johnsilver

The sander so far is very capable. It comes complete with the stand, which is very sturdy. I've used the belt sander on necks and bodies and it can remove a lot of stock quickly (got to watch it). It will slow down if I put too much downward force, but I've found that when I do that I just need to put the right grit belt on and let the machine do the work. Once I figured that out, it works great. It has dust ports for both the belt and the disc. Grizzly has good prices, but don't forget the shipping which on a machine like this can add up. The 48" belt is long enough to put a neck blank on full length. A body blank is a little harder to deal with since the housing for the disc sander gets in the way, but it can be used before planing. I use hand planes. Thanks for asking about the LP. I was working on the binding today. Here's a shot of the top binding just taped in place. It's seven ply ivoroid and black. The back has 5 ply the same style. I glued the back binding on today - came out good. Thanks for asking.

I haven't used that bridge before. I have used a Schaller roller bridge, and the height specs on the one you asked about are similar, so my guess is that this bridge would not require a neck angle. I do suggest you ask the folks at Stewmac or even at Schaller before deciding.

Hi Lucky1. I have bought a fair amount of stuff from Grizzly. I visited their store in Springfield, Missouri when my son went to school there. I don't know about the bits you bought but I have used this bit from Grizzly for some time now and it has been very good. pattern cutting bit I also have their combination sander and it is a first rate piece of equipment. sander

Henrik, thanks. I made two templates out of 1/2 inch MDF for the back cavity. You could use Baltic Birch plywood or something similar. One was shaped for the cavity itself, which included room for the cavity screws, and one was shaped basically the same as the cavity plate cover. First I used the cavity template and my router with a pattern cutting bit to form the cavity to the depth I needed, then I used the second template and routed only to the depth of the plate cover. The result is a deep cavity with a ledge on which the plate rests and room for the screws. Hope this is clear. It seems my explanation is poor. Let me know and I will post a pic of the templates. I used a Gibson back cavity plate as a guide to make the templates. I didn't have any trouble with tearout on the end grain of the maple - luckily. I followed the suggestions on the Stewmac binding tutorial that addressed this issue. BTW, that isn't maple veneer on the top. It is a piece of 5/8" thick flame maple that has been carved. It is thick in the middle and thin at the edges, so I guess it looks like maple. The back has a similar piece of flame maple on it but it isn't carved so you can see the thickness at the edge. Here it is. Stewmac binding tutorial

Henrik, I just cut binding channels on the top and back of a Les Paul style guitar I'm making. I used a Dremel tool with bases purchased from Stewmac. I used the regular router base on the back because the back was flat, but had to use a special binding cutter for arched tops because I was stupid and carved the top before cutting the binding channel. BTW, Stewmac has a good binding tutorial on their website now. Using a Dremel tool may not be ideal as it isn't the most powerful tool, but I went slowly and took off only a little at a time. Here is the base I used to cut the back binding channel. Here is the binding cutter I used for the top. It was scary to use due to the small area actually in contact with the body. If the routerbase has the stability of a 4 wheel drive vehicle, the binding cutter is like a unicycle. Here are some pics of the results. Here is the back channel. Here is a picture of the top channel. Here you can see both channels. Here is a sample of the top binding just taped in place. It is a 7 layer binding. The back will have a 5 layer binding of the same style. Hope this helps! Good luck.

Hey guys, I am going to tape. I just wanted to know the tape of choice and where you get it.

Try this discs

I definitely plan to tape. LGM, I haven't seen the 3M tape you mention, where do you find it? Maiden69, I think you are referring to latex pinstriping tape, where do you find it? I asked for it at my local automotive supply house, but they didn't know what I was talking about. Stupid chain stores. Which of the two - 3M fine line or latex pinstriping tape is best for creating a faux binding like on a PRS?

For taping or masking binding while finishing, what is the product of choice? I have used regular painters masking tape (low tack) but I have to fiddle with it given its width. I am interested in thinner material to make taping the top edge of binding easier. I went to the automotive shop and asked for pinstriping tape, and was pointed to pinstriping material - the actual vinyl stripes to apply to auto bodies. Didn't think that was right. Also, if taping off to create a faux binding ala PRS, what's the best to help prevent bleeding under the tape? Many thanks. A search didn't turn up much.

You mentioned 3M sponge sanders. When I've used them, they have a tendency to throw off black grit/dust. Is is possible some of this lodged in your grain. How about blowing out the grain using a compressor?

Nitrocellulose lacquer is the clear finish of choice for many people making guitars. There is a lot of information out there on how to do it, what equipment is available and the drying and handling times. Try the tutorials here and there are many sites with info. Please note that nitro requires important precautions to use it safely. Good luck.

If you are worried about the binding catching fire, I presume it is made from celluloid nitrate. In that case, you can use a cabinet scraper to trim any excess down to fretboard level. It works quickly and accurately. Since you say the binding is "going to be tortoise", you probably haven't ordered it yet. Wait until you get your fretboard, then order what will fit well with a slight overage. The scraper will take care of any overage quickly. It is also a useful tool in general, especially if you use figured wood for tops. Here is one sold by Stewmac, but you can get them cheaper. You will need a steel rod to burnish the edge to make the scraper usable. This link only shows the scraper. Hope this helps. My Webpage

What basic style guitar do you want to make? In Melvyn Hiscock's book, he gives typical body thicknesses as: Tele and Strat 1 3/4" LP 2 1/4" center, 2" edge SG 1 1/2" PRS 1 3/4" center, 1 1/2" edge A maple top for a Tele, Strat or SG doesn't need to be very thick, so your mahogany would be thicker. But a carved top like LP or PRS needs to be much thicker, so you would need less mahogany. I think best bet would be to buy 6/4 rough stock from your supplier (cheaper than 8/4, or 2") and have them mill it to whatever thickness you need taking into account the thickness of your maple top. If you need more thickness, go with the 8/4.

