ScottR

That flame is looking hot. Is that another of your rescued restaurant table tops? SR

Man oh man, this thing's getting fun now! This is fascinating, thanks for sharing. SR

I may be speaking out of turn here, but I'm pretty sure that was intended as a clever remark (read as an attempt at a joke) and not a slam towards what you are building. There have been plenty of flame wars here,but they tend to be more about disputed opinions. Issues with skills are almost always more constructive and typically involve suggestions for how to improve something that didn't go quite as planned. Outright dislike of something is typically stated as an opinion, like that doesn't work for me or it's not my cup of tea, but that's just me, or nice build but I just don't care for pointy guitars etc. Attempts at humor however, abound, and sometimes they are home runs and sometimes they fall flatter than a road kill armadillo. After all, with one noteable exception, we are all just excitable boys. SR

Hey! You've got my bandsaw. SR

What are you using to pore fill? Would you recommend it to others? SR

I'm seeing some nice details added to the skin and hair. The changes in the armour are throwing me a bit. In one pic it's grey, in the other white. Looking back, I'm guessing that's a function of light angle and reflection? SR

Did you ever get the water thin on some wood that you didn't want it on and try sand it out? It takes a minute or 60. As far as for detail applications, I pout a little into the bottom of a dixie cup (it's amazing how long it will stay in liquid form when it's in a little puddle like that), and paint it on with a cheap fine tip artist's brush. The hairs in the tip will fuze together in seconds but it will still carry glue to where you want it. Mask off your work and be prepared to have to scrape the edge of the tape away. You may have to sand some lumps out when it's all said and done......and like all new procedures, test on scrap. SR

I was thinking along the same lines. What about soaking in water thin CA into the maple to seal it away from the dye and ebony dust? SR

Niiiice. SR

Excellent detail work and craftsmanship BD. This is going to be an awesome instrument. SR

There are a couple more in San Antone, at least a couple in Austin, and 3 or 4 of us down in the Houston area. SR

Yeah, I'm seeing a tele too. P-90s would be a nice touch (love em), but I'm seeing a black pickguard. Sr

Yes you can....or any other month you so choose, it does not matter when it was completed. SR

The damage is a shame, but I think the side markers bother me more for the very reasons you stated. Arembic indeed. SR

Your Dad sounds like one sharp cookie. I have run into solvent re-wetting and delayed out-gassing issues in my field too. (It's interesting to see the similarities in a clear coat for printing and one for wood working). I would never have guessed that the heat played a negative role. You would expect it to help expedite the evaporation of the solvents. Didn't I read a post from Perry some time ago saying he had built a heated drying room for just that purpose? Nevertheless, I can certainly see how a quick surface cure would trap solvents in deeper layers....and have indeed experienced just that thing in the printing world. SR

+1 It looks like it is tied up with king size clothes pins and nylon rope and then uses wedges shoved in there to create the tension. With an added benefit of holding the horizontal surfaces on a plane. Tell us more. SR

My personal preference is full carve front and back......but that's just me. SR

I absolutely love the top on this. That 12th fret dot is perilously close to an inlay....yeah I said it. How long did it take you to shape the heel? SR

Holy crap, what's that ridiculously glossy metallic looking beast in the background? That's not that black one you polished so much it looked like pewter a while back is it? I like the walnut headstock on this one. Are you putting the P-90 at the bridge? It looks like you've got the hummy drawn in the middle. Has a color been picked yet? SR

Making a neck fit your hand perfectly is one of the best parts about building your own. How is it for thickness? With your wood choices and body construction, you have come up with a neck heavy design. Don't be afraid to luck for ways to cut weight out of the neck and headstock. SR

Is that a home made or custom amp in the background? This is coming nicely. Your builds are fun because they always start out so rough looking--meaning you show the rough sanded pieces and then when you get to end the finished instrument looks that much better! SR

Doh! I think I remember that guitar. I was thinking you were saying he owned the name....as in your Diablo humbuckers. And I was not considering dragon rasps. Just fold some canvas over the inside of your horns or use a coarse drum attachment for your drill. I know you don't consider this an option, but it only takes me 2 or 3 hours to carve and rough sand with palm gouges--those spoon shaped things you consider dangerous. Carry on, I'm looking forward to the final product on this. SR

Of course it can be oiled. The major pitfall is the accumulation of grime in the pores over time. SR

Grind away the part that pokes holes in the horns. You don't need that part. Sort of like smoothing one edge of a triangle file to dress fret ends with. Or get a drum rasp bit for your drill. He knew what he was talking about. 3 or 4 weeks ago I was out watching a band and the guitarist was playing a nice old Jackson (if there is such a thing). It was blue. But the way the lights reflected off that slab face just shouted: Cheap! Plain! Boring! to me. I love the way a tele sounds....but I'd much rather look at.....hold.....play one like that last one you made. Drak's flat faced masterpieces are a whole different animal. His finishes are so over the top good that they don't need carves or other individualistic treatments to set them apart. Really? SR

I have something similar on the 8 string (sir not appearing in this film) it is a pita to do. All access is overrated. Heck I so rarely need to play all those high notes... This will be the first color top I have done in a while. I just felt that it wasn't stunning enough on its own and it needed something. Lets hope it turns out good. I am not as good at color as Drak. I disagree about the pita part. It really should be no more difficult than the carves you do on the top and you can get every bit as fast with repetition. I agree that all access is overrated...there are way too many Fender and Gibson players for that to not be true. However, as you once told me, attention to detail and the ability to execute those details is the difference between a backyard builder and a high end luthier. Access aside, a smooth contoured neck join looks much better than an assembly line heel. And it feels a ton better whether it ever gets used or not. You are working on building a brand. This type of join should cost you no more than a couple extra hours--if that, and all by itself will set you apart from 80%-90% of the other custom builders out there. There are more than enough of us out here that can build perfectly playable custom guitars. Your headstock is part of your brand. It does not make your guitars any more playable than Gibson's open book. But it certainly looks cooler and makes your guitars more attractive and desirable. Don't miss an opportunity to set yourself apart and add value to your work (if you don't add a whole lot to the cost, it makes your stuff even more desirable). And really, I'd say your shallow carves on your super thin tops are a lot less forgiving than contouring a neck join would be. There's no reason for it to take a long time or be a pita; hell it's probably my favorite thing to do. .....Rant over. That perhaps may have been better suited to a PM, but I think it's good advice in general to all aspiring builders. If you don't make what you build unique or better than what's on the market, you might as well buy your next guitar. Lord knows it would be cheaper. (In most senses of the word). RAD's builds are a great example of individualism and improvement on what's available. As far as not being as good as Drak is at color....who the hell is. His stuff makes a great target to shoot at though. SR