mistermikev

12 hours ago, Drak said:

I think you and I use dissimilar terms for the same thing (i.e. cowskulls/steerheads)

When you say detail gun, I think you mean (what I call) a pint gun.

If true, that's my normal spray gun, I never use quart guns, don't even own one.

Although I do have two detail guns, one with a big(ger) tip for clearcoats and one with a finer tip I usually use for the bursts.

right... I'm not good with words.... or concepts... I struggle with spelling... and ideas.  I have a detail gun (mini spray gun says 'detail gun' on the package) but haven't used it yet.

that green above - would ordinarily not be for me... but you pulled it off well... has a somehow very attractive 50s vibe.  bravo.

1 minute ago, Drak said:

That strip job was done a loong time ago, here is the refinished job, might have different pickups in it now.

I kind of laughed when I was done, for the time it took, it looks very similar to the first rendition.

And it was completely stripped and sanded back to raw before the refin.

But its more 'contrasty' now from light-to-dark.

Basically, wound up being an improved version on version one, ...almost like putting a contrast filter over No.1.

Arguments could be made for either version, really, version 1 looks a bit more 'traditional', version 2 looks more 'rock' if you ask me.

I'm tempted to do it again, with even more contrast the next time...

I don't do hand-rub dye blends, my bursts are done with an airbrush (or my regular spray-gun sometimes).

I have pics of the airbrush process done on another guitar somewhere...

ok, admittedly... you eclipsed it.  very nice.  odd coincidence I use an airbrush too.  it has so much better control.  I've never tried with a detail spray gun but I like the fact that you accomplish the burst in several passes with the airbrush.  

really nicely done there.  i like how there is just a tiny hint of darkness creeping over the edge.  

i don't know what kind of insanity pills you are taking that you would strip that one... no doubt you'll make it look great again but man... she really looks beautiful in the "B4" pick.  gonna be pretty hard to top that!  so many lovelies there but that one and the blue "articulated" one are my favs!!

did you hand rub that one?  would love to see your technique.

also... how do you feel in general about the tele format?  (hehe, this is a joke)

22 minutes ago, Rob1299 said:

Agreed. But there is fret buzz. And you can see the two cracks in the finish. Do you still think I could get $250 for it?

def couldn't hurt to try.  honestly the finish damage is pretty minimal imo.  fret buzz... well that could be fixed pretty easily if you know how.  

down sides for me would be:

idk how I'd apply it without it being a massive pita/mess.  hell i get it everywhere using a pipet and doing binding!!

i think it would be hard to control in terms of laying down an extremely thin finish

vapors make my eyes sting!!

wouldn't hesitate to use it if the context called for it.  just another tool in the box.

18 minutes ago, Drak said:

Then I believe we are each in alignment, where steerheads and cattleskulls can co-mingle in harmony.

You then, sir, will not be disapointed, is my forecast.

noice...  looking fwd to it!  (note to self - would be cool to incorporate a cattle skull into future guitar build pictures... maybe some tumbleweed...)

5 hours ago, Drak said:

I Googled 'cattleskulls' just to be sure I knew what you were referring to.

Google popped this up, is this what you mean?

oh @Drak, fatal mistake of taking me seriously!  i was trying to be funny (cattleskulls vs steerheads)... yes that looks to me to be a cattleskull.

never really been into steerheads... more of a cattleskull kind of guy... always have been... you don't have any of those do you?  also, no idea what this is about... but I support it... whatever it is... and pretty sure I want to see it.

looks pretty sweet and tweedy.  nice job.

right on - looks really good.  nice work.

4 minutes ago, Charlie H 72 said:

Of course! Glad you found the right bit of hardware. It seems like nothing is going to be standard on this build, so now you’re in the realm of nuts, washers, screws, and all of those little details looking for special attention-I am sure it will be a beautiful and unique instrument!

well thank you - admittedly - put that nut on there and took the washer off and quite a dif - good call.  want to be my personal guitar stylist?  hehe

28 minutes ago, ScottR said:

This from a guy that has said, "I'd never do that by hand, it takes too long" or words to that effect more than once or twice.

That is a very impressive display of making tiny stuff. Just thinking about doing that.....by any method- makes my eyes vibrate. I'd get frustrated just trying to pick the tiny letters up and (attempting) to place them in their cavities..

Very cool build Mike!

SR

thanks for the reply!!

so true... i HAVE said that.  well the idea here was to test some inlays (an my ideas on how much clearance the pockets would need) on things that were expendable... so in that respect mission accomplished.  Def took a LOT longer than I had anticipated. 

you are spot on about the picking them up.... at first I was using my giant sausage fingers and pretending I was the giant from princess bride... but then I figured out to use a tweezers and started breaking things much less!  was a serious exercise in patience!  The letters don't just drop into the holes... and at first I thought I needed to massage the holes (no jokes please) but as it turns out I needed to learn to wiggle them around and eventually they'd work into place.  good times!

Now I have the confidence that I can cut my headstock inlay pockets and they will be the right size so... moving towards making my neck this weekend.

11 minutes ago, Gogzs said:

Nah, I'd still do a lot by hand, I don't fool myself in that regard. But I've seen some amazing stuff by @curtisa @MiKro and now you, that while technically is possible by hand, would take some nerves and masochism to get done. And for those tasks I'd love to have one, I wouldn't even need a big one. As someone here said, it's just a tool in the shed you get to use. 

careful - that's how it all starts!!  when I was looking at getting this machine I just wanted something that could do body templates and save me from working with mdf... but then once I had it I was like "might as well use it!" 

honestly there's a lot of stuff I'll end up doing by hand anyway.  assembly, sanding, test fitting.  if you are building strat copies maybe not but a thinline for instance - have to think a lot about how to glue that top on and then route it to size... lot of manual steps involved under the best circumstances.

