JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Almost caught up to present day, hopefully you don't mind a load of pics being put on in quick succession. After the successful attempt with the pickup rings, I had a think about what to do next, this oak is strong so maybe I can make something else... Cut a block and marked it up then drilled (freehand as I don't have a drill press) Probably a bit wayward, but should be close enough and hopefully will not notice it so much on the finished piece Drilled the holes a bit bigger on one side and in with the string ferrules to test the fit Bit more shaping and test again More shaping and sanded to 600 grit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Almost caught up to present day, hopefully you don't mind a load of pics being put on in quick succession. After the successful attempt with the pickup rings, I had a think about what to do next, this oak is strong so maybe I can make something else... Cut a block and marked it up then drilled (freehand as I don't have a drill press) Probably a bit wayward, but should be close enough and hopefully will not notice it so much on the finished piece Drilled the holes a bit bigger on one side and in with the string ferrules to test the fit Bit more shaping and test again More shaping and sanded to 600 grit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 I then decided to go all experimental (or just mental...) and would have a go at making a bridge, knowing full well it would need to be metal for the earth. Finding something suitable took a while, needs to be something that will not rust and then I had a eureka moment... Tent pegs don't rust Sanded one end to see how it looked And then set about shaping with files and an old acoustic saddle as reference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 and a bit of bending to shape by hand then sanding smooth... still needed cutting to size, but want to get all the marks of it first, a lot easier to work with when the hook end is still on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Next step the bridge. Cut a block out and then using the old saddle marked out for the curve. Realised it was a bit too thick, so cut it down a bit before getting the initial curve done Marked out the saddle position Basic cut and shape of the groove, then started shaping it On to the other side and then sanding Cut down to size and drilled for the posts. Shaping and sanding complete, cleaned with turps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Cut the saddle down to size Testing the cut saddle, will earth it via the bass side, looks about right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Time to test it all in place Still need to glue the string ferrules and saddle in place, but wanted to oil the bridge first and the tailpiece needed another coat as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Oiled the bridge and tailpiece Wednesday afternoon and another coat later that night. Still need to glue the saddle in place, but haven't decided which glue to use yet. Need to make sure it is strong enough. Yesterday I decided to strip down my first full build from scratch guitar so that I can use some of the parts. I had been quite proud of this guitar at first, but it has been hung up on display for a long time and all the mistakes I had made on it kept jumping out at me, plus I had made the body out of Paulownia wood, which is too light and easy to mark, the neck is maple and was too heavy for the body, causing really bad neck dive. I may revisit it at some point and try to rectify all the problems. But that is for another day... Donor guitar - Needs must and so it has been stripped down, first thing in is the Wilkinson Zebra pickups. Cut the pickup slots to suit and tested in place. Next on the list is cleaning up the awful soldering and wiring I did on the green machine ready for transplant into this. Have also ordered some bits from Northwest Guitars, which should hopefully land on the doormat in the next couple of days. Last job yesterday was cutting the hole for the jack, tested with the plate but need to cut around it yet and sink it into the body which will be first job today when I get some time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 As I say, sorry for posting so much in one go, but wanted to get up to date with it and hopefully help you see how insane I am doing this build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Bizman62 said: That's some impressive work! I especially like the usage of inexpensive common household tools instead of routing along bought templates. Am I seeing right, is there a gap in the glue line in the bottom? The bubbling of the glue you're using may have been too strong for just one clamp connecting the halves. Hopefully you don't have to redo the center seams although if necessary it'd be easier before gluing the top and bottom together. Thanks Bizman. There was a slight bubbling in the bottom section, but it didn't go all the way through, so a bit of filler over it sorted it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Sorry, just noticed I managed to somehow do a double post of one of the sections, no idea how... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 A very warm welcome @JGTay There are some great skills and some refreshingly different approaches on show here. I look forward to seeing how this turns out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 22 minutes ago, JGTay said: Still need to glue the saddle in place, but haven't decided which glue to use yet. Need to make sure it is strong enough. The crucial thing to do is to sand/scrape the gluing surfaces to bare wood as no glue will stick well on oil or lacquer. TiteBond Original is most likely the best glue for the purpose as it doesn't give in when dry. Clamping it properly to the hollow body may be challenging but you may be able to sneak a clamp or three through the pickup cavity. Your bridge design is mindblowing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 7 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: A very warm welcome @JGTay There are some great skills and some refreshingly different approaches on show here. I look forward to seeing how this turns out Thanks Andy, much appreciated. I have been following your build threads with extreme interest, some very nice work there. The Yew guitar is looking amazing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 5 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: The crucial thing to do is to sand/scrape the gluing surfaces to bare wood as no glue will stick well on oil or lacquer. TiteBond Original is most likely the best glue for the purpose as it doesn't give in when dry. Clamping it properly to the hollow body may be challenging but you may be able to sneak a clamp or three through the pickup cavity. Your bridge design is mindblowing! Thanks Bizman, the bridge will end up on posts so that it can be adjusted to suit the action, so the gluing side will be done away from the body. Haven't got any titebond, have been using gorilla glue for all the joints so far, but not sure that will work out for the saddle. Will definitely scrape out the oil from the groove beforehand to give it the best adhesion possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Gorilla glue dries hard but requires a lot of pressure to keep the bubbles outside, otherwise it'll fill the seam with hard foam. It's typical for polyurethane glues. TiteBond is Polyvinyl-acetate (PVA). PVA glues are widely available but many of them are rubbery which can damp the sound vibrations. How will the bridge posts be supported? The thin top alone sounds fragile to stand the string tension by two posts, knowing that acoustic bridges can break loose despite being glued by a large area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 This is quite impressive! It is not without flaws, but overall I think it looks great. I love the finish on the natural oak ant the bridge saddle is amazing. And the body shape is very pleasing! Well done! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Nice work and very inventive! Also, the first couple of guitars I made have problems. (ie.) Long thin necks that bow with the slightest change in weather, but I keep them as a testament to my early work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 It looks from the photo that the saddle is sitting in a groove, @JGTay ? If so, surely the glue only needs to stop it rotating or falling off when you take the strings off? I would have thought that gel superglue or a spot of epoxy would be more than adequate. As long as it stays upright, the strings should hold it in place... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Just for clarification, my previous post about glue types was purely for wood on wood, what @Andyjr1515 said about gluing the saddle to the bridge are probably the best options for that purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 18 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: It looks from the photo that the saddle is sitting in a groove, @JGTay ? If so, surely the glue only needs to stop it rotating or falling off when you take the strings off? I would have thought that gel superglue or a spot of epoxy would be more than adequate. As long as it stays upright, the strings should hold it in place... It is only a shallow groove, but yes, hopefully it should be enough to hold it in position with a bit of superglue, if needed I could make the groove a bit deeper as I have shaped the bridge to give extra clearance for the strings. All suggestions and help are greatly appreciated, I only have minimal knowledge on setups and different methods. It is all a learning process for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 3 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Gorilla glue dries hard but requires a lot of pressure to keep the bubbles outside, otherwise it'll fill the seam with hard foam. It's typical for polyurethane glues. TiteBond is Polyvinyl-acetate (PVA). PVA glues are widely available but many of them are rubbery which can damp the sound vibrations. How will the bridge posts be supported? The thin top alone sounds fragile to stand the string tension by two posts, knowing that acoustic bridges can break loose despite being glued by a large area. This had been in my thoughts already and I was thinking of putting in some wooden posts underneath with a nut embed in the tops for the thread of the posts to screw into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Flattening the bottoms of both the bridge and the groove, making a tight fit, would improve the transfer of vibrations and keep the bridge from wandering similarly to the bone in the groove of the bridge of an acoustic. If you can, making the base of the bridge rectangular would further improve the fitting. For this build it's too late, but if you end up doing another leaving the bridge area untouched on both halves would provide the support for the bridge poles. You know, like islands in a pool, or stalagmites and stalactites growing together... If the top construction ends up to be too weak for the string pull, you can use a trapeze for attaching the strings like on an archtop or the violin family. That would only push the bridge downwards in which case inside poles should provide adequate support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2020 Thanks @Bizman62 I will have a go at flattening the base of the saddle and groove in a bit before I glue it in place. The oak top is very strong, tested yesterday by accidentally sitting on it, had put it on my chair in the workshop while clearing off my bench... Thankfully no damage anywhere, so hopefully installing wooden posts below will give it enough support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted May 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2020 Had a busy day yesterday, not much time to do any work. The only thing I managed to get done was the sinking of the jack plate. Still needs tidying up a bit around the edges and I also want to oil the cut outs 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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