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charisjapan

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Everything posted by charisjapan

  1. charisjapan
    I did just that, though I had also asked the question over at MyLesPaul Luthier's Corner. Here's the thread, just for posterity. http://www.mylespaul.com/threads/hipshot-tuner-dismantling.400307/#post-8425585 I will make another post with the results for the sake of this build!
  2. charisjapan
    Hipshot Grip Locks ... Got two pair, hoping to mix and match some parts to match the TV Jones Chrome+Black ... asking Hipshot if the locking wheel can be removed. (looks like a little 6mm open end wrench will do it, but don't want to break anything)
  3. charisjapan
    Headstock drilled for tuners.
  4. charisjapan
    I sincerely hope so!!! The holes in the bridge are 3mm, and the angled holes I drilled with a 3.5mm bit are oval, so should have a bit of wiggle room ... maybe 1mm fore and aft.
  5. charisjapan
    ... people do that!?! Forget they have exquisite wood tucked away?!? Looking forward to a personal build!
  6. charisjapan
    Made a template, stuck it on with double-sided tape (a little further back than in the picture), routed to depth and glued in the little ferrule holder. Actually, there was a reason to make the Paduak ferrule holder besides being ornery ... the Limba is (as advertised and warned) pretty soft, so thought it a better receptacle. The 45 degree thing WAS just being ornery, lol.
  7. charisjapan
    A possible solution ... Made my head hurt to figure the angle, then make a jig, then actually drill. Will Dremel a bit for final fit ... I made it a bit tight on purpose. Now someone can assess the tonal qualities of this ... please!
  8. charisjapan
    That is tragic!! I've really come to love working with Padauk, and find the smell pleasant. But having very sensitive skin (a recent , sudden development) to some other things, I know what it's like to be denied.
  9. charisjapan
    I'm gonna call this carve done. Time to crack open the Odie's Oil I brought back from the States. This stuff is not what I expected ... more like Manuka Honey or molasses in winter. But it really spreads, as advertised. the first two pics are before, then some after two coats, indoor and outdoor. (I could look at the grain and color of this Padauk all day ... and the Wenge is also very "woody")
  10. charisjapan
    Language is fun! "kröhöm" makes me want to clear my throat!!
  11. charisjapan
    Doki-doki ... (the Japanese "sound-word" aka "onomatopoeia" meaning an anxiously beating heart ... nervous)
  12. charisjapan
    Thank you! Well, the materials are not very traditional Japanese, but I'm certainly influenced by "Hakone Zaiku" woodcraft. That is an area just east of Mt. Fuji (and only about 2 hour drive from my home) that is famous for multi-colored wood inlay and patterned veneers. They are also famous for the "Magic Box" craft. I've been a fan of that stuff for 50 years. A lot of then methods are secret, but most of the master artisans have passed away. Young folks of the area just want to got to Tokyo and work for a big company ... idiots!
  13. charisjapan
    Grrrr! Beware iOS 11.0.3 update will delete your ability to upload pics directly to Flickr. This won't affect folks in the US, as a Flickr app will still work (maybe?), but said app is not available in Japan. The only app that works here is limited to one pic at a time. So back to physically connecting phone to PC, then bulk uploads to Flickr. Please don't tell me about iCloud ... it always dumps everything from all devices, and any edits change all pics on all devices. Sorry for the Apple Rant ... I feel better now. Cleared away just enough mess to drill the 45-degree string-through holes using a simple jig and a long 4mm bit. Worked okay, predictably the holes on the backside are not lined up very well. I have a plan!! (but until I make it work, I won't tell ) Next was side dots so I can (finally) glue the fretboard to the neck. I was a bit lazy (again) and the holes were not perfectly the same ... but unless you sight down the edge, you really can't see it. I will file that away as "full disclosure" here, but never tell anyone I show the guitar to physically ... not many folks would notice. Soon I get to use Odie's Oil ... Yay!!
  14. charisjapan
    Not precisely a guitar build, but this happened in the middle of this build. You may recall I had some Padauk lying around, and my daughter found out. They just bought a small condo in Hawaii, and "needed" a small shelf near the entry for "pocket junk." and "just-got-home" junk ... AND a key hook, AND a coat hook (technically, nobody has coats in Hawaii, so jacket/hat/handbag hook). She and her hubbie also had a LONG list of "Daddy-Do" chores, many of which were to make their little place easier to live in with their new baby, my grandson. Here's the preparations in Japan, the adjustments on-site, and the finished products ... The last two pics are a table ornament I made for my older daughter's church in their home. The lettering was freehand with a trimmer/router, and the backside was with a template using a dish bit on the larger router. Finish on the home accoutrements was 2-part waterbase urethane, the church ornament was wood oil I got from @a2k.
