Next Build all ready to go. African Walnut DC.. FINISHED.. Quick Vid..

Rabs

Since photobastards killed my last thread on this and it was so long ago I decided to start a new thread up with imgur pics...

This build is basically going to be like the Korina one im just finishing but made from African Walnut..

Heres the frankmontag mockup... Obviously very roughly.

http://i.imgur.com/fmQd4ml.jpg

And here is the actual body which is ready and waiting for me to get going (and yes, the grain is going the other way again)

http://i.imgur.com/rQjAaPK.jpg

As I say, tomorrow I should finish the Korina one so I may get going on it then...  More on this very soon

paulnb57

Excellent!

TTony

I'm going to watch your threads instead of building my own.



(mainly because I've not had the time to build my own for months, and months, and months!)

Rabs

TTony said:

I'm going to watch your threads instead of building my own.



(mainly because I've not had the time to build my own for months, and months, and months!)

Yes.. Well I understand that... 

And I got back to it today.

Carved the top,

This is the binding channel cutting bit.. or called a rebate router bit.....

https://i.imgur.com/1Te14kA.jpg

And all sorted...  I made it much deeper than the binding since I want room to carve

https://i.imgur.com/XvnihHW.jpg

Then put the binding up to the body and draw around the top of it.. This gives me a nice accurate line to work to

https://i.imgur.com/k9lIptJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GwrSnml.jpg?1

Then I draw on the body to give me the carving lines.. Im taking this a bit further back than the Korina guitar so its more equal all the way around

https://i.imgur.com/k8JBWUd.jpg

I use an angle grinder with a sanding disc attachment

https://i.imgur.com/2wvxGW6.jpg

And heres the first go at it, Kinda looks cool like that

https://i.imgur.com/Da5nv3n.jpg

Then I use an orbital sander on the horns since you want a bit more control in that area..  I will finish it with files and sandpaper

https://i.imgur.com/icOh3F3.jpg

Heres the first pass done

https://i.imgur.com/WU5BN4C.jpg

Still have to go down a bit more.. I just keep doing passes until I get to the line

https://i.imgur.com/BAnWdRq.jpg

Sorted

https://i.imgur.com/7S9OmJs.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MhqfraB.jpg

Now I go at it with the orbital sander with 180 grit and clean it all up and get those lines and humps as smooth as I can and get to the corners with sandpaper

https://i.imgur.com/J7qQChk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nw4LHVD.jpg

And here we are.. Still some more sanding to be done but  I find it good to stop at this point..  Then I can come back tomorrow with fresh eyes and see what need to be done.

https://i.imgur.com/YZvoTcI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/M0MHsYB.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W0k8RC0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KzbyCt3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Nr2byNW.jpg

  more soon.

WezV

Well done on the angle grinder carve.  I tried it twice, killed 2 bodies

Rabs

Cheers....

Well actually I use the same method for my necks so am used to how the grinder moves.. But this is only the second time ive done it on a nice body like this (ive only practiced on two crappy spare bodies)...  But I have found that once you get used to using one it can actually be pretty accurate...  I know its not quite as cool as a proper LP type carve.. But I like it..  (and its relatively quick )

WezV

Nah, it's more like a German carve, but that's okay.

on trend

http://guitardiaries.dantzig.com/blog/german-carve-on-the-bench/

lysander

The angle grinder method looks like good fun ( and also high potential for ruining things very quickly ), but the amount of dust it produces must be insane ?

Rabs

lysander said:

The angle grinder method looks like good fun ( and also high potential for ruining things very quickly ), but the amount of dust it produces must be insane ?

This is all true 

It is fun carving like this but you do have to do it carefully and understand how the tool moves..  And yes, a full proper face mask is essential....

In fact I once did a video of me doing a neck with this method (this was like my third build ever)

Rabs

Hello...

I got on with the neck today..  A really nice bit of re-claimed asian mahogany...You can see how old the wood is

https://i.imgur.com/8KZvJYV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RuUW01F.jpg

Cleans up real nice though

https://i.imgur.com/IgW4Ivd.jpg

So I measure the appropriate lines

https://i.imgur.com/Ga0FaMf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NQoUadU.jpg

Get the trussrod in..  I use this very DIY method..  Just get a straight bit of wood and run the router along that...

https://i.imgur.com/E9DB60q.jpg?1

Do the access hole..  Spot on 

https://i.imgur.com/p9C4ioG.jpg

And cover the trussrod so glue doesn't get all in the channel.. And then glue and camp it down..

https://i.imgur.com/06EpL9A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7GlGXGk.jpg

So that's all drying up... 