It's an interesting perspective to have done something by hand and then work it out on cnc.  my logo for instance... was pretty easy to cut out via jeweler's saw - maybe 1/2hr.  doing via cnc probably took two or three times longer to work out speeds/feeds and hold down methods and optimal depth... lot of work... but if I want to do another one I spose it's mostly figured out at this point.  

3 minutes ago, Charlie H 72 said:

Oh of course! somehow I forgot about those.   Looking forward to seeing it all come together

the other switch I got (gold) is switchcraft, and this one is allparts, but was dissapointed that it came with a std nut (is it odd that we both don't like std nuts on toggle switches?).  you reminded me of it when you asked about the toggle (I really just slapped them together to see the fit and snapped a photo).   went digging through my misc nuts bag... and found one, so I guess we can call that an assist.  thanks for that!

2 minutes ago, Gogzs said:

This is the kind of stuff that makes me want to own and learn how to use a CNC. It's those tiny details that will elevate it from normal build, to pure awesomeness, nice!  

well thank you Gogz.  Some folks get cnc and think "now I'll be able to build my guitars in minutes flat" - for me it was "this is going to open so many doors".  I imagine somewhere there is someone who could cut letters this small by hand... I would not want to be that guy!  Then again I bet that guy could do some amazing s#1T!

6 hours ago, Charlie H 72 said:

Sounds good! Glad you are following the inlaid ring with a custom switch tip. I wonder if you could find a smaller nut & washer to give the ring some more breathing room. 

well, I am going to use the typical 'round' nut that you see on these types of switches and most likely will omit the washer as i won't have a lot of extra thread so... more that likely exactly that.  

2 minutes ago, Charlie H 72 said:

Sweet pickup selector! That’s above and beyond. What’s it inlaid into? Are you using that switch/nut/washer with it? 

thank you sir!  this is reconsituted turquoise inlaid into flamed maple.  not much flame to see I'm afraid... too small of a piece but perhaps it will come out when I finish it.  

afa nut/washer - well yes/no.  I'm doing one "test build" that will use this switch and have silver hardware and one 'live build' that will have all gold.  I plan to make switch tips out of maple/recon to match so won't be using the black tip there but will use the switch.

so... lawdy... I've spent a rediculous amount of time getting this tiny little part done... not even all the impressive, but it was an important detail for me.  Had to hold my breath for long periods of time while I was working this... bet I could compete with underwater champions right now!!

congratulations!!

6 minutes ago, Gogzs said:

Ah yeah, the side that was out in the open is really the purpelest of purples, but the side I cut and plained is even after 3 days in the sun a bit bland and wood colorish... I saw online that heat can bring up the purple out, so I will try with some tiny pieces to see how it goes and decide if I'll risk with the big pieces. 

If you watch a lot of pen blank vids... you'll see that it's a common practice to use a heat gun on purpleheart to draw out the oil that turns it purple.  Obviously this should be done after any sanding as that will wipe it away, but I've tried it on some pieces and it def works.  seems like sun will turn it a vibrant pinkish purple(usually), and heat gun will turn it vibrant darker purple.  Either one makes it look better but sun takes too long for me!!

nothing to contribute, but just wanted to say it's an interesting thread for sure.  experiments for me often end with a lot of effort and no result... but lack of experimentation in a build is boring.  this is def not boring!!  rock on.

love me some purple heart.   looks gggrrrrrreat (tony the tiger).

7 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

This continues to be a very readable and informative thread.  Great stuff and impressive results

Well thank you, I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic on the 'readable' - I tend to derail myself a lot - but either way thanks!!

last night I worked on even smaller letters.  Specifically for a toggle plate.  I did lose an "E" but came out ok.  Tried to cut the toggle plate itself but cracked two of them getting them off the jig.  Kind of stupid because I have enough material that I could easily clamp and keep my clamps away from the bits... so I'll try that today.  I did test fit my inlay and it is a beautiful match so hope to have one or two finished today...

sorry for the blurr... my new camera is great but I'm still figuring it out and taking  up close pics - I don't think I have the right lens for that...

22 minutes ago, MiKro said:

Have not gotten that far yet. Most likely a clear plexi panel over the monitor with black paint on back side to cover all except the screen. The control panel will be most likely black plexi.and the rest I may do something like a weathered look with laser engraved stuff.  

I am not going to spend the $$$ for the Art /graphic wraps.  

 

MK

right on... that sounds pretty cool esp black plexi.  My friend was asking me about one a while back and was thinking that with 8.5"x14" sheets of vinyl it'd be pretty easy/cheap to print out and do up some cool graphics at home.  He has a galaga game and the top has a light up banner that was pretty tore up.  He had looked into buying them and they are crazy spensive.

laser engraved sounds futuristic.  will watch!

looks pretty interesting should be fun to see it come to life. 

what sort of construction are you doing?  The one my friend has it actually looks like they built it out of black malamine and then just do vinyl graphic over them.  seems like they used typical industrial edge-banding(nurse stations and lunch tables) to do the rubber/plastic edges.

what are you doing for front/top panel and light up?