Lord-of-the-strings Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 I think it looks like E.T.! You stole the words right out of my mouth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logical Frank Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 I was thinking a siamese cat but I think E.T. just about hits the nail on the head. Gorgeous top! It's like cloud watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 (edited) Finally made some progress... I've glued up the body blank (mahogany and Ash) and started on the neck whilst I await my quilted maple top. Here's the pics... http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...caster%20Build/ All in photobucket so as not to fill up the site but I had to post my first go at a neck profile - still a way to go but I'm happy so far! Ain't they a pain in the ass to photograph? Edited August 23, 2006 by chunkielad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Well it appears that our great UK postal service have lost the maple and the tuners! Marc has sent me replacements that will arrive tomorrow. Hopefully they'll turn up after i take my step daughter for her GCSE results and before i take her to Leeds for the Festival! Big thanks to Marc at iGuitars who has replaced without question and turned it round quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Next update: Work has commenced on the body. http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...0Build/Back.jpg Sadly, as I starte routing though the timber I found bit of a crack in the mahogany. It's not a structural issue so I've filled it with Glue and sawdust.I'm not too bothered by it as it's relatively small and I like the 'naturalness' (ye sit's word!) of it. http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...Build/Crack.jpg There's plenty more sanding to do on the edges http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ild/Neck3_4.jpg http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ild/Tailend.jpg You'll notice there's a stain in the ash which has appeared during sanding. It goes right the way through and at first i didn't like it one bit. I keep looking at it and looking at it and looking at it. I thought of scrapping the body and then decided that we're back on the natural thing again. So I had a go at snding sealering the back to get an idea of what it's going to look like. I like it so i'm going to stick with it. I've routed the bridge pickup (no neck pickup going on this so I can put a 24 fret fret board on). All ready for the maple cap now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2006 Done some testing on scrap top pieces tonight. I've sanding sealed and then Briwaxed the maple to see what it'll look like. To be honest, I'm not entirely happy with the result and I think some sort of dye will be needed. http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00481.jpg I'm not sure that the quilt is standing out enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted August 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Well I decided that dye was the only way to go. I tested on a few pieces of scrap and nothing made the quilt pop like a good old stain - sandback - stain! So here she is so far - there is going to be wooden edge binding and I am putting a centre strip down the join between the two pieces of maple. That is why I have not worried too much about the join. The maple did not show the figure too well before I glued and hence i made the grain pattern match not the quilt. It is a lesson learned as the quilt is not that well lined up. Hey ho, next time it will be prefect! All images are just dyed with Coloron wood dye- no sealer/wax/anything else. I expect it'll pop a bit more when finished. http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00492.jpg http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00490.jpg http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00489.jpg http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00488.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismoore Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Looking awsome =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 (edited) I chickened out on the idea of binding! It's only my second guitar and I am doing a neck for the first time so I think I'll leave binding for the next one! Today I got around to fitting my first truss rod. It was suprisingly easy to route and install. I don't know what I was worried about all this time! It's a single action rod as I got 3 of them for £3 each! Hardly worth turning down. I also decide that the more I looked at the quilt on the body, the more I didn't like it - Sand back time it was! I stained black, sanded back and then coated in antique Pine Coloron. Then I decided a nice edge fade would be good so I had a go at a sanded one. I stained black again and sanded the stain back but not as much at the edges. Then another 5 coats of antique pine and a good rub to even the fade out. I will be painting the back of the guitar black and spraying a small paint fade a little over the stain one to help blend it some more. Pics of body only as I forgot to do the neck ones but the fretboard is on and clamped so won't be long before I'm playing this baby! http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00493.jpg http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00496.jpg So much for a natural look eh? Maybe on the next one..... Edited September 2, 2006 by chunkielad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted September 3, 2006 Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 Nice work! A faux binding might have been nice, but there's always the next one. Hard to tell for sure, but am I seeing a slightly greenish tinge? I'd be concerned about using black under the "pine" which I assume has some yellow/amber in it. I experimented with it and didn't like the results. Black dye usually has some blue in the base, so if you apply a yellow-based dye over it, you get blue+yellow=green. Dark brown for your sandback will avoid that problem. