Jump to content

Three new rockers are coming to life


Recommended Posts

4 hours ago, psikoT said:

Those stars are really cool, but I'm afraid that mixing ebony with maple is not a good idea. Hope I'm wrong.

Looking forward to the result.

You are right psikoT, is difficult to sand both and avoid the maple out of being dirty, but being carefully I think the problem can be solved, although not easy...I'll tell you about this issue. Thanks for the comment psikoT.

 

3 hours ago, pan_kara said:

thumbs up for the video! awesome work with the inlays!

Thank you very much pan_kara, I'm glad you like it.

 

Scorpionscar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 21/3/2018 at 2:51 PM, scorpionscar said:

You are right psikoT, is difficult to sand both and avoid the maple out of being dirty, but being carefully I think the problem can be solved, although not easy...I'll tell you about this issue. Thanks for the comment psikoT.

Fortunately the ebony absorved the resin and there was no issues of dirty black ebony dust, but efectively it could have been a serious problem. Some pics of a sesion I took in the woods of my little town. Hope you like:

1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
6.jpg
7.jpg
8.jpg
9.jpg
10.jpg
11.jpg
12.jpg
13.jpg

 

Scorpionscar

Edited by scorpionscar
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, scorpionscar said:

Fortunately the ebony absorved the resin and there was no issues of dirty black ebony dust

Great job and glad to hear that, I had problems in the past sanding ebony next to maple and couldn't find a way to clean that mess, that was my concern. Keep it up! :thumb:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I've been installed the side dot markers. For this I've made a metacrilate template with the most used scales and drilled the holes in the corresponient place. The inserts are ABS plastic cilinders of 1,58 mm diameter and the drill bit is 1.60 mm cause if I do them with the same diameter, is alos imposible to inserte them into the hole. I fix the template to the guitar neck with double side stick and drill the holes with the drill press. After that I get ride of the tape and use CA, it's easy. The trick is that I cut the inserts after glued with an electronics forceps but this smash the end of the cilinder, to correct this, I made a drill in a piece of wood with the bit of 1.6 mm in several passes in order to increase some tenths. I introduce the cilinder and cut the end with a chisel. The cut is perfectly stright and the insert is ready for the next drill hole. Some pics:

1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg

Scorpionscar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I've been preparing the fretboard of the Flying-V in order for gluing. I used a jig I built because due to the long tenon is no possible to route after gluing using the neck shape as a template. Some pics:

Hoy he estado trabajando en el diapasón de la Flying-V para prepararla para encolar. He pegado el diapasón al mástil con cinta de doble cara y me he asegurado de que quedara bien posicionado justo por la línea de simetría. Una vez marcado lo he cortado con la sierra de banda y con ayuda de un útil que me he fabricado es muy sencillo sujetarlo por la línea y pasarlo por la fresadora de forma segura y efectiva. 

1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg

Scorpionscar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 28/3/2018 at 8:51 PM, psikoT said:

Is there any reason why you didn't make the fret slots yet?... I find really difficult to make the slots once the fretboard its radiused and tappered, so once again you got me expectant. Can't wait to see how you manage this challenge. 

Fretless guitar hahaha, I'm joking. No, basically I decided to do this way to experiment. Ebony is very hard but very fragile on the other hand, Some years ago working with an ebony fingerboard, I slotted it first and when shaping with the router, a little tear out was produced just at the end of one of the slots, Spite of this caution, this time with no slots done, another tear out occurred (fortunatelly is almost invisible, two or three tenths of a milimiter) no really a problem at all. I designed and built a jig for slotting that allows to locate the fingerboard with the final shape done, perfectly centered in the simetrical line of the template, The slots are perfectly perpendicular to this line with no problems. I fixed two clamps that force both the fingerboard and template in place.

About the radious, always do it before slotting, because made another jig with two rails that allows to radious a fingerboard in five minutes. If have to radious with a radious block and sand paper it takes an eternity, and the problem increases with the inlays (imposible to inlay first and then use the jig with rails for the router).

