Woodenspoke

Dye penetrates wood. Sealer blocks penetration, does that answer your question.

You can add dye to the clear and spray a tint instead. Or try and not sand off the sealer. Honestly unless you are 100% it is a solid top dont sand it.

looks like you stooped half way through. You were supposed to fill the missing spots and burnish the surface. Using a special badger brush and static helps place the sheet. I worked in a custom frame shop many many eons ago and watched a master gold leaf frames all day long. There were spots but they were fixed buy adding pieces over them. The sizing should pick it up if you dont wait too long. I have never seen anyone wait so I have no idea if it drys solid.

It will certainly look better once its burnished..

is there anything I can do to make *this* bandsaw work as well as *this* bandsaw can possibly work

You get what you pay for when it comes to bandsaws, live and learn.

One thing if you dont have tools to make tools this information is useless.

http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Tools/...texpander1.html

Hi,

I got this old leftover Ibanez neck I'd like to build a little project out of. Problem is, it has huge pearl block inlays that have gone badly out of shape somehow:

(activate popup blocker before looking at these though:)

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-1-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-2-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-3-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-4-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-5-jpg.html

http://www.bilder-hochladen.net/files/eutw-6-jpg.html

Is there a quick and dirty way to restore playability? I.e. to sand them down somehow WITHOUT removing the frets AND without inadvertently 'scalloping' the fretboard (too much)?

Cosmetics are not an issue, this will be a strictly utilitarian instrument. The neck is from an old Ibanez LP clone I don't know much about, got it cheap on ebay some years ago.

Looks more like plastic. Pearl does not change shape..

I've actually tried that, but the fretboard shrunk,

it got a little valley down the middle, i would have had to do a whole lot of sanding anyway,

and i would have had to put on a new one anyway since it would have been to shallow after that,

so i figured it wouldn't matter if i would put on a new one.

See if you can get a thick FB to seat on the neck and go back to leveling the FB. Since I am not there to see the actual condition of the neck twist its my best guess. Considering the age I would not worry abut future neck movement in the twist direction. However some kind of supporting rod for a bow is suggested, like carbon fiber. If its really that bad make a new neck.

I would have left the fret board on and sanded that flat rather than the neck. Now it will be hard to put on a fretboard with a twisted neck.

Looking good.... finally a build that does not put me to sleep..Yeah

You do not want raw wood in either the pocket or on the neck. the object is to seal the wood from changes in humidity levels. Not that it will be 100% but no finish is not an option. Several coats of oil is fine and will not build up enough to ruin a fit. Most people plan the finish so build up in a neck pocket is minimal. a few coats then tape it off or tape it off then no tape for the last few coats. I have never had to tape off the heel of a neck, it gets a full finish.

yes you can add oil before the Lacquer cures but after it drys.

Niagara Falls

Susquehanna Hats

At least what I can remember..

Plotters, vinyl cutters, CNC, laser plotters, etc. are meant by design to translate a scaled representation and create a real-world result with predictable dimensions. A SOHO-level printer is far less likely to have tight real-world tolerances. I'm sure that you could illustrate the differing levels of quality Spoke, but I think it is outside the bounds of these questions and you have already touched on most of these anyway which is great.

I suppose my point is that a printer is less geared towards consistency in terms of absolute scale, whereas a machine designed to produce a scaled product is. To go back to the OP - consider the lack of tolerance in the other parts of the equation....the saw, the sawing method, fretwire tolerance, installation tolerance, substrate movement and inconsistency (it's wood!) and you can easily see something which may measure in 1/10ths of a millimetre. Given the other imperfections of our chosen instruments, marginal fret placement tolerances are insignificant.

I personally would say that half a mm is an acceptable tolerance for work done by hand using reasonable tools, reasonable experience and reasonable care. Above that, great - but there are diminishing returns. Below that and yes....perhaps consider practice ;-) I'm sure the manufacturing tolerances on mid to high end commercial instruments aren't too far off that mark and even if they are then I bet it makes more of a cosmetic difference to the trained perfectionist's eye than a defect in the intrinsic point of the product in the first place.

I agree

Is any guitar made by hand anymore with a factory label?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

My point is when a machine cuts a template it is as accurate as you can get. A plotter may be as accurate as a CNC machine if you need a printout. I have never worked with plotters so I am just guessing.

Can you really eyeball a few thousands over that distance, it isn't possible working from a floppy piece of paper held together with tape. Again my point is the only way to eliminate human / printer error is buy a precut template or very long calipers. In fact you get two with every purchase. I am not advocating you cheapskates run to the store and buy a template. For my needs I dont have to second guess myself and slotting takes minutes not hours.

The title of this is accuracy and that is what I am discussing as accurately as possible. Or just buy a pre slotted board cut with.......here it comes.......a template..LOL

One unless you have a very big printer you have to attach two sheets together or more. Again one misalignment and half your FB is off.

Taping 2 sheets of paper together??....c'mon

Secondly printers are never 1:1 so there is always some reduction or enlargement taking place.

Now where the hell did you hear that!?

