KnightroExpress Posted March 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) Thanks! I'm not a fan of expensive woods for the sake of expense...it's gotta be the right choice for the project. I only bought this billet of B&W because it's what my cousin (who is buying this guitar) was looking for. Plus, it was thick enough to resaw into two fretboards. The one I just cut off here is the other half of that original billet, still long enough for a 26" scale fretboard for a future project. Edited March 24, 2016 by KnightroExpress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 (edited) Neck work began again in earnest tonight! Cutting and sanding to establish a flat surface: Marking the tuner hole locations Excess removed on the bandsaw Cleaned up on the router table Drilling the tuner holes Routing the truss rod channel And now for another problem! Things were just going too well, I suppose. After I finished routing the truss rod channel, I gently pulled up on the neck to release it from the strip of double-sided tape that was holding it on the table. With little more than the pressure from two fingers, the headstock ripped right off like a dry branch. Seriously, look at this- the glue remains, but the wenge splintered with almost no effort on my part. So that happened. I cleaned up the joint and packed up my stuff. I'll glue yet another new piece of wenge over the weekend and get going again on Tuesday. I'm beginning to think this guitar is cursed. This will be the only wenge neck I ever do. Also, maybe I'll just convert all of my designs to headless, that's what seems to happen naturally anyway Edited March 25, 2016 by KnightroExpress Links didn't work for some reason. Uploading directly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted March 25, 2016 Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 Better if that happens at this stage than later... I never trusted myself doing scarf joints, I see that part an unnecessary weak point in a guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 25, 2016 Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 I prefer scarf joints myself, however my personal preference is against these types of laminations. Just not my thing. Is this the same Wengé as the "Way Of The Exploding Headstock" issue you had a few months back? The "dry branch" descriptor might be an indicator of some problematic stock. Try splitting the waste headstock piece and seeing whether there's some kind of strength issue in line with the grain. I don't think that this was a glue failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2016 @psikoT I'm definitely glad that it happened at this stage, as it's easy to replace. @Prostheta This is actually a new piece from a different supplier than the original. The original headstock blew up due to my error, not any intrinsic wood issue. I think I still have a decent length of that original good board, so that's what I'll use as a new headstock. This is the third head for this particular guitar... not exactly the ideal case for a single-necked instrument! I don't think this was a glue failure either, as evidenced by plenty of shredded wenge adhered to the ebony slice. I'll resaw the broken head next time I'm in the shop, I'm curious to see what I find. As for the scarf lams, I like either nothing extra added or something simple that ties in to the rest of the guitar. I'm not a fan of throwing a dozen things in just because I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Looks like the gremlins left Tasmania for Houston......and left Houston for Tampa. Who gets them next? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 I hope they can't find their way here. Few people can place us on a map, so don't go telling them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Bah, I'm not happy to host them, I'll tell you. Hopefully when the wenge wonder is done they'll be on their merry way. Out of my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 28, 2016 Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2016 I think I'll stick with something simple for the next one... gremlins seem to be attracted to unusual and/or figured things. Next trip to the lumberyard: "I'll take your plainest mahogany, please" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 ....even though Mahoganies have crosslinked grain? You can't win man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Still better than the coarse assemblage of jagged splinters that makes up wenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 Yeah, well that's endgrain all over for you man. Can't live with it, can't rout around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 I'm just gonna switch to composites a la Aristides. That'll fix everything! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 38 minutes ago, Prostheta said: Yeah, well that's endgrain all over for you man. Can't live with it, can't rout around it. ......pass the beer nuts. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted March 29, 2016 Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 I just found out about aristides yesterday while watching some videos of the band "intervals". I have to say they are a little different but I think that I like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2016 I actually really like a lot of their designs and concepts- the 060, 070, and 080 line in particular. They're simple enough to avoid that 'look at me I'm a plastic guitar!' sort of issue, but they have a lot of cool details and ideas behind them. ...I know 'plastic' isn't exactly right, but I think it's a common misconception that many people have (I certainly did!) when they first see or handle one of these. I'm all for advancing the form with new or unexpected materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted March 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 OK, time to rehead this one. I just did the whole shaping process last week, so this will just be a bunch of pics. Tomorrow, I'll get the remainder of the sub-fretboard business done so I can have it glued up over the weekend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted April 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2016 Alright, now I need to install the T-nuts that I use for bolted necks. Step one: mark the location of each hole with transfer punches, front and back Step two: drill the recess for the nut base Step three: drill the recess for the barrel portion Step four: Pilot holes for the little prongs Step five: drill the remainder of the bolt path Step six: chuck up a big honkin' carriage bolt and slowly press the T-nuts into position Step seven: make sure everything lines up properly. And finally, step eight: remove the portion of neck tenon that extends into the pickup cavity. Finally finally, step 9: enjoy progress made, daydream about never carving wenge again.... And that's it for the night! I'll have the fretboard reglued over the weekend so I can get the neck recarved and refretted. Now if you'll excuse me, there's a fresh Jai Alai calling my name. Have a good night all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 2, 2016 Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 16 hours ago, KnightroExpress said: there's a fresh Jai Alai calling my name. mmmmmmmmmmmm! SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 2, 2016 Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 Damn. I'm really thinking that we need some easier way of exchanging beers you know? You two really need a CCCCC IPA and I'd love to try that Jai Alai....sounds too good given your drooling.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 2, 2016 Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 Oh yes, guitar is happening too. Sorry Andrew. Those T-nuts' teeth are very coarse because they're designed to work in wood composites like MDF and chipboard. When I was making the spool clamps for the tutorial, I had a couple split on me since they're really not good for hardwood. The drilled holes are a must! I actually took mine to a bench grinder and turned them more into shallow pins rather than huge ooking teeth. Beyond the toothing thing, they are a lot kinder to necks than threaded inserts which create a lot of side pressure going in. Woods with high Janka ratings like Wengé are going to be mega-prone to splitting "like a dry branch" (exorcising gremlins here) if you don't clamp them either side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted April 2, 2016 Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 Nice recovery. Ive never seen wenge do that, it normally has really strong gluing properties. Now that i see the neck on the body, is it just me, or does the neck look extremely long compared to the body size? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted April 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 Scott and Carl- we really should figure out a way to exchange! I just read a few notes on CCCCC, it sounds great. @killemall8- Thank you! I'd never had a failure like that either, but looking at both sides of the joint, the wenge itself had some sort of structural flaw... the glue was still fine and holding plenty of separated wenge. The extra apparent length might be a function of the angle I shot at and my headstock design. The bass-side edge is a straight continuation of the neck taper, so it visually exaggerates the length. Overall, this guitar is roughly the size of my favorite old Ibanez S-series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 2, 2016 Report Share Posted April 2, 2016 I see what you mean Luis. I think it's an optical illusion from the light back. The top horn coincides with the 12th or thereabouts. The headstock gives it a sense of forward movement and lengthening. It is a bit long, but perhaps no overly so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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