103801061982 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Its been dust day today. First things first though, trying to reinvent the wheel. I was going to try an go for something distinctive but ended up being quite conservative. After twiddling thumbs until it was a decent time to make some noise, I got the neck and fingerboard thicknessed and levelled. I'm very surprised how well this thing worked. Why did I ever think doing this by hand was a reasonable idea? Swapped out the rails in the jig and cut a compound scarf. This was definitely a first for me, but all seems good. Just a small bit if cleanup before gluing. This is where I went a bit leftfield. Had a few bits of ebony left over from cutting the fretborads, so I made a laminate to go in the scarf joint. Looks more like rosewood in this pic... So here's where we are now. One bent stick with a massive paddle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Looking good; are the surfaces super-flat and light-tight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Looks great!! In my experience with doing laminated scarf joints, you may want the laminate on the back side of the neck to be moved down just a hair. On my first attempt at this I had it almost the same as you and would have had a void where the laminate met the back of the headstock. May just be the way the picture was taken tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Surprisingly so - only minimal clean up and smoothing with paper needed. I did spend a lot of time truing the bed and rails on the routing jig though. This is my first time working with maple as figured as this and I was half expecting it to turn into chipped torn out mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 I think it may be the angle of the picture. There'll be a bit of coming off the back of the neck too so I've got c. 5mm to play with there 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Didn't take too many pics over the last couple of days. I know, slacking. I started on the fretboard. I love the figure in this Macassar Ebony. I'm blessed to have gotten 6 boards and a few useable offcuts from the billet that I had. I wasn't prepared by how much it wants to chip out though. I'm quite lucky that the boards are wide enough to give margins. On the acoustics I've built I've tended to score fret positions with a chunky violin knife, go in with a thin Japanese saw and then widen with my fret saw. I got about halfway though this board before finding that my fret saw had gotten about as blunt as a sponge - caused a lot of jumping around at the higher frets, but nothing that wont be hidden when fretted. Gluing bindings. I'm nowhere near confident enough with fretting yet to let the tangs hang out. Bindings are much blacker, but I quite like the effect. Radiused back to 16 inches and roughly levelled 2 mm carbon rods and a truss rod installed and board on. Sides scraped flush and headstock roughly shaped. I'm thinking of leaving this without truss rod cover. On the whole I'm quite happy with how things are going on this. Thinking of finishes already. Theres a video on youtube that I love of a tele with a puple to light rose fade finish. I've got it in my head to finish this thing in light rose - ok pink. natural back or purple stained? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 I'd love to see this in a purple to light rose fade. The neck is looking quite classy just now too. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Wow, now that IS turning out nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted June 3, 2016 Report Share Posted June 3, 2016 Love that scarf joint! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 That is looking very impressive, Matt. A scarfe sledge is on my list of rigs to build and this thread has reminded me to pop it a bit higher in the priorities... In terms of your fret cutting, do you use any kind of mitre block or rig to keep your blade vertical? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Andy - I've discussed the idea of the scarfing sled with Carlos at Guitars and Woods. I've been designing a permanent jig which has repeatability and adjustability. Not sure if it is conducive to manufacturing as of yet, but it certainly can be made as a Roll Royce of homebuilt jigs. The problem we're currently rattling out is whether the thickness of the acrylic is too much for cutting by laser reliably. It would be best cut by laser simple for marking out and achieving internal corners that rotary cutters can't match. Important for the sled stops. In fact, I think I just solved this problem.... I'll take this over to The Design Bar section in order to prevent this thread from being derailed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 thanks Pros. Andy, I start the slots with the saw against a square cut offcut and then finish off by hand. Seems to work, but a mitre box is on the list. The ever growing list. Bit of grunt work today. levelling boards. Rough cut blank. and then thought this was a good idea. fool. Had some fun with the neck though. Rough carve done. I'm going to walk away from this for a bit an the dial it in later. Annoyingly Ive hit a couple of really dark lines in the maple under 1st fret. Really hoping I don't have to touch this area again. The heal block takes care of a couple of offcuts that I didn't want to through out. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 .... Not 100% sold on the laminates, but hey this ones more about trying things out than anything else I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 That neck is downright tasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5itim Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Man I agree, that neck is damn classy!! good job dude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Yep, they turned out really well. I'm more into the laminates in the heel than in the scarf. That's just never been my thing. The heel laminates remind me of @psikoT's work, oddly. Just the kind of thing I think he might do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Cheers gents The plan was to stain all of the light wood so the contrast would be a bit less and when done I should be left with just rose and pink and ebony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 not going to be able to get much bench time in today, but there is time for a quick whittle. I shaped off the heel a bit more. Treble side yet to do. Gawked at some flame a bit this is where I need someone to tell me to stop obsessing. these chaps are bugging me for some reason. I'm guessing they will become a lot less obvious during finishing. The volute is lobsided as well, but then isn't everything on multiscale guitars. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tekkelenburg Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 Really loving the neck! Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamzelix Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 That neck is incredible. I can't wait to see the finished guitar. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.neckel013 Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Very good! One of the most beautiful neck rolled I've seen in recent times. I will be waiting for eager new updates ... Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 On 5/29/2016 at 3:13 PM, Prostheta said: Laphroaig 10yo.....I'm an Ardbeg kinda guy myself :-) Leffe Blonde is great. I love good Belgian ales. Not had any in a while since all the trouble with buying beer from within the EU and importing to Finland. Even though we're EU. La Chouffe is a personal favourite of my wife and I, along with Duvel. The mindwiper. You'd have loved my 30th bday party last month then. Had a full keg of easy-drinking Goose Island 312 for "the crowd" and a 1/6th keg (about 60 beers) of Le Chouffe in the "back room" for the VIPs hahahaha. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 A keg, eh? Nice. I've noted a distinct difference between the small stubby bottles and the taller ones. I wonder how a keg would affect it.... And yes....I would have loved an invite to your birthday party even though you know I wouldn't have been able to make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103801061982 Posted June 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 Cheers gents! Taking a week of sun in Crete and craving a warm beer at the moment. The more time away, the more fiddling jobs want to do on the neck. I'm also ashamed to say that I've already started thinking on the next one. I want to extend the stripes onto the back of the headstock so that's the first thing to ponder on I think. What's the general opinion on open locking hipshot tuners? I think its a toss up between them or a set of sperzels. Not sure if I read the blurb right, but is the orientation changeable on sperzels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 I used the open Hipshots on my last 2 builds. Love 'em, can't recommend enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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