willliam_q Posted January 7, 2020 Report Share Posted January 7, 2020 Agreed everything looks class on this guitar!! Congrats on sick a lovely build 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted January 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 Thanks guys, very encouraging to hear. 9 hours ago, JayT said: The knobs holes look way close to the edge...I was wondering how close I could get mine to the edge. Why did you choose to do that, it looks really cool that way. Not sure I've ever seen knobs place like that. They are definitely way down/out there, and this was kind of an experiment for me. I tend to wear my strap pretty high and my arm naturally wants to relax and fall down the body of the guitar, so I'm always jostling the volume knob on accident when I play. So, I figured I'd try getting things as far out of the way as possible with this build and see what happens. Side note: nice to see someone on here so close by in Annapolis! I'm just up the road in Baltimore currently, but for a little while I worked at the PRS guitar factory right across the bay bridge. Cheers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayT Posted January 8, 2020 Report Share Posted January 8, 2020 10 hours ago, Lumberjack said: Side note: nice to see someone on here so close by in Annapolis! I'm just up the road in Baltimore currently, but for a little while I worked at the PRS guitar factory right across the bay bridge. Cheers Ha, as it happens for over 10 years I've working in Bmore (Hampden) so we've possibly cross paths at some point. Surprised you didn't notice the PRS/HardRock sign pic I use as my avatar....or maybe you did. I had some acquaintances that worked (or possibly interned) at PRS when they were still in the small Annapolis location back in the day. Small world! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted January 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 Got the bridge and ferrules drilled today. Time for some questions: 1. What bits do you guys use for longer drilling, i.e. 1.5" deep or more? I'm using a set of Dewalt black oxide bits and they got burning hot when I plunged these holes for the ferrules, literally burning the wood, smoke included, had to cool the bit between drills. My drill press is set to 2800rpm IIRC, not sure what I'm doing wrong here but if you guys have any tips I'd gladly hear them. Maybe some carbide bits would fare better? 2. How do you guys manage precise locations with your drilling? Mine always seem to wander here and there, and one of my nightmares is ferrules or inlay dots looking non-uniform in spacing, non-linear, and so on. These came out ok in the end, but they were a little off despite measuring and re-measuring, and I had to do some damage control as always seems to be the case. You can see the middle two ferrules on the top are a little too close, kinda look a smidge out of line, and so on - luckily these are a bit loose now so I'll leave the holes open when I spray more lacquer and just file them back in line using the lacquer build up to my advantage, but I really wish I didn't have to do that kind of thing. Same deal with the side dots on the fingerboard, no matter how precisely they're marked I always seem to get holes a little off kilter and having to fix them up after the fact. I got a laser-guided drill press a couple builds ago hoping to eliminate the problem, but the laser calibration seems to be about as accurate as whatever I was doing before, and I still get some drift here and there and end up having to eyeball some stuff and sometimes fix it after the fact. I see the pictures of great builds online/instagram/wherever and the drilling looks so amazing - I know some of that is being done by CNC for some of the bigger builders, but there's got to be SOME way of getting closer to that uniformity with clamps and a drill press. Any and all advice welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted January 10, 2020 Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 3 minutes ago, Lumberjack said: 1. What bits do you guys use for longer drilling, i.e. 1.5" deep or more? I'm using a set of Dewalt black oxide bits and they got burning hot when I plunged these holes for the ferrules, Just a set of HSS uncoated bits for me, plus a set of Colt Twinland brad points for the high precision stuff (the good ones, before they produced the dud set). Peck drilling (plunge in a bit, back it out, plunge in a bit more, repeat) will help with chip evacuation and minimise rubbing and excess heat build-up. 6 minutes ago, Lumberjack said: 2. How do you guys manage precise locations with your drilling? Mine always seem to wander here and there, and one of my nightmares is ferrules I borrow (stole? paid homage to?) the technique by user @RestorationAD - just about the best way I can think of to drill the ferrule holes on a standard drill press I've come across. Click the link and scroll down to get the pictorial story about how he does it. The trick is to drill from the top side using a short stubby bit to about half depth, flip the body over and use the locating pin on the drill press to ensure the top side remains aligned with the tip of the drill bit, and drill the backside so that the two sets of holes meet in the middle. You can then add your counterbores for the ferrules while the locating pin in the drill press keeps everything concentric. The shorter bit means less chance of deflection once it gets too deep in the wood. Expecting a skinny bit to give you a perfect perpendicular hole all the way through a body in one go is asking for trouble. Even on a CNC this would be hit or miss. 11 minutes ago, Lumberjack said: or inlay dots looking non-uniform in spacing, non-linear Probably no cheaters way of doing those other than 'measure twice, cut once'. Use a brad point bit for the fretboard markers to prevent wandering. For side markers I use an awl (or other similar pointy stick) to 'pre-divot' the intended location of the dot, and then finish off with the corresponding tiny bit. Just the cordless driver is all I'd use in that case. