charisjapan

Congratulations, Chris!  

Indeed, my heart was torn ... my granpappy had a ‘61 Falcon Police Package.  I took my drivers license in that car when I was 15-1/2 (he was county sheriff).  He willed it to me before he passed, but getting it to Japan would have been difficult.  As to the Ferrari V ... just WoW!   But in the end , your gorgeous A&W creation with the Marscape fretboard (complete with Martian birds) won hands down.  I could get lost in that top!!

Well-deserved win ... again!

15 hours ago, curtisa said:

Lucky sod. Bet those are gentle on fuel.

Absolutely miserly! 

They had several of each of the "hero cars," as well as some very nice "bad guy cars."  But was not able to drive any this trip ... maybe next time!

While visiting my kids in Hawaii, I got to visit Daughter#2's workplace, and borrowed a few chairs.

I asked Higgins if I could borrow Robin's car, but it didn't happen ... maybe next time 

Where was I? Oh, yeah ...

Using the table saw that a buddy gifted me, I made a more proper sanding beam box ... which works great. When I super glued the black binder on, a few fret slots sucked up the CA, and when I was cleaning it out, chipped some of the ebony. Fortunately, it fixed up pretty nicely. Frets soon!

3 hours ago, Mr Natural said:

glad to hear you got some items to take back- but I have to admit- I about gasped at the price of the tru-oil. Wow. $20 for 8oz. I realize things are expensive in HI compared to the mainland- and at woodcraft you are going to pay a premium anyway- but - wow. guess its a better deal than shipping to Japan. 

Right?!?  That’s 32 oz price.  But beggars can’t be choosers, Amazon won’t ship to HI or Japan,  Amazon JP sells Tru-oil for $16 ... a 3oz micro bottle.  The vise was a bargain, AND got 10% off, so will be happy.  

Aloha!

Visiting family in my US “state of residence,” Hawaii.  Day 1, go to WoodCraft ... 

Finally got a real luthier’s/patternmaker/gunstock carving vise.  Issue was always price and shipping, so sale price was good (on top of that, my daughter got me a 10% military discount) ... but had to give up 18 kilograms of luggage allowance to get it home, i.e. free shipping.  Tru-oil is expensive in Japan, so nice to get this, then the Woodpeckers Mini-Scraper was an impulse purchase.  The shop had a lot of Koa wood, but nothing special.

Back in a week.

2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

As you say, most people say you don't need to use anything and I am sure that is true.  I confess that I slurry and buff tru-oil on ebony boards in the same way that I slurry and buff the necks.  I find that it fills the grain and produces an organic feeling yet silky smooth surface that neverthless resists sweat marks, etc.. 

Of course, untreated ebony doesn't actually sweat stain like other woods but it does, in my experience, dull off.

I'm sure there are other views, though.

Confession noted ... and appreciated!  I don't want to "paint" the board or stain it black(er) or anything, just keep it from getting dull at the slightest hint of moisture.  Tru-oil, or even Odie's sounds like a plan.  I have a small cutoff, maybe I'll give the slurry a shot.

Thanks and Cheers!

The Ebony fretboard is a typical Gibson scale, so there wasn't anything past the headstock side of the nut ... but I wanted a "Nut Support."  Chopped a little bit of the unused fretboard and glued it in place, then shaped it with the Dragon rasp. 

Waiting for a Micro-Mesh kit, but got this with #1500 abrasive "sponge" available here.

Some folks say not to use anything on Ebony, but the slightest moisture dulls it ... suggestions to protect/seal it?

13 hours ago, ScottR said:

Amazon won't deliver to Japan? I thought Bezos owned the world.

I go through all the grits in the micromesh kit which is 1500, 1800, 2400, 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000, 12000. and results in a mirror finish. I find 1500 to be roughly like a 3M 400 so, the grits would go roughly from 400 through 3000 in a 3M type scale.

SR

 

1 hour ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Or Ebay.  Certainly available on the uk site at £21 for a 9 sheet pack.  Got a pack years ago and it's still going strong used both wet and used dry.  

First problem was searching “micromesh” on Amazon Japan ... no hits. Bezos may own the world, but Amazon USA and Amazon Japan are not on speaking terms. Next, ya gotta have the hyphen.  Fortunately, I have an American account, and they will ship to Japan a lot cheaper than eBay.  So weird how companies will “ship worldwide,” but consider Japan to be another planet. 

Thanks guys, I did find it, and will buy it ... but might just pick some up if I can find it in Hawaii next week.  My grandson is having his First Birthday Party ... a BIG DEAL in Hawaii!  My daughter is now working as an A.D. on “Magnum P.I.” so decided she can fly my wife and I there to celebrate.  Good Kid!  (I asked if I could drive the Ferrari, but apparently “Higgins” said NO!)

Just a thought,  but would using a quality wet/dry paper #1000 ~ #2000 ~ #3000 accomplish the same thing?  That I have in hand now ...

3 hours ago, ScottR said:

Micromesh.

SR

Recommended grit?  Micromesh is not available here, but something similar is ... and it’s not inexpensive,  I can’t find and muti-grit packs, so have to choose a grit.

