Guitar Build 2017!
- Thread starter Elias Graves
- Start date
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Dig it! That wasn't too hard at all. Very straightforward installation. No tricks, no surprises.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Ooh! Look what I found.
A bottom bearing pattern bit with a variety of bearings to adjust the cutting depth. It was in a box of finishing supplies my father in law gave me. Lol.
And a long strip of the maple I made the neck with...
Which means I can cut binding channels.
A bottom bearing pattern bit with a variety of bearings to adjust the cutting depth. It was in a box of finishing supplies my father in law gave me. Lol.
And a long strip of the maple I made the neck with...
Which means I can cut binding channels.
newbuilder
snoochie boochies
Too much work not enough play. Loving your build thread...looks great so far!
newbuilder
snoochie boochies
wave0
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Thanks! All work and no play makes NB a dull boy.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Spent some time with my buddy Rodney in the cabinet shop working last night.
Used his sanding tools to finish up the edges on my body template. After that, I took the rest of the board I used to build the neck and sliced it into thin pieces for use as binding strips for the body. I think it'll look pretty cool to have matching wood on the neck stripe and body binding.
Lastly, Rodney and I were talking to his boss, Gary (who is a badass telecaster player, btw) and I was explaining to him how I kept the drill straight when I was drilling the tuner holes on the neck template. He interrupted me and said "Wait. You don't have a drill press? You can't work without a drill press. Come with me."
He led me into a back room at the shop and dusted off this huge old 60s Craftsman press. He told me it needs a belt but is otherwise fine. It's mine if I want it!
SCORE!!! Foo and I are going to load it later today! I'm pretty stoked about it. It's quite large enough to drill to center of a a guitar body.
Used his sanding tools to finish up the edges on my body template. After that, I took the rest of the board I used to build the neck and sliced it into thin pieces for use as binding strips for the body. I think it'll look pretty cool to have matching wood on the neck stripe and body binding.
Lastly, Rodney and I were talking to his boss, Gary (who is a badass telecaster player, btw) and I was explaining to him how I kept the drill straight when I was drilling the tuner holes on the neck template. He interrupted me and said "Wait. You don't have a drill press? You can't work without a drill press. Come with me."
He led me into a back room at the shop and dusted off this huge old 60s Craftsman press. He told me it needs a belt but is otherwise fine. It's mine if I want it!
SCORE!!! Foo and I are going to load it later today! I'm pretty stoked about it. It's quite large enough to drill to center of a a guitar body.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Elias Graves
Common misfit
So, here's the actual work that got done at the shop.
Used the side sander and spindle sander to clean up the edges of my body template.
Then cut the maple for the binding.
Used the side sander and spindle sander to clean up the edges of my body template.
Then cut the maple for the binding.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Sucker filled the bed of my truck end to end. 6 feet long and probably close to 150 pounds.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Its new home. I'll build a stand for it with some wheels so I can move it out to use it. And a table to use a drum sander and t square. Oh, and 7 3/4" from the chuck to the post. I told you this thing was huge!
And the saw's temporary residence. I simply have no room to set this thing up.
When I get my kids out of school, I'm buying in a cheaper part of town and getting a house with some shop space.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Tonight's task is some fretboard work.
I'm getting close to where I need to glue it on so I trimmed it up to rough size.
One of the scraps is becoming a fretting practice block. I want to double check my saw and also, with The Caul of the Wild and the drill press, I have an entirely new (and hopefully easier and more accurate) fretting method to learn. I figure I better make my mistakes on a piece of scrap and not on my fretboard.
The setup:
Glued my scrap to a bigger scrap for some stability. I'll cut the radius and a slot and see what happens.
I'm getting close to where I need to glue it on so I trimmed it up to rough size.
One of the scraps is becoming a fretting practice block. I want to double check my saw and also, with The Caul of the Wild and the drill press, I have an entirely new (and hopefully easier and more accurate) fretting method to learn. I figure I better make my mistakes on a piece of scrap and not on my fretboard.
The setup:
Glued my scrap to a bigger scrap for some stability. I'll cut the radius and a slot and see what happens.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Hey, the maple cuts waaaay faster than the rosewood or osage. It's hard but it's not hard hard like those others.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
This blade is too wide. I may have to go buy a blade or a razor saw.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
See page 9.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
Yay! The process worked. The caul and drill press pushed that puppy right into place. Had to tap it a little here and there to seat it tightly but it took all of about a minute to get the fret in.
Went to Hobby Lobby and got an ExActo razor saw. Nice snug fit and no glue needed.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
The Gotoh truss rod is to be held in place with epoxy. I taped off around the slot to keep the wood clean and clamped it in place.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
What do you guys think about the maple binding idea? Too much for a slab body or nice tie-in to the neck?
I'm torn. Typically, you use binding like this to cover a joint. There is no joint around the top, so it's not needed for that reason. Purely aesthetic. Which is a good reason all by itself.