Prostheta Posted December 28, 2010 Report Share Posted December 28, 2010 Do plenty of practice on scrap with your new system before you commit it to an instrument. I'm sure you know this, but new gear makes anybody far too frothy to use it on actual stuff.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted December 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2010 The top with the first sealer coat on it. I wanted to get the colors locked in before I turned it onto it's face and started monkeying around with the back. It's always interesting to me how different angles will highlight or hide a flame. Granted, this top isn't the densest flame we've ever seen, but that just makes the light effects that much more pronounced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted December 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2010 I thought I'd do a walk-through of the inlaying process for these home-made dealies. First, we take the templates that were made to fit the inlays and tape it to the fretboard. Then we rough it out with a 1/8" bit in the small laminate trim router. Then we clean it up with a teeny little dental bit in the Dremel. The shaft of the bit acts as a bearing along the inside of the template. The shaft is just hair narrower than the tip, so I end up with barely enough room to slide the inlay into place, but not so little I have to force it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 The inlay looks very nice and clean. I've been thinking of doing some inlay the same way you've done yours here with the templates so I can get a cleaner route. What tools do you use to make the templates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 All I use is a scroll saw, ruler, sharp pencil, and a small file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Posted January 1, 2011 Report Share Posted January 1, 2011 Sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 I got the inlays all epoxied in and the fretboard radiused and sanded to 220. Right now I'm painting a few coats of w/b poly onto the inlays to help protect them. Using the w//b finish is an intentional choice because I don't want the maple to get that warm oiled look. Once I have a couple coats, I can buff the whole thing out and oil the ebony properly. As for blackening the base, it's turning into more of a chore than I had anticipated. It'll be worth it in the end, so it's no biggie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 The sealer coat is on the back/sides. I'll get some pics up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 The areas around the inlays got a little scraped up when I was cleaning them up. I was really hoping that they'd be invisible after the f/b was buffed & oiled. It looks like I have to go back and sand them out. Here's two of the body with the sealer coat on it. It was a PIA, but it looks fantastic. It's EXACTLY what I wanted it to be. A side shot. Maybe you can see the faux binding effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juntunen Guitars Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Looks good. I definately like that faux binding effect. The body looks great and those inlays are some good work ... Wish I could build now, I made a trip to the ER today due to a tablesaw incident whick almost left me without a left index finger ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 HOLY CRAP!!!!!! Did everything get sewn back together right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juntunen Guitars Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 HOLY CRAP!!!!!! Did everything get sewn back together right? Yeah. I cut halfway through the bone so it was pretty close. I was cutting binding strips and the strip kicked back and up, I caught it but it fell into the saw and the blade caught it and pulled my hand down before I could move it. I was so fast I didn't even realize what happened, I just thought I got my hand hit really hard ... until I noticed my hand was covered in blood. It's stitched up and in a splint. It all goes to show that even with guards there is still the chance of accidents. Definately gives you a new look at how dangerous and how fast things can happen with those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) I almost cut my left thumb in half with my 4tpi bandsaw blade. I got lazy and did not pay attention and slid it right in as I was resawing a board. Yah, I book matched my thumb! It chipped the bone and left a huge gash. I waited about 4 hours to go to the doctor. They wanted to stitch it back together. I opted for glue. the last thing I wanted after that long was to have a needle going into it. It took about a month to heal and looks gnarly but it got better. Edited January 9, 2011 by zyonsdream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpcrash Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Nice work as always John. I side question, do you feel the bench pucks are worth it? Do they really provide a slip-resistant base for working on material? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Nice work as always John. I side question, do you feel the bench pucks are worth it? Do they really provide a slip-resistant base for working on material? Those bench cookie/hockey puck things work GREAT. I use them constantly for routing. They really do hold the piece in place without using a single clamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 John, not trying to be a chop buster but ------ why come you don't blacken in the control cavity / neck pocket? I realize they'll both be hidden, and the cavity will prolly get copper-ized , it just makes the body as a unit seem un-done. Looking cool as a cuke otherwise. Oh - and routing without clamps is dangerous. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 ...why come you don't blacken in the control cavity / neck pocket? I realize they'll both be hidden, and the cavity will prolly get copper-ized.... That's exactly why. There's no point in doing something that doesn't need to be done unless it's more of a chore NOT to do it. Oh - and routing without clamps is dangerous. Just sayin'. Not it it doesn't move. Seriously... that's what these things were designed for; it's the main selling point. I can tell you firsthand that the piece is stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 With all the knock out bodies you turn out, I don't doubt it. but just the thought of the bit grabbing and sending the body flying is enough to make me clamp it too......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 If you have a Rockler store nearby, go and check them out for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Those bench cookie/hockey puck things work GREAT. I use them constantly for routing. They really do hold the piece in place without using a single clamp. This is the first I have ever seen those things...I found them on amazon and truthfully they look useful as hell. Sure things should always be clamped,but I must admit I always find myself cheating because I can't get something properly clamped...those things can't hurt as an extra safety measure,plus they allow space underneath to clamp templates on top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Over the last 2 days I've managed to spray on 6 thin coats of lacquer without anything resembling a drip or sag. I'm not sure if I'm going to spray anything this weekend because 1) the fumes permeate the house quickly and for a long time, and 2)I have the kids here this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted January 15, 2011 Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 John, I made a "tent" out of my workshop room by covering the ceiling, floor and walls with "vapor barrier" or Visqueen as we call it on the jobsite. ( 6 mil plastic sheeting ) It kept the fumes out of the house, even though my room is "inside" the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thanks. This is only a temporary situation anyway. In the Spring, SWMBO is making me move my workshop into the garage. It'll take away my beloved Winter parking space, but it'll double my available space and get the entire thing out of the house. I intend to make a "spray room" out there from 2x4s and plastic sheeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 These are two of my new toys: a fret press caul and a nibbler. The nibbler is what the $50 fret tang nipper is based off of, but only costs $25. It works perfectly once I figured out exactly how to hold the fret. The only potential drawback is that the end of the tang gets bent and needs to be straightened out with some needlenose pliers. Time to play!!! I decided to trim back the tang so I could create the illusion of a bound neck from the edge of the fretboard. After the frets were in, filed flush, and beveled, I sanded the edge of the f/b to fill the slots with ebony dust. I then put a drop of super glue on each slot end and let it cure overnight. After I sanded it flush, it looks like this... SWEET! Instant fake binding. This morning I got the neck carved. It looks pretty sweet with the sapwood in there. And here's the headstock with a decal and a bunch of lacquer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 The fret tang nipper is the same tool,yes,but it has a slot machined into the faceplate so the fret seats properly and the tang is cut without distorting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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