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Blackish.........sort of.


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Should I ever try something like that, the end result after fine sanding would look pretty much similar to your first two pictures after gouging! So many curves, directions and other tiny details... Well, those who can, do. Those who can't do, sigh.

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6 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

Should I ever try something like that, the end result after fine sanding would look pretty much similar to your first two pictures after gouging! So many curves, directions and other tiny details... Well, those who can, do. Those who can't do, sigh.

Lol, well have you ever tried? I remember whittling a bunch of sticks down to shavings as a kid. Did you ever do that? I suspect all boys with a pocket knife and access to sticks have learned how therapeutic that is.

SR

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1 hour ago, Muzz said:

Love the grain rolling through the neck into the volute, like a swirling sea current, and everything else is also looking fantastic too.

Thank you sir. That volute has shown some crazy curves over the years. This one is actually relatively tame as the grain is very straight, but that one side view with the dark stripes does get swirly. I've got to say I've never seen black swirls like that in ash before. It's similar in look to black limba, without the bug holes.

SR

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1 hour ago, ScottR said:

I remember whittling a bunch of sticks down to shavings as a kid. Did you ever do that?

Woodworking came along at school in grade three. It appeared that the fumes whiffing from the open painting room weren't ideal for my allergic asthma so in grade four I sat alone in the classroom equipped with a knife and a piece of pine slat. So I whittled pointy sticks with a handle and called them letter openers. I can't remember having seen any of them at home... Later I learned how to carve a spoon with a knife so that's not the issue. Getting all flat surfaces flat and round surfaces round and all curves curvy instead of a general lumpiness with humps and bumps is another thing.

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9 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Getting all flat surfaces flat and round surfaces round and all curves curvy instead of a general lumpiness with humps and bumps is another thing.

I've got a variety of flat sanding blocks and use the various sized drums of a spindle sander for the curves. Then it's fingers, eyes, and elbow grease.

SR

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21 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Just catching up with this, @ScottR :)

I'm not sure there's much more to be said than simply 'Wow'!  ;)

 

Thanks Andy. I'm not sure it's to the wow stage yet, but I do hope to get there. I will say that test on scrap piece sits on my desk and I do say wow to it every now and then.

It is very impressive in person, in fact I'm starting to worry that piece of scrap is enough higher quality than the actual top, that I've got some expectation adjustments waiting for me down the line.

SR

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54 minutes ago, ScottR said:

Thanks Andy. I'm not sure it's to the wow stage yet, but I do hope to get there. I will say that test on scrap piece sits on my desk and I do say wow to it every now and then.

It is very impressive in person, in fact I'm starting to worry that piece of scrap is enough higher quality than the actual top, that I've got some expectation adjustments waiting for me down the line.

SR

It's that top wood that is SO nice :)   And we all know that such woods only get better once @ScottR gets them into his dastardly claws :D

 

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It was also time to instill some musical sense  into this thing.....well that has actually been going on since day one. But now it's getting to a point where it can pay attention.

I've been listening to a lot of the latest Allman Betts Band.

SR

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When the neck is finished it is time to set it.

First we flatten the gluing surface of the body. This flattening sled really have been a good idea. It works great with little effort.

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I use the side of my big plane turned on edge to peek under and see where any light shows through, to verify flatness.

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And then I cut the neck pocket and wiring channels.

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And check the fit.

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And glue it up.

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And while the glue is drying, flatten the gluing surface of the top.

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SR

 

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This weekend the new Mike Zito CD, Resurrection arrived in the mail. I've played it at least 20 times this weekend. When I tried to find a vid to share only one song has been released. It seems the CD doesn't get released till next week. Man it is good. I wanted to play the title track. I did find a live version of a Blind Faith cover that is on the CD. We'll settle for that for now.

 

SR

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14 minutes ago, mistermikev said:

hubba hubba on that fretboard.  really is a unique and beautiful piece.  

love the headstock... very elegant design - I know I've said that before... but it's 2x nice.

That fretboard is really a rather unique coloration and pattern for Macassar ebony.I rather like it myself.

And thanks for the headstock comment. It's done me well.

SR

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26 minutes ago, ScottR said:

That fretboard is really a rather unique coloration and pattern for Macassar ebony.I rather like it myself.

And thanks for the headstock comment. It's done me well.

SR

lovely and you did a nice job of bringing it out.  

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The guitar is shaping up so beautifully, I am intrigued, what is the string on the plane for? And do you find when you do any work out the front or with the garage door open you spend more time chatting with the neighbours than you do working? I find it a nice problem to have. Love seeing and hearing the musicians and music that inspire a build.

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12 minutes ago, Muzz said:

The guitar is shaping up so beautifully, I am intrigued, what is the string on the plane for? And do you find when you do any work out the front or with the garage door open you spend more time chatting with the neighbours than you do working? I find it a nice problem to have. Love seeing and hearing the musicians and music that inspire a build.

I presume by string on the plane you are referring to my flattening sled? That is an old plane glued to a piece of 3/8" polycarbonate (perspex, or close enough) with several pounds of old fishing weights wired to the plane. It has a piece of 80 grit spray glued to the face of the polycarbonate. You just push it around and it makes the surface perfectly flat. I find it much easier to use than the old sanding table I used to use.

As far as neighbors chatting when I'm working- yeah it happens occasionally, but they're pretty used to me by now. Mostly they just give me a thumbs up as they job by, or occasionally ask who's playing.

SR

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All superlatives already used...

What I started thinking is, does it ever happen that a piece falls off of your initials in the volute? Do you reinforce it other than with the finish you're using elsewhere?

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8 hours ago, Bizman62 said:

All superlatives already used...

What I started thinking is, does it ever happen that a piece falls off of your initials in the volute? Do you reinforce it other than with the finish you're using elsewhere?

I've broken the tips of the S and the top and bottom of the R once or twice, and just readjusted the carve slightly. The part that always gets the most care is the thin connection between letters. No additional reinforcement is used, but the carve gets wider as it gets deeper, the profile is sort of triangular, which does lend strength.

SR

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Neck is joined and tenon is leveled. Making a template to mark the neck pocket on the top. My camera spent the night in the house and fogged up in the humidity of the garage.

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I marked the neck and the the neck pickup location on the top.

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And made my cuts,

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After finessing the neck pocket till it fit, I decided to route the neck pickup cavity before gluing the top on. I don't know why I never thought of this before, I've always had to build a template that has a cavity ti clear the fretboard,

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And then the glue up of the top.....there's a guitar in there somewhere.

DSC03693.JPG

SR

 

 

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