Guitarnut - Double Cut Custom Carved Top

[guitarnut]

I really wanted to video tape the the remaining rough carve but the heat and humidity were fogging up the optics in the camera so I just pushed on without it.

Here's a shot of the rough carve so far...I still need to work on a few areas but it's close.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

Good work, but would not be plainer to skimp with a chisel then what to adjust the plastic surgery nicely with a plane?

Thanks Crow.

Maybe someday I'll learn to carve with chisels but I'm very comfortable with the plane for now.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

I've had alot of response to the YouTube videos I did on my design process in Photoshop. Thanks to all who watched and commented. The question that's come up often is how I drew out my original line art for the body. I started with a pencil sketch and transfered that into Adobe After Effects where I used solids and masks, along with the Stroke effect to do the final tweaking and output. This allowed me to push and pull points and reshape the design in realtime.

Here's a quick look at how it works.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

Well, after months of hot weather, crushing schedule at work and a general lack of ambition in the midst of it all, I'm finally getting back to this build. In the time away I've had lots of time to think about the next steps and a few jigs to help with future builds.

One of my setups that has long needed a revamp is how I cut my truss rod channels. I used to just clamp off a straight edge to the bench, measure out and screw the blank to to bench top and set stops at either end to control the router. It worked okay but I wanted a jig that would give me quick, repeatable results. What I came up with is not too far from where I started but it is much faster and more accurate. And it allows me to route a channel in a blank with an angled headstock while fully supporting the length of the blank to avoid flexing during routing. It can be setup on any surface as long as the end can hang out over the edge.

Back when I bought my chop saw, it came with a package of hold-downs for keeping stock in place on the saw. I never saw any need for them but I tossed them into a drawer for use at a future date. Today was that day.

After measuring everything out, I installed countersunk T-nuts on the underside in several positions. The hold-down threads thru the top and into the T-nut. The heel end of the blank is secured here. The headstock sticks thru an opening on the other end and is held in place with a clamp.

The blank is laid in on a centerline and the router runs along the fence. The router uses an aluminum plate that I made for it on my first build. I didn't incorporate any stops because the bit just doesn't go anywhere without firm pressure so the chances of going too far are minimal as long as stop and start points are clearly marked. I routed 6 channels in about 30 mins.

[guitarnut]

This build is going to have a bound fretboard so I wanted to have a jig for tapering the fretboard blank. This allows me to size for the binding before attaching the fretboard to the blank. It eliminates the need for routing after the fretboard is attached.

Without building another jig all together, I was able to flip my truss rod jig and use the fence to ride along the side of the band saw table. It was 3/4" wider than I needed so this allowed me to make a pass with the saw running and trim it to a perfect width.

I installed T-nuts on the top side...countersunk so they don't interfer with travel...and when flipped over, I can clamp the fretboard blank into place with hold-downs. It's very similar to a taper jig for a table saw except it rides the edge instead of a miter slot. Even if the jig were to back away from the table during cutting, worst case, I make another pass...it can't get too close to the blade to gouge the fretbord or jig.

The marked tape lines are set to the edge of the jig and then it just takes a pass thru the saw and done. Turn the blank around and repeat.

Here's my test on a maple blank. I cut it just a touch wide to allow for shaping and final sanding.

More very soon.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

Moving on with the neck build I wanted to have a sure-fire way of cutting the access for TR adjustment. I've tried using a long bit on my ShopSmith in the horizontal boring position but it keeps flexing up away from the headstock. And Forstner bits are too short for the most part to get the throw I need.

I started thinking about pocket screw jigs and how they support the bit as it's guided in at an angle. I took a look at how Preeb and Scatter Lee did their jigs and sort of combined all of the above into something that would be one piece, attach easily, center itself and give consistant results.

I did a bit of pre-viz in 3D just to see what I needed to do to make it happen. Here's the basic design.

The top is a piece of 1" stock running end to end with a 14 degree wedge glued under it. There is a 1/4" spline attached to the underside that locks into the TR channel and centers the jig. A 5/8" bore is run straight thru at the proper height and a 1.25" hole is drilled on top as a window to monitor the depth of the drilling.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

The plan seems to have worked out well. I started by sizing the 2 pieces and gluing them up. I left 8" forward of the line where the wedge meets the top piece. Here they are in the clamps. I used the pipes of the clamps to brace additional 14 degree wedges in place to use for gluing cauls.

When they came out of the clamps, I attached a 6" rosewood spline on the centerline. I left enough space at the end of the spline so it didn't have to fit right up to the end of the TR channel. I just needed it to be inplace to center the jig.

Here it is set into place...I still need to plane down the spline a bit to get the jig to sit flat on the neck.

After thinning out the spline...it didn't need much. You can see I altered the original design a bit by leaving a tongue on the back of the jig to give me another clamp point so the jig can't lift at the rear during boring.

Here it is with the tongue trimmed out and clamped in place on a mahogany blank.

I eased the edges and cleaned it up a bit. I still need to do the bore...I'll save that for tomorrow.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

I had a couple of afternoons to work on the build and made some good progress.

The TR access jig didn;t work out...it works but the friction on the bit is so great that it squeaks like a stuck pig. Not wanting to add any lubricants to the equation, I bailed on it for now.

On to the neck build. I had little time to work so I didn't take many pics until I started to hit my stride. Here are some shots of the day's effort.

Quilted maple binding on the fretboard and fretboard glued up.

Hand planed the tenon and fit it to the neck pocket.

[guitarnut]

[guitarnut]

On to the headstock veneer. I used a cutoff from the top...one of the areas that had the deep checks but was usable to the .030" that I needed. I made it a bit thick since I wanted to do a faux binding effect on the headstock as well as the body. It's coming together!

