My first attempt at making a guitar has started

Skodadad

I so want to do this, my mate just offered me a planer thicknesses for free but it needs blades and a van to move. This is inspiring me to get off my arse and get it.

axisus

I have the luxury of a day off today so onward with the guitar build!

First off, I stuck the template over the roughly hewn body and cut the sides to shape with a router template bit, and also added the controls area. I have to say that this is a greatly satisfying stage, as you basically go from a rough hunk of wood to something that is a perfect guitar shape. 

Next up some weight relief as it is a hefty bit of wood. I just did this quickly by hand as it won't be seen on the final guitar (obviously!). If I was going to make several guitars then template would be the way to go.

I bought some 2.5mm maple to go over the top, but it felt a little thin to be honest so I doubled it up. I had to join these in the middle as they only covered half of the body, and I ran the lower ones across the grain of the top so that it was stronger. Next pic is the rough cut top ready to get stuck on. I don't have all the gear that some people have so I placed the maple under a very heavy paving slab to give an even heavy pressure whilst gluing. It will be the same procedure to glue the top onto the body. Hopefully the alignment won't move whilst I place the (very heavy!) slab.

vaticancameos

Looking awesome man! Great job.

breakstuff

Great work @axisus.

Looks good by any standard,let alone your first attempt from scratch.Love these build threads.

marktheharp

Looks ace well done. .. =D>

Skodadad

Looks like you have a knack for it, gonna be a beauty

axisus

To be honest I'm really not sure that I can make a decent neck. I'm already thinking that I may have to start that again! Early days, but a few little things have bothered me a bit with it so far

WezV

axisus;823658" said:

To be honest I'm really not sure that I can make a decent neck. I'm already thinking that I may have to start that again! Early days, but a few little things have bothered me a bit with it so far

Its a bolt on neck, so you may as well finish off this one... Maybe even make a few more mistakes on it. The second one will always be better

jd0272

Inspired!

(I'm bone idle y'see).

axisus

Latest update.

drawn up rout plans for the body cavities, made into templates and ready to go.

Slightly mad improvised DIY rig for cutting the fret slots. Work in progress and finished article.

DIY rig for sanding the 9.5" radius onto the fretboard. 

Centre holes drilled and clay dots fitted. 

the slots look a bit big on this pic, but it's just an effect of poor lighting. I was a bit worried that they may not be sufficient depth all over so I took a spare bit of fret wire and used the dremel to take off the tangs and slim it a tad. A quick check and it drops in nicely everywhere. 

BigMonka

That's looking amazing, can't believe it's the first guitar you've made!  @-)

WezV

where are the clay dots from, those ones look quite nice

axisus

WezV said:

where are the clay dots from, those ones look quite nice

I got them in 2014 off of eBay. The seller is no longer listed, and I can't see anything at the moment that looks the same.

WezV

I make my own from old harvite poker chips and those look pretty close.

Which is ironic given I typed how daft it was to focus on such things in my build thread yesterday... But I do like a proper clay dot

Andyjr1515

You're making a crackingly good job of this, @axisus!

axisus

Today I F***ed up two things. One is mostly fixed now, the other is a pain in the ass. Twice I wasn't concentrating at the critical point of having just fired up a power tool. Pissed off with myself ....

randomhandclaps

Sorry about the fuck up but just catching up on this thread.  Loving your work.  Great job - recent fuck up aside, so easy to do that though.

WezV

axisus;867524" said:

Today I F***ed up two things. One is mostly fixed now, the other is a pain in the ass. Twice I wasn't concentrating at the critical point of having just fired up a power tool. Pissed off with myself ....

You gonna share? The likelihood is its not a unique mistake and advise could be offered

axisus

WezV said:

axisus;867524" said:

Today I F***ed up two things. One is mostly fixed now, the other is a pain in the ass. Twice I wasn't concentrating at the critical point of having just fired up a power tool. Pissed off with myself ....

You gonna share? The likelihood is its not a unique mistake and advise could be offered

I wasn't going to, but as you asked ....

Drilling a big hole through the body for the jack socket, it moved a bit just after I started and wasn't central. Tried to convince myself that I could live with it but I couldn't! Turned a wood plug on the lathe, covered it in glue and banged it in. Sanded it flat, and will attack it again in a day or two with a bit more care and a pilot hole. It won't show once finished.

The headstock had a nick in the top that I did previously with the router (stuck a pic in a thread somewhere). Decided to take it down a millimetre all over to lose it, but an immediate cock up made it worse! Not concentrating. No easy fix on this, as I also had a lazy sanding cock-up as well. If I had another bit of neck wood I'd probably just start again, but I don't so I'll probably fix it with something stuck over the top. 

None of this is helped by having the worst work space imaginable. Freezing cold garage full of junk, tools piled up on an old fridge, roof leaking in places, cheap ricketty workbench that rocks all over the place when you are doing anything. 

Sambostar

Some really useful and pragmatic practical approaches photo'd here @axisus, from the simple clamped fret saw guide to the full scale printouts  Ace.