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted January 10, 2020 Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 A slightly more detailed description of the technique here. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted January 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 1 hour ago, curtisa said: A slightly more detailed description of the technique here. 1 hour ago, curtisa said: Just a set of HSS uncoated bits for me, plus a set of Colt Twinland brad points for the high precision stuff (the good ones, before they produced the dud set). Peck drilling (plunge in a bit, back it out, plunge in a bit more, repeat) will help with chip evacuation and minimise rubbing and excess heat build-up. 1 hour ago, curtisa said: For side markers I use an awl (or other similar pointy stick) to 'pre-divot' the intended location of the dot, and then finish off with the corresponding tiny bit. Just the cordless driver is all I'd use in that case. This is gold, thanks so much for sharing! This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, I'll be sure to try this out on my next build. Really appreciate it, cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 10, 2020 Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 Isn't 2800 rpm a bit on the fast side when drilling hard woods? A slower speed might reduce burning and heating caused by friction. Even speeds below 1000 don't sound slow to me. Another method for accurate ferrules is to drill halfways from the top side using whatever template you have for marking - even a bridge if it's of the string through type. Then drill both end holes through the body and use the same template for the bottom side lining it up between the holes. You can either drill pilot holes for a brad point bit or go directly to the larger one. If the end holes aren't perfectly positioned you can plug them after having marked the center holes and use the template for lining them up as the large hole from the bottom will catch the smaller from the top off-center as well inside the body. Err... I'm starting to doubt my explanation being not so clear... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted January 10, 2020 Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 8 hours ago, curtisa said: A slightly more detailed description of the technique here. Just saw this, seriously useful stuff! I'll be trying this method out on the up coming tele build, thanks bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 10, 2020 Report Share Posted January 10, 2020 7 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Isn't 2800 rpm a bit on the fast side when drilling hard woods? A slower speed might reduce burning and heating caused by friction. Even speeds below 1000 don't sound slow to me. Yes. Nothing more to add, these guys all beat me to saying what was going to be the exact same thing. Actually I lied, I do have one more thing to add about using the pin method to line up your ferule holes. Do make sure your bit is square to the work support table and the back of the guitar itself. And make sure your body is clamped rock solid. Whenever I get a bit of drift using this method, I always find that my work piece was not locked down tight and had a little wobble in it. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willliam_q Posted January 12, 2020 Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 I agree I’ve used RADs pin method before with good results. @Lumberjack I don’t know whether your photo just doesn’t show the imperfect alignment but I, personally, would be ecstatic if I got ferrules as good as you have! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted January 13, 2020 Report Share Posted January 13, 2020 On 1/9/2020 at 7:57 PM, curtisa said: A slightly more detailed description of the technique here. that is a clever tip. when you first said locating pin I thought "there's no locating pin on my drill press" then I saw the picture. mind blown. I've always done the top first halfway, then flip and do the back to meet... but the locating pin thing... have not seen that. Will use that next time. funny, first thing I look at when I see a guitar with ferrules is if one of them is slightly in front/back of the others. Can never unsee that now! what I used on my most recent is top down drill halfway then flip over, and I have an mdf template I made with the largest bit for countersinking the ferules. I have a crosshairs on the template to line up with center and approx location measured back from the end of the guitar. Just sticky taped the tamplate down on the lines... now insert the bit into the template hole and make sure you can rotate it. This got me a nice straight line... but admittedly the locating pin idea is way better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted February 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Still chugging