Prostheta Posted March 17, 2016 Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 How about making a custom hardcase with a plexi front? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 17, 2016 Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 I distinctly remember there being a Perspex that comes with a UV coating. Ideal for Padauk... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted March 17, 2016 Report Share Posted March 17, 2016 she really is a work of art. extra special thanks for the videos! I'm always itching to see and hear these guitars played after seeing the pics.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Over the past several days, I've been able to get a bit of work done on the wenge guitar. Unfortunately, I've hit a bit of a speed bump, as you'll see. First, the good stuff: Installed machine screw inserts for the direct mount pickups. Now then, on to some more serious fare. My cousin felt that he'd be more comfortable with a more RG-esque neck profile, so I agreed to reshape it a bit. What could possibly go wrong? Everything was going great until.... CURSES Yep, pushed it a bit too far. I was pretty upset when it happened, but on the bright side, now I absolutely know the limit with these rods. So anyway, now I have to pop the fretboard off and make a whole new neck. To that end, I stole a trick from a thread over at MLP and whipped up a little lightbulb holder device. The closest I could get to the original idea was this 300W bulb, which is (as you would guess) extremely frigging bright when working near it. While the neck was EZ-baking, I worked a bit on the body. Just a little contouring on the heel, refinement of the top carve, and sanding to P80 all around. What a week! Mistakes made, lessons learned, techniques tried. Next episode: preparing the new neck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Oh fffuuuu. Do you use calipers and take note of the rod channel depth and neck thickness? I'm super tight with my measurements. That will take out any guesswork and chancing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 I do, and I stupidly went a bit further than the limit I established for myself. Straight up user error on my end. In the end, it'll be ok. The fretboard came off neatly with no ill effects and the new neck will be nicer than this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Ah, well that's something then. I did a quick census the other day and found six pairs of calipers in the workshop plus a pair of digital calipers. Those things are convenient, but happily lie when you're not looking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 When I started out machining I bought a pair of 8" and 12" mitutoyo digital calipers, it wasn't long before I thru them against a wall for lying to me. I ended up buying dial and vernier calipers and swore off digitals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 20, 2016 Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 Same here. I zero mine out every time I need to use them and even then, I only use them if I know what answer to expect. I much prefer simple Vernier calipers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2016 I have a midrange digital set that works well enough, but vastly prefer the feel of a nice real dial. That's one of many tools on my extensive 'want' list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 21, 2016 Report Share Posted March 21, 2016 I got so caught up in your padauk build, I completely forgot about this one. And apparently it did not like being ignored either. It threw a fit. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2016 Haha yeah, I think it was upset about losing the spotlight for a month or so. I'm going to get the blank squared, scarfed, and glued up tomorrow so hopefully that'll make it happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 21, 2016 Report Share Posted March 21, 2016 Ah, distraction tactics. I remember this one too. Make it so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2016 Thankfully this one is a bolt-on, so I didn't have to futz around with any more complicated removal procedures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Do you like using the router to thickness your necks? I've been doing it with my rasp and never would have thought to do it with the router and then start the shape with the rasp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 I do indeed! It's the simplest method I've come up with to establish a consistent and even taper on the back of the neck. Just be sure to leave yourself a bit of extra thickness to play with so you don't ruin your neck like I did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 I do the same also. I've done it on a router table, pin router and with a jig/hand router setup. However you do it, you can dial in a very very exact thickness taper from end to end just using shims. There's no reason you can't work to around 0,5mm shy of finished sizes (just under 1/32") just off this method alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 That's great, thank y'all!! It has been kind of a pain getting the taper perfect with the rasp so this is what I will do on my next few. I also think it will help me get the flatter profile that I like, more ibanez ish than the roundness I have been getting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Go with what you're comfortable with but keep adding new strings to your bow, man. Just remember not to take off more wood than you can confidently put back on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Man, I'm never gonna hear the end of that one, huh? But yeah, as Carl says- it's always good to try new techniques. Eventually you'll find something that suits you and your workflow best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 This is the last time today, I promise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Haha that's my plan is to just try different techniques and figure out what suits me best. I can already tell myself getting into a groove. On the taking off to much material I always leave myself with .115-.125" of "meat" before I get into the truss rod just because I know if that happened to me I wouldn't take it nearly as well as Andrew seemed to have. I would probably have what's left of my neck sticking out the Sheetrock on one of my walls!! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 @Prostheta haha, fair enough. Tim- I was definitely upset! Probably the most irritated I've been in a long while. I packed up and went home immediately, as I don't like to work on this stuff when I'm not in a good state of mind. In the end, it proved to be a valuable lesson and an opportunity to build a new neck with some bonus features. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 OK, time to get this ball rolling. Wenge and B&W ebony for the new neck. Setting up my compound scarf jig So I've found an issue with my new Triton. The opening in its base is very large, which lets it fall when I go too far along my scarf jig. This is both dangerous and results in an unacceptable surface. Yes, this is a very specific problem, but one I must address. I swear, half of my build time involves figuring out solutions for weird problems I wouldn't anticipate. This time, I whipped up a monster router base from a scrap of 1/2" MDF I found at the shop. Aside from being a full 12" on all sides, the bit passes through a 1.5" hole rather than a gaping chasm. Great success! I'm going to remake this base in acrylic so I can see what the hell I'm doing next time. Finally, I added a slice of spare B&W ebony to the scarf area. I'll get the other wenge portion glued on tonight. Rough shaping begins again tomorrow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Very nice! That's pretty much what I did for a router base except I made mine out of 1/2" ply to begin with which warped over time and then remade it out of .167 aluminum. The aluminum is nice but it would be way better out of acrylic because it does suck not being able to see what you are doing. As for the b&w ebony I'm extremely jealous, I was going to buy a piece last week but I just couldn't justify the $60 cost when I could get the same size piece of rosewood for $20. Butttt good for you, it's gonna look killer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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