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Slight Gloat (with Question)


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This is the first time I've attempted to make recessed cover plates out of wood and I'm really excited on how it turned out. I made the plate .250" thick to ensure it doesn’t warp or crack over time. Unfortunately the grain isn’t exact but there was nothing book matched so that was impossible. I have a bit of contouring left to do and then I can drill it for screw holes.

Does anyone know of a way to avoid using screws but still be able to get the plate off for servicing?

100_2909_small.jpg

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theres a few

magnets

if the plate is stuck tight in there u can put an extendor on the back of a pot so when you want the back off u unscrew the pot and push it in which pops the back off

umm im sure theres more

but its lookin good so far anymore pictures of the build

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Okay, I’m consistently getting an answer of magnets which is doable and I loved the tutorial that was posted above. I guess it brings up two questions for me

1: does it affect shielding and cause extra hum if you have magnets inside the control cavity. For the record I’ll be using 500K pots and passive hum buckers.

2: backing the pot off is an option for getting the pate off but I’m afraid that anyone who buys this guitar might not want to do that if they need to take the cover off?

One solution would be to put a slightly larger magnet in the center under the cavity and fashion a magnetic tool that would be placed on the outside of the plate. As long as the connection was stronger than the ones holding the cover to the plate, it would be an easy way to get the cover off.

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2: backing the pot off is an option for getting the pate off but I’m afraid that anyone who buys this guitar might not want to do that if they need to take the cover off?

ohh is selling it is an option i wouldn't do it

mine held on with blue tack which is kinda messing but i dont mind considering u cant see it but it is in no way professional

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Yah I had some spare time so I'm building a non-commissioned neck through to post on my site for sale. I'm trying to get my EVX shape out there so I figured I'd invest in a few custom and standard non-commissioned builds to push the shape out on the market. It’s risky because I don’t usually build without having a deposit so if the shape bombs I’ll have a nice collection of custom built EXV shapes to play!

I’m just trying to step up the game. People seem to like guitars without plastic cover plates so I thought it’s a nice way to enhance the overall appeal of the guitar. Now I want it without screws!

I guess when you stop wanting to learn and improve you should stop and find something else to do

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Very nice! I'm doing one soon on zebra wood also. Since I have to thin the wood about 3/8" or so I am planning on routing off the 3/8" with the router jig setup but leaving the area where the cavity cover will be. This way I can saw it off and the grain should match up, but I'd imagine while thinning it the grain will wander slightly, but it should be close.

I can only hope mine turns out as nice as your did! It really looks perfect shape and finish. Great stuff and thanks for sharing the details, I was curious as to how to go about making them. FWIW the grain is actually similar on the cavity cover, its just with zebrawood even a 1/32" of an inch off with the same grain will look way off because of all those vertical lines. Not much to be done, unless its hollow or you saw off a little piece from the back. Nice stuff. J

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Since I have to thin the wood about 3/8" or so I am planning on routing off the 3/8" with the router jig setup but leaving the area where the cavity cover will be. This way I can saw it off and the grain should match up, but I'd imagine while thinning it the grain will wander slightly, but it should be close.

The way you want to do it will be great! For me, the wood was right on thickness so I didn’t have anything to book match off of it. I was thinking that I could make another plate and tilt the grain at a 45degree angle so I avoid the whole mismatched grain thing. Just a thought I had.

I don’t usually share too many pictures when I’m in the middle of a build but I’ll post a few.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/ZDG...uk/100_2898.jpg

3X3 Headstock (different than my prototype)

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/ZDG...uk/100_2889.jpg

Full body shot

Spec:

Padauk neck

Zebrawood wings

Kahler 7300 hybrid with behind the nut string lock

Likely using SH-6N and SH-6B pickups

Volume/tone/tone electronics

Oil finish

Indian rosewood fret board.

Dunlop 6150 Jumbo frets

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I usually leave a little scallop at the edge of the cavity cover to help its removal

Yah you want it?

I realize that the Ibanez Wizzard II neck is garbage. I love the pickups (DiMarzio’s) the bridge (Gibraltar) and the body styling’s but the neck! I can’t keep it from going all over the place. There just isn’t enough meat on it. Oh, and the shielding is a joke in it. I’ll likely be putting it up for sale on Ebay real soon.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I ordered a pack of 50 rare earth magnets that are about 1/4 the diameter of a penny.

I placed four screws into the ledge of the control cavity and two into the base of the toggle switch cavity. I then glued the rare earth magnets into the back of the cover plate. I made a recess that will allow a flat head screw driver to pop the plate off. You can pop the plate with a finger nail (but I'm a nail chewer so I don't have any)

Control plate cavity

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/ZDG...0_2921small.jpg

Toggle switch cover plate. It actually contours with the body

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/ZDG...0_2922small.jpg

A look at the back

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/ZDG...uk/100_2920.jpg

I made each plate .400 thick to minimize warping over time.

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Very cool. I love those magnets. I used some on my current project as well (3/16" x 1/16", I believe). I countersunk five zinc screws into the control cavity shelf, and superglued the magnets to the back of the control cover. In this pic, the magnets are centered on each screw head. Then I put a drop of superglue on each one and stuck the control cavity cover to them.

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That’s the same way I did mine.

At first I used gorilla glue but it got puffy and messy. I was thinking it would hold the metal better than super glue. After correcting that I moved to super glue and it worked fine. This was my first attempt at making wooden covers and I’m pretty sure I’ll continue doing it on all of my un-painted guitars.

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