said:

I'm just planning ahead here, but when I do the fretboard radius, would this sander make life a lot easier? Radius Sander

In a word, yes.

SR

[Prostheta]

I reviewed those beams a while back. They are fantastic.

http://www.projectguitar.com/product_reviews/tools_and_consumables/gw-aluminium-radiusing-beam-r14/

I also did their Fret Slotting Mitre Box last week. Carlos who owns G&W has really stepped up his game and the company is just continuing to grow year on year. Not sure about that glue in the Bubinga though. You might want to fire him an email (mention that you know Carl at ProjectGuitar.com) although I am sure it is not intentional. I suspect that it is sealing wax or paint from the end of a raw board that has worked into an end check and not been fully cut off when resawing blanks. Carlos isn't the type that would repair a cracked piece and sell it. He absorbs his losses responsibly.

The body blank you glued up has a really bad glue joint I'm afraid. That is something you need to fix rather than take forward into your project. The join is visibly gappy with dried glue here and there. We can help you fix this though. Equally, could you post a photo of the end grain of the two pieces? I suspect they are misaligned....the cathedral growth rings showing from the flatsawn faces are on opposite sides, which is a bit weird.

This takes me onto the glueup. I'm forming an article right now on basic clamping practice, and when you re-do this, definitely use all three. The formula for working out how much is right is to multiply the width and height of the area being glued. Unfortunately I still do this in lbs and IN² rather than Newtons and M². The sash clamps need to apply a force appropriate to the species. Ash is what I'd call medium-hard, so 200PSI-250PSI is the range you need to be aiming for. Common hardwood clamping pressure is normally in the range of 150-300PSI.

Light sash clamps like yours (I have two similar ones) usually manage about 800-1000lbs of force. Sometimes more if they are well-built and you can really crank them up. Assuming your blanks are say, 45cm long (17-3/4") and 38mm (1-1/2") thick we have a mating area of 26,6in². At 200PSI we need to put in 5,320lbs of force, 250PSI 6,650lbs.

That is to achieve the manufacturer's recommended clamping pressure for Titebond. Using three clamps leaves it a bit shy, but not as much as you might think. The bigger concern right now is to cut those pieces back up and joint them until they are literally airtight and light tight. The faces should "clap" together. When once is placed on the top of the other, you should be able to poke the top one lightly, and it should not rotate in place. Getting the right clamping pressure is the least of your worries in comparison to good jointing practice in the first place.

Lower clamping pressure than recommended simply leaves a slightly larger glue line than is preferable. "It's a hydraulics thing, man". The ultimate bond strength will still be adequate for a non-critical piece like a body blank. As it stands, that glueup is just not going to get you anywhere and it'll haunt you.

Like I said, we can get you there. Sorry to hear about ill relatives. I have had a bereavement and a heart attack in our family. It tends to take the wind out of your sails. Do what you need to, this project will always be there and everything is fixable.

[steve1556]

Thanks for the replies again! I thought it maybe was a bad glue joint (but excitement got the better of me!), is it because I didn't plane the edges first? I'll start sorting it out tomorrow as I'm now off work, so I guess the correct way of getting them apart is using a jigsaw? I'll also get a couple more clamps for it.

I've just Googled cathedral rings, I've got the grain rings going in different directions, which I'm guessing is wrong and they should be the same. Here is a picture of the end grain.

Regarding the fingerboard, I didn't look at it properly as I had to go to work. I'll take a proper look at it tomorrow, it probably is just the sealing wax and me rushing and showing my inexperience. I read your write up on the radiusing blocks, I'll definitely be ordering one of them when I get to the fingerboard.

[Prostheta]

Right on all counts. If you have a vise and sharp hand plane you can joint them that way also.

[steve1556]

Well, I split the wood into separate bits, and completely messed up the planing. I couldn't get the hand plane to cut properly, so I used the electric planer, which turned out to be a massive mistake. I was supposed to be taking to joined wood to a place near me tomorrow to be planed the the right thickness, but I've contacted him today and asked if he can plane the sides for me to join it together, I've put them together and the template still fits, but it's tight in 1 section so hopefully he can sort it out without losing too much wood!

A few pictures of the mess I made today. Sorry about the mess in the background, my dad is trying to renovate his whole house and does about 4 different jobs at a time and makes a massive mess haha

Edited May 17, 2016 by steve1556

[Prostheta]

!!!