New Build Day.. LP Liteish

[Rabs]

14 minutes ago, Dub-T-123 said:

If you have a thinner top you can make the steps proportionally smaller 

You might find this helpful as well

 

if you’re trying to go the Les Paul vibe I’d try to recreate the carve as accurately as possible because metallic finishes are super revealing in that way

Well one thing that makes you really need the neck angle is the type of bridge is higher than like a Strat bridge for which you need the fretboard about 2mm off the body and zero degrees on the neck angle.

Also I do it differently to the guy in the video. I find it easier to angle the neck tenon rather than the neck pocket..

[Dub-T-123]

One important difference from a DC style here is that the bottom of the fretboard is sitting directly against the body with no gap. So the top needs a ~4° flat where it mates with the fretboard and it makes sense for the bottom of the mortise to follow that angle

[duane v]

Rabs

Looking forward to following this build along the way. 

[CROWB8]

[Rabs]

So I checked that template and it was ok.  Its not quite exactly the same but more than good enough...  So thats good and I got an email saying the inlay stuff is coming Friday

[duane v]

Looks good for sure.

I like the grain on the neck 

[Rabs]

25 minutes ago, duane v said:

Looks good for sure.

I like the grain on the neck 

Thats my 60s Tribute Goldtop..  Awesome guitar.  I love the thinner finish especially on the necks.

[Larsongs]

Really interesting Thread! Very cool to have access to a Shop like that.. Do we have anything like that here in the USA? I will be tuning in to watch the Progress of your build.. Very impressive! I’d love to try my hand at making my own Guitar one day.. 

[Twang Gang]

Good to see you back in the shop and cranking out some guitars.  Glad your hands aren't too sore.  I think the cuts and bruises just come with the territory - I used to work with my dad in his shop behind his garage and if I didn't bleed a little each day there was something wrong. 😜

[Rabs]

28 minutes ago, Twang Gang said:

Good to see you back in the shop and cranking out some guitars.  Glad your hands aren't too sore.  I think the cuts and bruises just come with the territory - I used to work with my dad in his shop behind his garage and if I didn't bleed a little each day there was something wrong. 😜

Ha yeah.. Always with the stinging cuts...   Talk about suffering for your art 🙂 

But yeah its good to be back.. I did feel it today though.. And my hands thankfully do seem to be holding up which is really good news.  So I will just make sure to keep being careful and not over do it..

Depending on how my day goes tomorrow. I hope to get an hour or so to finish the routing with the proper bit this time, and then maybe glue the top on..  That will be a nice step forward. 

[Rabs]

So, a couple more things done today..  One went a bit wrong, the other didnt...  

Back to my old ridiculously messy workshop. I do intend to actually clean all this up one day 😄 

 

I found my top bearing bit and finished the job I started the other day but I had a couple of slip ups.. Its amazing how quickly you forget the little things you learn about how to handle a router.. Basically when you do this you are hanging half of the routers base over the edge of the guitar. So you have to put pressure on the side the guitar body is on to stop it slipping over.  Its especially hard on the horn and going over the control cavity as the router really wants to tip. The first one I have no idea what happened, there was a small bang as I went past the centre of the back of the body like I hit the edge of the workbench or something. The other was a tiny slip on the side of the control cavity.

This one isnt too bad really

 

But the second one on the back, it must have been about 10mm deep..  I didnt take a picture of it at first as I was annoyed so my instant reaction was to grab my angle grinder and sand the back down.

This was what was left

 

And after I had done it.. You may be able to see the back of the body is a bit flat.

 

Annoying..  Such a small thing.. But I will always know..  I am tempted to do it again and just keep this for another build....  I know its so silly but I just want it right damn it!!!!!  😄 

Also been looking at carving the top in a more traditional way and I do think I can do it and the maple cap is thick enough. So maybe... Im still thinking on that.

Also decided to do the truss rod. Very non Gibson.. 

I do this in a very simple way.. I clamp the neck in to the bench and get a straight bit of wood which I camp to the bench for the router to run along as it has a flat side at the back for that purpose.

 Then you just line up your centre line.. And drill down 9mm for which I have a depth stop and go across from side to side and thats it.

