Lumberjack Posted December 30, 2020 Report Share Posted December 30, 2020 Hey gang, I’m getting started on a build for a friend of mine and figured I’d start up another thread. This will be a bit different from my usual stuff: he’s spec’d out a flat top PRS-custom-24-shaped geetar with HSS pickups, 3+3 headstock, and a fixed bridge. More details to follow, but here’s the starting lumber: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted December 30, 2020 Report Share Posted December 30, 2020 Some seriously pretty woods there! Does your friend want it painted pink or black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gogzs Posted December 30, 2020 Report Share Posted December 30, 2020 Can you tag these threads with [NSFW], that's some serious woodporn right there. Looking forward to this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitaly_V Posted December 30, 2020 Report Share Posted December 30, 2020 Beautiful wood. I will follow the assembly with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Lumberjack Posted December 31, 2020 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted December 31, 2020 Thanks fellas, and no @Bizman62 thankfully not - this will have a blue/gray stained top, natural faux binding a la PRS, everything else left natural under a gloss finish with a satin neck. Some planing: Here’s one of the most bizarre tricks I’ve tried: my buddy wanted a flat top with a bevel for the arm, and for the drop top to bend over and cover the entire bevel. I don’t think he realized exactly what he was asking for given the quarter-inch drop top, but I decided not to tell him and tried this technique I saw Padalka using once upon a time. Soaked the wood and slowly bent it over a scrap body, keeping the wood wet for about three hours and slowly turning the screws every so often throughout the process. Let it dry by the wood stove overnight and came back the next day, removing the screws to find it held the curve quite nicely! No splitting or cracking and the top is currently gluing up on the body, which I carved to match the scrap body I bent the top over. Full disclosure, I’m not exactly certain this will work as far as getting a nice clean joint; this is probably the weirdest and most hectic top-gluing I’ve ever done, but I’ll know tomorrow once it’s all dried and the body shape is cut. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted December 31, 2020 Report Share Posted December 31, 2020 At first glance I thought you were ruining the edge of the body, be it scrap or not! The screws actually look very cool on the moisture darkened wood! Somehow that reminds me of horse saddles, Cup washers and oval head screws... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Lumberjack Posted January 1, 2021 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 1, 2021 Unclamped everything and roughed in the body today, really happy with the way the bevel joint came out! Nice and crisp. These were taken with the wood wet to show figure/grain, and man is that mahogany red! I pulled the color saturation DOWN on these images and it still looks super red; look how different it looks compared to my bench. Im used to mahogany looking more brown/gray, this is probably the most richly colored bit of mahogany I’ve worked with, glad he’s going to be keeping the back natural. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 1, 2021 Report Share Posted January 1, 2021 Ultimate workmanship on the bevel! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 1, 2021 Report Share Posted January 1, 2021 Lovely timbers and great job too! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 10, 2021 Report Share Posted January 10, 2021 I'm finally getting to see the pictures. My work computer is apparently blocking your hosting site. Now at the house I see what everyone else sees: WOOD PORN! Beautiful work so far and nice technique on bending that top. And what a top! That's almost fiddleback. SR 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10pizza Posted January 11, 2021 Report Share Posted January 11, 2021 lovely top and cool work on the bevel! Wouldn't have thought of that trick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitaly_V Posted January 11, 2021 Report Share Posted January 11, 2021 (edited) On 12/31/2020 at 8:59 AM, Lumberjack said: technique I saw Padalka using Semyon Padalka makes cuts from the back of the top. This makes it easier to bend the wood. Edited January 11, 2021 by Vitaly_V 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitaly_V Posted January 11, 2021 Report Share Posted January 11, 2021 10 minutes ago, Vitaly_V said: Semyon Padalka makes cuts from the back of the top. This makes it easier to bend the wood I meant that it is easier to bend wet wood with cuts. Cuts do not exclude material wetting)) I even saw craftsmen who folded the top with a hot iron with a steamer)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted January 11, 2021 Report Share Posted January 11, 2021 Looking forward to seeing this one move on. Lovely wood combinations, what is that body? in the pics of the blanks i thought it was sapale, but the pics after shaping makes me think is african mahog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted January 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2021 On 1/1/2021 at 5:12 AM, Bizman62 said: Ultimate workmanship on the bevel! Thanks my friend! 