Starting a new build (After a brief pause)

[Dward13]

Folks,

I've been a member here since '05, but haven't been around for quite some time.

I had made a number of posts, but they all seem to have evaporated.

I had an entry in GOTM back in March of '06, my little red 2 pickup job.

I'm fully retired now and recently dug out some pieces I had started to work on in the past.

Thinking of putting together a very basic single pickup solid body.

I've got a body piece with flame maple wings and a birdseye center section, about 1 in thick.

Flame flame or quilted maple top pieces.

Going to go with a ready built neck, probably a maple fingerboard Telecaster version.

I always liked the look of a Tele neck.

Any suggestions on which pre-built necks are the best.

Just want a basic one in the 2-300 $ range.

Check you later, dward

 

[nakedzen]

Can't go too wrong with Warmoth.

Beautiful build, nice idea to make the stoptail from wood.

[Bizman62]

Welcome back!

For what I've read here, old posts should be there, photos not necessarily especially if they've been linked via a third party service that has since expired. Supposedly you used a different name back then, but the admins should be able to make the two accounts into one in case you want your old posts to be found more easily.

 

 

 

[Dward13]

I did some searching and found that I have made a new membership.

The one I used before was "wardd". I had joined in March 2004.

To nakedzen: I was looking at Warmoth necks and the wood stoptail is just a cover. The actual stoptail is a kind of crude thing made from a chuck of brass with slots cut in it.  (As a side note: Was just watching the Eddie the Eagle movie about the british ski jumper.  The "Flying Fin" jumper Matti Nykänen is featured in the movie.  Interesting story on how things ended up for him.)

[nakedzen]

Lol. Nykänen was a national institution, constantly on the tabloids about his drunken exploits.

[Dward13]

Folks,

One of the things that has hung me up on starting a new project was that I didn't have a good method of clamping body pieces together.

In my supplies I found a 5ft. x 10" x 7/4 slab of purpleheart that I had intended to use to necks, but I'm not planning on making anymore from scratch.

So, I cut the purpleheart into 2" wide blocks and will drill them to accept either threaded rod of long bolts.

I believe they should provide ample pressure to get a good tight glue joint.

[Bizman62]

I have my doubts about rods especially since you can't apply any pressure in the middle.

But...

There's ways to clamp without clamps!

If you have a board and some wood, attach two slabs on the board somewhat wider than the total width of your purpleheart. Use a third slab and wedges to apply sideways pressure. To prevent your work being glued to the board use some cling film, plastic sheet or baking paper between the board and your work. Like so:

[Dward13]

Bizman62,

I didn't do a very good job explaining myself before.

I'm using the purpleheart blocks combined with threaded rods to clamp a top or bottom to the body of a solid body guitar.

I believe that the 2 in. x 2 in. purpleheart blocks will be stiff enough to apply good pressure all the way across their length, thus in the middle.

Plus, I'll most likely put some thin strips of softer wood that will crush down under the blocks.

I'll start with the center blocks and move towards the ends pushing the extra glue out as I go.

I'll just use regular C-clamps for the ends.

I'll test the setup first with some scrap pieces that I can cut up to see how well it works.

 

[curtisa]

You'll get better results if the clamping beams are gently curved rather than being straight. The threaded rods will put the most pressure on the edges, but if the initial contact point of the beams is in the middle of the faces being clamped, the clamping pressure will be more evenly distributed across the full length of the beam as the threaded rods are tightened up.

[Dward13]

curtisa,

Was thinking of putting a thin shim in the center.

Again, will experiment first to determine thickness needed.

Don't think I'll get much flex out of the purpleheart.

 

[Bizman62]

11 hours ago, Dward13 said:

I'm using the purpleheart blocks combined with threaded rods to clamp a top or bottom to the body of a solid body guitar.

Ahh! Now that I saw your illustration I'd say they actually are clamps!

@curtisa has a point in worrying about spreading the pressure evenly. Although purpleheart is stiff, it can still flex. The flexibility can be somewhat addressed by putting the blocks standing on the side and cutting them so that the grain pattern is vertical (illustration below). That isn't fool proof, though: I have done some flooring using twice dried warped 1 1/4" x 5" planks and even those were easy enough to force the gaps closed with a hand tool.

Shimming sounds like a viable idea as it would leave the centers of the purpleheart blocks untouched for future use. Some 0.5 mm thick veneers should do just fine, I doubt there will be more flex than that. Another option to spread pressure evenly is to use plastic foam. The 1/4" type used for packaging works well with veneers, for this job I guess even the ½" insulation mat used for camping or yoga mats might do. The foam will compress to match every gap.

