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Not Quite A Tele...


ScottR

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4 hours ago, curtisa said:

The zebrano in the sunset lighting almost looks too laid back for you, Scott. I trust you'll treat it to some jaw-dropping stain and buffing that we're used to from you around these parts?

Oh yes, that is way too plain just now. :D

Pretty much all of it is still in the raw ingredients phase. I haven't even pre-heated the oven yet. Lot's of cooking still to come.:P

SR

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15 minutes ago, ADFinlayson said:

I'm not a tele fan but this is totally awesome, especially the carved volute. Love it.

I'm not particularly fond of their looks myself. However, the look is iconic, as is much music made with them, so I used the silhouette as a jumping off place and twisted it up into something I do like. 

I don't think I could stand to make an exact replica of anything.:)

SR

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2 minutes ago, ScottR said:

I'm not particularly fond of their looks myself. However, the look is iconic, as is much music made with them, so I used the silhouette as a jumping off place and twisted it up into something I do like. 

I don't think I could stand to make an exact replica of anything.:)

SR

I agree, I like to base my instruments on something (usually prs in my case because I'm a fan boy) and it makes building a lot easier using pre-made templates but I think a certain amount of creative license is a must, otherwise I might as well just go out any buy another guitar instead. That being said, now that I know a thing or two about building them, I'd struggle to justify going out and buying another 😀

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10 minutes ago, mistermikev said:

man, the carve on that thing... you are really a master.  What carving tools do you use for a profile like that?

The back?

It was roughed in with a right angle sander and a random orbital sander, and cleaned up with that long sanding block pictured, and  a foam block that comes with micromesh with a piece of .020" polycarbonate adhered to one side. That flexes enough to get into all the concave areas and is still hard enough to not leave ripples over the grain changes.

The neck join was carved with hand gouges and cleaned up with the various sized drums from my spindle sander and foam sanding blocks.

The front was rough carved with hand gouges and then subjected to the same treatment as the back.

SR

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5 minutes ago, ScottR said:

The back?

It was roughed in with a right angle sander and a random orbital sander, and cleaned up with that long sanding block pictured, and  a foam block that comes with micromesh with a piece of .020" polycarbonate adhered to one side. That flexes enough to get into all the concave areas and is still hard enough to not leave ripples over the grain changes.

The neck join was carved with hand gouges and cleaned up with the various sized drums from my spindle sander and foam sanding blocks.

The front was rough carved with hand gouges and then subjected to the same treatment as the back.

SR

Honestly the front stands out to me more than anything altho the back and heel is/are outstanding too.  I love the soft curve of that top.  I would not have guessed those tools but it occurs to me that some of the better woodworkers - the tool just doesn't seem to matter - they just will the thing into shape!  Very nice work.

I have plans to do something similar on my next build... but had planned to try to use a roundover and go 3/16 too deep and then use a rasp to put in a gradient.  My rasp is really cheap.  I thought for sure there was gonna be a rasp involved here.  Do you ever use one?  if so what one?

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 I have some cheap rasps that get a little use in the neck carve. No name brand, nothing special....although I've always thought it would be fun to try a high end rasp like @Prosthetaoccasionally talks about. I made a rasp out of used band saw blades that removes wood very quickly that I use to rough shape my necks with. It is not for fine work, but it does a fine job of shredding wood quickly. This top wasn't thick enough to trust to that thing.

I've come to like the soft rounded carves on tops best. My earliest builds featured a re-curved top or two and they look great, but they create a hard sharp edge for your forearm to ride on. The soft curved tops came from a desire for comfort.

SR

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I had some minor leakage. I learned during my last build that dye does not go deep enough into Osage orange pores to remain after finish sanding. It did not look good dyed either.

C01912.jpg

Beginning the sand back process.

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I've begun the pore filling process....but pix will have to wait till next week.

SR

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