Lofteren Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 This is my first attempt at building a guitar. Since I don't expect my first guitar to be a masterpiece, I am building this one with cheap wood from Lowe's. The body is made from a 2x8 board (pine?) and the neck is made from a 1x4 piece of red oak. The fret board is also red oak. Surprisingly, Lowe's sold bits of red oak cut to almost exactly the same specs as a fret board blank. I started out by cutting 2 20" sections of the pine board and joining them together using a #7 plane. I don't have proper clamps yet so I balanced them on their sides and put 45lb weight on top. It was a little precarious but worked out well. Then I cut out the shape of the body with a jig saw and trued up the sides using a plane a rasp and a file. I started the neck next. I made a 13 degree scarf joint with a handsaw and a plane and then dug out the truss rod channel using a metal yard stick clamped to the neck blank as a guide and did the cutting with a 1/4" wood gouge as I don't have a router yet. Then I cut out the shape of the neck with a jigsaw and straightened out the sides with a plane, chisel and file. I drilled a hole for truss rod access through the headstock and chiseled out around it (this didn't go as well as I hoped but it isn't too bad). After the truss rod was well fitted I glued the neck blank down (after I rough cut it to shape with the jig saw). I used the scraps from cutting out the neck blank to glue some "ears" onto the headstock. While the neck was drying, I chiseled out the neck pocket. Hopefully this build goes well! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted June 4, 2016 Report Share Posted June 4, 2016 Welcome! Great job on the scarf joint for a first timer! The body looks nice as well. I started off with pine as well, made some mistakes but I guess that's how you learn. Practice on cheap wood first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 (edited) Thank you, sir. I tried cutting a 13 degree cut with my piece of garbage hand saw which was a waste of time. I wouldn't have done much more planing if I'd cut it straight across! Edited June 5, 2016 by Lofteren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 Some people have used simple scarf joint jigs to route/sand the surface flat so that can definitely help shape it quickly. How do you plan to carve the body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 5, 2016 Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 The body shape looks great, if it is a softer pine species it might be worth putting some hardwood veneer on the back that would stop buckle rash really gouging divets out. Does anyone know whether painting superglue on the the neck pocket surfaces would strengthen it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 10 hours ago, SIMpleONe89 said: Some people have used simple scarf joint jigs to route/sand the surface flat so that can definitely help shape it quickly. How do you plan to carve the body? I am hoping to give it a Les Paul(ish) arch top that I will carve out with gouges and chisels. On the back, I am planning on rasping out thick belly ans thigh cutaways as well as beveling the double cutaways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2016 I took the clamps off the neck, cut out the headstock shape with a jigsaw and filed/sanded it down a little bit. There is still a lot of shaping to do. It won't let me upload pics right now fpr some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 Started chiseling the body today. Still waiting on my spokeshave to come in the mail for carving the neck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Two things about pine. It is one of the hardest woods to carve, because the hard part of the rings is so hard and tough and the soft parts are so soft and don't like to cut. And it has the reputation of being surprisingly nice sounding when used for guitar bodies. SR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 ^I noticed that today. Carving the wood wasn't too bad using a sharp gouge but when I started smoothing it out with a rasp, a file, and sandpaper I noticed that the surface wouldn't get completely flat. The soft wood between the grain sands so quickly that it has ridges on it along the lines. How can I get that to go away? In any event, it is starting to look pretty nice, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 8, 2016 Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 About the only way to counter that is to use a hard flat sanding block and use care when you're in the short places like your horns to have the hard grain supporting the block. You can contour a side of the block to help sand the rise of your carve. Or you can give in to the nature of the beast and just claim the ridges are part of the look. That works best if you use a natural finish. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) What type of natural finish would you recommend? Shellac? I am assuming that a satin finish would be best? I was planning on dying it black, sanding it back, dying it dark brown and then sealing it with a satin, brush on lacquer. Edited June 8, 2016 by Lofteren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 I carved out the neck with a spokeshave, rasps, files and sandpaper. It came out pretty well I think. I cut the neck pocket to fit before I finished carving and sanding the neck which was a big mistake. Now the neck pocket is too big. I have a solution in mind though, so I glued a bit of red oak to the bottom of the heel, filed it flush with the neck and then planed it down so my neck will have a but of an angle to it like a Les Paul. I figured this would be appropriate as I am using a tune o matic bridge. Then I glued some bits of red oak to the sides and clamped it. Hopefully the oak will reinforce the neck pocket a bit