The slow build thread - my first ever build

Partscaster · Fri Oct 16, 2020 8:03 am

Looking great, so far. Way to go!

andrewsrea · Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:53 pm

Looking good so far!

rrobbone · Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:04 am

UrenragK wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 2:42 am
Kind of you to say my woodworking is nice, I can imagine the guys that are good at it looking at this and having a wry smile! I’m a total beginner just giving it a go

No, never. We all started somewhere.

I will say you're doing just fine for your first build. Shinto rasps are awesome. As a matter of fact, most of the old traditional Japanese woodworking methods are pretty mindblowing.

Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:27 pm

I've got some Ash and Sapele laminating for the next step as we speak

Gsstrings · Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:52 pm

Looks great so far, I'm following.

Sat Oct 24, 2020 12:29 pm

Waiting on material still, so I am now working out of correct order, and I'm sure there will be some shaking heads by the pro's around these parts,

Did some more with the saw rasp to finish shaping the body, still thinking about maybe a cut in the back of the neck pocket area to file easier access to high frets,

After I sanded down to 240 grit, I got to carving. I was very nervous after all the work that has gone into the body, but set to it and past the point of no return,

Still needs some tidying up, it's supposed to be a maple leaf, the wood is maple, and I proposed to my wife in a glade of maples,

Next stop the neck, I'm planning an Ash neck, Sapele strip in the centre, birds eye maple fret board, and a spoke wheel truss rod.

TheIrritableLuthier · Sat Oct 24, 2020 11:10 pm

That's pretty darn good carving you did. Nice work!

Sun Oct 25, 2020 2:28 am

TheIrritableLuthier wrote: ↑Sat Oct 24, 2020 11:10 pm That's pretty darn good carving you did. Nice work!

Thank you!!

Tue Oct 27, 2020 11:53 am

So I now have my neck materials,

Ash and Sapele lamination for the neck,

Birds eye maple for the fretboard,

Waiting patiently for the spoke wheel truss rod now . . .

Sat Oct 31, 2020 1:09 pm

On to sorting the neck then,

Marked out, and then thought maybe I should make a template.

Decided on a reverse headstock.

nomadh · Mon Nov 02, 2020 2:28 am

solteroblues wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:59 am kudos to you! I bought all of the equipment to build one, a ton of wood to build several, some templates to get good shapes, and I've never even started.

Wow, maybe I'm you in an alternate universe

Mon Nov 09, 2020 3:38 pm

Had a delivery from Germany today!

Schaller hardware and Fishman pickups

The hardware is coated in Ruthenium, an inert metal in the platinum family.

Very happy with the choices

All I need is a router that works now so I can get on with the neck

fullonshred · Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:27 pm

Thanks for taking the time to post up your pics and tell us about the build. Much appreciated, and it is looking really good so far!

Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:31 pm

fullonshred wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:27 pm Thanks for taking the time to post up your pics and tell us about the build. Much appreciated, and it is looking really good so far!

Thanks!

I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out

Mon Nov 09, 2020 5:34 pm

nomadh wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 2:28 am
solteroblues wrote: ↑Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:59 am kudos to you! I bought all of the equipment to build one, a ton of wood to build several, some templates to get good shapes, and I've never even started.
Wow, maybe I'm you in an alternate universe

Feel free to ship it over

ronnx · Mon Nov 09, 2020 11:43 pm

Nice hardware. Really like that roller bridge.

Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:15 pm

So finally managed to get a router working.

Never used one before, watched a bunch of YouTube videos to give me a clue!

I built a router template for the truss rod channel, and did a couple of test runs on some scrap wood before moving to the real neck.

The good news is I didn’t screw it up (hopefully!)

Not a lot of real progress, but actually not a bad day, for a router noob!

Milkman · Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:21 pm

Routers scare the crap out of me, but they also fascinate me. I really enjoy the truss rod channel part... along with the fret markers, and headstock transition.

Looking good so far!

Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:00 pm

Thanks! I'm pleased I managed to get as far as I did, learned a lot!

glasshand · Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:53 am

Milkman wrote: ↑Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:21 pm Routers scare the crap out of me, but they also fascinate me. I really enjoy the truss rod channel part... along with the fret markers, and headstock transition.

Routers are really not too bad - they have a smallish cutty bit, which is generally completely buried within the work, and you get to keep at least one and often both your hands on the handles. (Table routers are an exception.) Now, bandsaws, those look terrifying to me.

Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:05 pm

glasshand wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:53 am Routers are really not too bad - they have a smallish cutty bit, which is generally completely buried within the work, and you get to keep at least one and often both your hands on the handles. (Table routers are an exception.) Now, bandsaws, those look terrifying to me.

I've got a bandsaw too, treated with respect they are all OK, but a router goes South real quick!

I used making tape and superglue to hold my template in place, worked well

Planning to make another template at some point, that's adjustable for different truss rod lengths

Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:14 pm

Managed to finish the truss rod fit and test last night

Milkman · Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:16 pm

glasshand wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:53 am
Routers are really not too bad - they have a smallish cutty bit, which is generally completely buried within the work, and you get to keep at least one and often both your hands on the handles. (Table routers are an exception.) Now, bandsaws, those look terrifying to me.

See, now, I don't find a band saw scary at all... there is no kick-back or draw-in and the work is always forced down toward the table. I'm much more comfy with my band saw... which is probably why any digits I lose will probably be there.

Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:22 pm

Milkman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:16 pm
glasshand wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:53 am
Routers are really not too bad - they have a smallish cutty bit, which is generally completely buried within the work, and you get to keep at least one and often both your hands on the handles. (Table routers are an exception.) Now, bandsaws, those look terrifying to me.
See, now, I don't find a band saw scary at all... there is no kick-back or draw-in and the work is always forced down toward the table. I'm much more comfy with my band saw... which is probably why any digits I lose will probably be there.

Whether tis true or not I do not know but I have read that more people lose fingers to "table saws" than any other power tool.

Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:30 am

mickey wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 7:22 pm Whether tis true or not I do not know but I have read that more people lose fingers to "table saws" than any other power tool.

Table saws come up through the wood, so the blade is obscured, I can believe that they're responsible for quite a few digits!

I always use the old woodworker's guide, no closer than a hand away from the blade, I have pushers for anything closer, and always treat power tools with great respect, especially stuff that goes through hardwood like butter!