Thanks.

Got out the triangle section sanding beam for the first time, and found the pre-slotted, pre-radiused Ebony board, needed more than cursory work.  Used #180 with the beam, then #400 on the Stew-Mac block, finished with the #1500 abrasive pad.  

I would like a bit more shine ... but don't know how.  (first time to do Ebony)  Any tips?

Fretboard at 6.35mm (1/4") was a tad too thick for my tastes, so took 0.5mm off the middle with a trimmer, then scraped/sanded/scraped to 5.8mm. I will later take a bit more off the top, with a little angle toward the nut to offset edge thickness, and then bind it with 1.5mm black.  (I understand this is a bit unusual, but hoping it is a "good" unusual.

Glued and clamped, waited and released, the joint looks nice, the truss rod works without binding. Now I just hope it works WITH binding, Haha! 

A coat of urethane over the shellac tells me that the shellac performed it's sealing task as advertised. Considering a light burst, and natural maple edges around the bevels and soundhole.

Yikes!!  That is magnificent .... 

(what can be said after magnificent)

if there ever was a candidate for magnetic covers, this is it.

Only got two thumbs ... do big toes up count? 

Epoxied the rods in, and made a "point press" to hold the rods down.  (Last neck I almost had a terrible mess when a few bubbles pushed the rods up.  Fortunately, I caught it before it set, and pushed the rods down with bamboo sticks ... and some of the bamboo is buried under the fretboard)  Sure enough, the next morning there we a few bubbles ... on top of the rods (this time), which were seated firmly in their channels. Removed the tape and a few swipes with a card scraper got the neck ready for fretboard.

I will be epoxying the carbon fiber rods (these have a round hole in a rectangular rod, manufacturer says nearly as strong as solid) in soon, but before that wanted to flatten the headstock from15.5mm to 13.5mm. While I was at it, it thought I'd give it a small (1.5 degree?) angle to give me a bit more break angle on D and G strings. Also, the neck had twisted a bit ... just like the other Padauk neck, I waited this long, resurfaced, then straightened, THEN add the rods. Worked well on the Limba Six, so should be okay.

Elbow tendinitis is flaring up again, so will have to slow down a bit.











 

Started a bit on the neck, not shown, but leveled and smoothed the top using card scraper and a #7 plane with 3M sandpaper stuck to it.  Next was to get basic carve of heel and headstock transition using a dragon rasp and card scrapers.

Slash Template!

Front is the "idealized" pointy version, and the backside shows what it will be with a 3.2mm (1/8") router bit in the Dremel tool. If I really want to make the edges sharp, I guess freehand with files is a possibility. Another that comes to mind is re-positioning the template, and using my 0.6mm fret bits.  Can cross that bridge when I get there. 

On to the pickup!

I was just gonna rout for pickup and screw the ring into the body.  (will no longer call it "ring"" or "plate" ... being solid brass, I think "bezel" sounds better!)  Somehow, just didn't like that ... looks a bit clunky on this guitar.  So made a template for the BEZEL and a pickup rout, and then tested on a scrap of thin maple. The bezel is 3mm thick, so routed down 2mm, hopefully making it look more "on purpose" than surface mount. 

Forget the black paper idea.  Just found some tracing paper and outlined the natural grain lines, then used them as a guide.  Not totally sure about what I drew here ... the bottom of the slash will probably be more in line with the upper horn shape and angle.  

I think I'm getting close to final shape and location.  Please note I'm not very artistic, this is the first time I've ever really tried to do anything artsy.

Not sure if this will work, but thinking about following the natural wood for the soundhole ... something akin the Ric 300 series slash.  This is just a horrible MSPaint drawing, but will make a few black paper cutouts before deciding the final shape.

Gotta be able to see at least a little bit of the interior! 

Had another WHAT?!?!?! moment ... laid the LMI Ebony fretboard on the neck and the neck was WAY too long ... until I looked at the label and saw it was pre-slotted to 22 frets, not the 24 frets I was measuring to.  This picture doesn't show the board in the correct position, just showing the proposed position of the pickup.

Phew!

But!

The neck fit tight, but was binding a bit ... I found that I had cut the neck about 1mm too short!  So took the cutoff, routed a radius, then glued it on and recut.  I other words, added a 1mm shim.  Under the fretboard, you won't see anything, so happy ... but not happy about another mistake.  Neck fits without binding, and the scale is spot-on.

Sigh

Again using recessed M5 threaded receptacles, but knocked a two of the prongs off ... two do the job, and they will be epoxied along with the carbon fiber rods later.  Pressed in just fine.

Instead of using a bolt, I cut an M5 rod, then used another hex-wrench threaded receptacle ... this helps counter the slight (0.525 degree) top plane.  Both receptacles sit flush and tight.

Topside, bridge positioned correctly, through-holes go through, ground wire hole goes where it should.

Neck pocket operation went well, still gotta go down another 2mm, but can't get 35mm (11mm template + 24mm pocket depth) with this bit.  Will finish depth another day.  But the pocket is reasonably tight and very, very straight ... no noticeable deviation from centerline. Yay!