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First Build - The "Nozcaster"


Norris

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm not much of a metalworker, in fact I can't recall ever doing much before now. However I'm fairly pleased with this - the control plate that will go inside the guitar behind the control recess. It's to add a bit of stability around the controls, provide a hidden mounting for the switch, and to provide a bit of counter-balance as the body is really light

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And after drilling some mounting holes & cleaning up, it's ready for the chrome plating

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Yes @Prostheta, I know my drill bits need sharpening, and I really should replace my lost centre punch! Anyway, it's good enough for something that's never going to be seen! :D

Edited by Norris
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Because the brass is so soft (relatively speaking) it caused a bit of deformation rather than a clean "cut". Easily resolved with a bit of wet & dry though, but some of the holes are not exactly circular :D

And thanks for the compliment.

Edit: The five sided hole is more a result of not using a centre punch, although there was a 2mm pilot hole drilled first - transferred from the template that fits snugly into the top recess, so that I know where to cut the switch slot

Edited by Norris
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On 2016-09-13 at 10:21 AM, Prostheta said:

I like your five-sided hole though! I think that amazing for a bit of work done off the cuff, @Norris. I'm not sure about how sharp metalworking bits need to be you know....not like wood where you need to cut through fibres anyway.

Well if the bit is really dull it won't even make a hole, just harden the surface even more. eventually you will just break the bit but that's when drilling in harder materials like stainless steel.

@Norris Really nice build and a neat trick with the coin, Think I will steal that one ?

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14 hours ago, Mr_Riddler said:

Well if the bit is really dull it won't even make a hole, just harden the surface even more. eventually you will just break the bit but that's when drilling in harder materials like stainless steel.

@Norris Really nice build and a neat trick with the coin, Think I will steal that one ?

Thanks. The coin idea was stolen from another build thread on here some time ago :D

 

I've started to look around for a decent (but cheap) drill bit sharpener if anyone has one to recommend :)

The pentagonal holes are probably due to not holding down the work piece firmly enough. Blame rushing/tiredness/untidy work space!

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Quote

Give me a lever and a place to stand and I will move the earth

In the interests of a full, warts & all account, I had a slight issue with the binding. I had taped the end of the binding round the tight curve down to the neck pocket. The binding channel has ended up about 1mm above the bottom of the neck pocket and that provided enough leverage to pull the binding away at the top of the preceding curve...

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So with the use of a few drops of acetone (which dissolves Weld-On adhesive) and some creative clamping - involving two clamps, a wooden wedge and a long 7/8" socket, we sorted that baby out

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Having removed the clamps this morning, it seems to be stuck pretty well

NB: If you try this yourself, I took a long time working out how I was going to clamp it before taking the lid off the bottle :)

Boy does acetone evaporate quickly! I knocked the bottle over, spilling half of it, and it was gone within 2 or 3 minutes!

Edited by Norris
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On 23/09/2016 at 9:57 PM, meatloaf said:

Hi @Norris, I have just joined this forum and have enjoyed reading this thread and I must say that I am very impressed with this project, You say this your first guitar build, well it certainly doesn't look like it, brilliant work can't wait to see the finished guitar.

Well thank you very much :)

I can't wait to see it finished either. I did say at the start that it would not be a sprint. I've been working on it just over a year now, but can see light at the end of the tunnel. Not having a huge amount of time to spend actually making sawdust means I have a lot of thinking time, and I hope that shows in the lack of serious mistakes so far (that's done it - I've cursed myself now! :D)

Being a member of the forum has been truly inspirational - from seeing some incredible builds, to the positive support and advice of the members. Welcome @meatloaf, I hope you get as much out of it as I have. I also hope that my thread inspires others as well. I started this with very little woodworking experience, just a reasonable standard of DIY around the house.

 

And while I'm doing a post, the weekend has mainly been spent scraping & sanding the top carve angle. That's pretty smooth and flat now. I've had another couple of squirts of acetone to make sure the ends of the binding is secure and at the correct angle as it meets the neck pocket - nothing photo-worthy though.

Tonight I might just do the next scary bit - the bridge mounting holes, through-string holes & ferrule rebates :blink:

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2 hours to drill 10 holes!

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I used the bridge plate as a drilling guide. The string-through holes are not quite in line by tiny fractions of a millimetre, but I thought it more important that they align on the bridge holes :).

Despite making a drilling jig out of 30mm perspex, the rear holes are slightly more out of alignment...

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... but well within tolerance to allow me to try to neaten up the ferrules. Those are 3mm holes btw - not too bad an attempt imho :). I ran out of time to drill for the ferrules, but I'd rather take my time over that anyway. I'll make a couple of jigs.

I have a couple of days off work this week, so I'll see if I can make some more progress - my guitarist wants to play it at our gig on New Year's eve! (I'm a bass player :D) I think that's achievable

Edited by Norris
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Hi, Norris

Only just caught up with your progress on this.  Looks fab :thumb:

The misalignment of the holes at the back won't, of course, be seen.  I've seen a good explanation somewhere of how to do through holes (I think you drill from both sides and meet in the middle but there's a trick so that the two sides line up with each other). I'll try to find it for your many future builds :D

 

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18 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Hi, Norris

Only just caught up with your progress on this.  Looks fab :thumb:

The misalignment of the holes at the back won't, of course, be seen.  I've seen a good explanation somewhere of how to do through holes (I think you drill from both sides and meet in the middle but there's a trick so that the two sides line up with each other). I'll try to find it for your many future builds :D

 

It's nothing that a good jig can't sort out along with a bit of needle file work :)

If it all goes wrong I'll say it was intentionally "vintage spec" - it does have Fender CS Nocaster pickups :D

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