First Guitar Build

[curtisa]

If you can get your hands on a plug cutter it will probably give you better results, both structurally and visually. The grain direction on the dowel will be lengthways (vertical in the bridge stud), whereas the grain direction of the body surrounding it will be perpendicular to it (horizontal across the face of the bridge stud). Redrilling a new stud into the endgrain of the dowel once it's inserted will be difficult, as the bit will tend to wander more than if it was drilling into cross-grain. End grain is weaker than cross-grain, so the tension of the strings may deform the dowelled section into an oval shape again. The end grain will also take stain very differently, so it may stand out prominently against the rest of the top once finished.

If you use a plug cutter you can make your own replacement from a piece of timber that where at least the grain direction matches the original, which will be stronger than plain dowel. You can also experiment with finding a close match to the original grain pattern so that the repair is as invisble as possible.

[Lofteren]

I cut my fret slots today and I learned a few valueable lessons

1) Cut your fret slots before you do anything else with the fretboard. It was really hard to get them all perpendicular to the center line because I had already assembled and carved my neck

2) Have appropriate measuring tools. Using a crappy protractor and a ruler makes the job much more difficult.

3) Use an appropriate fret slotting saw. I used a cheap miniature hacksaw because it was the only thing at home despot with the right sized kerf.

 

With that being said, the fret slots arent perfect but they also aren't really that bad. They are within 0.5mm of where they should be so hopefully they don't play too poorly when it is all put together. 

In other news, I got a router and a 1/2" x 1" pattern bit for father's day which should make my next build much easier and prettier.

[Lofteren]

1 hour ago, curtisa said:

If you can get your hands on a plug cutter it will probably give you better results, both structurally and visually. The grain direction on the dowel will be lengthways (vertical in the bridge stud), whereas the grain direction of the body surrounding it will be perpendicular to it (horizontal across the face of the bridge stud). Redrilling a new stud into the endgrain of the dowel once it's inserted will be difficult, as the bit will tend to wander more than if it was drilling into cross-grain. End grain is weaker than cross-grain, so the tension of the strings may deform the dowelled section into an oval shape again. The end grain will also take stain very differently, so it may stand out prominently against the rest of the top once finished.

If you use a plug cutter you can make your own replacement from a piece of timber that where at least the grain direction matches the original, which will be stronger than plain dowel. You can also experiment with finding a close match to the original grain pattern so that the repair is as invisble as possible.

I have drywall drill bit that cuts out a 1" core. Would that work?

Edited June 18, 2016 by Lofteren

[Lofteren]

I made a 10" radius sanding block out of a 2x4 using a plane and my new router.

It was my first time using a handheld router. That tool commands some respect. It is definitely the most powerful handheld tool that I have. It sliced through the 2x4 like butter.

[2.5itim]

routers are super dangerous, they are super powerful  and can get away from you in a split second. This was me 2 weeks ago. 

[Lofteren]

59 minutes ago, 2.5itim said:

routers are super dangerous, they are super powerful  and can get away from you in a split second. This was me 2 weeks ago. 

Ouch! I hope you didn't damage any nerves or tendons!!

 

I could definitely see how they could be dangerous, especially if you got in a hurry with it (which is a problem I have). I definitely need to learn to slow down and enjoy the process more.

[curtisa]

5 hours ago, Lofteren said:

I have drywall drill bit that cuts out a 1" core. Would that work?

I'd experiment with it first before running with it. The key will be how tight you can get the cut plug to fit the drilled-out stud hole.

[Lofteren]

Gotcha.

So once I get a nice plug I will drill a hole in the guitar smaller than the plug and then I'll turn the plug on a lathe with sandpaper until I get the perfect fit. Does that seem like a sound plan?

Here are some pics of the fret slotting job and the radius sanding block I made yesterday

[Andyjr1515]

Still looking pretty good to me 

[Lofteren]

I got the neck radiused and the body somewhat sanded. Then I put a coat of black dye on it. 

This will get sanded back everywhere but the fingerboard later.

[ScottR]

You made a wise move to start with cheap timber to learn all your lessons on. And I really like how you note the learning curve and the lessons learned along the way. In spite of all that, or perhaps in addition to it, you're going to get a pretty dang nice looking guitar out of it. You've got some design chops and an eye for balance. And I suspect it is going to sound pretty dang good too.

SR

[Lofteren]

Thank you very much for the compliments, sir. They are much appreciated.

The thing I am most worried about is whether or not the guitar will play well. That seems like it will be the most difficult aspect of guitar building to nail.

[ScottR]

Hit your measurements in terms of scale, do a good job of leveling and dressing your frets, make a neck that feels good in your hand. Seat your hardware securely, take care of your string break angle over the nut, and set it up to a comfortable action......and it will play well. Sounding good........takes pups and a player.

SR

[Lofteren]

I will do my best! I am sure there are many more mistakes and subsequent lessons in store for me.

