Members Freeman Keller Posted October 25, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 25, 2018 Back to your normally scheduled build thread. Trimmed the extra off the top and smeared some glue on the body. Clamped 'em together [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32374146}[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32374147}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted October 26, 2018 Members Share Posted October 26, 2018 Found a box full of those Irwin Quick Grip slider clamps at a yard sale for 50c apiece. Three sizes, one price. Total of about 20 clamps. Bought 'em all. They also had eight of the 2" ratcheting plier-type clamps with swivelling jaws---apparently brand new---for $5. Grabbed those too. You can never have too many clamps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted October 26, 2018 Members Share Posted October 26, 2018 Found a box full of those Irwin Quick Grip slider clamps at a yard sale for 50c apiece. Three sizes, one price. Total of about 20 clamps. Bought 'em all. They also had eight of the 2" ratcheting plier-type clamps with swivelling jaws---apparently brand new---for $5. Grabbed those too. You can never have too many clamps! True. I have a few Erwin clams at the house and a pair of 36" quick clamps. This guitar is gonna be a beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 26, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2018 Time to start on the neck. Had my friend with the thickness sander face one side of the neck blank which will be the top (fretboard side). Band sawed the top of the head, then faced that off with a Safe-T-Planer. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375178}[/ATTACH] Routed the truss rod slot (LMI double acting rod installed from the top). Unfortunately no picture. Planed the back of the neck close to its final thickness [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375175}[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375174}[/ATTACH]Rough sawed the width [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375177}[/ATTACH] and sanded it straight on the sides [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375176}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 26, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2018 The shape I like for Fender-esq instruments is somewhere between tele and strat so I had to glue on a little wing to get the width. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375184}[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375185}[/ATTACH] Last step is to drill the access hole for the truss rod adjuster (it doesn't have to be at an angle like a normal Fender rod) [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32375186}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted October 26, 2018 Members Share Posted October 26, 2018 interesting haven't seen you do a fender like neck before, all i remember were all with a gibson like headstock, which you cut and glue back together... is this your first time doing a neck this way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 26, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2018 It is. The four Barncasters got commercial Fender style necks - three of them were Mighty Mite necks, Grant's was a very nice Warmoth neck. I'm not crazy about the whole Fender design , but its appropriate for this guitar. Don't worry, it will have some FK touches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Wow - that's stunning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 It seems to be coming along very nicely - that top is beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted October 26, 2018 Members Share Posted October 26, 2018 I absolutely love your build threads Freeman. it's like watching Michelangelo carving.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 27, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2018 Kinda nice for a tele, don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 27, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2018 I've been debating what to do about the head. My original plan was to veneer it with some nice maple that sort of matches the top and to finish it accordingly. I have some flamed maple veneer but it isn't quite right - its much lighter color (more typical of maple) and the flame is much closer together. My second idea was to veneer it with rosewood - that would carry the fretboard theme thru to the end of the head. I'm also going to bind the body in rose so it would complete the theme. However I'm also not sure I want the head to match the fretboard. The other complicating factor in all of this is what to do about the inlay in the head - if I use the maple veneer I'll probably do the inlay in rosewood, if the veneer is rose then I can inlay maple. So, what I'm going to do is put the maple on and see how I like it. I can even get to the point where I'm ready to finish and can experiment with some of the scraps to see if I can get a better color match. If I decide to do a sunburst I can also 'burst the head. If I don't like it I can just throw the rose on and see how that looks. Here are the two veneers sitting on top of the neck and my big hot pipe. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32376454}[/ATTACH] I have two hot pipes, this one is a piece of 3 inch pipe with a barbeque starter inside. Here is the working end [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32376453}[/ATTACH] I also have a smaller one that I heat with a propane torch and I have a Fox style bender for acoustic guitar side, but since I just need a quick bit of heat this one is easy to plug in and bend the veneer. Here is a little caul that fits the curve of the head [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32376450}[/ATTACH] The veneer is bent and clamped to the head [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32376452}[/ATTACH] Done, needs some trimming [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32376451}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 27, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 27, 2018 Head is roughly shaped and truss rod access opened up [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32376467}[/ATTACH] The fretboard is a LMII pre cambered pre slotted board. Over the years I have built guitars of just about every scale length from mandolin to bari. It makes no sense to try to tool up to slot every different length board when I can buy an accurately slotted one for 25 bucks. Probably cheating, I don't care, if I only built one kind of guitar I'd put together a miter box. I actually had to chuckle - last night I was reading an article in American Lutherie about the history of Gibson's three different versions of 24-3/4 scale. It seems as tho in the prewar days (and maybe into the '50's) they were cutting each slot individually on some sort of indexing slide on a table saw - it was only fairly recently that they started gang sawing all the slots at once. Not only that, they were using the Rule of 18 and rounding off to the nearest 64th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 28, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 28, 2018 Moving on. Adjusted the truss rod to neutral, filled the heel end of the slot, smeared some glue on it and clamped it together [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32377185}[/ATTACH][ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32377186}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 29, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 29, 2018 While the neck glue dries I'll go back to the body. Since I had the hot pipe out I figured it was time to bind the body. First routed the channel - its so easy to do a flat topped guitar [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32377652}[/ATTACH] Next I bent the binding on the pipe but didn't take any pictures. Its kind of hard with you have a steaming piece of steel pipe on your work bench and hot wood in your hands to pick up a camera and document the ordeal. Anyway, bent the binding and taped it in place. