Levi79 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 At it again. I enjoyed building my first guitar so much (which can be seen here) that I literally started on this the next day. Specs: 6 strings 27 frets 26.22" scale (666mm ) Superstrat shape Black Walnut body Indian Rosewood bookmatched top Wenge/Flame Maple 5 piece neck Flame Maple fretboard w/ piranha tooth inlays (indian rosewood) and a cool 12th fret inlay Schaller Hannes bridge Schaller non locking tuners (3+3) Seymour Duncan Distortions Cream or white plastic binding on body and headstock (help me decide!) Black fretboard binding 34mm body thickness (potentially thinner) Here's what I have so far! Indian Rosewood top, Black Walnut body Planed the Walnut to thickness (that dust almost filled pictured garbage can ) Top glued. There was a couple more clamps put after this. Neck laminate glued. Love this combo! After glue! I have a drawn out plan that I'll post in a few days. I have a couple changes to make to it. Let me know what you think of my specs! I also have some questions for you guys. Firstly, I'm planning on doing alot of template work this time around. I realize now that it's the best way to get accurate and clean results. So I'll be using a flush trim bit on a router table with a body template, headstock template and neck template. But I don't know what bit to buy. I've researched and gotten so many mixed answers. If you guys could link me to some recommendations I'd be really greatful. Secondly, I want to do a true bolt on with steel inserts rather than just screws into the neck. Is it going to be an obstacle to get some that will work with my thin body? Also, I tried ordering some for my last build from McMaster and they said I coulnd't because I wasn't a business or something... And I know you can get these for cheaper from a place like that rather than LMII or something. Where else should I look? I had a couple more questions but forgot what they were Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 There's a thread in the guitar section on cutting bodies by router with a few different suggestions. http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=46439&st=0 As far as this build, I'm loving the colors of your neck blank. I wish I had a local supplier of wenge. I drewl every time I see it in someone's builds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maull Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 This is too funny. I have been working on a pair of necks for the last few days that are wenge and maple in a 3 piece lam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 There's a thread in the guitar section on cutting bodies by router with a few different suggestions. http://projectguitar...opic=46439&st=0 As far as this build, I'm loving the colors of your neck blank. I wish I had a local supplier of wenge. I drewl every time I see it in someone's builds I saw that thread, but that's one of the sources I got mixed ideas on the bits. And your little mishap with the solid carbide is what got me so worried about the topic. I don't want to spend $80 on a bit to have that happen to me. I'd rather ust get the right thing first off. The video the one guy posted in there (verhoevenc's) tells what size to use, but not what the bit should be made of. I could be totally msising something though. I have 0 experience in woodworking or anything with tools really. Except my first build. And yeah. I really like how the lamination looks. Exactly what I was hoping for. This is too funny. I have been working on a pair of necks for the last few days that are wenge and maple in a 3 piece lam. Those look awesome man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maull Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Those look awesome man! Thanks. I will be watching your build closely to see what you do with it. I hope mine turn out. LIke you, I really love the combination of these two types of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 I saw that thread, but that's one of the sources I got mixed ideas on the bits. And your little mishap with the solid carbide is what got me so worried about the topic. I don't want to spend $80 on a bit to have that happen to me. I'd rather ust get the right thing first off. The video the one guy posted in there (verhoevenc's) tells what size to use, but not what the bit should be made of. I could be totally msising something though. I have 0 experience in woodworking or anything with tools really. Except my first build. If the bit Chris uses in those videos is anything like the ones I use it will be a carbide-tipped bit rather than solid carbide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Well I figured out what bit he's using and decided I might as well get what has already proven successful than something else. Especially since I'm pretty new to the whole game. It is a Whiteside bit, part number 2580. Went to buy one and that was a whole other story. Tried two places in Canada that carried Whiteside bits and they both said they coulnd't get this one in. Then I tried three different places out of the US that did international stuff. They couldn't ship this bit to me for whatever reason. Finally found a place to buy one though, so that should be here in a couple weeks Getting some new toys tomorrow too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 this one? http://www.amazon.com/Whiteside-WS2580-Flute-Downshear-Flush/dp/B000K2EEQO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341498457&sr=8-1&keywords=router+bit+whiteside+2580 Never underestimate Amazon for having what you can't seem to find. I always ordered my bits from www.routerbits.com,but I can't seem to get it to come up right now.They had all of the whiteside bits at good prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 (edited) this one? http://www.amazon.co... whiteside 2580 Never underestimate Amazon for having