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 Yes mike there is a touch of green hue but I like it and I had black at hand when I tried it so that's what went on. It's not that bad in real life plus these images are taken on a phone camera and under flourescents. It's more browny in real life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurits Posted September 3, 2006 Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 That is a pretty wild looking top you have there. Nice color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted September 3, 2006 Report Share Posted September 3, 2006 but I like it And that's really all that matters. Either way it's still a nice looking piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 but I like it And that's really all that matters. Either way it's still a nice looking piece. You got it in one mate - it does my head in when people ask others opinion and end up doing something they may not like themselves as it fits in with other's opinion. As it turns out, the top has had some plasticote clear over it to protect the stain whilst i do the next bits and it's gone a lovely shade of amber brown! Gorgeous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Gorgeous, you said it! And there's this trail of drool running right across its face... Slurp! Quilty porn, I love it Are you finding the colour mellows, softens and warms after a few days, once it's established itself into the wood and thoroughly dried? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 (edited) Are you finding the colour mellows, softens and warms after a few days, once it's established itself into the wood and thoroughly dried? To be honest I have only realised a difference when I sanding sealered and I tinted it with stain to be extra sure of the colour. Fretboard is on and trimmed to the neck so I had to fit it together and take a look see. Body finish is next then dot inlays and finally the fretboard shaping and nut/ bridge fitment. Oooh I'm all excited! Had a go at a dot inlay with solder to see what it'd turn out like. If the flux hadn't been in there it'd have been great (only have fluxed solder at the minute. May do this, may go with quilted maple dots. http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...d/Solderdot.jpg Edited September 6, 2006 by chunkielad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 (edited) Burst is complete (plasticote black matt enamel through an airbrush [first time using an airbrush]) and a bit of a reflection after the next Polyeurethane varnish coat... http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m37/chu...ld/DSC00530.jpg Just the back to paint and then a good coat of poly varnish then body complete. Not to forget that the volume control and jack sockethole are yet to be cut first. Edited September 10, 2006 by chunkielad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Thats looking cool! What colour hardware are you using? For some reason I think black hardware would look cool on this guitar BTW, I see you share my insomnia problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 good work on the burst, Craig. How did you finish the maple top centreline? Looking really nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travismoore Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Looking good like how you put the line down the centre thats a really good idea because thats what always puts me off tops that have 2 halfs i just dont like the place where they meet but it looks alot cooler with the dividing line =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Ahh, someone spotted my centre line! It's a celtic design in a waterslide decal. I'll take a decent pic as soon as I get the chance. The hardware is silver. Partly because I think black hardware would disapear into the background and mainly because I bought it before the colour changes so I have to use it. And yes, it's always at least 2am before I get to sleep and then I take the kids to school, stay up all day and get to sleep at about 2am again - insomnia ain't the word! Looking back at the pics, I think the burst is a little thick on the top 'horn' and could have done with being a little slimmer but it'll be staying like this now as I want to get it completed and it isn't bad enough to warrant me refinishing the guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2006 Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! The last coat of clear went on tonight and can you believe it, the bloody thing went crazy! Dunno why, there's nothing I haven't used before and nothing I wouldn't be confident using again. It just went wrong and started wrinkling up on me. I've had to strip the body and start again! Hmmmnmph now I'm mad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Now you get to have more work with the burst technique! Good luck with all of the work again, you're doing an extremely professional job so far. I can't wait to see this one completed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkielad Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Wow thanks for that reply. It's nice to know someone else likes the work. I keep looking at it and saying I want this fixing or that changing - it must be the artist in me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz tradie Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 It's those bitter moments that make the sweet ones................... I think you follow where this is going. It's gunna be even better than before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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