I have a question though, if yall don't mind, since the problem bridge hole is only slightly larger than it should be, would it be possible to fill the hole with epoxy, bondo, or some other resin and then redrill the bridge hole?

[Andyjr1515]

I've been a bit slow on this @Lofteren. Is it the bridge or the stoptail hole that is skewed?

If we talk 'fit for purpose' solutions rather than perfection it makes a difference.  

The stoptail holes are all about holding the bushes in against the pull of the strings....exact positioning isn't critical.

The bridge holes and bushes are more about holding the posts steady against side loads from string bending and tremolos (if fitted). There is a downward force on the bridge from the strings, so as long as it doesn't rock in its bush it will be fine. It's worth noting that bridges on some arch tops, mandolins and violins aren't pegged or glued at all!!

So as a pragmatist, my own solution for the bridge hole would be to pack the hole with some slivers of veneer, use a modelling knife or file to square it up and hammer the bush in straight.  Actually, my pragmatic solution for a stoptail hole would be similar except the priority would be ensuring the fill was hard enough and the fit tight enough to prevent the strings pulling the bush out.  Personally, I would use a hardish wood (I would use veneer again) as a packer rather than filler or epoxy and not expand the hole any more, which would risk losing the strength and homogeneity of the existing wood that hasn't been deformed and is still in the right place for holding the bush.

This isn't the way a skilled builder or repairer would do it, but as long as it's going to do the job - for my own guitar and not a clients - I would be looking to fix the issue but without the risk of making it worse.

...and I do like that design.  It's going to look great when it's finished!

  

[Lofteren]

Thank you very much for this response.  It was exactly what I needed to know.

[Lofteren]

Since almost all of the plugs will be drilled out for the bridge holes I went ahead and used an oak dowel to fill the holes. I glued it in place with polyurethane glue and chiseled/sanded them flush.

 

I will never make another pine body guitar. It is way too soft to work with without constantly putting dings and scratches in it. It's almost next to impossible to carve with any level of precision due to the varying density between the grains. It may be suitable for a telecaster style body but that is pretty much it. This guitar has a carbed top, belly and knee cutaways and carves around the knobs so they can sit flat. None of these carves look as good as they should and sandin/filing them smooth only brings out the wavy texture in the grain even more. *sigh* 

I bought a jig-it drill guide from Rockler but I can't find any 12mm long-shank forstner bits to go with it. Do yall know where I could find one of these bits (preferably without paying a boatload of money)?

[komodo]

First of all welcome and great job so far,
Second, everything ScottR said.
Third, a right angle grinder and flap sander makes a wonderful carving tool, esp. for wood like this. 
Fourth, while ScottR is right, good to use inexpensive woods for learning - you are also right in that there are better woods for working, and with the labor involved you may want something more like mahogany or ash. 

That said, ScottR is also right again in that pine can sound amazing. I've made prototype bodies out of glued up 2x4s, just to get a feel for the shape and carve of a body, When I hacked out a neck pocket and string it up, it had an very chimy, bell-like tone that was pretty stunning.

[Prostheta]

No idea about the Forstners, sorry. It looks like that Jig It has caused a bit of a money pit if you're having to hunt around for more expensive Forstners because of it. Are you using the Forstners to create clean-edged holes or simply hogging? If the latter, ditch the guide and freehand them (carefully!). With care and attention to seating, you can manage all but the largest of them with hand drills.

[Lofteren]

So I decided that I will get the whole guitar finished and then will take it to a shop to have the bridge holes drilled. I will stick with hardtail bridges until I can get a drill press!

I sanded it to 400 grit, dyed it black again and started finishing it with tung oil. I have to say, it's looking pretty good right now.

[ScottR]

Agreed! It's a stealth guitar!

SR

[SIMpleONe89]

What colour hardware are you going with? 

[Andyjr1515]

That's looking really promising .   Can't wait to see it in all its playing glory!

[Lofteren]

Thanks yall. It is turning out to look a lot better than I expected.

I got the some of the hardware and the frets put on today. I figured out a way to get the bridge on finally but when I was lining it up I realized that the neck had gone in crooked ever so slightly. I put the bridge in the most "playable" position as the neck is glued in. This actually won't be very noticable when I am done as it is about .5mm to the left at the nut and .5mm to the right at the bridge and the guitar is 45mm at the nut so I had quite a bit of wiggle room. 

I made another mistake in which I set the neck back by a lottle more than 2 degrees so the bridge has to be a little higher than it usually is. This makes the guitar feel kind of like a violin in your hands. This is probably the most detrimental mistake I have made thus far. My next build will have a straight neck and a hardtail bridge hahaha.

I have a router now so my next build should be much more precise.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Lofteren

[Andyjr1515]

You get used to a different geometry of guitars very quickly, @Lofteren  I doubt that a 2 degree neck angle would put it into anywhere near unusual territory, however high your bridge seems to be!

It looks fabulous.  Kick**s and wicked