what you can't seem to find. I always ordered my bits from www.routerbits.com,but I can't seem to get it to come up right now.They had all of the whiteside bits at good prices I tried ordering there and they wouldn't ship it to Canadaland I managed to get one though. Should be using it on my next build. I decided with this one just to do it the old fashioned way since I'm not going to be making another one of these anytime soon and it'll probably take about a month for the bit to get here. Progress! So this is my plan. I changed my mind a little bit on the body. I just traced out an RG on my plan but made the shape a little different in the end. I'm awful at drawing, and the bridge pickup won't be that close to the bridge, but it gets the main idea across. Tentative headstock design. Scarf joint glued up. I was going to put this maple veneer between the neck and headstock in the scarf joint. It was on my bench and everything, but I totally forgot Body cut out on my new bandsaw Another new toy is pictured here as well. Rigid sander. Loving it so far! Did a little drilling with a forstner bit to lighten the body up a bit. Even though it's only going to be 33mm thick haha. Indian Rosewood top planed and cut out. Ready to glue. Lotsa glue! All clamped up. I learned two lessons while clamping this top on. 1) I need to buy some more clamps 2) Be careful with your pressure, especially on thin woods and especially when that thin wood is over a chamber. I didn't even think about this when clamping (very stupid of me) and I cracked the top a bit. Thankfully not too badly and I don't think it's going to be an issue. Also, different style clamps all have their uses. Going to be getting some more quick grip style clamps in the near future. My new (used) Delta Bandsaw. Got this for $300 on Kijiji. Put a new blade on it today and it runs like new! I'm really happy with it. Makes things go so much easier for me. You can see my little workspace in the garage in the background. Things are definitely going alot easier the second time around now that I have a grip on the basics and have a little experience. And the fact that I've equipped myself pretty well for tools. Basically all my money has been going towards tools and parts since February haha. Taking advantage of living with the parents while I can. I want to move to the city now that I'm graduated, but I could only afford a shitty apartment. Can't make guitars in an apartment Edit: Also use clamping cauls from now on. Dummy. Edited July 9, 2012 by Levi79 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 It was insanely hot outside this week, even hotter inside the garage somehow, so I didn't do as much work as I should have. But I did do some stuff. Top all trimmed up. Anyone else think that's gonna look cool? 12th fret inlay. Going to be made of Paua Abalone. Straight class. I made a fret slotting box! But after cutting a couple slots with it I decided I like the old ghetto method a little better. All slotted! Truss Rod cavity routed. I really really need a router table. This was done very carefully with a router free hand and cleaned up to fit with a chisel and some sandpaper. Came out pretty decent I think. Took me along ass time though, especially comparing that it would have taken like 5 minutes with a proper router table and fence. Going to be making a router table out of an old cabinet in my basement quite soon. Stewmac order! Pretty small one this time. Got a few switches, a nut blank, a fret eraser, a router bit, some extra inlay saw blades and a pickup routing template. Sorry about all the bad pics. That's all for now folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Looking good so far! Love the Rosewood top. Shame I can't get wood like that easily here. If you are short on clamps, then methods of distributing the force of the clamps you do have are essential. It would have been a better idea to prep a flat surface like a workbench with a layer of greaseproof paper ("cookie paper" I guess), then Rosewood on top, body on top of that and a couple of softwood 2x4s down each half of the body. This would help the F-clamps would distribute a far greater and more even force around the glueing surface with less chance of cracking through the thin bits....it looks like you got the results you needed though which is the important thing! More clamps is always a given, however scrap wood for cauls used well can make three clamps do the work that it might take ten clamps "individually" otherwise. Nice fretting box too....it looks like it can take a wider board than most of the commercially available ones. Your sketch looks like you're using a Hannes bridge. Look forward to seeing how that works out....not used one myself yet! All your Walnut shavings! Wow. If you throw them into a garbage bag, then suck all the air out using a shop vac or whatever, you can reduce the volume massively ;-) edit: read first post listing the Hannes bridge. Duhhhhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightninMike Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Looking good... from the photo you showed, be certain to use some caulk/silicone around the truss rod as it looks a little loose.... it may be the photo, but you do not want it to rattle around once she is all finished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 I would use caulk anyway since the rods can resonate even if they don't rattle. Nothing more annoying than that sproinging noise in conjunction with specific notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 Looking good so far! Love the Rosewood top. Shame I can't get wood like that easily here. If you are short on clamps, then methods of distributing the force of the clamps you do have are essential. It would have been a better idea to prep a flat surface like a workbench with a layer of greaseproof paper ("cookie paper" I guess), then Rosewood on top, body on