 

I would have also drilled for the trussrod access hole but of course my drill was at my flat  from when I was fitting a new curtain rail 

So yeah.. I think I am gonna book again for Tuesday. Do another back and then I can glue the top and back together..  Also that inlay stuff has arrived so Tuesday I should (underline that word) get a fair bit done this time.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Rabs

[OrdinaryNimda]

Thanx for this insight. It's great to see some real magic being done in a documented way! 👍

[Rabs]

4 minutes ago, OrdinaryNimda said:

Thanx for this insight. It's great to see some real magic being done in a documented way! 👍

Cheers..  I have done several on here.. Originally I think in 2012 when I started turning a door in to a guitar.. The thread is still there but useless as the pictures are gone.

I also have videos up on youtube of other builds..  But they are just slideshows and have very little text. So yeah I started on here..  And this may be my last lot of guitars so I will finish on here too I guess...

[merciful-evans]

I had to do a double take but, yes the back is a trifle flat. 

Good to know about these mishaps along the way. I don't often machine cut wood, but always worried the grain will split or something.

For 13 years I machined metalics. just so much easier, even though they have 3 grainflows to think about.

[Rabs]

No update on the build as such. But the guy making my paint sent me a pic today so thats ready AND I got my headstock veneer with its inlays and the block inlays. NICE !!! 

 

[CROWB8]

[CROWB8]

Gif doesnt say enough.

That red will really set the gold MOP off nicely. Excellent choice of contrast.

Edited April 14, 2023 by CROWB8

[Rabs]

1 minute ago, CROWB8 said:

Gif wasnt good enough.

That red will really set the gold MOP off nicely. Excellent choice of contrast.

Yeah.. Its really nice.. The guy said when its on the body it will probably be a bit lighter and that should match pretty well..

Im even more excited about this now... 

It sorta makes me think I should have been doing this sort of build all along?

Edited April 14, 2023 by Rabs

[CROWB8]

So having the skills, you can influence how much the color might lighten or darken via base coat, right? Test samples? Cause me thinks that red is just killer.

[Rabs]

1 minute ago, CROWB8 said:

So having the skills, you can influence how much the color might lighten or darken via base coat, right? Test samples? Cause me thinks that red is just killer.

Hmm, honestly,, When it comes to painting. While I have watched a lot of videos on the subject I have never actually done a full solid colour before... But yeah, I think the guy said if you layer it it will get darker... So I guess I will use what I get and see how it goes from there..

[merciful-evans]

I have to agree. The paint looks perfect ! 

I assume after the grain-filler you use a primer of some sort? A white or neutral light grey would be suitable; yes? As CROWB8 said, test samples will be useful. 

[duane v]

1 hour ago, Rabs said:

Hmm, honestly,, When it comes to painting. While I have watched a lot of videos on the subject I have never actually done a full solid colour before... But yeah, I think the guy said if you layer it it will get darker... So I guess I will use what I get and see how it goes from there..

Rabs

What I found during some of my projects (with nitrocellulose lacquer)is paint a couple of coats of clear over the sanding sealer. Also wait two hours between coats. The clear coat keeps the wood grain from effecting the color of the base coat.

Another tip is warm up the cans for 30 minutes in 70-90 degrees of water.

Also paint between 68-90 degrees F and 25-40% RH

[duane v]

One more thing

After each coat remove the nozzle and drown it in naphtha after each coat  

[Rabs]

2 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

I have to agree. The paint looks perfect ! 

I assume after the grain-filler you use a primer of some sort? A white or neutral light grey would be suitable; yes? As CROWB8 said, test samples will be useful. 

Well actually the guy I got it from says that when you have binding you should NOT use a primer..  Just sanding sealer. He says if you use primer you end up with a white line around the body.... 

[Rabs]

1 hour ago, duane v said:

Rabs

What I found during some of my projects (with nitrocellulose lacquer)is paint a couple of coats of clear over the sanding sealer. Also wait two hours between coats. The clear coat keeps the wood grain from effecting the color of the base coat.

Another tip is warm up the cans for 30 minutes in 70-90 degrees of water.

Also paint between 68-90 degrees F and 25-40% RH

Cheers..  I know about the spraying conditions..  But again, the guy that I am getting the paint from says not to heat the cans up or it will make it splatter the paint our more (or something to that effect)..  Just shake them for 2 mins before use.