as I was worried about the neck moving around due to the pine being so soft. Replacing some pine with oak and polyurethane glue has to make it stronger (right?). By the way, I got a cheap ass spokeshave off of the Wish app for $5. Surprisingly, it is an outstanding spokeshave! It's sturdy and sharp enough to shave with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 9, 2016 Report Share Posted June 9, 2016 I love the carve on the body. It brings out the grain pattern beautifully 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 10, 2016 Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 I was thinking oil, but any satin clear would look nice. By natural, I was thinking no dye or stain. Another thing about pine is it looks like a negative image of itself when stained. In its raw form the hard narrow lines are the darkest and the wide softer parts are lightest. This reverses with stain because the soft part absorbs a lot of pigment and the hard parts next to none. Be sure to test on scrap to see if you like what you are getting before coloring your guitar. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2016 9 hours ago, ScottR said: I was thinking oil, but any satin clear would look nice. By natural, I was thinking no dye or stain. Another thing about pine is it looks like a negative image of itself when stained. In its raw form the hard narrow lines are the darkest and the wide softer parts are lightest. This reverses with stain because the soft part absorbs a lot of pigment and the hard parts next to none. Be sure to test on scrap to see if you like what you are getting before coloring your guitar. SR This is good advice, thanks for that. I assume the opposite is true for the red oak. I was thinking about painting the back and sides of the neck and the body black and then staining the front. The neck joint has some imperfections and I figured that would help cover them up. Could I use oil over the painted part? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2016 On Friday, June 10, 2016 at 8:13 AM, ScottR said: I glued the neck on today and started filing the joint flush. I was the neck and the body to be almost seamless. I have a lot of filimg left to do but at least the neck lines up nice and straight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 11, 2016 Report Share Posted June 11, 2016 15 hours ago, Lofteren said: This is good advice, thanks for that. I assume the opposite is true for the red oak. I was thinking about painting the back and sides of the neck and the body black and then staining the front. The neck joint has some imperfections and I figured that would help cover them up. Could I use oil over the painted part? Good question. My experience with drips of Watkins Danish oil and Behlens Teak oil is they will stick to most anything if left alone long enough. On the other hand they have fairly long working times, so you could oil the top and just wipe off anything you get on the paint. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 On Friday, June 10, 2016 at 8:13 AM, ScottR said: Well, I made another big mistake. I drilled holes for the bridge and tried to tap one of the bushings (I guess that's what it would be called) into the hole and it went in crooked so I tried to remove it with my fingers by wiggling it gently. When it finally came out I saw that it going in crooked had stretched the hole out really big. I am planning on using a drill press to bore the hole out to 1/2 inch and will fill it with a poplar dowel and try again. The bushings are just over 12mm so I used an 11.8mm bit. I think this time I'll get a slightly larger bit so it doesn't take so much pressure to get them in and I'll just place them with a little wood glue to keep them tight. Now I just need to get my hands on a drill press! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2016 I am building a new fence around my property which is a gigantic undertaking so I haven't had any time to work on my guitar. Here is a recent pic of the guitar though. I got the pup slots chiseled out. As soon as I get the bridge holes corrected I can really start putting it together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10pizza Posted June 16, 2016 Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 Just as my build goes ;-) FInished with my garden now, got some other things this and next week, but July is going to be a good project Guitar month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted June 16, 2016 Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 Looking good. How do you intend to fix the bridge posts? I must say I'm terrified of drilling bridge posts because I've gotten them wrong before and the guitar was pretty much unplayable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 12 hours ago, SIMpleONe89 said: Looking good. How do you intend to fix the bridge posts? I must say I'm terrified of drilling bridge posts because I've gotten them wrong before and the guitar was pretty much unplayable! I am going to drill it out and glue a dowel in it, then redrill using a forstner bit jig that I ordered from Rockler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted June 16, 2016 Report Share Posted June 16, 2016 Just now, Lofteren said: I am going to drill it out and glue a dowel in it, then redrill using a forstner bit jig that I ordered from Rockler. Then how would you plan to hide any defects? Solid colour? Heavy stain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lofteren Posted June 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2016 I think that using a dowel with similar color and grain would be the most important. Most of the dowel will be covered by the bridge anyway. I will probably stain it very dark to help out as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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