Rabs Posted April 19, 2023 Author Share Posted April 19, 2023 4 hours ago, merciful-evans said: You mentioned getting carving templates. Are they just used to check with? No you use them to route around going up 1.5mm between templates... So you end up with something that looks akin to a topographical map.. And then you remove the corners of the ledges and end up with a LP carve... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryNimda Posted April 19, 2023 Share Posted April 19, 2023 Ohooo, never seen how this is done before!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 Wow that's really cool how you're doing that 😳 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 20, 2023 Author Share Posted April 20, 2023 5 minutes ago, duane v said: Wow that's really cool how you're doing that 😳 Yeah I wish that were my picture and I had got that far.. But its relatively simple.. Just absolutely make sure the template doesnt move, but thats the same for any template.... I have done some carves before but not a proper LP type.. My last ones looked like this To get the LP type you either need a cnc machine or to do it the way I am going to.. I have definitely decided to do a practice run first on some old bits I have lying around. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 I like that.... to me it makes the whole shape of the body pop IMO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 2 hours ago, Rabs said: Yeah I wish that were my picture and I had got that far.. But its relatively simple.. Just absolutely make sure the template doesnt move, but thats the same for any template.... I have done some carves before but not a proper LP type.. My last ones looked like this To get the LP type you either need a cnc machine or to do it the way I am going to.. I have definitely decided to do a practice run first on some old bits I have lying around. The first templates may have been carved with scrapers and planes or slack belt sander or some combo who knows. Then they were all made on a copy carver which is like a bunch of routers on an arm which follow a stylus which rides on a template Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 Helluva lot of work. Outstanding! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryNimda Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 How do you fix and immobilize the template while routing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 20, 2023 Author Share Posted April 20, 2023 2 hours ago, OrdinaryNimda said: How do you fix and immobilize the template while routing? I use double sided tape... Some builders will screw it down and the screws go in the pickup holes so you dont damage the top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 20, 2023 Author Share Posted April 20, 2023 Heres a question for you... To stainless steel fret or not to stainless steel fret.. That is the question 🙂 I got some of these as I had the thought of putting ss frets on. BUT I am aware of the said pros and cons of having ss frets... Most noteably I think is that they sound a bit brighter and I am not sure if I want that or not. Some also say that they will cause more wear to normal strings which I also dont really want. But in all honesty have no real idea if its a good idea or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted April 20, 2023 Share Posted April 20, 2023 If it's the right width then ok....I don't think they cause more wear to strings. Then again if I was having a guitar built and was asked if I wanted SS frets...hmm...on a Strat-type, yes maybe. Six of one, etc. What's the scale length? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 20, 2023 Author Share Posted April 20, 2023 Just now, jdgm said: If it's the right width then ok....I don't think they cause more wear to strings. Then again if I was having a guitar built and was asked if I wanted SS frets...hmm...on a Strat-type, yes maybe. Six of one, etc. What's the scale length? Actually I think the board is 24.6 .. For which I may have to make a slight adjustment to the bridge placement.. We will see how it works out when the neck is on, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted April 21, 2023 Share Posted April 21, 2023 On 4/19/2023 at 5:39 PM, Rabs said: No you use them to route around going up 1.5mm between templates... So you end up with something that looks akin to a topographical map.. And then you remove the corners of the ledges and end up with a LP carve... That is undeniably the best solution without CNC. The BFG is the roughed out CNC carve. This stepped finish will require more work to finish methinks. I cant imagine what power tool or attachment will do that. Other than these sorts of dremel bits... but they are very small. Anything bigger will be difficult to control without a more stable power tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 10 hours ago, merciful-evans said: That is undeniably the best solution without CNC. The BFG is the roughed out CNC carve. This stepped finish will require more work to finish methinks. I cant imagine what power tool or attachment will do that. Other than these sorts of dremel bits... but they are very small. Anything bigger will be difficult to control without a more stable power tool. I actually have all those tools above... But no I wont be doing with that... The traditional method would be to use whats called a thumb plane.. Tiny little planners.. BUT I will be using an orbital sander for most of it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted April 21, 2023 Share Posted April 21, 2023 Wow carving that top with an orbital sander takes way more patience than I have. I could see myself trying to get all the steps smoothed out in one area and then never being able to match all the other areas to it and it would be a mess. My cousin has a machine shop with a couple of CNC machines and I think I would have to call on him to help me. The fellow in the video, his top came out really nice and I guess you have done this before so I look forward to seeing how yours comes out. I was surprised that while he was sanding the top he didn't have the piece of wood fixed in place, he just let it float around on the bench and constantly repositioned it. I suppose that allows him to get all sorts of different angles to make the curves smooth. But I would have mistakenly clamped it down and then tried to move around the bench to get all the angles I needed. One of, if not, THE best video I've ever watched on this forum! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 1 minute ago, Twang Gang said: Wow carving that top with an orbital sander takes way more patience than I have. I could see myself trying to get all the steps smoothed out in one area and then never being able to match all the other areas to it and it would be a mess. My cousin has a machine shop with a couple of CNC machines and I think I would have to call on him to help me. The fellow in the video, his top came out really nice and I guess you have done this before so I look forward to seeing how yours comes out. I was surprised that while he was sanding the top he didn't have the piece of wood fixed in place, he just let it float around on the bench and constantly repositioned it. I suppose that allows him to get all sorts of different angles to make the curves smooth. But I would have mistakenly clamped it down and then tried to move around the bench to get all the angles I needed. One of, if not, THE best video I've ever watched on this forum! Nope.. This will be my first time doing a proper LP carve... I posted an example of one I did myself but unless you do it with those steps its impossible to get a proper LP type.. So this time I have bitten the bullet and am gonna do it proper like 🙂 I have plenty of spare wood and will do a test before I go at the body I have for this build... The bit that worries me the most is getting the neck and pickup planes right... And thats a DAMN important part of this process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted April 22, 2023 Share Posted April 22, 2023 The orbital sander pad has enough flex in it I see. I was thinking before of this sort of pad. Its the sort of thing that was used where I worked in the dressing (finishing) shop with pneumatic hand tools. That was an excellent video. A massive amount of patience and skill needed. But it works! That last outer peripheral band was always going to be the awkward part. I used to work with CNC milling machines and that sort of carve could not be programmed at operator level. It needs a dedicated CAD software package to produce that geometry. So unless the software & machine controls have progressed vastly in the last 7 years even that wouldn't be straightforward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 1 hour ago, merciful-evans said: The orbital sander pad has enough flex in it I see. I was thinking before of this sort of pad. Its the sort of thing that was used where I worked in the dressing (finishing) shop with pneumatic hand tools. That was an excellent video. A massive amount of patience and skill needed. But it works! That last outer peripheral band was always going to be the awkward part. I used to work with CNC milling machines and that sort of carve could not be programmed at operator level. It needs a dedicated CAD software package to produce that geometry. So unless the software & machine controls have progressed vastly in the last 7 years even that wouldn't be straightforward. Yes that edge bit, doing the re-curve is going to be the hardest bit.. But I do have a lot of experience handling my sanders so I will just take it easy and do it step by step.... Also today was a good day for deliveries. Got the carving templates and the new free back template .. Nice And got my new snowflake inlays for that other build. And best of all, the spray cans arrived too. So I have all that now.. And how cool is this.. Personalised labels.. Love that 😄 So we are getting there.. One of the last things I now need to order is the bridge and stoptail... May go for the Gotoh ones... I think I have everything else I need as I will be taking this guitar apart for its hardware.. This is one I am glad I didnt sell.. You see the way I have the grain orentation so that the grain is going vertically.. Well it turns out that wasnt a good thing. The body has warped as the string tension has cupped the guitar in the middle and its now no longer playable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted April 22, 2023 Share Posted April 22, 2023 oh that must hurt! Is there no remedial solution? Clamp the body flat and gun drill holes for stiffener rods? ? Can you re-use the neck at least? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 22, 2023 Author Share Posted April 22, 2023 Just now, merciful-evans said: oh that must hurt! Is there no remedial solution? Clamp the body flat and gun drill holes for stiffener rods? ? Can you re-use the neck at least? Yeah maybe... I cant actually find it lol. I thought it was with my other builds but I must have taken it to my workshop to dismantle and forgotten about it.. Well either that or I have somehow lost a guitar 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted April 22, 2023 Share Posted April 22, 2023 and there should be a band called Rabs Red Metallic. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted April 22, 2023 Share Posted April 22, 2023 Put a couple short truss rods in the back of the body 😛 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Well I guess that's why we never see a body with the grain going vertically. Makes sense when you think about it but the sort of mistake I could easily have made. Going back to the video on the sanding for the carve, the guy in the video I believe is making an all mahogany body with no maple cap. So what happened to his channel routes for the wiring from the pickups to pickup selector and to the volume/tone controls. Unless he already did them and has a mahogany cap that he it sanding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Yeah just like a regular Les Paul but with mahogany cap instead of maple. Mahogany sands easier than maple so it seems like a good option for paint grade carved tops and that’s also how some of the old customs were made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 1 hour ago, Twang Gang said: Well I guess that's why we never see a body with the grain going vertically. Makes sense when you think about it but the sort of mistake I could easily have made. Going back to the video on the sanding for the carve, the guy in the video I believe is making an all mahogany body with no maple cap. So what happened to his channel routes for the wiring from the pickups to pickup selector and to the volume/tone controls. Unless he already did them and has a mahogany cap that he it sanding? Yeah it was an experiment of mine cos I thought it looked cool.. But wont be doing that again.. The thing is I did that on another build which I sold the day after I finished it.. It was a harder wood (black korina) and I have never heard back from him.. Maybe the wood was strong enough in that case... I really hope so. And damn.. I was at my mums today and forgot to look that that guitar... Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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