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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2020 16:52:30 GMT -6
Well, alright !!! I got me a router table now. It was not as easy as it looks to do for an old guy, but I did it. I have not tested it out yet. I kind of hurt myself (neck) so I thought enough for today. I'll do some testing on it in the morning or some time tomorrow.
I had to buy longer screws to mount the router base. Wound up buying the wrong size (go figure) and I was looking through all my nut and bolts. I could not find anything that would fit. Then I remembered I had bought one of them kits for mounting a TV on the wall. I had 3 of the screws all a long. LOL! They fit the base like they were made for it. I can't wait to try it out. But I do think I am going to buy another router, so that I don't have to take the router out of the table. HA!
EB
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Post by antares on Nov 14, 2020 3:53:09 GMT -6
This is great Eddie. You won't convince me that all this effort is directed solely to the fabrication of just one guitar ...
e&oe ...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2020 11:36:57 GMT -6
This is great Eddie. You won't convince me that all this effort is directed solely to the fabrication of just one guitar ... e&oe ...Truth be known... My wife told me to go back to building guitars. She side between playing and building guitars I am a much happier person. So, she even went on line to find me a wood source here in town. And I think she may have. I still need to go buy there and check it out. So that is something on near future for me to check out.
So I don't know how many I'll build from here on out. I am doing this one just to do something. Between being closed in (because of the virus) and surgery's (2 in the last year) I am going nuts! I guess that is one reason I am not in a big hurry to get this build done. I am enjoying it, and taking my time. It may not get done until after the first of the year, and that's OK with me.
But I am already thinking about the next build. People all around me are telling me I should make a couple and action them off. For one to see what I can get for them and two to help fund my hobby. I may do that.
So, this build will be my prototype to see how things will work out. If it comes out good, then I'll do another one that I will action off. But I'll see how things go. Once I sell a few, maybe I can buy me a thickness sander or a thickness planer. I sure miss them tools. I was telling the wife maybe in another year, maybe we we can look for a place that has a shop or garage so I can have a little more room and don't have to try a carry things upstairs. LOL! EB
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Post by dnic on Nov 14, 2020 12:45:03 GMT -6
Go, go, go!!!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2020 15:23:14 GMT -6
Some more on home made tools.
I tested out the router table today. Works like a charm.
I found a test piece. I stuck one piece of wood over the other. Put in the trim bit and routed away. I like the height of the table.
look pretty good to me! Can't wait to see how it does on bigger stuff.
OK... I went ahead and made me a fret saw miter box.
Here is the secret on getting both side to line up. Draw a line on the bottom first. Then measure that line onto the front and back sides. I measured the depth of the saw and put a mark where it will be. I found out that the saw blade on my table saw is exactly the same thickness of the fret saw. So, I cut the slot for the fret saw on my band saw. Once I had that then it was a matter of lining everything up. I fist clamped it together and made a test cut. It was spot on! WOW! So I left it clamped up and drilled holes for the screws to hold all together. Once the screw were in, I then tested again. It is still spot on. I then took it all a part and glued and screwed it all back together again. Yes, I tested it one more time and everything is still spot on/ WOW! So nice when a plane works out!
These are the screws I used
I did end up putting a piece of wood on the front facing that hang down some. That way I can push it up against the table and hold it. Or I can clamp it down. It works out pretty well! I had to put some small pieces of wood between the front and back sides to help keep it more square. For some reason the top of the board wanted to move in on each other. So I glues in the small pieces off wood and solved that. LOL!
The miter box was fun to do. Yes I know I said I was going to try and do it free handed. But we were at the hardware store, so, I thought why not? So I did. HA! Just took a little bit of thinking on my part. I think I pulled it off.
So now that I have my home made tools done for now. It will be time to get back to work on the guitar. So, Sometime next week I should be back on track with the build.
