Prostheta Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 You've got bravery behind you, I can say that without a doubt! Wengé is splintery and tends to blow out a lot, but I guess you already know this quite well..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 Thank you @Prostheta! Well, until now all I had was hearsay, but I can now say from experience that Wenge is REALLY splintery! (ouch!) A fellow on another forum posted a link to some incredible wood-bound fretboards, which got me to thinking how smooth the Padauk cut. So I did a little experiment, trying to cut a 1mm piece off another neck blank, and but cutting one side at a time, went really well. What do you think about pinstripes? I mostly worried about sanding down the radius ... wont that red dust get into the Wenge grain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted July 16, 2017 Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 Love the pinstripe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 16, 2017 Report Share Posted July 16, 2017 The dust will get in there, however the larger problem is the oil which makes the dust so problematic. Wengé should be less prone to discolouration (compressed air in the pores and you're fine) but lighter-coloured woods....? That's when it turns everything pink! Just be careful with that compressed air if you use it though. Don't give yourself an air embolism directing it at your skin, and don't blow the workpiece to bits blasting powerful jets into Wengé's monster-sized pores! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 So decided to go for the pinstripe Padauk/Wenge binding. All was fine in the theory stage, but when it came time to flip the router switch to cut off 3mm on each side of the fretboard (point of no return ... up to now I could always bail out and just show the fret tangs or nip them and fill with sawdust) ... got a bit anxious. After all the work cutting those frets!!! Manned up, and trimmed the board. Never imagined luthiery would require such heroism! That 25mm deep flush trim bit is one of the best investments ... at $30 (compared to a cheapo $10 piece of junk), this consistently makes nice smooth edges, and handled the Wenge with no chipout or burns. Was surprised, honestly, and those fret slots really looked like potential trouble. Got my first pinstripe in ... Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 Nice work - and very brave too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 Gaaaaahhhhh! Glued one side of the Padauk pinstripe, and though I thought I was being careful with the glue, it wicked up the fret slots something fierce!! Nearly reached for a blowtorch. Knowing that if I left it to dry, it would be a bear to remove later, I grabbed a piece of sheet paper, folded it in half, and ran it up the slot to kind of push/scoop it out ... 26 times. On the other side, same thing happened, but I was ready and had 30 little pieces cut and folded ... worked a lot better second time. After trimming the bottom, glued one side of the Wenge, so that I can get final measurement and the heel piece. You can see it in the last picture, it's 1mm too wide, but wanted to measure off the actual finished line before trying to remove precisely 1mm. Tomorrow 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 18, 2017 Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 Ouch, I've been there myself. Quick tip; take a credit card and carefully drill a ~1/4" hole near an edge. Use a sander to thin it down a hair from the 0,76mm standard to about 0,5mm. Enough to fit within a fret slot. Then use scissors to cut along one side across the hole you drilled to make a hook. A figuratively-instant fret slot cleaning tool. Of course, if you have some 0,5mm plastic then that's fine too....credit-like cards are pretty much free. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 18, 2017 Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 I've often wondered if making fret dams or plugs out of plastic would be worthwhile. They would be the length of the slot and the width of the slot and stick out maybe a quarter inch above the board. Plug all the slots and glue up and then pull the lugs as the glue sets up and quits flowing. There might be a little clean left to do, but it shouldn't be much. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 18, 2017 Report Share Posted July 18, 2017 Blu-tack, or any other relatively clean poster putty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 10 hours ago, Prostheta said: Blu-tack, or any other relatively clean poster putty. That's an interesting idea ... it doesn't get stuck in the slot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 Thanks for reading and commenting, guys! I haven't been participating much in everyone else's threads much ... a bit focused on working in the shop as time allows, and posting my progress ... but I have been lurking. So ... glued bottom and other side of Wenge this morning, then pulled the clamps off and cleaned up the top a bit. The whole thing must be thicknessed from the present 9mm to about 6mm, and the top has to be radiused. About 1/2" (12mm) will be cut off each end and both sides thinned about 2mm after gluing this to the neck. Which means a lot more to go, but I'm really happy the "fanned" frets are done, and my pinstriped wood