[Dward13]

Bizman62,

Found a good idea in a YouTube post.

A frame with car jacks to add pressure in the center.

MIght try combining this with my clamps.

 

[Bizman62]

1 hour ago, Dward13 said:

Found a good idea in a YouTube post.

All you need is imagination!

I was thinking somewhat similarly. Basically that is a variation of a go-bar deck. My thought was to wedge in some 2x2's instead of the rods they normally use. Speaking of go-bar one of the oldest illustrations is just a beam between the ceiling and the workbench. 

Regarding your original idea, there's a less destructive way to tighten the block ends. No holes needed, just pairs of blocks and a loop of cord. And a stick. The idea is similar to how you'd tighten a bow saw, here's an illustration for those who've never used one:

[Dward13]

Bizman62,

Too late, already got the holes drilled, threaded rods cut and the blocks run through the drum lander so they're nice and flat.

Don't think the twist tie method would be very effective, would take forever trying to balance each sides tension, half the glue would be dry by the time you got them all tight.

I am remembering how I did my last guitar.

As I recall I used a similar clamping method, then put the whole thing on a concrete floor and stacked weights on it to press on the center.

Might do the same only just jack up the back of my truck and set it down on a 4 x 4 running the center line of the clamped body.

[Bizman62]

56 minutes ago, Dward13 said:

Might do the same only just jack up the back of my truck and set it down on a 4 x 4 running the center line of the clamped body.

That should definitively work! One should do it just the way you described, jack the truck up and slide the piece right under the tyre. Trying to drive on the piece would cause slipping.

Simple ideas like this should be collected under the title of "How to Get Perfect Results Without Specialist Tools and Expensive Gadgets".

[Dward13]

Got started on lightening voids and electronic cavity.

Took out about 10 oz. so far.

Will match voids with the top piece once I get the neck and determine if I'm going to need to trim its thickness.

[nakedzen]

Simplest trick for putting pressure on the center for the top glue-up for me has been tightening a screw in the pickup cavity spots.

[ADFinlayson]

1 minute ago, nakedzen said:

Simplest trick for putting pressure on the center for the top glue-up for me has been tightening a screw in the pickup cavity spots.

yeah I often do that too. Dry clamp the top in place, then put a screw in the neck pocket region and bridge pickup region, then hold then centre down and act as locator pins to prevent slippage. 

[Dward13]

Very nice.

I like the idea of combining locator pins with the hold down screws.

Like having an extra pair of hands.

[ADFinlayson]

something else.. I tend take the screws out after only 10-15 minutes of clamp time, enough to clamp the middle down but not long enough for the glue to make the screw situation permanent. 

[Bizman62]

2 hours ago, ADFinlayson said:

enough to clamp the middle down but not long enough for the glue to make the screw situation permanent. 

Not to mention that Titebond seems to react with iron, staining the wood. Other glues might do that as well.

[Dward13]

Good point on getting the screws permanently bonded.

Even though they are in spots that will be removed, the router might not like digging out the screw.

[Dward13]

My neck showed up today from Stratosphere.

Ordered one with the machines, apparently an official Fender replacement of the made in Mexico variety, seems like a really nice neck.

Frets seems to be in perfect shape in terms of the ends being trimmed etc., I had read that replacement necks can need a lot of work to make them playable.

As a side note: I called Sweetwater first and the "expert" I talked with was a clueless pinhead.  When I asked about machines to fit the neck he gave me a list of ones that "might work" and some run around about how you normally need to modify parts when adding new components.  However, in the guys defense, I think the support info he had to work with could have done more to match up the neck with the machines.  (Sorry for venting)

I'm realizing that I should have thought out the neck pocket geometry better and added a lip to get the neck away from the body farther.

But, I'm not going to worry about it on this one; as an old retired guy the fun of putting the guitar together is the main reward.

 

[Dward13]

Testing a neck pocket routing jig.

Just laid two boards along side the neck to get the taper correct then adjusted the stop to fine tune the width.

Ended up getting a nice snug fit.

[Dward13]

Just a side note:

With all this talk of guitar making I'm finding myself going all O.C.D. on it.

Had this neck block from 15 years ago that I'm messing around with trying for a Fender style neck.

What the heck, can't have too many projects in the works.