Arseneau

Just wondering if any of you have any ingenious ideas for how you could print/stamp, etc a logo onto a pickup the way Seymour Duncan or DiMarzio (or most manufacturers) do onto theirs... Thanks

Thanks for the response. I use AutoCAD 2005 to view the files. How exactly do I convert the .dwg file to a .pdf file? Sorry if this seems obvious but I'm pretty inept when it comes to graphics software. Thanks

Anyone have any idea where or how to get AutoCAD files printed in full size? Does Kinkos do it? Staples? I've called a bunch of local print shops but most of them say they can only print them if I convert them to a .plt file or something which I can't seem to figure out how to do. I've found a couple of tutorials on the Net for converting them but I can't get it to work and it seems way too complicated. You guys MUST have some easier way of getting your designs printed, am I right? Thanks in advance for your info

You only have to cut the slot deeper if radiusing the board makes the slots shallow enough that the ends of the frets stick up. The slot itself does not have to be radiused to match the board exactly per se, just deep enough to take the whole fret, rougly following the camber of the board. I generally have bought pre-slotted, un-radiused fret boards and have rarely had to cut the slots any deeper after radiusing (unless I get over zealous with the radius sanding block ) As for the binding, cutting a channel after the fret board has been attached sounds like a recipe for disaster. Instead, simply make your fretboard 1mm (or whatever) narrower all around and add your fret board binding before you glue the whole works to the neck. Not sayng it absolutley wouldn't work your way, just that this way is MUCH easier... G

While I haven't been around here that long, it has been long enough that I have been helped by bluespresence's knowledge and genuine desire to share his knowledge with others. My condolences to his family.

Just use shellac.

Don't laugh, but check out those stores and kiosks that are in every mall in the known world where they sell cheap necklaces, earrings, that sort of thing. A lot of their stock contains MOP and abolone shells in various formats which are simlpy coated with a thin clear coat that easily sands off. Voila! The exact same shells that you can get for $20/oz on ebay (or more from other online dealers) you can get for a fraction of the cost. My girlfriend works at one of these stores (hence why I don't mention the name, but I guarantee you that there's at least one in every major town and city in ) and it's where I get a lot of inlay material. Just last week she brought me home three necklaces that each consisted of a full shell of black MOP. Not just a small fragment, but the WHOLE shell. Just those three shells alone would cost at least $20 from an "inlay material" place, or less than $10 from one of these stores (even less if you can convince a staffer to give you their discount). You do the math. Granted, a whole shell still has it's curve and therefore will only be partially useable (the flat parts) but, how can you go wrong for the price? Plus the act of cutting the shells into useable, flat blanks is good practice for when you actually try to cut your pattern out. Laugh if you will, but I've got pearl shell material in black, pink and red heart, gold, white and abalone from this place, not to metion every colour imaginable of coloured plastic that looks like MOP. Rock on

Is the look you were hoping for more like this? If so, then the exact same thing happened to me due to the same tutorial that you noted. The problem is that there is very little contrast to speak of when you use the same colour twice (ie: red, sand back, red). I assume that that was the look he was going for in that tutorial and I chalked it up to oversight on my part. In any case, if your problem sounds similar, then the answer is walnut brown dye (or that's the shade I used anyway, but any very dark shade of brown dye will do). You coat the top in the dark brown, sand it back using 400 grit paper after it's dry, THEN add your red, with a little yellow on top to really make the figure jump out. Hope this helps... EDIT: Never mind, just saw your other thread. You are obviously going for the lighter look than I was.

Really? I've used minwax poly over a decal four times now and it's never damaged the decal. Strange...

The main problem with hardwood from the building supply store is that it generally has lots of knots and other imperfections in it. And you definitely do NOT want to use a piece of wood with knots in it for a neck.

You don't really want anything thinner than, say, 1/8" (if that) since, as mattia said, spalted is very unstable in thin slices. I got a beuatiful bookmatched spalted set on ebay that's slightly under 1/4" for $20 a few months back.

I actually just noticed that the ones I have been using are the ones that say they contain no wax or silicone. Like I said earlier, haven't had a problem with finish sticking, but looks like it's a risk...

Hmm...I stand corrected. Never had any problems yet myself that I could attribute to the tack cloth, but your comments definitely make me reconsider the idea.

I wouldn't be without it for finish sanding. It does gum up your hands a bit but it's the only way to really get ALL the dust and dirt off of the wood before you apply your finish.

As an addendum to my earlier post and in complete agreement with unclej and Mickguard: yes definitely use a template. I was going on the assumption that that would be obvious, but I definitely should have mentioned it. You could do some real damage otherwise.