Bizman62

I just noticed that I hadn't watched the previous video! Better now than never... You asked about clamps that push outwards rather than pull together. You obviously didn't know you were just holding one! Simply unscrew the top end and move it to the other end! The smaller ones don't cost much, you may even get them for a pound a piece. Another trick for future builds: Instead of small blocks take a piece of board - mdf, plywood, chipboard, whatever - large enough to support the router and make a template. You can easily support it with wedges even on a carved surface. Done that so I know! Oh, that came into your mind as well! I type these comments while viewing the video.

Remember the old computers? About 20 years ago I used to sell paper holders made out of plastic, one of the colours was named "Computer White". I don't know if it would ever get the wee-burned shade in sunlight like the monitor housings did, though. Anyhow, the plastic parts of computers seemed to yellow faster than the painted steel, partially of course because usually the case was hidden into a doorless cabinet in the desk, leaving only the plastic front affected to sunlight. The question is, how much difference is there in polyurethane paint compared to the ABS? Will it yellow similarly in sunlight/UV rays? This blog says it will: https://www.bowerpowerblog.com/solution-yellowing-polyurethane-master-bed-makeover/

To be honest I don't know if threre'd be any crackling under any circumstances with the finish you've chosen but better safe than sorry. Letting the finished guitar rest a longer period is common practice. That said, I've seen videos where the Master Luthier applied one or two layers of a Danish/TruOil type finish and waxed it immediately when it was dry. It was a challenge build, he was trying to build a guitar in a given number of hours, hence the rush. A friend who used to work there told that the "built in a day" guitars were then almost totally rebuilt and refinished before they were delivered to a happy winner. Agreed, they were playable and solid at the end of the challenge but they couldn't be delivered as a master built quality instrument before letting the guitar settle down to reveal all potential issues like warping or shrinking - or the finish peeling off.

A radiused top is a working solution. It both gives you the comfort of an arm bevel and helps to avoid pick scratches as it bends out of the way both sides of the strings. Just saying.

One word: LEGO

I'd wait for at least for a couple of weeks. Much longer if the conditions are moist! For what I've understood the humidity over there is very high at the moment so I'd wait at least a month, rather longer. Just so you know, crackling is made by applying another coat (often of another colour or finish) before the base layer has thoroughly dried. It's possible that wax would act similarly on semi-dry poly. If only the wax cracles, that can easily be buffed. But if the wax draws crack lines on the poly, you'd be sorry you didn't wait!

Now that's good news to start the morning with! Those knobs really are pretty and now that you've got them drilled they're also useful. I guess sandpaper is a better choice as steel wool tends to wear and leave tiny bits of steel everywhere which can make the surface look dirty - even more if they start to rust due to humid weather or such! If 2000 grit levels the surface without scratches it's a good grit, there's no stone carved rules. What works with you is good. A thinner mix for the final coats is common practice.

That's the way to do it! If you do a burst on the body and headstock, you just have to blend it into the neck. If you don't, you're a lazy ass bastard.

Now that was a story that brought a warm smile on my face! Sauna and three beers had no effect...

I've been told that it really helps. You just confirmed it. Great job!

That's a thing I like! Paying homage to the original without building a fake.

The manufacturers often recommend to use a minimum amount of thinner. However, that's not stone carved as this article (which has been referred to in the PG tutorials as well) tells: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/finishing/you-can-add-all-the-thinner-you-want/ In my understanding "Mineral Turpentine Oil" is the same stuff that's on the video where it says "Mineral Spirits" on the can, There's also "Pine Turpentine (Oil)" which can be used instead - actually the word "Turpentine" originally comes from Greek "Terebinthine" which means "Resin" that's sourced from living trees. Pine Turpentine is a side product of cellulose industry. Mineral Turpentine acts and can be used similarly to Pine Turps which is why they can carry the same name. However as it has a low flash point it should not be used to thin linen oil paints because of the autoignition feature of linen oil. The Berger GP Thinner is just that, 100% MTO (Mineral Turpentine Oil). The Wikipedia article shows some interesting CAS codes when compared to the MSD sheets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_spirit

As you said they list a bunch of thinners or vapourizing agents making the product dry faster. Looking closely the percentages they don't come even closely to 100%. Does that mean that the main ingredient isn't harmful so it need not be listed? The Berger stuff tells that the main ingredient is Urethane Alkyd Resin and as it shows in the table it has no CAS registry number (which is for quickly identifying chemicals worldwide). It looks like Watco and Berger contain more of the "real thing" than Minwax. Thinners like Mineral Turpentine are very cheap so I guess Minwax makes a good profit with their ready mixed stuff! Here's some info about making your own wipe-on poly: As you see, the "secret formula" is even simpler than the Danish Oil!

Ooh those lyrics make my boogity boogity shoop go all bomp bah bomp bah bomp!

Make a couple of blocks with triangular gaps to fit your vise. Put a piece of rubber or similar tacky thin material between the knob and the blocks. Mark the center of the hole with an awl or other spiky tool. Use a brad point drill bit. Start drilling backwards to avoid tearing! Wax can be slippery. If you need to tighten the hole, you can carefully pry the gap of the pot shaft open with a flat screwdriver. Or you can drill a small hole on the side of the knob and insert a grub screw to secure the knob.

For what I've seen, Kelo wood is grey only on the surface where it has been exposed to rain, wind, sleet and snow and of course sunlight after the tree has died and dried while still standing tall. The cut/sawn surface is maybe a tad darker than that of green wood but it still is undamaged solid wood. Thus I wouldn't call your guitar body wood Kelo - it's more like weathered timber similar to what you can find on old barns or rather wooden household items like a tub stored outside for ages. For such you've got the colour just right!

That's another good question. I've experienced quite nasty noise from locking strap buttons when the vaseline wears out. Instead a locking hook a leather belt might work, similar to a bag handle. At least it would be less noisy and less chewy.

That's logical. The phosphor bronze winding on acoustic strings isn't ferromagnetic while the nickel winding on electric strings is. The steel core is pretty much similar to allow magnetic pickups catch some sound but obviously not similar to strings with a ferromagnetic winding.

I used the original pots of the Strat, changing the mid Tone to universal Tone and the other Tone to Blender, using a Breja diagram. That seems to work. I've also read that one should use two way blender pots for an even output but as I'm not an electrician I can't tell if it were any better.

3.5 kg body and neck but without pickups and tuners and bridge which will add another 0.5 kg, totalling to roughly 4 kg. A wooden Tele is about 3 - 3.6 kg but a Les Paul 4 - 5.5 kg. Yours is in the PRS weight range so I'd say the weight is acceptable.

Based on what I read in today's paper that comparison is like apples to rotten eggs. This thread has been very civilized so far.

That sounds both logical and viable. Colourful pickups jump proud from a single coloured pickguard whereas neutral hardware and electronics make the colourful pickguard pop. Didn't you talk about contrast in another thread?

Never seen it but I can see a couple of issues with that. First, how long will it take that the lock chews through the wire or vice versa depending on the materials, and second, how long will it take the lock to seriously relic the edge of the guitar. Just today I saw a 1930's hollowbody jazz guitar in almost mint condition which makes me a bit hypersensitive for things that may cause excessive wear.

What was before the Big Bang? Couldn't even imagine that we're in waters that deep!

Just be warned, it isn't too easy to find a center notched fader pot of 250 or 500 kohms! At least not as single pieces.