icedfirefly

Hey guys. I tried to start learning by myself, from here, books, internet, etc, but last month i had a call from a luthier near home, to tell me that one of his student has finished so there would be a open spot, i asked him for a spot like a 8 or 9 month ago i think... i`m more comfortable doing the course than learning by myself, at least until i have a good foundation of the basics. Well, tomorrow will be my third class, so far is good, my plan is to replicate at home the things i learn, so when i finish the course, instead of one guitar i should have built 2 or 3, and after the course there is the possibility of keep going as an apprentice, i will do the work i`m capable of, the luthier will guide me, i will not get paid in money, but i will be learning. I will try to update here from time to time!! Cheers!

Hey guys. Wanted to bring you a quick update before leaving for work. Did some practice in spare wood with the router, and after that i been able to get a better finish on the blanks, then i put 150 grit sandpaper at 90 degrees and did a very light sanding, i`m a bit afraid of oversanding and messing up. The surface is not 100% smooth, but looks a lot better than before, here you can see both boards togheter. Sorry, the pic is a bit dark... anyway, the union on the other side looks better also. Im not sure if do a bit more sanding to try to improve it a bit more or just clamp them togheter the way they are now. Cheers!!! Thanks for all the tips!!!

Hello guys. Thanks for the answers, let`s see... here are some pictures. The board, as far as i can tell it`s not warped and it`s at 90 degrees, and it`s longer than the pieces i`m sanding. I tried both separatedly, and when that didn`t work i tried them clamped togheter. And there you can see one of the ends. I keep the sandpaper in place with masking tape, i used a system i found at Crimson guitars, first put the masking tape in the board, then put some glue on it and put another masking tape on top of it facing upside, then put the sandpaper on it, the one i tried is 40 grit. I think what Curtisa said may be the issue, i had put two lines of masking tape along the board but closer to the middle than to the edges so they don`t cover all the surface the sandpaper is touching, so i see the edges are lifted a bit... i though that the weight of the 2 blocks would be enough to keep it againt the board and that i would not affect the result...

Hello guys, I think I really suck at sanding, I did the shooting board, put some sandpaper and tried sanding them, first, each one separately, then both clamped together, tried many times, and no matter what I couldn't get a good surface, I'm in my cellphone now so I can't upload pictures, but later I will put some of them... Is there other way I could try? I was thinking clamp both pieces together, put them with the surface I need to prepare looking up, and then run the router from over it, the same way y prepared the front and back, I only would need a higher structure from which run the router... OK, I'm not sure if I'm explaining myself clearly, if not, again, I will put some pictures tonight to see if that could work. My plan b is going to the woodshop and ask them to prepare them for me, I been stuck at this stage too long, I want to keep advancing, maybe later with more experience i can sand them down the next one. Sorry for the wall of text. Cheers!!

Thanks guys, I will try those systems today in some spare wood to see how they work A shame about the router bits, they are brand new, I thought they would work better... Cheers!

Hello guys, i need some help, i dont know what i`m doing wrong. I`m preparing the 2 pieces of the body to join them. First i clamp a straight wood to use it as a guide, and use that 2cm router bit, doing many passes, each one a bit lower, until i can`t get any lower. Then i turn it over, clamp it again (now the router doesn`t touch the straight wood) and use that 3cm bit router to copy the previous level. And no matter what i do, i always finish with 2 different levels, not really a huge difference, but can`t get a perfect surface, i did 6 tries (I`m using the outside of the wood blocks, not side that is going to be glued togheter) one of the tries went almost perfect, but then went to the other block and again 2 levels... Any idea? Thanks!

Yeah, that's a good idea, I have a few second hand stores not far away from home, it's worth a look at least, I seen they sell some power tools and stuff. Thanks!

I need to wait a few days for the new router bits to get home... So, in the meantime, for the next step (Joining the parts) i need big clamps, i asked in the hardware store and the big ones are a bit expensive there, and i saw tutorials on youtube about DIY clamps... anyone had any experience with them? if i can make good ones for cheaper than bought new ones, it`s money that i can spend in other tools... Thanks!

Thanks guys! I had already presented them in a way that i liked how it looks, so then i will just join them that way!! Cheers!