9 hours ago, Vitaly_V said: Semyon Padalka makes cuts from the back of the top. This makes it easier to bend the wood. This was my initial plan. I don't have a cnc though, and didn't think I could do the kerfing consistently/precisely enough with hand tools to avoid splitting, so I decided to bend it without the kerfing. 7 hours ago, ADFinlayson said: Looking forward to seeing this one move on. Lovely wood combinations, what is that body? in the pics of the blanks i thought it was sapale, but the pics after shaping makes me think is african mahog? Yessir! it's African mahogany. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted January 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 Made a bit more progress on Buddy Build 1.0 Have yet to round over the edges and the heel will get a bit more shaping once the neck is glued on, but other than that the body is nearly done. Do you guys have any tips on how to cut/route/saw the slot for the blade switch? I haven't done one in 10+ years and frankly I don't even remember how I did it back then. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitaly_V Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 In the same way as truss rod groove. Install the stop to the side. Use the Dremel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 4 hours ago, Lumberjack said: Do you guys have any tips on how to cut/route/saw the slot for the blade switch? Yes, a Dremel router is one option. I've also heard about using a Dremel circular saw bit. I did it by drilling several holes in a row and combining them with a keyhole saw and a thin file and folded sandpaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 26, 2021 Report Share Posted January 26, 2021 7 hours ago, Bizman62 said: I did it by drilling several holes in a row and combining them with a keyhole saw and a thin file and folded sandpaper. That has been my go to plan as well. I did use a different plan on a repair job that ended up looking pretty sharp. I took a couple of small cocobolo scraps and filed half the slot on each piece then glued them together. From that I built a little base to mount the switch to, which not only looked quite nice but also covered up the original ugly chewed up slot. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Thanks for the suggestions all! I think I'll take the multiple-drill holes approach and see how it fares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 it's pretty straight forward once you've got your outer holes of the slot drilled, I take a metal ruler and scalpel between the holes then use a 2mm model chisel to carefully remove what's in between. I tend to do it before routing the area to final depth though to ensure a tidy underside. Build is looking fantastic btw 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 guitar is looking lovely. you have great taste in wood. afa lever hole... for me -I used my dremel... just made a little u shaped jig that would fit my (then) dremel base inside it. at the time I could not find a suitable dremel bit... I think all I could find was 1/8" which is too wide. knowing what I know now there are all sorts of cnc end mills that would be perfect size, but didn't know to search for that term at the time. just wanted to mention for any who might be in the sm dillema. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 28, 2021 Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 22 hours ago, mistermikev said: guitar is looking lovely. you have great taste in wood. ^ Wot he said 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 I don't know what the exact size is, I've had my bit for +/- 25 years and switch slots are all it ever gets used for. I think I bought it as an inlay bit, for routing the cavity for inlays, so probably a downward fluted spiral thing. Maybe 1/32? It is -really- small, But more to the point... I use the aforementioned bit on the Dremel with the router base attached. I use the flat edge of the router baseplate and either tape or clamp a steel square laid flat to the top in parallel alignment with the slot. Exactly how you would line up a rip fence on a table saw, more or less. I would never go at that slot with a drill, drilling multiple drill holes, even the thought of that totally creeps me out. Then take multiple passes until it's through, then do final dressing with some tiny files. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumberjack Posted January 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 On 1/29/2021 at 4:56 PM, Drak said: I don't know what the exact size is, I've had my bit for +/- 25 years and switch slots are all it ever gets used for. I think I bought it as an inlay bit, for routing the cavity for inlays, so probably a downward fluted spiral thing. Maybe 1/32? It is -really- small, But more to the point... I use the aforementioned bit on the Dremel with the router base attached. I use the flat edge of the router baseplate and either tape or clamp a steel square laid flat to the top in parallel alignment with the slot. Exactly how you would line up a rip fence on a table saw, more or less. I would never go at that slot with a drill, drilling multiple drill holes, even the thought of that totally creeps me out. Then take multiple passes until it's through, then do final dressing with some tiny files. Great idea, thanks for all the input everyone! Got lots of methods to try out, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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