RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 This is a reprise of The Hand of Doom build. The original thread was lost in the great db crash.I am reposting what I have for all that missed or miss it.Cheers!--RAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 The Hand of DoomIommi inspired 23 fret Sapele SG. The neck is 13 piece Sapele/Bocote/Walnut with an Bocote Fretboard. Bookmatched Ziricote top with hooded winged figure in the grain. The Diablo mini humbucker is designed and wound to play the intro to Black Sabbath's Black Sabbath.Neck : Sapele/BocoteFretboard : BocoteScale : 24.75Frets : 24Trussrod : Allparts double actionBody : Sapele/Exotic TopTuners : Chrome HipshotPickups : Handwound Diablo Mini HumbuckerBridge : Chrome Gotoh 510Electronics : Volume and three way switchThis started as a straight tribute to Iommi... it is now something of its own. The hand of doom.... maybe.The Sapele blank I had for the neck had terrible run out. In order to combat the run out I decided to laminate it. Then I got a little crazy. Then it was hard to keep all the pieces in order... but I managed it. The grain on the neck will alternate for each piece. The piece of Bocote I used for the fretboard also provided a pair of stringers and a bookmatched headstock plate plus trussrod cover.Sapele body I got from Avenger63 in a deal. It is going to be a good start. I was originally going to stain the whole thing black as I don't really care for plain Sapele. I have decided to put a nice top on it.Aligning the 13 pieces of the neck required the help of my brother. I simply could not spread glue, align lams, and place in clamps without help. In the middle are 2 walnut veneers. And now we have a titebond sandwich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 More super secret neck work. Neck blank squared, planed (darn jointer bit the best part... ) Headstock scarf joint glued and clamped. I forgot to get pictures of the trussrod routing.Next.Neck blank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Neck blank and bodyCut the binding from the fretboard blank. The plan is to hide the fret tangs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Binding strips and 24.75 template, taped and ready to mount.Binding strips glued onNeck blank with trussrod, headplate (before bookmatching), fretboard with binding.Pickup bobbin testing... Makeing a template for wood bobbins. Not sure this is the best way to go the router is dangerous. I think I am going to go a different route. More later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Fretboard and Headplate bookmatched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Headstock wings glued on... I don't think I am ever going to try polyurethane glue again. Almost everytime I use the stuff I have a miserable time with glue-lines. I prepare the joints the same way I do with Titebond so I am not sure what is going on. It seems like I can never get enough clamp pressure. This time it worked out ok, but it felt like a real mistake as I was fighting the clamps trying to get enough pressure to close the gaps. Time was an issue. I wanted to finish working on the neck that day.Every clamp in the shop. Glueing the fretboard to the neck blank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Side profile rough cutNeck profiled and headstock tapered. I know there are some missing pictures. I was working fast.I feel like I should comment on the taper, Benedetto suggests that you taper the headstock about 1/8" from the tip towards the neck. I have done a few volutes recently and am not sure about them. They are a lot of work and I am not sure how much they help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 This is why I hate routers...No big as most of the tear out will be removed for the neck angle. Everything was fine with my 5/8 x 3/4 bit. When I switched to the big 5/8 x 2" with double bearings is when I ran into the trouble. The Sapele seems to want to tear out more than say an African Mahogany. I am not a fan. THis will probably be the last Sapele instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Neck angle cut... still have some tear out. I might have to adjust the tenon.Getting ready to radius the fretboard.Fretboard radiused, headplate sanded, headstock tapered, tenon angled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Made a template for the tenon. I am not fond of 1/2" MDF so I use 1/4" Hardboard and epoxy 2 pieces together to make it thin enough.Checking the depth of the tenon. Since the top is 1/4" I will compensate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Headstock test... believe it or not this was the very first pattern I cut out. I cut 6 more and none were as nice as the first.Tenon cutting and test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Money shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 It figures... nothing ever turns out right. Always something. The stupid body fell off the table and landed on the horn. Broke the tip off. Luckily I found the piece and epoxied it back together. However I thinned the epoxy with acetone to get it down in the cracks. It is now taking forever to cure. I have no large scraps of Sapele left so I have to fix it.Removed some material in preperation for the top... Now if that guy on eBay can get it shipped to me we will be in business. It took forever to get the small drum sander to not put lines in the top. Ended up working pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Headstock Shaped, Final sanding on fretboard and headstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Gratuitous shotsBack of headstock and the body Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Neck glued.Top Bookmatched.My new fret cleaning tools. I was going to buy the Stew Mac set until I realized what they were. I had a backsaw that I filed the set out of the teeth making the kerf about .22". I then cut the blade on the grinder. One tip is to angle the cuts on the sides of the blade as it helps for digging out glue. The whole saw is a bit big right now, I will make a smaller one later. I then took one of my exacto knives and modified the blade to use as a fret cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Fret work... my 24 hole board.I tried to use the dremel to trim the fret ends but they get hot, then it was hard to get it nice and flat. I ended up using my end nippers to cut the tang. I put some super glue on the mdf work bench and used a 5/64" bit to cut a groove, then stick the fret in the groove and use the file to clean up the end.I pressed the frets in with a little titebond in the slots. Then I used some Stew Mac Radius blocks to clamp it up while the glue dries. Not entirely necessary but comforting. Finished fretting. Ends trimmed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 I have been using a 3" robo sander to rough in the volute and heal. I wasn't planning on a volute for this one but t just worked out.Done shaping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 One is cool. One has a cloaked figure. The bridge pickup comes up in his face.Cloaked figure bound to the Hand of Doom... Right now the top is real thick. I am not sure how I am going to handle it yet. I may do something with it I might not. A diablo carve might be interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Backstrapping the headstock. This project is on hold while I work on commissions. Since it is a personal guitar I don't want to work on it in a rush and make a mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Backstrap trimmed out. I used a bevel on it to match the bevels on the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Bevels rough carved. I am still not sure about the top. I want to do a Les Paul like carve BUT the Ziricote pattern changes as you cut into it. I am afraid 3/8" cutfrom the edges could seriously change the pattern on the top. I think it might be too risky for the Cloaked Figure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 More photos.Side views Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted November 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2013 Last Few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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