Another important problem I mentioned some mounths ago, is that ebony is hard as a rock and japanesse saw tends to bend inside the slot, and is very very difficult to slot the fingerboard properly. Since the fingerboard is tappered to its final shape, there is less width of ebony (expecially  in the 12 first frets, them tend to increase the width), I think this fact helps the sawblade to do the work with less effort, but is only a thought. When I finally try this technique (not sure if tomorrow due to easter) but when try to do it I'll evaluate if is better or worst to tapper it first and tell you my impressions.

 

Miter_box_jig.jpg
Radiator_jig.jpg

 

Up date of the post:

 

I was sawing the slats today. The fingerboard was perfectly in place thanks to wedges and double stick tape. No differences in comparisson with doing the job before tappering. The real problem is with ebony, instead of having lubricated in each slot with bee wax, I`m frustrated casuse the saw beds into the slot and is impossible to do the job. I'm thinking about another method casue miter box and japanesse saw doesn't work in ebony. It tooks me hours when the normal thing is to do it in half an hour. Any ideas?

1122.jpg
112.jpg

 

Scorpionscar

Edited by scorpionscar
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I've been working on frets. For this once the fret slots are done, I use the japanesse saw with a metacrilate stop block with the measurement of the tang with about five tenths of a milimiter. After that I install the frets firs put them into position with the help of the hammer and them with the press (an incredible must have tool).

For cutting the frets I use a tongs that I adapted with the emery, when the frets are cut I use a fret beveler file with 35º. I really enjoy freting work. Some pics of the process:


1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
5.jpg
6.jpg
7.jpg
8.jpg
9.jpg
10.jpg
11.jpg
12.jpg
13.jpg


Scorpionscar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 28/03/2018 at 10:57 PM, scorpionscar said:

I'm thinking about another method casue miter box and japanesse saw doesn't work in ebony. It tooks me hours when the normal thing is to do it in half an hour. Any ideas?

The saw gets stuck in the slots because it's not perfectly perpendicular during the whole process. It happens to me too, so you're not alone. What I do is, as soon I notice it gets stuck, I try to find the right angle, moving the blade left-right and continue without forcing the saw. If you force the saw, you might bend the blade and therefore increase the problem.

This is similar to handling a tricky key in a door, you have to find the right position before open it. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting, I don't remember having such problems when cutting the fret slots in ebony, I did two boards last time with an old (non-japanese) fret saw. And I always cut slots before the taper and before radiusing, but I agree about the tear-out problem. I've been trying different methods for cutting the fingerboard taper, first I was using shooting boards and going very slowly, but now I converged to a spiral router bit and staight-line jig. I have a 3 or 4 flute down-cut spiral and that when used carefully practically eliminates tear-out.

That said my radiusing technique definitely needs improvement, on the other hand I still haven't figured out a reason to use a fret-bender. I just cut the frets from the spool and press them into place, letting the press and the fingerboard bend them to the correct radius. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/4/2018 at 1:26 PM, Andyjr1515 said:

Love those fretboards. Top class! :)

Thank you so much Andyjr1515, I love doing that inlaying work, I really enjoy!

 

1 hour ago, psikoT said:

The saw gets stuck in the slots because it's not perfectly perpendicular during the whole process. It happens to me too, so you're not alone. What I do is, as soon I notice it gets stuck, I try to find the right angle, moving the blade left-right and continue without forcing the saw. If you force the saw, you might bend the blade and therefore increase the problem.

This is similar to handling a tricky key in a door, you have to find the right position before open it. ;)

I've tested that issue with a jig I bulid for that purpose (testing the perpendicularity, and after the slot I insert a cutter blade and test with a squad, and is perfect. The saw runs perfectly over the bearings, and with mapple or rosewood for example. But you're right, itps possible in ebony that for a tenth of a milimiter the problem occurs. Certainly is a torture...

About your anterior question, no problem doing the slots with the freboard tappering, but if I had to choose, is better to do with the fretboard untappered. Maybe part of the problem could be caused for using the fretboard radioused, allways radious first and then slot, for the same reason, I radious with the router, and afraid of slotting first and the router bits tears the slots...