Oops. Wrong smilie after the first sentence. Please ignore.

This is all really helpful - thanks guys Drak, I already have the binding cutting guide, so I know what you mean about using it and also that I may only be able to cut sufficient depth for 5 layer binding. No biggie on how many layers just so long as it fits well. I bought the cutter expecting to use it to cut the binding channel after carving the top, not realizing there is an easier way by cutting the channels before carving. In anticipation of using the tool, I was trying to make the top edge as flat as possible, thus the sand throughs at the waist area. I thought about natural or faux binding but there isn't sufficient maple left to do that after carving, and it isn't consistent with the vintage look I wanted. I'm also working on a PRS style for another son, so maybe will try that there. By the way, I'm also working on an SG style for third son - I'm beginning to really love that SG after all the effort/issues carving the LP. On the spalting, I can get the epoxy and tint at Woodcraft, so I will do that. Is there a better (cheaper) place to buy? Plan now is to burst over it on the back so I guess it won't be very visible. Question - how do I handle the burst over the back cavity plate cover? Should I just burst the back then install the plate cover (its dark brown), or try to make a plate cover out of leftover flame maple and match as best I can? The videos arrive next week. Thanks again.

Practice on scrap first.

Drak, I will "follow the middle path" to finishing this guitar. I'm definitely in the learning mode - patience; which is one of the reasons I took up this work. Thanks for the reminder. I think I'll go with your thoughts on bursting both front and back, and I like the idea of bringing the burst in further on the back. I'll leave the spalting (need to fill in some areas there - ideas? wood putty? epoxy?). I did plan to wipe on the base vintage amber dye first, before spraying the burst. I have Stewmac's book on finishing but will take your advice and order the videos. I definitely need visuals at this point. On the binding, I realized later that I should have cut the binding channel prior to carving. At this point, I planned to use this tool from Stewmac to cut the binding channel. I believe it will take quite careful work but seems designed to work with minimal flat surface on the top. Let me know if there is another way you think is better. My plan would be to do the binding next before proceeding with any finishing. I also need to complete the neck, which is in progress. Glad to have any further thoughts you have, especially on sequencing from here on in. Brian, thanks.

Darren, I think you are right about the Tone Pros being OEM equipment that has been drilled and tapped to provide their features. I ordered one from StewMac and it came in TonePros packaging but the bridge was clearly stamped underneath as Gotoh. Someone else on this site thought that Schaller was also supplying TOM bridges to TonePros. Wish I would have known about the possibility of getting the bridge through Rhoads56. I bought 3 of them.

I am building a guitar in the style of a LP Supreme - flame maple on both top and bottom with mahogany in between. I say "in the style of" because my carving of the top looks more like a pot bellied pig than an LP, but what the heck, its only for my son - don't cost him nuttin... ). Didn't get the recurve right and didn't see Setch's beautiful work on his LP project in time (refer to In Progress Work). Original plan was a vintage amber dye front and back with a clear finish. Unfortunately, I sanded through the top maple in two places on the edge (yes, that's right, not one but two ), so now I am looking at a burst finish to cover the boo boos. Original plan was also to bind the top with ivoroid and black laminated binding (7 ply) and back with the same (3 ply) - sort of like a LP Custom. If you can't have dilusions of grandeur, why build guitars? Little help, please. I've included pics of front and back for reference. If I burst the top with a primary amber leading to a mid/darker brown outer edge, should I burst the back to match or perhaps do the back in the mid/darker brown entirely? Regardless of answer above, should I change my binding scheme given the burst top? The back has a spalted (right term?) area I've placed at the neck join. Should I finish this "as is" or perhaps inlay something to cover it up? Should I do anything else (besides give up)? Thanks in advance for any advice! Perhaps this was too ambitious for my second guitar.

Litchfield said it simplest to understand. Fortunately, the diagram I posted is angled back 1/8"

In my shop, I have a broom, and shop vac AND a dust pan.

TOM bridges are angled to provide compensation for the scale length differences between the different strings (please, purists take no offence ) Here is a diagram that gives the idea. Can't recall where I got it - some manufacturers website probably. It would be a good idea to check with who make your bridge for their recommendations. The angle is toward the low E string, that is, low E is closer to the bridge (for you lefties). Hope this helps.

Depending on the type guitar you are making, you may be able to get some neck dimensions from the original manufacturers website. For example, Gibson gives the width and thickness of the neck at the nut and the 12th fret. The width is helpful in that is really is a matter of connecting the two dimensions and extending them on to determine the overall neck width. If you have access to a similar neck to what you want to make, you can make little templates of the neck shape at various places along the neck, for example, at the nut, the 12th fret, and so on. This will give you a guide to the shape and you can smooth in between for a good feel. Here is an example of what I mean on a Tele style neck I made.

I think I'm looking at a mostly amber darkening to a mid brown darkening a bit more as it gets to the edge. Just enough to cover the goofs.

Since my son wanted a more or less vintage look with a dyed amber finish, and since I screwed that finish up by sanding through, I guess I'm in hunt for the classic burst look. If I screw that up, he may get a gold top ...