demonx

Not many updates lately, so here is a workbench pic from today:

Or you could just use a contour gauge. I bought mine years ago for about $20.00

I've only used it on the neck profile itself though, the test of it I've modelled to sight and will modify it after I start cutting wood with the machine

More baby steps.

I cannot finish the neck heel until I finish the body.

I managed to jump a few more hurdles today that have been slowing me down.

One of my main obstacles was the neck to headstock transition. It felt practically impossible with Autocad. I managed to get this done today with Solidworks.

Thanks DC, I've had a lot of progress over the last couple days, I've basically got my Solidworks models up to the the stage (only a couple of them) that I had my autocad ones.

It's more a transitional thing at the moment, in autocad I know how to approach things, in SW I have to work out how it approaches the same task, for example at the moment I cannot work out why a certain thing won't trim and it's frustrating to say the least. It should trim as I've created a surface to use as a 3D cutting tool, which succeeded, now i can't trim it to the edges, which I cannot make sence of.

Then the whole planes and sketches thing keeps confusing me. I'm starting to get used to the sketch aspect and swapping from sketch to sketch but the planes thing still pisses me off.

I'm learning though. Every time I sit down to it I'm learning something and most times I get over a hurdle that I couldn't jump the time before.

Another thing that is slow progress is I'm redesigning my shape slightly to my handmade shape. So that is also slowing down progress as I work out the design aspects at the same time I learn the software.

Good advice.

As I was getting nowhere with AutoCad, I made the transition to Solidworks last week (thanks Carl for the advice etc)

None of my existing models have imported into Solidworks correctly, but I have been able to edit them in autocad and import 2d outlines to start from near scratch in Solidworks.

Basically over six months has been wasted on autocad and now I'm starting from again, but with a few steps backwards as now I am not even familiar with the Solidworks software so its a VERY slow process.

I had an engineer come around last week who uses autocad every day as his full time job and even he struggled to draw my contours etc, he made the suggestion to try Solidworks.

So after hearing it (Solidworks) from the guys here, from the engineer, from the guy building my machine, I figured it was time to stop being stubborn and just take people's advice, even if it does mean starting from scratch.

I had the CAD engineer come over again last night for a few hours to teach me how to use Solidworks, but it turns out he hasn't touched it since he was a student and being he uses autocad all day every day he'd completely forgotten Solidworks and needs to learn it again himself.

Looks like even if this machine gets delivered in a few weeks, I won't have any models to sent its way. Will be a while till I'm cutting wood.

Yeah, okay. Good luck with that one.

Well played.

Yeah, but... To quote the Spanish Peacock

There can be only one.

Maybe if they were full thickness tops. But just being veneer, i am sure most people wouldnt be nearly as interested in buying veneer.

My bad, I wasn't looking that close

It certainly looks like your most impressive guitar to date from the photos.

About selling things to recoup money, you may have better luck selling the raw timber as opposed to bodies, for example, if I was cashed up and the price was right I'd probably have snapped up both those tops and I'm sure I'd have to fend off half the forum regulars to get them.

You are right that there are several versions of the classics out there. The problem is that very few of them are very accurate, or complete (example, the extremely detailed and accurate Tele body drawing floating around, no neck that match that level of detailing is available). My thought was that a "PG stamp of approval" in regards of accuracy would be a very nice touch.

I'd tend to agree and like the idea of a correct model that is PG approved.

Pretty sure anyone who follows my builds knows I'm not one for making Strat or Tele clones or LP clones, in fact I never have, however these are the three most common forms of guitar on the planet dreadnought aside, so it'd make sense that a full 3D model which is correct in details down to screw placement, good enough that the person building one can buy hardware and have it line up perfectly, makes sense that would be a worthwhile resource.

I voted for the V, it's more to my tastes. If it had a reverse headstock it'd even look like something I might have built!

I was also suggest that after you cast the rock, do some tests as to what backing you use to reflect the light, as if you just cast it straight into the guitar, the light might not reflect out too well and it could possibly look like a big black hole, maybe a reflective silver backing, or even possibly have the clear cast all the way through the body?