The body is getting a bit better..  Not quite there yet but a bit more TLC and it will be shaped.

https://i.imgur.com/235XNxv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0IvgDNf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/04WbP74.jpg

That is going to look proper stunning

https://i.imgur.com/FGW9Ax5.jpg

And a quick sneak preview of whats next (yeah I know  ) Not wide enough to do my grain reversing trick..  And may get a nice maple top..  I am still deciding about that.

https://i.imgur.com/FwOKsid.jpg

WezV

What makes you say "Asian mahogany"?

it looks kinda like Iroko to me.  I tend to think of Lauan/Meranti as Asian Mahogany. 

 I do have quite a bit of Iroko here, some of it even fooled me into thinking it was mahogany.  With a finish on it can look similar.  Works very differently

Rabs

WezV said:

What makes you say "Asian mahogany"?

it looks kinda like Iroko to me.  I tend to think of Lauan/Meranti as Asian Mahogany. 

 I do have quite a bit of Iroko here, some of it even fooled me into thinking it was mahogany.  With a finish on it can look similar.  Works very differently

Well im not really sure actually.. While I know so much more than I did about wood, its one of those things that you never really stop learning....  The person who gave it to me said he thought that's what it was.. So im going with that  what ever it is, its lovely... and very hard (but that may be due to its age rather than the type of wood it is???)

It was sitting in a garage for the last 30 years and when a friend of mines father heard I was making guitars he asked if I wanted it..

I made a body and neck from this stuff before..  This is what it looks like finished.

https://i.imgur.com/kBZsRim.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/X683EYN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/en7Caix.jpg

WezV

Age won't change its hardness much once it's dry.  I have had old Honduran billets that were black on the outside from age.  Still worked just like any other mahogany once cleaned up.

The iroko I have had came from similar sources.  Yes, it can be very hard.  It used to be used for science lab worktops because it's very hard and particularly resistant to chemicals. 

I have built with it a bit, not my favourite but that's more because the dust can be unpleasant

Meranti is the opposite end of the mahogany scale, more comparable to balsa

Rabs

WezV said:

Meranti is the opposite end of the mahogany scale, more comparable to balsa

Yeah I have used plenty of that.. It also really varies..  Ive had some almost as hard as mahogany and some so soft that when you sand it it almost comes up furry..  The furry stuff is pretty useless and usually not that nice to look at..  But ive done some practice bodies with it.

I will look more in to what this wood may be.. You may well be right.

WezV

I have had furry meranti that was highly flamed.   It's definitely an unusal wood - sounds almost airy

anyway - found pics of my iroko stash from when i got it.  2 planks i thought were mahogany  at first because of the colour(the finished ones), and 2 chunks obvious iroko




The unfinished plank made this 7 string tele - chambered and made thin for weight reduction.  I was showing a mate how to build guitars on that one.




If you are ever up this way you are welcome to one of those big planks

Rabs

WezV said:

I have had furry meranti that was highly flamed.   It's definitely an unusal wood - sounds almost airy

anyway - found pics of my iroko stash from when i got it.  2 planks i thought were mahogany  at first because of the colour(the finished ones), and 2 chunks obvious iroko

If you are ever up this way you are welcome to one of those big planks

That's very kind of you   Where is up this way?  (im in East London).

And, hmmm.. I was looking up pictures of Iroko...  Im really not sure.. It is very similar... Wood recognition is so so hard... Either way.. Its a nice bit of wood and more than hard enough for the job of being a neck...    I will keep looking though and see if I can solve this... I will also say its a very odd wood.. When I sand it with something high powered and the wood gets warm it seems like oil comes up cos it comes out very very smooth and looks oily (but no actual moisture comes off it when you touch it)...  Its weird.

WezV

I am in the midlands

You can never be sure with wood identification.   That's what makes it such a fun guessing game., and the new citis rules so ridiculous..but it does sound like my experiences with iroko.

WezV

https://goo.gl/images/nrx8BW

Rabs

WezV said:

You can never be sure with wood identification.   That's what makes it such a fun guessing game., and the new citis rules so ridiculous..but it does sound like my experiences with iroko.

Indeed. Every time I think I have a certain wood down, I see another example of it which looks completely different..

And is why really at the end of the day while its obviously good to know what you are working with for me, its, does it look nice and will it do the job required..  The rest while interesting is neither here nor there really.

As you say.. trying to tell the different species of rosewood in itself is hard enough.. and from what I know youd need to look at an example of end grain under a microscope some of them are so similar.  And I wont be doing that any time soon thank you

Rabs

WezV said:

https://goo.gl/images/nrx8BW

Haha... aint that the truth 

WezV

I agree it's the individual piece you are working that's most important to the individual build.  But species knowledge is pretty important for replicability, choosing what to stock up on, giving customers options at different price points.... as well as specifics of workability and which glues and finishes work best.  I wouldn't write it off completely.

this is technical discussion in the technical area of a discussion forum.  So don't take this as criticism of your build (same with my views on sideways grain).  An alternative wood choice is worthy of discussion.  Pros and cons.


If it is Iroko and you like it then you should be able to find lots more quite easily