  15. charisjapan
    Almost three weeks in Hawaii visiting kids, grandkids and "Ohana" (non-blood family) kids. Found a LOT of carpentry, plumbing, electrical and various handyman chores waiting for me ... it's what I do ... and my Ohana help to make sure I feel wanted and needed. Here's a picture of my "Workbench" out on the lanai ... living in Japan, I'm used to working in tight and uncomfortable places. 12 hours of sun a day, and a bit hot, but the view was great! Back to the build, my Ohana-daughter gave me a nice strap for it! Not sure it's a perfect match color-wise, but it IS a high-quality strap, and much appreciated. This is my "haul" from this trip. The Odie's Oil and Wood Butter are for this build for sure. The rest are things that are hard to come by in Japan, or very expensive.
  16. charisjapan
    Hey @Rizh, Looks like a great project. I also got into building so as not to pay for the guitar I could not afford ... but soon ended up with my own design instead. But you seem to know what you want, and that's great. One suggestion ... since your guitar is a three-piece "sandwich," consider chambering the center piece. As has been mentioned, plywood is heavy, so cutting out some of the unnecessary areas of the middle piece will lighten the body, and might even add a bit more musical quality ... plywood can be a bit "dead" with the added glue. Just a thought! Cheers
  17. charisjapan
    Hey a2k, good to see you here! Sorry to hear bout your household goods ... boats are relatively fast, then there's bureaucracy. Good things on your home, and hope you can get building again soon. Come on back any time, there's a place to stay, as long as you're good with the dogs bothering you.
  18. charisjapan
    Got a bit more done on the neck profile, just using the card scraper. It's getting close to a soft-V-to-C that I like. The profile tool is the 1st and 7th frets, and with the fretboard on is 24mm at 1st fret, 23mm at 7th, and back out to 24 past 12th. I will pull the neck and put a straight edge to I and take some more profiles every few frets ... then go down about another millimeter for a somewhat slim profile neck ... similar to the EC strat neck, my favorite. Btw, I probably had more than five piles of shavings ... I wonder if Mrs.Charisjapan would appreciate a potpourri? Oh, and never, NEVER throw a microfiber cloth on top of Padauk shavings!!
  19. charisjapan
    Used the sanding drum to "adjust" the area under the neck pocket ... to fix the goof I made with the "router method" of neck thicknessing. Next was a gouge chisel to get basic shape, then the card scraper to clean up there and the headstock ... and just kept going on the neck profile. Not the best way, but had lost of fun making long. curly shavings! Some folks have mentioned Padauk odor, but mine must be a fragrant piece, pleasantly spicy.
  20. charisjapan
    Very interesting concept! Am I correct to assume the guitar is (ahem) "form fitting?" (it would be, on me! ) What kind of bridge? And low-profile pickups, I would imagine ... love that snakewood, but never seen it here in Japan. looking forward to the build.
  21. charisjapan
    Nice bend!
  22. charisjapan
    I know, I know! ... but bragging rights are legitimate desires! That said, I will most probably use this for a body blank, and maybe 4 necks ... if I actually build 4 more guitars with Padauk necks. Sorry 'bout the monitor, hope it doesn't totally saturate all the pixels, then leak into the PC and cause Blue Screen Of Death!! Btw, this is the block for the table ornament ...
  23. charisjapan
    Back to the Limba 6, I started playing with the neck carve up at the headstock. It's not a "V" yet, but I think the headstock transition might look something like this. Went down to the heel, and found that I got over-exuberant on the router table. It's about 4mm beyond my mark ... guess I wasn't paying attention. After looking at things, I think I can salvage the situation by just carving the body back a bit. That heel area was kind of undecided anyway, so ... Shhhhh .... don't tell anybody!
  24. charisjapan
    Indeed, Padauk has become an obsession ... Had a nice slab to make a thin (38mm) guitar body, but my daughter "appropriated" it as a gift from me, and "commissioned" me (gratis, of course) to make a shelf in her kitchen, and while I was at it, a matching keyhook and coathook. There were a few pieces left over, so my other daughter asked for a carved table top decoration. Seeing as my kids have granted Mrs.Charisjapan grandkids (which she dotes on), how can I refuse?! All this has to be done in a week, so that I can bring it to Hawaii ... After having a precious piece of Padauk "stolen" from my stock, this gorgeous, gargantuan plank came up on auction, and nobody else bid! About $40. I'm not promising anything, but doesn't this look like a one-piece guitar blank?????
  25. charisjapan
    It's ALIVE!!!!!
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