scorpionscar

Hi Bileshake, you're are in time hahaha, there is a long way to finish the project. The target of this topic is to show every aspect of guitar building, not only beutiful pics and nice things. The other face of the coin is that sometimes things are not the way you liked. While I was working on an ebony fretboard, it appeared cracks, at first instance I thought there were big pores of the wood, strange thing on the other hand so as to ebony's pore is almost inexistent. I tried to save the fingerboard, and thought about putting a binding, not bad idea, but when I was looking at the cracks closely, I coul see that light passed through them, and of course had to discard the fretboard. On the other hand I have a problem about cutting the fretslots. I made a jig for this purpose and today I've been working on an accesory in order to fix the miter box to the workbench, and use a pair of toggle clamps in forder to fix the fingerboard and the template. I used a MDF base of 19mm and did the driles for the screws. I put a 4mm iron pletins underneath the base to reinfort the zone due to the high strength of the clamps. the jig works great, but It's impossible to cut fretslots in ebony, is hard as a rock and the blade of the japanesse saw embedded in the ebony, I someone has any suggestion it will be wellcome...Not very good day today... Scorpionscar

Today I've been radiousing the fingerboards and slotting then. I have to point out that the ebony is hard as a rock, difficult to slot, but very beauty on the other hand. I leave two pics, one of the jig I use for radiousing which consist in a box with two rails. The other is an artistic pic I took cause I liked the shavings of the ebony after using a scraper. The guitars are coming to life little by little. Scorpionscar

Today I've been doing the fretboard of one of the guitars. For radiousing I've used a jig where the router goes over two rails. I use a 10mm bit cause I get better results than with a bigger one. With this operation the fingerboard is almost in its final shape but I use a radiated sanding block, in this case 12". I post some pics: Scorpionscar

I've been testing my new jigs for radiousing and slotting the fingerboard in order to see if everyting was alright. Afortunatelly, all the measurementes are right and the jigs ready for doing more fingerboards.

Artistic pic day in the workshop. My porta-tools: Scorpionscar

Today I've made the truss rod channel with the help of a jig for this purpose. Sometimes I made the channel with the guid of the router, but I don't like very much the results, so I built this simple jig. The truss rod fits perfectly. The necks are coming to life!!!

Today have been gluing the ebony peghead veneer. At first I've drilled four holes in the area outside of the final shape of the headstock in order to avoid displacements of the veneer once the glue has been applied. Afther that I use chopsticks in the holes I did for putting in place the veneer. After that I use two clamps in the center, and in the perimeter use mini-clamps from the Balado's harvest made of MDF and 6mm threaded rod. Some pics of the process:

Today I've working on the two cameras of the flying-v. As there were rounded due to the radious of the tread of the bit, as a result, I had to cut the straight edges by hand with the help os the blade of a metal saw. For doing that, I used two metal pletins that I put on each side of the guitar and acted as a guide for the blade of the saw. After that, I used a chisel for removing the saw marks It was a time consuming proces, but the result well worth it.

Today sunday, god day, I've been working on the flying-v. I cut the body shape with the jigsaw and route the contour with the router. I made as well the cavities of each wing of the guitar. After that I cut the scarf joint of the neck and headstock with a japanesse saw. Then I used a special jig for this purpose with very good results. Tomorrow I'll glue the two pieces and deal with the corners of the two cavities, that is no an easy matter and I will try with japanesse saw and two pieces of wood in order to guide the blade of the japanesse saw. The guitar is getting shape and coming to life.