 

1 hour ago, pan_kara said:

Interesting, I don't remember having such problems when cutting the fret slots in ebony, I did two boards last time with an old (non-japanese) fret saw. And I always cut slots before the taper and before radiusing, but I agree about the tear-out problem. I've been trying different methods for cutting the fingerboard taper, first I was using shooting boards and going very slowly, but now I converged to a spiral router bit and staight-line jig. I have a 3 or 4 flute down-cut spiral and that when used carefully practically eliminates tear-out.

That said my radiusing technique definitely needs improvement, on the other hand I still haven't figured out a reason to use a fret-bender. I just cut the frets from the spool and press them into place, letting the press and the fingerboard bend them to the correct radius. 

Yes, is possible to cut the frets and then curve them with the drill press, I've done this way too, but the bender is easy to do, cheap and usefull. Fret press is a very helpful tool too. I've just bought one and can't understand how could live without it. Expecially important with ebony, I think ebony is my enemy hahaha...

My diary advances:

Today I've been freting the Flying-V and installing the side dot markers. The fret work was very delicated cause the frets slippered expecially due to inlays. In some cases I had to lube with bee wax, because the frets tended to go out the slot and produce tear outs. Fortunatelly had nothing to lament, but was a delicated and tense work all the time. 

For the side dot markers built a metacrilate template and is really quick and easy to do. Fix the template with double side tape and it takes no more than 20 minutes and the result is perfect. Some pics:

1.jpg
2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
5.jpg
6.jpg
8.jpg
10.jpg
11.jpg
12.jpg

Scorpionscar

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After a few months of hard work and dedication I couldn't resist the temptation of this familiar pic of the four hardrockers. At expence of ensambling bodies and necks, filling the grain, the guitars are ready for paint in the following weeks. I've took some pics of the advances. Hope you like:

 

Collage_guitarras.jpg
5.jpg
6.jpg
7.jpg
8.jpg
9.jpg
10.jpg
11.jpg

 

Scorpionscar

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've personally not found there's any need for a fallaway on the end of the fretboard.

Thinking about it logically for a minute, when you press the string to the frets in the upper registers the angle between the string and the fretboard is steeper than it would be if you pressed the string to the frets in the lower registers. Thus there is automatically more clearance between the string and any adjacent frets the higher up the neck you go. The string's maximum displacement when fretted up high is also nowhere near the fretboard, further minimising any chance that the string will buzz on the upper frets.

Provided the frets are properly levelled and dressed, it seems to me that there shouldn't be a need to add fret fallaway

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My understanding was always that it was most useful on setups with very low action, mostly to guard against buzz when fretting in the low registers. That is when the string oscillation is greatest over the higher frets.

Have I been looking at this the wrong way?

SR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 13/4/2018 at 9:12 AM, curtisa said:

I've personally not found there's any need for a fallaway on the end of the fretboard.

Thinking about it logically for a minute, when you press the string to the frets in the upper registers the angle between the string and the fretboard is steeper than it would be if you pressed the string to the frets in the lower registers. Thus there is automatically more clearance between the string and any adjacent frets the higher up the neck you go. The string's maximum displacement when fretted up high is also nowhere near the fretboard, further minimising any chance that the string will buzz on the upper frets.

Provided the frets are properly levelled and dressed, it seems to me that there shouldn't be a need to add fret fallaway

You are right Curtisa, using logic is true that the way you play upper frets the angle increases, starting from a perfect leveled frets there shouldn't be problems. I made fallaway in one of the fretboards and no fall away in the others. When they are finished, I'll test.

 

On 13/4/2018 at 3:01 PM, ScottR said:

My understanding was always that it was most useful on setups with very low action, mostly to guard against buzz when fretting in the low registers. That is when the string oscillation is greatest over the higher frets.

Have I been looking at this the wrong way?

SR

If the action is very low is possible it has sense the idea of fallaway, but an excesive low action has no much profits in playing, in my experience.

 

Scorpioncar

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...