away at this bit by bit, but I'm waiting on that headstock decal to come in and I'm not sure if I'll finish assembling it before then or just wait for everything to come in so I can shoot some clear over the headstock/decal and assemble afterward. Cavity shielded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Lumberjack Posted March 21, 2020 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted March 21, 2020 Alright, finally finished this build! Here she is: Slight scallop in the higher frets, not too deep, doesn't go all the way across to the bass side, just where I need it for bends and such. Super happy with the way these logos came out, first time I've ever had a proper set made. Glad I went with metal too. This was extremely fun to design and build, and was a big step forward for me in the technique department. This is also the best fretwork I've managed to pull off to date, and it plays better than anything I've built before. I'll do a little demo of it soon. Thanks for all the encouragement everyone! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JouniK Posted March 21, 2020 Report Share Posted March 21, 2020 Congrats. That is some awesome work. Looks stunning. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 That is gorgeous! Stunning piece of work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 That is an awesome guitar, so many cool touches, my favourite is the headstock, front and back and the fact that the whole thing is so metal, rawk and roll. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Not only is the overall design fantastic, the tiny details are also outstanding! My eyes immediately registered the backplate and neck having the stripes aligned. Looking at it, it's both tranquil and dynamic at the same time! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Wow that's stunning. The clear stripe between the blue and darker wood really leaps out. It's a born shredder 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 16 hours ago, Lumberjack said: Alright finally finished this build! Here she is: Super happy with the way these logos came out, first time I've ever had a proper set made. Glad I went with metal too. This was extremely fun to design and build, and was a big step forward for me in the technique department. This is also the best fretwork I've managed to pull off to date, and it plays better than anything I've built before. I'll do a little demo of it soon. Thanks for all the encouragement everyone! I love this little detail here. I actually am doing something very similar on my current build - just a chrome waterslide in the sm spot. Has the specs of the neck right there. you "went with metal" do you mean actual metal or chrome vinyl? it looks great. color contrast on the top is stunning. amazing work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted March 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 1 hour ago, mistermikev said: I love this little detail here. I actually am doing something very similar on my current build - just a chrome waterslide in the sm spot. Has the specs of the neck right there. you "went with metal" do you mean actual metal or chrome vinyl? it looks great. color contrast on the top is stunning. amazing work. Thanks! The lettering on the back was just with a silver paint pen, the logo on top is actually made from chromed aluminum by a company called Pidplates. It was kind of expensive ( I thought, anyways ) and they have a long lead time, but I've been wanting a solid logo for a long time and figured I'd take the plunge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 16 minutes ago, Lumberjack said: Thanks! The lettering on the back was just with a silver paint pen, the logo on top is actually made from chromed aluminum by a company called Pidplates. It was kind of expensive ( I thought, anyways ) and they have a long lead time, but I've been wanting a solid logo for a long time and figured I'd take the plunge. Cool. gonna have to check that out. how is it attached? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted March 22, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 38 minutes ago, mistermikev said: Cool. gonna have to check that out. how is it attached? It has some adhesive on the backside of the logo, so after level sanding the base clear coats I stuck it on and then sealed it in a few top coats of lacquer. Its pretty thin, but not nearly as thin as a decal, so even after 3 or so coats of lacquer you can definitely still see and feel it's raised from the rest of the finish. I had planned on that, as I had a Martin acoustic and a Schecter with similar metal logos on the headstock and I liked those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 5 minutes ago, Lumberjack said: It has some adhesive on the backside of the logo, so after level sanding the base clear coats I stuck it on and then sealed it in a few top coats of lacquer. Its pretty thin, but not nearly as thin as a decal, so even after 3 or so coats of lacquer you can definitely still see and feel it's raised from the rest of the finish. I had planned on that, as I had a Martin acoustic and a Schecter with similar metal logos on the headstock and I liked those. right on. cool stuff for sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willliam_q Posted March 22, 2020 Report Share Posted March 22, 2020 Looks great, love this guitar! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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