Thanks PsikoT, i followed your suggestion about how to do it and i think it went well! Now... before i start hacking away the sides to prepare to join them... is there a proper position that the 2 blocks should go? i mean, watching the 2 pieces is not really clear to me which way the grain goes (i did read somewhere that if you cut it from a plank you should turn one of the blocks 180 degrees and then join them) i dont know if i cant put the pieces any way i want or if by doing so later can be harder to sand it or... i dont know, it`s like i think Scott said in other thread, i don`t know what i don`t know Thanks!

Hello guys. Well, went from different versions of the plane router, still need to improve it, but i think it works good enough now. Finished planing the 2 blocks, next step will be planing the sides to glue and join them, right? Thanks! Laters.

Thanks Prostheta. Yeah, i did put some wood pieces at the end of the courtain to keep it pressed to the floor, so far so good. I think the problem with the router was my pressure, now i just move it side to side, i put a level on the rails and keep checking it from time to time to be sure all is at the same level. I did mostly going to the same side, but a few times went the other way, from now then i will go as you said, against the direction of the bit. I finished the top, looks mostly good, but there are a few part where i don`t know what happened but looks like the router tear the wood down I think i will need to sand it quite a bit to fix that...

Hello guys, a little update. Put some shower courtain around the workbench and did a router planer and did my first try at it. The board is longer and thicker than i need, so i tried on it instead of a scrap wood, there is still plenty of room for more tries. Im routing down about 2 mm. but i can`t get a uniform surface, i think it`s because i`m putting some pressure on the router and then it cuts uneven. I watched many tutorials about router planer on youtube, but the ones i found explain how to make the router planer, not so much about how to use it properly. Thanks!! It`s the first time i use a router so not sure about how to use, maybe i should lower the bit 1mm more, and then put no pressure on it? just move it side to side?

Man, the shape of your headstock is sooooo perfect... I was planning on doing a similar shape, since the only headstock that i like is the Ibanez one, but wanted to change the tip of it, and yours look pretty close to what i had in my mind! Anyway, i`m still so far from doing a neck that i have more than enough time to desing some ideas for the headstock. And the wood for the top of the body it`s insanely good!!!! if i red right, it`s eucaliptus? my old neiborhood was full of them... Cheers!!

oh yeah! i`m not going to let a small thing like not having enough space stop me... i will just find the way and thanks to all your experience i`m sure i will do it as safely as i can. Well, if i just open the windows people will see me working there On a side note, i walked all the hardware stores on my city, couldn`t get the router bits i will try Barcelona, maybe tomorrow. On the bright side, i found a place that sell all kind of wood near my house, maybe 15 blocks away... I forgot to tell you guys, when i went to buy the wood in Barcelona, the owner of the place told me that he didnt like to sell to guitarrist because they take too much time and he didn`t have time, he acted like it was a burden to sell me the piece of wood, not really a nice attitude... i didn`t feel good at all, but since i was there and spend money and more important my time to get there (It`s a 2 hours and half rountrip) i bought the wood, but from now on i will buy near home or if needed through internet... Anyway, i will keep working on my worbench now Cheers!!

You right guys The box I only used it to sand with my hands, not with power tools, but after sanding for a while it was not really comfortable, so I just stored things inside the box and finished sanding out of it. Anyway, i got a good idea how to put the courtain... I will make it today. @Curtisa, outside my apartment it's just the street, and the waking area is so small I can't even put my bike on it... So until I move to a more apt place, this is what I have Cheers

Yeah I bought this box, made 2 holes and put some sleeves and gloves on it, i used it to sand down a guitar and worked pretty well, not a speck of dust went out, i will see if i can use the router inside it. Also, i was thinking about putting a shower courtain around the workbench, i have a couple ideas about how to hang it, do some wood structure i can put in top of the workbench when i`m about to sand or route and then hang the courtain, once i finish, i take it down and store it until the next time. I can try at least and see how it works, i will have to use a good mask being in a somewhat confined space...