Just a thought at possible problem solving before it occurs

Acoustic progress:

Bunya top joined:

Headstock rough cut:

Heel stack in clamps:

Back in clamps:

You grain filled and sealed this with epoxy yeah?

When you sanded back the epoxy, did you make sure there was an entire film of it over the guitar still, or did you sand it back flush as if it was only grain filler?

If you left a film of the epoxy it shouldn't sink back, unless it wasn't left long enough to cure before sanding?

I like the plain maple look. Simple and classy.

I also think this LP looks much better now than how it started, so, two thumbs up!

I built the above V a few years back, same thing as you discovered, the output jack was annoying.

I installed another one in the top wing (after paint and after pics, I don't think I took photos of it) like this and have on all my V builds since, like the one below:

Finishing is a matter which always throws up obstacles. One guitar you think you have it worked out, then next guitar it'll backfire on you and it's back to step one again.

As far as spraying more because of the burst, the more you spray, the more peel you get, the more you have to sand it back increasing the odds of a thru. So I guess by trying to prevent this, you may have made it worse?

Try touching up the black with an airbrush, you'd be surprised what can be fixed with an airbrush and a bit of blending

This neck jig is being a royal pain in my arse.....

Please talk more about this neck jig, as I'm currently in the process of deciding which style I'll be using and I've been told to go bolt on and avoid the old style dovetail, BUT, I know nothing of these matters, I've never built an acoustic.

So did you blacklist him from further orders?

No blacklisting or anything like that. If he buys another guitar, so be it, the guy seems like a great bloke and everyone has their reasons.

I haven't actually taken any orders since last year. I've had to knock back all requests as I've been "closed" for three and a half months due to doing a shopfit for my partners business, everything I've been doing since (guitar wise) is finishing off the trickles of last years jobs and was doing just one day a week work trying to progress guitar builds while I was doing the shopfit.

That aside, in the future I plan on steering away from taking orders and selling from stock. I'm aware there is not as much demand for that style business model in our "boutique industry", but I'll get more enjoyment from it that way and I don't want to turn building guitars into something I hate, as previously I have lost the passion for something that was once my life by turning it into a business. I can see that happening building guitars for a living and I want to steer clear of that.

I'll be going back to the way I was hobby building, but on a bigger scale if that makes sense. I want to just build what I feel like and hoping it sells. I think I'll enjoy life a lot more that way.

Dang, i couldnt ever do that.

Saw that some guy is selling on of your flamed maple neck through guitars already. What was up with that?

Also, there's a new trend these days where people go on waiting lists with boutique luthiers who have long waits, sit it out and then sell the guitars for a profit as soon as they get it. Now I'm not saying this is the case, however i did see it listed at about 20% more than the price I sold it for... Not saying this is the case, but the guy seems to have a different piece of gear for sale every day of the week.

Today I cut up an eight and a six string neckthru, a handful of bolt on's and a whole heap of old neck blanks I had laying about the workshop. You can see various silhouettes in the fire. I think it was a bit of "stress relief" to just burn them all!

Welcome to the forum!

Some tasty looking wood you've cut up there, re: the flamed Walnut.

A couple tips for drilling:

If you are going to do a big hole, with a small hole in it like you have attempted here, drill the larger hole first but only as deep as you want it to be, then when you go to drill the smaller hole, the tip of the previous drill will have left a center point for the smaller drill bit to sit straight into and you get them both lined up nice and easy.

To do the type of drilling you've attempting here, I'd use a Forstner bit in a drill press for the larger recess as it'll leave a nice clean cut. Then a brad bit to do the small hole as the brads have a nice long center point that helps it stay in place as opposed to a standard twist bit that likes to wobble around wherever it likes..

Also, make sure you have a sacrifice board hard up behind the object you are drilling through, so it doesn't tear out at the back. Just a piece of scrap will do.

I'm a bit behind on posting updates. I've been extra flat out on non guitar work, however it's mostly over so I'm back in the workshop every day.

Catching up on the sealing of this one:

Have been cutting up several slabs to make guitar blanks:

Got a new toy for doing radius sanding and fret leveling - love it by the way. Very cool gadget.

Jon picked up his SS7

Also - something different. Taking on an acoustic build as a side project for myself (like I have time!!) Should be interesting!

Looking good.

Need more pics!