EB
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Post by dnic on Nov 15, 2020 15:30:28 GMT -6
That's the way real guitar makers did it before there was a Stew Mac or LMI. Even so a lot of the stuff they make/ sell are adaptations from other shops. And it is fun and rewarding to design and build your jigs and tools.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2020 16:47:37 GMT -6
That's the way real guitar makers did it before there was a Stew Mac or LMI. Even so a lot of the stuff they make/ sell are adaptations from other shops. And it is fun and rewarding to design and build your jigs and tools. That is the way it is for me too! It is fun to make things/tools.
EB
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2020 17:07:29 GMT -6
Template day; Today I got around to making the neck and body templates.
When I make templates. I like to start off using some card board. The card board can be sanded and shaped before you use them to make wooded templates.
I found the high grade plywood at Low's It was around $15.00. Here I have drawn the pattern onto the plywood.
Here are plywood templates. I still need to do some final shaping and sanding. But they are real close to being done.
To make the templates, I used a jig saw, band saw, table top belt sander and the drill press with a sanding drum.
I use the jig saw to help cut the templates from the sheet of plywood. I then used the band saw to get thing cut super close to the lines. I then used the table belt sander to get thing even closer to the drawn lines. I put a drum sander in the drill press and sand everything to the lines. Now I need to do some final sanding by hand to get it even smoother.
The body template will get the holes put in it for the pickups. It will also get routed for the neck pocket.
The neck, I will drill out for the tuners. It will get trued up with the router.
More to come on the templates. I had to stop working on it today. But it felt good to get the templates cut out today. This will be my first time using a template for cutting the profile of the neck.
I have another way that I use that does not require a template. I do use a guide to profile the neck. But I don't call it a template.
So, I'll see how it goes using a template for the neck. I like to try new things. So I thought that because so many out there use a neck template, I thought I try it out.
EB
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Post by dnic on Nov 15, 2020 20:21:54 GMT -6
You got a lot done Eddie. I use a router to straight cut the sides of my neck templates or any straight line for that matter. Just stick a straight board on the line you want straight and route it. Sanding is so boring!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2020 10:45:40 GMT -6
You got a lot done Eddie. I use a router to straight cut the sides of my neck templates or any straight line for that matter. Just stick a straight board on the line you want straight and route it. Sanding is so boring!! That is what I'll do to make the template for the neck. I use the same thing on the necks without a template. I thought this time I would make the templates because I may want to build another guitar that I will action off.But I will be truing everything up today. Then it will be routing, carving and build time.
I had to reorder the bridge for this build. I was sent the wrong one. So. now I have to wait to get my money back. I sent the one I got back. So I'll see if I get a full refund or not. Last time I did that they took out the shipping and that wound up I got less money back that the item was worth.
But anyways, It feels good to be back building guitars. My health has improved a lot! I feel more like my old self again. I still have a day or two that I don't feel so good. But I am starting to have more better days than bad ones. I only hope I keep on improving.
EB
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Post by dnic on Nov 16, 2020 20:00:03 GMT -6
glad you are feeling better Eddie.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2020 14:16:12 GMT -6
Fret slotting; today I got the fret slots and profile cut for the fret board.
My fret board slotting jig is a little wide for the wood I am slotting. So I happened to have some wood left over form other things I have done on this project. (Never through away wood of any size.) LOL!I was able to wedge the wood along side the fret board to hold it in place. I also clamped the jig to the table. Made the fret slotting so mush easier. Here is another tip... If you are hand sawing the fret board and you have no jig for slot spacing, Work off one side of the fret board.The scale I am using is 25". I marked the back side of a long ruler to where the frets are placed on on of my other builds. I then put transferred that on to the fret board. Used a square and drew out the lines. Here is the tip... Take a blade like a pocket knife, razor blade, and so on. Make a mark on the line where you want the saw to cut. Tip the saw up and move the wood to the notch you made until the saw falls into place. Then score the wood with the saw and check it to make sure you are spot on. If it is then saw the slot. Worked out great for me.
Once I had the fret slots cut, I then attached the fret board to my neck jig I made earlier. I then cut off the excess before taking it to the router.
