komodo Posted October 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Thnx. But seriously, I encourage anyone to try it because it's not very hard. It's more of a slow methodical process. It's low stress and forgiving compared to lots of other build processes. I'd say carving a top, cutting fret slots, even dropping money on an expensive bridge is worse than inlay.My next build is another one that I had started but put on pause that will have a most ridiculous inlay. I feel like it's totally within my reach, but will likely take much of the winter to do time wise. I'll start a thread on that build in the near future, with the inlay documented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Inlaying is the one thing I do not enjoy....much rather carve the top....or neck....or headstock.....or.....Your work is gorgeous.SR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 They came. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Wait, didn't you say you had some Tonerider pups, and weren't they gold covers? Yes, but that was before, and when it was going to be all natural. With an amber tiger eye finish, it needs something else enitirely. Like SD SH-5 custom 8 (Alnico 8), and a Jazz for the neck. But they look like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) Cutting nut, test fit bridge to help set nut action and any neck heel adjustment before glue in. About had a minor heart attack putting this stuff on. Edited October 16, 2015 by komodo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Those are some sharp looking pups-good call. Seeing her all dressed up do get the blood coursing don't it?SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 First pass started, this is the amber for sand back. For the love of everything sane, ignore the stock music. When I build, I always have some kind of song in my head similar to the music I imagine this guitar playing or sounding like. To me, this one is the guitar break in Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Of course you can see the major flaw. Grrrr. Back plates shifted on glue-up and insults the incredible figure. Sigh, it is the back, and water under the bridge at this point and a learned lesson. Drak would've burned it, I'll play it and move on to the next build. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 19, 2015 Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Don't summon the WOD!I'm surprised you didn't tape up the sides. One drip and you'd have some major venting to do.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 19, 2015 Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 I did notice the alignment....but not that it is the back. No sweat then. Knowing it is there will just give a little intensity to your playing. dye job is looking great.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Prostheta - the initial side dye will be the same as the back, but I'm doing it in stages. The ash won't be done with the same schedule as the maples. I've racked my brain thinking of a way I could re-align the back, but I just don't think there is. Even if I pulled the binding, and steamed off the plates, when you aligned them they wouldn't match the body anymore. You could split the difference, but It would still change the shape, and the cavity wouldn't be aligned. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears.This isn't the only mistake and none are huge deal breakers, just an incredible annoyances. But I'm learning tons, this is more than I've done on any other build.For the maple top/backs, typically you would glue up the plates using the two caul technique, and I remember why I didn't. The plates were very thin, and JUST fit the body shape. Because of the heavy quilt, they had a scalloped, non-square edge that i couldn't plane first because it would've made them too small to fit. When I glued the second plate on , I wanted the side to side pressure as well as the top cauls, and you couldn't see if the plate shifted from the top. Lesson learned. I should have created custom cauls to fit the plate edges and still glued them up first as you would normally do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 19, 2015 Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Just consider it inspiration to build another in the future.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 19, 2015 Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 There are complicated ways of disguising it depending on how skilled you are. Routing a thin line down the centreline would allow you to add in a piece of binding to break up the join. Not perfect since it's narrow. Good for hiding bad joins, which is not the case here. The next is to do something wider, potentially tapered. That would really help to break up the symmetry issue. It does mean re-working the binding though.In all honesty - it's not the front. Take something from the experience, breathe and consider that it could be worse. You're not on fire and the Langoliers are not snapping at your heels. You've clearly understood the problem and figured out ways of not letting it happen in future, so that of itself is a positive thing. Breathe. And relax. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Ha! No worries, I'm just considering all options. The way I see it, I've got two viable options:1.) Nothing2.) unbind everthing, steam off the top half of the back plate, scrape and reglue 1.5mm forwards. Then recut binding channels all around to take up the extra space behind the top and back curves. I could have a slightly deeper rear binding than the front so it doesn't upset the top carve much.While that's work, the only bad part is potentially jacking up the plate steaming it off. Rebinding slightly thicker using rosewood to match the neck would actually be pretty sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 19, 2015 Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Categorically, no. You're simply not allowed to do anything other than (1) at this stage. The only way you'd ever get that plate off without causing yourself ten times the problem you think you have now is to resaw it. That is also not an option. The losses would mess up everything.Live and learn man. It's not the front and hell, we learn more from our mistakes than we do being patted on the back for getting things right by chance or scraping by. It's the scar that will make you look at all your future projects and how they benefitted from your experience.Hell, it could have happened any number of ways. Sometimes you lose the match just from resawing and thicknessing losses. Pick up a beer, make it a little lighter, rinse and repeat.I think the bigger victory here is in the dye job. If you can nail your process as good or better than your tests, the match will be the last thing people look at, Rosewood binding or not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 So I tried to peel off the quilt maple using a pair of rusty shop scissors and ...j/k copper side dots 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) Amber sandback, then black.Also, while I feel I have a handle in the blacks, browns and ambers with my testing. I never really got the yellow/gold center wash of a sunburst. Even a tiger eye amber burst has some yellow in the center. My straight thin mix was very bright yellow, vibrant but wrong. Today I added a TINY pinch of amber and POW! I've labelled the jar "magic yellow". I started wiping it on every test sample I had. Black sand backs for a wicked black gold quilt, the tiger stuff looked way more vibrant, even the amber/red stuff I hated cause it was pinkish or just too red - suddenly popped in a swirly wickedness. The scrap pic here doesn't do it justice because it dries too fast and it doesn't look the same as when its wet. Edited October 21, 2015 by komodo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Holy crap. If you hit that right you've got something going on with that quilt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Sex in wood form! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 (edited) Neck glued in. Big moment I guess? Was anticlimactic. I realized that while finishing the cavity cover separately is fine for the gross dye and sandbacks, but will have to be installed for the final bursts. I'm thinking brass inserts and small machine screws. I also realized that I haven't drilled and countersunk for the screws, and that will need to be dyed the same so I need to do that ASAP. Also realized that the thickness of that cover will likely need to be changed because of the clear coats and shielding, so it will sit flush with the back. I'm not sure how to approximate that. I guess I'll make sure not to do shielding on the cover and body at the mating surfaces, so it will just be finish thickness.Also, I had always referred to this guitar as the Dragon, because of the inlay, but then thought that was silly since that's PRS crazy Dragon guitars name . . . but then I thought that was ridiculous to be worried about. So, I'll call it the Dragon once again, because it will breathe fire. Edited October 22, 2015 by komodo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 The clear coat should be the same thickness on the back as on the cavity cover I would think - or close enough. So if you take care of the shielding thickness as mentioned, and your cover sits flush before spraying, you should be fine. Do your leveling and polishing with it mounted and that will make it look even more of a piece.SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2015 D-day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted October 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) Then the sandback and black. My fingers are about to fall off from sanding.I'm feeling much better about progress now. I've read a lot more about lacquer, and it seem that people regularly spray in slightly colder conditions, so I should have it finished this year. My birthday, Christmas and this should all collide around the same time, so I'm picking out a birthday present for the guitar. See what I did there? I'm thinking about a Strymon Mobius or a Deco. Edited October 25, 2015 by komodo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 25, 2015 Report Share Posted October 25, 2015 You left the posts in? That Strymon Deco had me thinking of Rush...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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