ACRosengrant

Not much done this weekend.  Just wasn't feeling in a worky mood.  Got the neck blank sawed(sawn?) In half so now I've got a second neck for a future project or possibly this one if I mess it up lol.

Got in my dye powders and pickups.  So did some mixing and staining to see what color to go with.  I'm kinda loving that purple I created, but may do the darker purple around the outside like a burst.  Or possibly do a fade from bottom to top, or end to front.  Not sure.

This coming weekend, I'll tackle creating a radius block.  Maybe start plotting things out if some more parts come in, but really I'm kinda at a standstill until I get the nut and bridge.

5 hours ago, ScottR said:

Good advice.

I love the wolf head f-hole !

SR

Thanks Scott.  I'm very pleased with how well it worked out.  I'll say it is the most ambitious part of this first guitar build at least I think.

6 minutes ago, ADFinlayson said:

The only potential issue I see with changing the scale is that it will change the string taper against the neck taper if the neck is shaped for 24.5". However I've built 25" scale guitars using 24.5" neck templates and it's not noticeable. I like the f-hole design - if you haven't thought of it already, I recommend carving the underside of it away to make it look thinner and more delicate. It will also make your hollow section look deeper than it is. 

Haven't cut the neck yet.  Will do that once I have the nut(pre-slotted) and the bridge, so I can measure that accurately.  The neck piece above was just the template.  

Thanks on the f-hole, I've given a ton of thought to tapering the underside(per the direction of someone else on here), but I've gotta measure where my carve will be first.  Kinda wonder if I can just carve the top of the f-hole area by itself just so I know where I can taper the inside.  

35 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Umm... The scale length is no issue per se as long as it's true. It really has to match that scale from the nut to the bridge. There's tables where you can find measures from fret to fret and from nut to each individual fret. Measure, measure... If you're talking about a slightly zoomed out photocopy I wouldn't trust it. A ruler with small enough increments and a protractor is a more reliable choice.

 

Guess I need to find me an extremely accurate ruler.  That would be easier in metric than standard right?

Sled worked well enough.  Few kinks to work out of that situation.   Got fret/neck and rough headstock template glued and cut.  Then measured it and somehow either I or UPS printing screwed it up, so instead of a 24.5" scale, it's now about 25.25".  Should still work fine right, experienced guys?

The wolf got cut out.  Used various drill bits to get most of wood out, then used files, small rasps, a few wood gouges, and a slightly chipped/bent/bad hacksaw blade to cut it.  Man, my hands HURT but I can't wait to do it again.

Also used some child labor, that way my son can actually learn something useful during this homeschooling period.  

Redesigned wolf.  Didn't take picture.  Looks good though.  Built router planing jig/sled whatever

Will need to stack boards under body to get it high enough because it's too deep, but it will do.  Gotta find some kind of routing mat though.

Also was tired of working on floor, so built a workbench.

Tomorrow shall be a day of actual progress.  Hopefully.

36 minutes ago, ScottR said:

It will surely make an awesome F-hole.

SR

Thanks y'all.  I'll see about redesigning it when I get home.  And I'll plane the back side flat this weekend.  

13 minutes ago, ScottR said:

It depends on how you plan to cut it. If you are using a saw you have to cut it before glue up and therefore before carving. If you plan to route it like with a template or like an inlay, then you need to do it before carving but could wait till it was glued up. The mouth area would probably not survive that. If you plan to carve the opening then you could wait until the top was carved and have less thickness to carve out for your hole.

In any event you are going to have to be very careful with the mouth area. You could reinforce it from the back.with glue and gauze or a bit of veneer glued cross grain.

SR

My plan was to use a drill to get rid of the bulk of the design, and do the rest with files.  That veneer idea is genius though.  Maybe I'll revise the design so it's not as fragile in that area, but I kinda wanted it howling.

Need advice below.

Forgot to take pics of the smoothed out body and top.  So here they are.

The wolf head is gonna be the f-hole, hopefully, the part between the jaw and about isn't too fragile.  Figure I can leave the wood thicker there.  

Two questions, does it look like it will be a problem?  And should I cut it out now or after I carve the top?  I figure I can't carve the top until after I glue it to the body, but then I can't cut the hole after I've glued the top down.

Also, they are smooth, but they aren't matched yet, and the top doesn't sit flush on the body either.  Got some kinda non-flatness messing it up.  Close, but not close enough.

9 hours ago, ScottR said:

Man---I absolutely LOVE your shop!

I need one just like it.

SR

It's my buddy's garage lol.  But thanks Scott.  

PROGRESS!  Got body and top cut out(roughly), chamber for f-hole routed, did some belt sanding to make everything smooth.  

Not a whole lot of progress today.  Went to UPS and printed a new template yesterday.  