binding seems to have worked out nicely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 Dots!! At another forum buddy's suggestion, I re-thought my idea that dots are boring. (that, and special-design, custom-made fret markers for a multiscale would be a real chore) He uses a wood dowel inside an aluminum tube! First, I went on a tangent and tried a clear acrylic dot, so you can see the wood below. It works, but I have carbon fiber rods below, so that won't look nice on this guitar. Maybe next one? ... (btw, I can get the clear a lot more clear, but was too lazy) So back to the wood-in-a-metal-tube, I tried brass, to compliment the brass but I plan on using. I gotta say, I kinda like this one! The first picture is the plug-boring tool I made to cut the center wood ... it's just the same brass tube with "cutters" I ground into it with a file. It's brass, so is soft and clogs easily, but I just take the file and dress it a bit every mm or so. Good thing I only have to make 10 of these! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted July 19, 2017 Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 The pin stripe came out beautifully. Nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 19, 2017 Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 12 hours ago, charisjapan said: That's an interesting idea ... it doesn't get stuck in the slot? It does, but you can easily clean it out....easier than glue! A cocktail stick, plastic hook or anything does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 If you have ever wondered what 2.5mm of Wenge (and a little Padauk) looks like in powdered form, with a few card scraper shavings ... this. Minus what went on the floor, in the air, and embedded in my mask. I was thinking of alternative ways to do this (router sled, handplanes, focused neutron energy ...) but all promised disaster/splinters/tearout/WWIII, so instead of thinking, just slapped on some #60 and went to it. Yeah, it took an hour, but "just do it" was probably the shorter option ... and gained incredible muscle tone in my forearms! (bonus) The card scraper was last, just to see what the wood looks like planed. The board is now a bit less than 7mm, and pretty flat. Will probably take it down to 6.5mm, then radius. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a2k Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 I've been lurking along as we pack up. This is looking incredibly sharp. The pin stripe binding and brass filled markers are going to be really nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 Finally~! Started work on the body. I was bidding on a 10" bandsaw, so was holding off ... the $600 saw went for $550 the last 20 minutes. WAY outta my budget, so will have to save some more sheckels or, like today, make do with my trusty 20 year old Ryobi jigsaw. Tried a super sharp fine blade that was completely defeated by the Limba. Found this Bosch "Speed for Wood" blade, and it worked, but still took 45 minutes. After that, another 45 minutes on the spindle sander ... along with my fretboard thicknessing saga this morning, I am going to feel this later. (sigh) Anyway, as I was sanding the body edges in preparation for routing from the template, I got carried away and just sanded precisely to the line, and then spent another hour using a sanding block. The Limba was so nice to sand! (I know a lot of folks don't like sanding, but ... I do!) Feeling good for some progress that looks like progress! And having dithered over finish, I bought some Odie's Oil today. It will have to go to Hawaii (won't ship to Japan), so I won't have it until I go there to see my kids and grandkids (#3 due in September). Thank you @KnightroExpressfor the idea. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethereal Guitars Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 That fretboard looks amazing! Great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 9 hours ago, charisjapan said: The Limba was so nice to sand! (I know a lot of folks don't like sanding, but ... I do!) You and I may be the only two on the planet that do... That fretboard came out amazing btw. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 ....and Nina.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 When I first saw this I doubted the fretboard, because Wenge can be such a PITA. But holy cow is it beautiful. Great work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 13 hours ago, charisjapan said: The Limba was so nice to sand! (I know a lot of folks don't like sanding, but ... I do!) 4 hours ago, ScottR said: You and I may be the only two on the planet that do... I'll be a third, then. I find that it sands quite nicely, though I don't find the smell so appealing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 Kudos to @ScottR for the 3M on a plane. Used my old Stanley #5-1/2, and worked like a dream. I was getting close to my goal of 6.15mm nut to 6.65mm heel, and being very careful, but this was the difference between very close and exactly on target. Yay! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charisjapan Posted July 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 Epoxied the carbon fiber rods into the neck. (I love Summer Vacation!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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