Maybe my 13 years in the corporate printer industry has something to do with my extensive printer knowledge. Then 10 years in desktop support for corporate art departments helps as well. I think that qualifies me as an expert on the subject of printers at least on this forum. What you believe to be 100% 1:1 is not possible, its close enough for a template is what I did say. Go into any print shop and ask them if they could print a 100% 1:1 print out and they will either lie right to your face or tell you it will be close but 100% accuracy is not obtainable on a laser printer or copier.

A FB scale is well over 17 inches so do the math...maybe you do have a large format 13 x 19" printer in your house great for you but I doubt may others do. So they have to tile the output and use tape.

Just remember that when you go to carve the neck profile, a thicker fingerboard means the whole neck might have to be thicker. You still need adequate wood behind the truss rod to make sure it can't break through the back of the neck.

Thats true but you will need to carvve the neck profile smaller if you want a thin neck. Most truss rods will handle a thin neck and a 1/4" FB. So the answer depends on the truss rod depth if it will work for you. As long as it is not a set neck the FB thickness has no effect on bridge height.

Even though these programs work there is two issues.

One unless you have a very big printer you have to attach two sheets together or more. Again one misalignment and half your FB is off.

Secondly printers are never 1:1 so there is always some reduction or enlargement taking place. It is generally not enough to make any difference but still it is there. If you are someone who thinks 24.75 is the perfect scale your printout may be only 24.72 or 24.79". Some people are really picky. Then again if you are doing it this way you are not one of those people.

Its all about knowledge.

First know what the size the fret slot is using a set of feeler gages.

Know what what size the fret wire tang is you are using with calipers. Not every wire fits every re fret.

If the wire you are using is too narrow in the tang you can make it bigger.

Radius the frets before you start..Its what locks the ends in when they are pushed sideways as the fret is seated.

Maple is generally softer than other FB woods so use glue.

Multiple radius cauls on a fret press so you seat the fret ends first.

Then there is the tap the fret sideways while using a fret press and caul locking method.

Buy or rent the SM fretting videos and become an expert http://smartflix.com/store/video/250/Fret-Basics

Did he say Pine....Slowly I turn step by step....LOL

Being a member who has actually created some tutorials the whole discussion is really a moot point. What you are asking is that some member just whips these up for you because you want them. It does not really work that way. I have never seen a Forum based anything so far, except a bass build that still isnt finished after many years. What does that tell you?

Most everything has been discussed to death and at length. Really you just have to find it.

I must admit the forum is a mess of ramdom information. I am not sure any interest has been taken to work on the forum since its creation, other than maintenance. If there was interest more categories would have been added and the information placed into those categories so you could find it. I see other forums that seem to get bigger every time I visit, not so here.

Maybe its too late and honestly who would do it. Its like the old saying; It' s like beating a dead horse. I have accepted that there is no interest from the powers to be and moved on, it is what it is...

The issue with measuring frets is two fold. One you are human. Second most 6" calipers should really be 18" or longer. These are very expensive tools. I am not sure how accurate you really need to place a fret given its position is modified by crowning a fret after the fact. I think though you want to be accurate or as accurate as you can be.

When you measure from fret to fret one human error translates onto the next fret . Even drawing a line can move the center point of your fret which translates onto errors on the next fret, and so on. Really its a series of human errors compounded one on top of another, by the time you get to the end of the board it could be a mess. Ideally each fret should be measured from the top of the board or the zero fret never from fret to fret. A long digital caliper is the best tool for this job. With a long caliper if you mis mark one fret its only one bad fret.

That is why it found if you want to make more than a few guitars or want accuracy that is repeatable buy templates. If you want to use non standard scales buy a long digital caliper.

The first question is the neck straight. There is no reason to adjust the rod if the neck is not back bowed. I would assume if the buzz is low action loosing the rod is in order not tightening the rod. See if you can remove the nut off the rod. It may be maxed out on the rod as these rods only have so much thread to them. Over time the wood gets crushed and the nut creeps closer to the end of the thread. Sometimes you can add a washer but in your case it will not be easy. If its just immovable use the suggestion above to free the nut. But dont distroy the wood by soaking it in oil products

Alright I got another one. I just got my bass back from my friends house. He's used it for 2-3 years now. The whole thing is a buzzy as hell. Thicker strings might help since I'm in d standard but still. I raised the action and still get a lot of buzz. I checked the neck and the truss rod won't budge. What do I do?

No one can help you without more information, we are not mind readers and every instrument is different...is it a single action or double action truss rod what brand and model...

check for a high fret

I am still getting over the fact there is a college class for guitar building...

Your design sense is apples and oranges as I find the LP tone nice and warm not muddy. Choice of pickups would have a more drimatic effect than your choice of woods like using single coils. But if you feel maple is brighter then yes it would...

welcome to the forum

Grab the neck and push it toward the high e while holding the body tight, use the headstock for leverage. Most bolt ons have some play in them yours just shifted over time. You can also loosen the strings and the neck screws slightly and do the same thing. If it was fine when you started no modification should be neceassary..