Took my son with me to buddy's house to do work

Unclamp body.  Good deal.  Joint is a bit wonky, but nothing the planer can't fix.  Glue and clamp top join together.  Take body outside to planer.  Try to adjust planer.  Only one side will move.  Take apart planer.  Bottom screw in one of the gears broke.  Threw whole thing out of whack.  Found a way to get it back together.  Used WD-40 on all rusty areas and left to penetrate.  

Decided to get belt/disc sander running to see what all the fuss is about.  Figured I could just sand the body to plane it.

Nope.  NOPE.  At that rate, would have taken a year.  But dug through the rusty old tool box and found what I at first called a flat rasp, but might be called a sureform.  Even let my son take it for a spin.  That made taking that uneven spot out WAY easier.  Used sander to smooth out edges of body template.  Traced template onto body blank, deciding that it would make more sense to flatten only the wood I'm using.  

Cranked up the old bandsaw, got about 6 inches into the wood, blade breaks.  I'm just not having luck with tools today.  End up repurposing some old bunk bed wood to make a shelf for my kids room.  Also built tiny table for the front of the disc sander that I'll just call into place when I need it.

Been a hell of a day.  Had a cat sick all week.  He passed at 2am(Texas time, whatever that is for all you other cats), made bread, and did a little more guitar stuff.  

Planer was not adjusting properly, so took that apart and somehow unbinded it.  Planed my mahogany a little too thin, but I'll make it work.  Then jointed the edges and glued it up.  Got 8 clamps holding it together.  I feel it is enough, cause it's all I had.

Also did some gluing/cutting of templates, unfortunately, my fretboard template paper got all wonky when it came into contact with glue, so not sure how to make that a thing that can happen.

That is a LONG tenon.  Got me thinking maybe the one I'm planning is a tad inadequate.

Not much progress done, did some planing, gluing, and clamping of body lams

9 hours ago, ScottR said:

Uh....wow.

You're a man that appreciates a good challenge, huh?

Well, not to state the obvious, you've got to get the rust off and see if there is anything under there worth salvaging. I don't have any miracle cures for removing rust....although I think there are some out there. I'd probably soak it in WD40 for a week and then go after it with a wire brush.

SR

That sounds doable.  Thanks.

8 hours ago, ScottR said:

I don't see anything but your text...

SR

5 hours ago, ScottR said:

I don't see anything but your text...

SR

Don't know why it didn't post picture.  Lemme figure shit out.  Thanks

2 hours ago, ScottR said:

Clark's Hardwood or Houston Hardwoods?

SR

Hell, I don't know.  They're both about 120 miles from me.  Maybe both.

Also, a second build is probably a long way off lol.

Any advice on bringing this old Stanley back to life?  Particularly in the "don't destroy it whilst trying to unscrew rusted threads" area?  Gonna try working on it between bits of guitar work.

https://imgur.com/a/1LS2D0H

46 minutes ago, mistermikev said:

ah, right, that's purple heart that turned to brown heart then?

It's in bad lighting, it's kinda rough on the outside, and I've had it for at least 8 years.  But it was definitely that purple color when I got it in the light of day.

23 minutes ago, mistermikev said:

walnut mahog and maple a winning comb.

Wish I had some walnut, but lumber yard did not have.  Maybe if I build another, I'll probably go to Houston to a hardwood place and get some good stuff.

Design

Wood

Pay no attention to any of the pine.  I'm building at a buddy's house and he builds reptile enclosures with the pine.  Pay plenty of attention to the dark stuff on the left, the brownish red stuff almost to the left, and the long pretty blonde stuff in the middle.

4 hours ago, mistermikev said:

 

so joining boards sounds like it's going to play a big part in your build.  what tools?  you a hand planer type or router type or jointer type? 

I've got both an 6" electric jointer and 12" planer, as well as a hand plane I believe, but that bad boy probably needs to be cleaned.  I kinda just ended up with an old tool box with some woodworking tools in it.

Little backstory, recently sold my Stinnett.  Broke my heart, but we needed money,and it went to another Stinnett owner.  So still in the family.  Told my wife I wanted to build. Been contemplating for about 10 years now.  This will be a proof of concept for me. 

Body will be 4 pieces of mahogany, glued lengthwise for thickness and edgewise for width.  Local lumberyard only had 1"(3/4 after their surfacing) mahogany.  Chambered with 2-piece maple top.  Debating on design for useless f-hole.

Neck will be 3-piece maple, or maple/purple heart/maple, as I've got a chunk of purple heart that I acquired from a relative that's just been sitting for years.  Depends on if I have enough maple or not.  Ebony board probably.

Parts will be cheapies due to this being a test build to see if I've got the chops for it.