Peace,

Mark

[Stewey]

Looking tidy as usual. You are always a good builder to watch, doing nothing wrong which is why the comments have dried up I guess.

I was looking at your truss rod access jig and thinking that has to be one of the most over-engineered jigs I've ever seen. It is awesome and a shame that you haven't made it work yet. I'm sure you will get there though, I don't think I've seen you stumped yet.

Cheers

Stewey

[guitarnut]

Looking tidy as usual. You are always a good builder to watch, doing nothing wrong which is why the comments have dried up I guess.

Cheers

Stewey

Thanks Stewey. It's more likely that folks got bored with my less than regular updates. I'm finding it more difficult to keep the build pace that I started a few years ago...life has a way of taking me off task.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

Some more progress today. I used a rasp to take the neck to thickness at 3 points. .865" at the nut, .880" in the middle and .900" at the heel.

Carving progress...

I've never carved a volute before...thought it would fun to try. It's sort of a combination of the scooped carve that some builders use with a more defined shape on the headstock side. I have it roughed in and I'll narrow it out some but the main shape is there.

Peace,

Mark

[jimmy g]

Beautiful, as usual.

[guitarnut]

Beautiful, as usual.

Thanks Jimmy G.

[guitarnut]

I made the volute more narrow and less obtrusive.

With a nut blank laid in place, the binding on the fretboard and the faux binding from the headstock veneer flow pretty nicely.

Also carved the heel...

[guitarnut]

I haven't shown this yet but the bottom of the neck heel has a 4 degree angle milled into it. I did this on a router sled like I used on my PRS build.

With the neck set into place, the bindings all tie together well. There;s just a sliver of mahogany separating the neck binding and the faux binding on the body.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

This is the last of my unfinished builds. I wrapped up my 2011 Challenge build, the purple maple and alder Tele and my PRS Custom 22. Now it's time to focus on this one. I haven't posted on this one since Oct of last year.

There's a lot to be said for staying on task and getting things done in a timely manner, but there's also a great bit to be said for walking away, refreshing your perspective and showing a little patience. Coming back to this build after several months, I have a whole new outlook on it and a renewed excitement for the project

Since my last post, I have actually done a bit of work on the neck, It's fretted, leveled and dressed. I just need to drill it and open up the TR access. Here it is with the body pretty much as it was at my last post.

I started refining the carve with a collection of sanding tools, scrapers and my Ibex plane. I focused on the outer portions of the carve, making sure to remove all of the planing marks and deepen the areas that needed it.

Then, I tool a piece of MDF with 80 grit and blocked the flat part of the top. This puts a crease detail back into the edges of the carve by flattening them. It also shows me where my shape may be off by the way the sawdust gathers in the recessed areas.

I then took a pass with scrapers to clear and open up the grain again...starting to look like the quilt I started with.

Here they are with a wash coat of EM6000 on them to seal everything up and serve as a guide coat for final sanding....it will all sand away but it seals things for now. The dark spots in the bridge area are still wet...they dried light like the rest of the top.

More soon.

Peace,

Mark

[guitarnut]

After seeing the natural beauty of the quilt again, I've decided to go with an amber color and a subtle burst to help the faux binding pop. This is a bit more orange than I want but it's close.

Peace,

Mark

[verhoevenc]

I'm LOVING diamond volutes on electrics! I just did a backstrapped, diamond volute on a neck for a friend and am REALLY tempted to start putting that on my electrics!

Chris

[guitarnut]

I shot this as the sun was starting to set. The figure is back with a vengeance.

[guitarnut]

Well, I managed to get a few days vacation, coupled with a long weekend due to Memorial Day, I have 5 straight days off! So, the first day, yesterday, was a bust. No power since 8pm Wed night when severe storms blew thru. It came back on late in the day Thur, so I didn't get anything done. It was kinda nice just listening to the breeze and sipping a cold beer...no humming, buzzing, ringing, chiming going on. Just silence for the most part. Nice.

Power's back on today, so I got to work. I started by routing the round over on the back.

Made sure to check the bearing at the neck pocket...okay.

Next, it was the control cavity. I used a template set I already had. I turned the cover so I could get the control layout I wanted...sort of upside down from how the cover is normally used. I cut the main cavity...

Then the lip for the cover. I went just a hair deeper than I needed knowing that finish buildup would bring it back flush.

Done.

[guitarnut]

Next I wanted to get the PU routed. I'm using the HB routes from my Wolfgang template. It's an odd shaped body and finding the center line was a bit tricky. I came up with a way that can be used on pretty much any template...many ship without center lines marked. Still don't understand why.

I started by drawing a straight line down a piece of scrap maple. The line's relationship to the edges isn't important...it just needs to be straight.

Next, I used calipers to check the width of the HB routes. Then, set the caliper to half this amount. I laid the template in place and eyeballed the center of the routes. Then used the caliper to check the distance from each edge until they where centered.

Then I transferred the marks to the edges of the template.

[guitarnut]

Then using a straight edge, I drew out the center line for the entire template.

Before routing the PUs, I needed to trim down the neck tenon so I could make the proper depth checks with the PU.

Because I wanted a different spacing between the PUs than the Wolfgang has, I had to stick the template down twice...once for each initial pass.

Here it is with the neck set in place, after the first two routing passes.

[guitarnut]

Pickups are cut to depth.

I did a bit more blocking and planing on the carve, evened out some high spots...I hate to go back to the plane at this point, but sometimes you have to.

The headstock needed a bit of blocking too...it's ready to drill. I need to do that before gluing in the neck.