Today I've been working on the flying-v. I've routed the interior cameras not only for an stetic issue but for lighten up the body. Here are some pics. Happy weekend to everybody: Scorpionscar

Thank you for your explanation and your words ScottR. Even the heaviest pieces has an special wood grain, It seems as it were grown at the base of the tree. Scorpionscar

Instead of have been festivity day here in Spain, I've been working on two scarf joints. The method I use is to mark the angle in the neck and then I cut with a japanesse saw. After that, I use a jig I built with a slope according to the specific angle, in this case 12º, and screw the router base to a straight piece of wood that allows to plane the scarf joint. The result is perfect, quick and easy. The excess of wood in the piece of blank corresponding to the headstock, I use the japanesse saw and cut the surplus material. After thath I use another jig I built in order to take the piece to the right thickness. Then I glue the two pieces in a special jig that consist of a plywood base and another piece screwed at 90 degrees with regard the base. I like to use this jig because otherwise is not easy to mantein the neck blank 90º due to the strengh of the clamp, tends to turn the blank. I upload some pics of the process.

Thank you so much Curtisa. Easy, I thought it was more difficult cause there are forums where is necessary to upload the images to a server. Thank you. I'm going to put some images about my advances: This is a spanish cedar body for a strato type guitar. I've used this clamps that are very easy to do and very effective. 5 layer laminated neck: wengue-bubinga-wengue-bubinga-wengue. This is a laminated 5 layers: mapple-bubinga-wallnut-bubinga-mapple with a scarf joint of 12º. This is a jig I use to put he neck and headstock in the right possition rapidly. Testing the 90º angle. The wengue-bubinga neck glued and thickened. view of the spanish cedar body and my loved threaded rod clamps. I found out somethig strange with the pieces of spanish cedar. I've bought a blank with an excelent quality and the right weight (spanish cedar is usually a lighter wood). I bought a new blank and for my surprise, it was lighter (too much difference), I bought a third blanck, and very heavy. Never did I have to deal with something similar. What do you think is the explanation about this issue, different blanks of the same wood, very different weight of the pieces. I think is not a matter of humedity cause all of them were bought in the same wood store and were there for four years. I'm very surprised!!!

Hi guys, I'm working on 4 new hardrock guitars. Two of them ara strato style guitars, one one with only bridge humbucker semi-relic guitar, the other is a replica of Richie Sambora. The third is a superstrato style wit a pau ferro top and ebony fretboard and the last one a ferray red remated with stainless steel pickguard flying-v type guitar. I'll try to document the whole process explaining with plenty of detail and asnswering my doubts. I don`t remember how to upload images, if you can help me I would be very grateful. Thanks in advance. Scorpionscar

Yes, I don't know how to calculate the shim, moreover, I think it's easier to route the neck pocket with the angle

I've read that non recessed floyds (flat FR) needs an angled neck. I want to build a strato non recessed style, but didn´'t know about this task, Any opinion is wellcome

which one do you think is better, and in the case of mounting flat how the cavity should be?

Why floyd rose stratocaster doesn't have router cavity? I send a pic. I want to build one but the original floyd rose instructions comes with this router cavity type. (send a pic too)

It's true, thank you very much Curtisa. If someone knows about strato style profile neck plans or measuremts I'd be very grateful. Juan Carlos

Hi, I'm thinking about building two new projects that consist of a strato with humbuckers and floyd rose, and Tom Anderson style. I'm looking for strato style neck profile plans and floyd rose plants for routing the cavity. Thanks in advance. Juan Carlos

The problem is that I radiate the fretboard with my router and a jig I designed for that purpose. If I inlay the fretboard before radiusing I'm afraid the router will damage the inlay work...

Hi, probably the neck&fingerboard is one of the most delicate tags in the process of building an electric guitar. What do you think is the best order/choice about neck&fingerboard building? - First Slotting the fingerboard with the help of a mitter box - Second what do you think is best? inlays time, gluying fretboard to neck or radiate the fingerboard? this is for me the most difficult part, I think is better after slotting, radiating with router and then inlay job. But the problem is how to do the binding channel a radiated fingerboard I´d would very grateful if someone adds some light to this issue. Thanks in advance. Scorpionscar

I've already uploaded the file.Tomorrow I'll go to cut the template with laser.I'm impatient... Scorpionscar