Here is the fret board still on the neck jig. It worked out great! I sure do like my router table. It's working out really good!
The next step will be attaching the fret board to the neck blank. I will use the fret board as my template for the neck.
When making the neck; There a few ways you can go when attaching the fret board. If you are going to use the fret board as a guide for the neck, I find it better not to radius the fret board until you are done profiling the sides of the neck.
I have done it a few ways and this work the best for me. I also like to put the frets in after the fret board has been attached to the neck and the fret board has had a radius done to it. I have done 2 guitars where I did the in lays, radius, and put the frets in before I attached the fret board. To me it is a pain in the neck, only lower. LOL!
But a lot of people do just that and seem to be OK with it.
But I find the most important thing to remember in building a guitar is this... Work off on side of the wood you are using all through the build and use center lines. If you do you will have a good build. Everything will come out centered and Straight.
I have seen way to many builders get frustrated with builds, and most of the time it's because they are working from both sides of the project. I try and explain this to people that are building from a kit. Well, anyways, it works out a whole lot easier for me.
The big Issue I see on anyone doing a build is rushing it. I really see it a lot in kit builders, Most of them want to get it done in a week or less. Just not going to happen if you want a great looking and great playing guitar.
EB
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Post by antares on Nov 18, 2020 3:37:21 GMT -6
Working off a centre line is a cast iron great hint Eddie. Lovely job on the fret slots. I'm impressed Fella.
e&oe ...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2020 12:31:48 GMT -6
Did some more work on the fret board;
Today I attached the fret board. I use to use staple out of a staple gun to make position mounts so that when gluing up the fret board wont move around. But again I had 2 staple guns and they are no where to be found. So, I had to come up with another way...
I wound up clamping the fret board to the neck blank and drilling a hole at each end of the fret board in the fret slots into the neck.
I used the smallest drill bit to drill the holes. So, the holes wound up being smaller than the tooth picks I used. I ended up sanding the tooth picks to fit the holes.
Hole at one end.
Hole at the other end. LOL!
Here is the fret board glued and clamped. I'll let it rest until tomorrow,
The pins work out well! The nice thing about the pins being wood is that I can use my fret saw and cut them to the slot. I didn't want to buy a staple gun to make the pins like I use to. This seems to have worked out great. So, I may use this from now on.
Started the work on the body today as well. Lots of sanding going on there. I am about half way done getting the sides of the body trued up. Been using the drum sander on the drill press. Once I get it sanded all the way around I will still need to do some finish sanding.
Why don't I use the router to true up the sides? A while back I had a bad accident doing just that. I ran my fingers through a router on a router table. I will not ever again use a router to true up the sides. So now I use the old ways of sanding. Yes, it takes a lot longer. But my fingers are safe! I almost lost two fingers on my left hand. NOT GOOD!
That is also when I learned... Not to let customers rush you!... That guitar truly has my Blood, sweat, and tears in it. DNA Plus if you will! Blood stains are there to stay. My blood soaked into the wood. There was no way to get it out. But it darken up and it blends in with the wood. LOL!
EB
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2020 16:12:02 GMT -6
The Body;
Well, alright I also got the sides of the body done!!! (for now)
I wound up having to put a block of wood on the drill press so I could start sanding the side of the body. I use two sided tape to hold the wood to the drill press. It worked out great!
Here is the body after sanding on the drill press. The upper part of the body will have to be done by hand.
here is the body as done as it's going to get for now.
The tools I wound up using for this stage of the body is; Electric hand sander, drill press with a drum sander, 2 rasp files, and a lot of sand paper. The nice thing about basswood it is so nice to sand. Much like mahogany. But basswood you wont need any grain filler.
Next up is to get the clamps off of the neck and start the profiling on the neck. A lot of wood cutting and carving going to be going on here on out. I will try and get some good pictures of the neck carving. Show some of the things I do in carving a neck. My favorite part of the build.
EB
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