Stu. Posted May 25, 2020 Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 I figured it would be better to start a new thread for the new Tele build. The first couple of posts were over at: As the title suggests, I'm building a Tele with padauk and some other woods; I've been sitting on the padauk since the start of my limba flying V, but not being able to travel to finish that off has kicked me into starting this. Drawing by S K, on Flickr The plan is to end up with a 24 fret, 25.5" scale Tele. The humbucker and hot rails pickup cavities will be routed tight with an offset template, and then the pickups will be direct mounted. I'll carve a big, sweeping curve under the arm to show off the woods and shave weight off. Padauk, walnut, spalted beech, and fumed eucalyptus for between the layers: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Template prep: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Pencil lines; Untitled by S K, on Flickr Fewer pencil lines: Untitled by S K, on Flickr No pencil lines on the back: Untitled by S K, on Flickr In other news, this router bit is brand new. I loaded it into my router and then wondered why it wasn't running concentric inside the bushing - it's pretty wonky: Untitled by S K, on Flickr And a quick shooting board: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 25, 2020 Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 Even your templates and work aids are super clean! SR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 man, padauk... just so beautiful. nice clean cuts in it... this is gonna be a good 'un. rawk on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted May 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 Thank you, chaps! I've just had a nightmare with this body. Today was supposed to be glue-up day for the body, two tops, and accompanying veneer. Unfortunately, it's crazy hot in the UK right now and my current workspace (our conservatory) was roasting; the Titebond was going tacky VERY quickly, and then the veneer rippled with moisture before I could get the walnut on. I also managed to glue my helpful wiring channel string into the wood (thankfully now retrieved, although that means I don't have an aid to guide my wires now. Fingers crossed for when the clamps come off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 On 5/30/2020 at 1:24 PM, Stu. said: it's crazy hot in the UK right now What is crazy hot in the UK at the butt end of May? Curious in Houston Texas USA.... SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 13 hours ago, ScottR said: What is crazy hot in the UK at the butt end of May? Curious in Houston Texas USA.... SR You might consider taking your jacket off, whilst we'll be sweating it out in shorts It's 24ºC outside at the moment, which means the temperature in the woodworking conservatory is ~1000ºC with all windows/doors closed to stop animals escaping. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGTay Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 Has definitely been a warm few days here, I am in my workshop with the double doors and window open wide, still too warm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2020 Hector agrees that it's far too hot, and he said that cutting guitar bodies without a bandsaw or 2kW router is a bit of a faff: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Lots of routing and sanding to go, but I'm feeling more positive about it now! It should look very niced when carved through. The hope is that it ends up with a slightly antique/rustic aesthetic to work with the ovangkol fingerboard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 3, 2020 Report Share Posted June 3, 2020 That looks like it's going to be a tasty sandwich. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted June 6, 2020 Report Share Posted June 6, 2020 On 5/31/2020 at 7:28 PM, ScottR said: What is crazy hot in the UK at the butt end of May? Curious in Houston Texas USA.... SR (snicker) I think it's 90 here today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 Life in the midwest. I grew up 50 mils east of Kansas City. And while there is no doubt that overall Houston is a much warmer clime than KC, everh summer the hottests days in KC were hotter than ghe hottest days in Houston. And we will not even talk about the winters...... SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 The weather has been pretty gross this weekend, so no chance of confusing it for Texas! Highlights include a new improv router table and a body which looks more like a body: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr The little padauk plate is for cavity covers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 7, 2020 Report Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Stu. said: The weather has been pretty gross this weekend, so no chance of confusing it for Texas! Man, you make good looking work aids.....tools.....templates......and great looking guitars. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2020 19 hours ago, ScottR said: Man, you make good looking work aids.....tools.....templates......and great looking guitars. SR But I also accidentally vacuum up my inlays, so there's the balance! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2020 I've got 99 problems, but cavity covers ain't one. Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 There has been some more minor progress this afternoon. A new toy (I wanted to get a different colour, but the Triton was £10 cheaper than Vonhaus or Rutlands): Untitled by S K, on Flickr Cover edges sanded slightly to fit better. The cavity rim needs to be routed at 5mm to match: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Body edges sanded to get rid of tooling marks: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr Untitled by S K, on Flickr I need to start looking at the neck now, so I can route the neck pocket before any serious body work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted June 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 Today has been a mixed bag, but I'm sharing in the name of transparency. Cover rims routed down, and tops sanded flush: Untitled by S K, on Flickr Headstock partially routed from the rear: Untitled by S K, on Flickr This is when things went downhill. I switched over to the router table with a trim cutter, which was apparently getting blunt (either that, or it just didn't like the wood). There's a big chunk of tear-out at the headstock end; the current thought is to route a circle out, and then glue in a circle of the spalted beech to make this a 'feature'. Untitled by S K, on Flickr The truss rod channel is alright though, despite a slightly wandering 10mm drill bit from the access hole. It'll all come out in the wash (finishing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 5 hours ago, Stu. said: There's a big chunk of tear-out at the headstock end; the current thought is to route a circle out, and then glue in a circle of the spalted beech to make this a 'feature'. I'd just cut away the bad stuff and reshape the headstock. I always thought tele headstocks were butt ugly anyway. they always remind me of the punchline to an old joke involving an old man with an urinary tract issue...... SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayT Posted June 19, 2020 Report Share Posted June 19, 2020 This is looking amazing! So clean an precise... I would swear made with cnc if there weren't pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted July 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2021 Wowzer, so it's been over a year since I touched this. Between work and projects at home, I haven't really had time to progress anything guitar related. On a positive note, I'm no longer tinkering in the conservatory. My big project has been constructing a 3x3m timber framed pent workshop at the end of the garden - there have been some delays due to timber availability (pandemic crap) and awful weather. It's basically useable now though, and contains (almost) all of my tools. I should be finishing a run of new fencing next week, allowing an electrician somewhere to run the SWA along for power. Framing is all 2x4. Shiplap cladding on the outside, weather gap and membrane 11mm OSB3 sheathing, 100mm mineral wool insulation, and then 11mm OSB3 for internal wall lining. It even has a nice little window and a full-sized external fire door with British Standard dead lock and night latch. Roof is 18mm OSB3 with EPDM weather proofing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 23, 2021 Report Share Posted July 23, 2021 Good to hear from you Stu! Sounds like a fine shop is on the way. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted July 24, 2021 Report Share Posted July 24, 2021 18 hours ago, Stu. said: Wowzer, so it's been over a year since I touched this. Between work and projects at home, I haven't really had time to progress anything guitar related. On a positive note, I'm no longer tinkering in the conservatory. My big project has been constructing a 3x3m timber framed pent workshop at the end of the garden - there have been some delays due to timber availability (pandemic crap) and awful weather. It's basically useable now though, and contains (almost) all of my tools. I should be finishing a run of new fencing next week, allowing an electrician somewhere to run the SWA along for power. Framing is all 2x4. Shiplap cladding on the outside, weather gap and membrane 11mm OSB3 sheathing, 100mm mineral wool insulation, and then 11mm OSB3 for internal wall lining. It even has a nice little window and a full-sized external fire door with British Standard dead lock and night latch. Roof is 18mm OSB3 with EPDM weather proofing. Good job on the workshop. I had my garage door out a few months ago and replaced it with a stud wall, could not get shiplap anywhere and had to settle with tongue and grove featherboard which also cost a small fortune. In contrast with the weather, it's been too hot to do anything in the workshop over the last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted May 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2022 Hi folks, At almost one year since the last update, I've been trying to get this one moving again. The plan is to do more projects in the workshop, rather than the workshop becoming the project. First up was some work on the fingerboard and neck: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted May 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2022 Followed by an angled neck mortise, tenon cut into the neck blank, and a little heel block added. I might have to repeat the side dots, but that's no bother: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted May 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2022 After touching up the inlays and fettling the tenon shoulders for a while, I started on the body carve. The tenon is going to take ages to get the right perfect with abrasive strips, so carving was a nice change of pace. This is going to get a DiMarzio X2N in the bridge, because I've coveted that pickup since I was a kid and want to get the opposite of Telecaster tones from this thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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