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32377653}[/ATTACH] My system if very simple - put the tape on with gaps of an inch or so between. Wick a tiny drop of water thin CA in the gap while holding the binding tight against the body with a little block of wood. Let it kick, sometimes I'll spray a little accelerator on it. Do the next gap, and the next and ... When the binding is "tacked" in place (just like a welder would do) I take the tape off and run a tiny bead of the CA all around the binding. It will wick down into the gap (often a bit flows out of the bottom of the binding). [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32377654}[/ATTACH] This works great with both wood and plastic binding, and I've never had a failure. That pink thing in the last picture is a full on NIOSH respirator. I have become so sensitized by CA that I wear it every time I use the stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 29, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 29, 2018 Next day. The top is a hair thicker than the binding is tall and by the time I routed the channel down to the mahogany the binding is about 1/32 below the level top. That is good, I scraped the outside inch or so of the top down to the binding and its very subtle but nice. I wiped some DA on the top to see how the color was going to work - I'm liking this a lot [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32378133}[/ATTACH] Here is the binding itself. You can barely see the maple purfling line - I've been sanding on it and it has picked up some dust. Right before finishing I'll scrape that back and the light color will come back [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32378134}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 That top is really going to be stunning looking.... really pretty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted October 30, 2018 Members Share Posted October 30, 2018 Binding came out beautifully, really sets off the top. I like subtlety a lot more than bling, myself. Loving this build! Go Keller Go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 31, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 31, 2018 I can't tell you all how much I appreciate the kind comments. Went back outside and trimmed the fretboard back to the neck [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32379521}[/ATTACH] Slowly working it down to the lines at the nut and 16th fret [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32379522}[/ATTACH] Carpenter's level with some sticky back sandpaper on it. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32379524}[/ATTACH] Tiny chip out right at the nut [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32379523}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted October 31, 2018 Members Share Posted October 31, 2018 Fantastic! Did that chip out happen when you were flushing the FB to the neck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 31, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 31, 2018 Yes, probably when I approached the cutter with the f/b. Its really hard to think about the direction the cutter is rotating and the direction of the grain. Oh well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 31, 2018 Author Members Share Posted October 31, 2018 Drew some reference lines on the neck blank and clamped to my work bench. Started removing everything that doesn't look or feel like a neck [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32380143}[/ATTACH] Spokeshave, planes and sandpaper [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32380146}[/ATTACH] Important to keep the back of the neck straight as it tapers towards the head [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32380145}[/ATTACH] Is this heresy? My favorite neck profile is one I took of an old vintage Les Paul, I've used it on several guitars and everyone seems to like them. Since this is going to be my guitar I'll make it something I know I'll like [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32380144}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 2, 2018 Author Members Share Posted November 2, 2018 I've got the neck partially shaped and the important thing at this point is that the edges of the fretboard are straight and the correct distance apart. Whether I simply pick the measurements from a set of plans or from the neck I'm building, what I want to do now is either make a template that fits my neck heel or to make the neck heel fit a template. Here is one that I made some time ago, the neck seems to fit it pretty well so thats what I'll use. (The note that it is just over a 1/4 of an inch is so I can measure the depth of the pocket (0.625) as I am routing it) [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32382078}[/ATTACH] Get it perfectly lined up so the centerline of the neck matches the centerline of the body and screw it into the pickup cavities. The notch on the other end of that is my template for Gibson style tenons - just some scrap I had laying around. The neck is sitting on top of the guitar in the template, the straightedges extend from the nut to the 21st fret. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32382079}[/ATTACH] Drilled out most of the waste with a Forstner bit, then routed tot the template. I wanted the body cavity to start out too small so I wrapped a couple of layers of 1/4 inch masking tape around the follower bearing. Routed the cavity, checked the neck fit, removed a wrap of tape and took another pass, then finessed it in with a chisel and sandpaper. [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32382081}[/ATTACH] That is a really crappy template - the treble side isn't supported very well and its really wobbly. I need to make a better one next time, some thicker material, probably birch plywood. Confirm the depth of the pocket [ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32382080}[/ATTACH] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 Is this heresy? My favorite neck profile is one I took of an old vintage Les Paul, I've used it on several guitars and everyone seems to like them. Since this is going to be my guitar I'll make it something I know I'll like No, not at all IMO - it's going to be your guitar, and as someone who is pretty picky about neck dimensions and profiles, I can totally understand why you'd want to go with something you know you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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