demonx

Do you like the color match with the Black Limba neck blank and the Cocobolo Sapwood body?

Inside the Workshop - Vol 2
http://youtu.be/vzGxjhjWkUo

Welcome.

You've definitely found the best forum for guitar tech stuff.

Do you ever mitre your binding ends?

Depends on my mood, I either trim them with fret saw or band saw and then file flush

Quick "inside the workshop" video from today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb-afnCDI6g&feature=youtu.be

Scott: no stringers

I went with the Tiger Myrtle. The owner said that was his first pick too.

Started another few builds today.




Spalted Tasmanian Sassafras top with slotted Wandoo fingerboard



Here is a few snaps I took to help decide binding:

How many guitars did you end up building in 2013? and how many do you have planned for 2014?

Not many, I'd have to check my files but it'd be twenty something. The way I build currently that's the most I can do. I did however have a big stretch of time off from guitars in 2013 whilst I gutted a large section of our house, turned four rooms into one large open plan room. Built new stud walls in spots, re plastered walls and ceiling, built a new kitchen, installed new floorboards, wiring, lighting, painting. Big job and a big chunk of the year away from guitars.

As for 2014, I have a few handmade orders to build in the first quarter, but I haven't been taking on any new orders so I'll have a lot of time to work with the CNC, learn, practice, experiment etc

I haven't had much guitar updates over the last few weeks as I've been flat out, building this!

It's a CNC room. Insulated with "Earth Wool", the room measures 6m X3m and will house the machine that I hope will take "Searls Guitars" in a whole new direction of excellence.

I've been getting a little bit of progress in the CAD department. Still cannot work out my main carve, but on the side I've been drawing up some of these simpler carves which are variations of some of my older builds:

There's some exceptional work there, you should be mega proud.

Ziricote:

I voted Hitone

Should look great when finished. Everything you do always looks clean and masterful

really nice work man, what kind of paint do you use for the airbrushing? same lacquer or other kind of material?

I would assume it is automotive basecoat.

Correct - Automotive 2k, PPG Deltron to be exact. I mix it to a thinner ratio compared to spraying cars or anything with a full sized gun. Normally I'd mix 1:1 but for airbrushing I mix 1:2

The red is "Viper Red", left overs from a Chevy Corvette I sprayed a while back, the camo is shades of an Olive color which is an Autothane (Autothane = PPG panel shop range) custom mix and then the shades I mixed myself on the spot using black to darken the two other greens

I always have white and black mixed up as I use them for pretty much everything. The only Black in this job was in the mouth, what looks like black in the camo is actually a really dark green that is is nearly black, then there is the white in the mouth and the white in the pin striping, then I dusted the whole job with a charcoal color to make it look dirty and war torn, less "brand new" as clean camo looks crap in my opinion.

Clear coats always bring a paint job to life

Bound to hurt some eyes when assembled:

Trans Gold Candy top, gold hardware, Bocote board, Padauk neck

So many peoples attempts at an "original" design just make me want to puke these days, this one doesn't, so take that as a compliment.

I do however like the front (horn) end better than it's arse end (looks a bit bulky?), but I honestly don't know how to improve the arse end so it's probably best you ignore me! Might look better with a big chunky bridge mounted back with a longer scale to fill in the space? My tastes are usually the minority around here so don't listen to me too much!

Anyway - great work and I'm a fan of the grain streak through the middle of the body. A lot of "companies" would class that as a defect or a B grade as it's inconsistent, I myself love things like this, timber is a natural thing and doesn't always need to look like a computer generated printout veneer, a simple piece like this shows individualism in the timber and a lot of people loose that concept by trying to strive for "perfection" - adds character to the piece. Makes it real rather than just another cookie cutter guitar

Definitely a lot of great looking stuff in here! Very impressive.

Sully

Thanks heaps for the kind words! Your work isn't too shabby either! I don't spend a lot of time on youtube, but every now and then I somehow stumble across one of your vids, think I've prob watched about five or ten of them. Usually pretty entertaining!

Arrrrrrr - pin router. Always wanted one of those but never got there. Not too common around here and the price is high enough I decided to leave it and put the money into cnc one day

I love it when you go back to your original type of work. Never enough time to paint these days?

Always busy with customer orders! This is one I started building over a year ago that I've finally just got round to finishing up, but the "project" guitars get put aside for ordered guitars

Today I finally got around to doing the airbrushing on "Warbird #2"

It's automotive 2k. I use it for priming (over a sealer) and I also use it to top coat. It's an expensive way to paint and it also takes much longer, but I get good results that way. I've used dedicated clear "primers" before and they tend to dull the overall finish.

Here is a couple of bolt on bodies I'm getting ready to go out - this pic is clear primer, under the clear is a clear sealer/filler, over the top a trans finish will be sprayed on one and an airbrushed camo on the other.

Looking great, classy timber choices.