top of that and a couple of softwood 2x4s down each half of the body. This would help the F-clamps would distribute a far greater and more even force around the glueing surface with less chance of cracking through the thin bits....it looks like you got the results you needed though which is the important thing! More clamps is always a given, however scrap wood for cauls used well can make three clamps do the work that it might take ten clamps "individually" otherwise. Nice fretting box too....it looks like it can take a wider board than most of the commercially available ones. Your sketch looks like you're using a Hannes bridge. Look forward to seeing how that works out....not used one myself yet! All your Walnut shavings! Wow. If you throw them into a garbage bag, then suck all the air out using a shop vac or whatever, you can reduce the volume massively ;-) edit: read first post listing the Hannes bridge. Duhhhhhh Thanks dude. You'd never believe what I paid for that top either. $19.00. Yeah I'll definitely be using cauls from now on. And getting more clamps. Once I have some cash that is haha. I got the idea for the slotting box from this guy. Found his videos very helpful. I've never used a Hannes either but ever since I saw one I wanted one. Really stoked to see how that goes. Those shavings are long gone ha. I felt so bad about wasting all of that but there wasn't much I could do. Taking a trip up to the lumber yard later this week to grab some more wood for more projects though. Stoked about that. Looking good... from the photo you showed, be certain to use some caulk/silicone around the truss rod as it looks a little loose.... it may be the photo, but you do not want it to rattle around once she is all finished Definitely going to be doing that. The rod isn't installed quite yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 (edited) I noticed that some of my fret slots are kind of crooked... There's going to be binding on the side of the board so you won't see the slightly crooked slots, but I'm curious if this could cause fretting problems. I am totally fine with scrapping this board and making another one if necessary. This piece cost me like $5 so it's really not a big deal. However if it won't cause any issues then I'll just use this one. I'd say the worst on is like 4 degrees angled. I want to make this guitar the best it can be. Here's some pics. What do you guys think? Scrap this board? Edited July 14, 2012 by Levi79 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Your frets will not seat properly, that will lead to intonation and sustain issues. Scrap vote here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Anybody else got any input here? I don't doubt you at all, but a second opinion always helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Glue veneer and resaw. Waste is not acceptable. Think of the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Glue veneer and resaw. Waste is not acceptable. Think of the children. I was going to say that will look ugly, but it'd be covered by binding. This is a great point. Especially since I've already tapered it. What kind of glue would you recommend? Should I mix the glue with some maple dust? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Like Pros said...get some maple veneer and fill the slot with it and resaw.No need to mix in dust if your veneer fills the slot.Never waste what you can save Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 It might be a good idea to look at the slotting mechanism of your slotting box to see how the blade is deflecting. It could be excessive force when sawing....I run my teeth through a candle so it slips like butter. if the slot is too wide you might do well to make it either adjustable or just narrower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 It might be a good idea to look at the slotting mechanism of your slotting box to see how the blade is deflecting. It could be excessive force when sawing....I run my teeth through a candle so it slips like butter. if the slot is too wide you might do well to make it either adjustable or just narrower. I ended up not using my box. I did a little bit of redesigning to it though an will be using it the second time around. So should I just glue the veneer in with normal wood glue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 I vote for new board. Maple isn't that expensive and you can call the loss a learning experience. hang the bad one up to remind you of the pain. it'll keep you from doing it again. I just see the time and effort of repairing an unattached board to be futile. Slap a good one on the first time around. says me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi79 Posted July 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 I vote for new board. Maple isn't that expensive and you can call the loss a learning experience. hang the bad one up to remind you of the pain. it'll keep you from doing it again. I just see the time and effort of repairing an unattached board to be futile. Slap a good one on the first time around. says me. I was just thinking something similar to this. I could use this board as inlaying practice since it's something that I've never done before. And this piece of maple was like $4 or so. I think I'm gonna go this route. Thanks for the replies guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 15, 2012 Report Share Posted July 15, 2012 Glueing and resawing could only cause problem with subsequent fretting as "glued" wood works perhaps differently to raw wood, although in all honesty I would still re-use. At the very least you learn something rather than ditching a likely fine piece of material. Whether you learn something from it using it as an inlay dog or whatever make sure it serves some good positive purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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