Thanks of all the information and tips guys!!! really appreciate all of you taking the time to help me. I went to a place similar to home depot but smaller, they didn`t have some of the things i wanted... and got some of the tools, but they didn`t have planes, so i will have to go to a more specialized places. Almost finished my workbench, it`s made from 3 pallets, one had the table on top of the workbench and the other 2 were regulars ones, i will go to pick one more today to make the lower shelf, (i have an hardware store near my home where i buy stuff and they already know me and call me when they have a spare pallet in case i want one) i think it cost me around 3 euros in screws and some sandpaper and that`s it, it`s sturdy enough, but it`s still a work in progress, i want to put some light over it, and wanted to do some shelves like on the desktop, but dont want to hide the window, so i will pospone that. As you can see, i live in a very small apartment, so the workbench goes right besides my desktop and my "garage", it`s is also my living room, dinner room and kitchen... so i will try to be as carefull as i can with the sanding, sadly, there is no other place to put the workbench. I was thinking about buying a vacuum cleaner to turn it on near when i`m sanding, could it help out a bit? Today i will try to start and finish the router planner too, so finally i can start working on the body of the guitar, preparing the 2 parts to glue them together, but first i will practice a bit with the router in the spare wood from the pallets, i never used one before, just need to be sure to take out the nails from the wood before. I will keep you updated!!! Thanks!

Thanks Pukko! Guys, just two questions more, since i`m going shopping for tools in a few... Which kind/sizes of router bits should i get? i don`t know which ones are the most used... And do i need a manual or electric planer? like for example this one: SKIL 1560-01 3-1/4-Inch Planer? Thanks!

A router planner sounds good, i`m still finishing my workbench, but my next step will be building a router planner Speaking of... i need a router, i saw the Bosch POF 1100 AE, is this one good enough for starters? Thanks!

I know what you mean, when I'm documenting a build I feel like I've already said the same things several times by now. But pretty much every new build I follow I find a few things I never thought of and a technique or so that never occurred to me. And there are quite a few watching that never say a thing but still want to learn. When I was doing my first build, there were a lot of questions I needed to ask, but I didn't know what I didn't know, so I didn't know that I needed to ask.........if you get what I mean. So these days, when a good build comes along I ask questions that I may even know the answers to....because I'm pretty sure some are watching that do not.\ I'm looking forward to seeing your carve. SR Thanks for that attitude Scott!! it`s soo true... i`m doing my first build and that`s the point, i don`t know what i don`t know. Cheers!

Hey guys, i got myself some sepele, 50cm x 20cm. Now... i need some magic trick to bring down the tickness from 5,2cm to 4,5cm, is there any?????? If not, what kind of tool or machine do i need? or what options do i have? i would like to do it by myself and not going to a shop to ask for it. Well, slowly i`m advancing... i need to start working in the design now... i have some ideas and want to surf the web to get more options... Cheers!

Hey PsikoT, what do you think of a similar work that you did for the headstock but in the body of the guitar? i would like to make a full body, then for example, a blue veneer (stained) then a veneer with the same color of the body and then a top blue stained veneer, in my mind it looks cool. In case of yes, that should be decided before starting the job right? because 3 sheets of venner are going to take some space, i think that to be able to apreciate it they would need to be a little tick, so i would need to keep in mind how much space they are going to take and then substract it from the boby... I hope the explanation is clear enough... english is not my first language. Thanks!

Thanks PsikoT I will try Fustes Garriga here in Barcelona first, i know some people buy wood for guitars there, and if i`ts possible i prefer to go to the shop and see and buy the stuff instead of buying online, i just hate to buy without seeing and having to wait until delivered. And always is nice to pay a visit to Barcelona, i live in Sabadell, just 45 minutes away... Anyway, if not, my plan B is Madinter! Well, i got a Wizard II neck, edge tremolo, Ibanez mics and the volumen and tone control etc... So, my next steps should be printing a RG diagram, buy some wood and make the template, right? (I saw there is a tutorial about templates, so i will take a look at it in a few...) about the template, i saw that some people make them from wood and other from acrillyc or something similar, any tip? i think wood could be a little easier to work with, am i right? Cheers!

That neck and headstock is a piece of art!!! And the colors layers in the headstock looks incredible. The step by step pictures helped me a lot to see how is the work of building a neck!! Saludos desde Barcelona!