Knightro Guitars 2016

[KnightroExpress]

Actually, it's the Slot-O-Matic Mk.2... a few of the screws stripped pretty badly while I was making some adjustments, so I went and replaced them all with nicer stainless steel screws. Gotta adjust my label!

First things first- the paint is exactly what I was looking for, I'm pretty excited to get it on this guitar. 

 

3pc maple neck out of clamps and into the sander:

 

Putting my scarf jig to work on the neck shaft and headstock pieces:

 

Safe-T-Planing the headstock to proper thickness:

 

Finally, joining the neck and headstock:

 

[KnightroExpress]

While waiting for that neck to set up, I went ahead and knocked out another 6 string body from one of the maple blanks I have. 

I forgot to take a picture of the first few steps, but you can imagine a rectangular slab of maple, right?

Pickup routs done:

 

Bridge holes:

 

Control cavity:

 

Body radius:

 

Neck pocket:

 

Wiring and ground holes:

 

So here we are, ready to be carved at a later time:

 

I'm going to paint this one...most likely a pretty outrageous pearl lime green. 

[KnightroExpress]

Today, I worked on the neck and fretboard. 

Truss rod rout:

 

Neck cut and routed to shape:

 

Same for the headstock:

 

Fretboard glued on with the help of some registration pins:

 

And finally, I've got decals!

 

[killemall8]

I sure hope you didnt run that neck blank with all that glue through the drum sander like that!

[Prostheta]

Yeah, heat turns dried glue into gummy crap that'll choke your paper and cause lines in subsequent pieces going through it.

[KnightroExpress]

Nah, I use a chisel or scraper to clear as much of that stuff as I can. 

[Prostheta]

I caught my boss about the try and use my super-sharp go-to chisel to remove some glue today. He got a right lecture. 

[KnightroExpress]

Ah, good thing you caught him! I have one specific crappy chisel for glue clearing, that way I don't worry about getting it all gross. 

I don't usually get to do much on Tuesdays or Thursdays (full time student probs), but I ended up having this morning free, so I took advantage of the extra time. 

Neck and fretboard have been joined, now trimmed flush:

 

Neck pocket routed:

 

Tune-o-Matic recess routed:

 

Binding applied:

 

That'll set up overnight and I'll scrape it back tomorrow. I'm also going to start the neck carve. 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

[KnightroExpress]

I did many things today, but this is what I'm most excited about at the moment:

 

PURPLE POWERRRRR

[Norris]

That purple is gorgeous. Nice guitar too

[psikoT]

This last one is alder, right?

[KnightroExpress]

Nope, solid maple! It's not nearly as heavy as you'd expect, actually...

[KnightroExpress]

Back to the surf green Pulsar:

Wiring channels drilled (bridge ground was also done, not pictured):

 

Neck run through my homely thickness/taper jig:

 

Binding scraped and pickguard made:

 

Next time: neck carving (yay)!

[Andyjr1515]

Impressive stuff!  I love the look of the maple one.  Very nice lines, indeed 

[KnightroExpress]

Thanks Andy!

Here's a few things from today.

Cleaning up the tenon tongue:

 

Starting the neck carve:

 

Dots!

 

I also went to a local lumberyard and picked up this monster:

 

It just exudes this sort of volcanic aura (in my mind, anyway). I've already got a pretty good idea for this one...after I finish a couple of the others, of course. 

[ScottR]

Is that padauk? I don't think I've ever seen padauk sap wood before.

SR

[2.5itim]

It is Scott, I was equally shocked when he showed me. I had no idea padauk sap wood was white lol

Edited November 23, 2016 by 2.5itim

[Skyjerk]

Andrew, thats the longest build thread in history

[Prostheta]

Sorry for not checking in sooner Andrew, but wow....so much to work through, and fantastic documentation also! Those new toys are certainly not lost on you or being underused....!

[KnightroExpress]

@ScottR  Yep, it's padauk with a bit of sapwood. My local yard stocks an oddly large amount of padauk and when I saw this board I had to grab a chunk of it.

@Skyjerk Hey Chris! There are a few longer ones on here, but not many! This one has turned into quite the burly beast...... Welcome to PG, by the way!

@Prostheta Aww, thanks Carl! Now that I've got the means to build a lot, I'm certainly going to do my damnedest to take advantage of it. I just need to rein in my ADD and actually finish one haha...

[KnightroExpress]

I told myself I wasn't going to jump into the padauk multi 8, but I just couldn't stay away. After this week though, the ash/walnut guitar is getting wrapped up.

Body blank clamped, cure time passed, then unclamped via internet magics:

 

Rough cut, sand, 2 stage rout:

 

Trying something new. Precut wiring channels with the help of one of my truss rod templates:

 

Appropriately doomy wenge top applied:

 

 

Once I pop this one out of the clamps and trim the top, that's it until I finish either the ash/walnut guitar or the surf green V. If you see me do anything else, please yell at me.

Thanks for looking!

 

 

[ScottR]

15 hours ago, KnightroExpress said:

that's it until I finish either the ash/walnut guitar or the surf green V

Suuuuuure it is.

SR

[KnightroExpress]

On 12/1/2016 at 10:21 AM, ScottR said:

Suuuuuure it is.

SR

There's a plan in place, I swear!

 

Tpday I had an unexpected visit from an Army buddy, so I just did a bit of light sanding while we hung out for a bit.

 

....then he left, and I got this beast unclamped and trimmed flush:

 

Aaaaaand I may have routed 2 other things:

 

Ok -for real this time- this will sit while I finish those other two. 

[KnightroExpress]

So today I did actually work on the ash/walnut guitar....I'm spraying clear and building up coats to cover my headstock decal, it's just taking forever to hide the paper's edge. Pics when it looks pretty

Here's a bit on the purple 7-

Installed stainless steel alignment pins, this makes the glue-up process so much simpler:

 

 

Trimmed the tenon tongue:

 

Glued up, clamped, unclamped, trimmed flush:

 

Dots dotted, frets fretted:

 

That's it for today, I'm hoping to get the neck carve started tomorrow. 

[2.5itim]

I have always radiused the fretboard and fretted after the neck carve. I'm actually really liking the idea of doing it after to have a flat surface to work on. 

Nice work as always!