First Kit Build - All crit welcome.

randella · June 2016

@Sporky I can just about cope with *some* crap tools. My router is a Screwfix own-brand effort, cost the princely sum of £35. The base wasn't true, but an hour's work with various grits of sandpaper double-stick taped to my workbench and it's as good as anything now. But you're right, a lot of the Silverline stuff is utter bobbins, absolutely unusable.

@KingNothing yep, it was a rough-sawn plank of swamp ash I bought from Tonetech Luthier Supplies in Stockport. Don't know if he's on here, but he should be! Very helpful fella. I'm lucky enough that my dad has a solid old German planer/thicknesser, or rather lucky that my mum had the foresight to buy said planer/thicknesser for £20 when she was offered it, and then give it to me dad. Planed the wood, squared up the edges, bit of Titebond and some sash cramps. The join looks a bit rough in the picture, in reality it's not - I just marked it in pencil to use as a centre line. Sorry for the hijack, I'll start up another thread when I get a minute

Really liking the veneer on the headstock, nice accurate work, looks very smart. That grain's really going to pop when you put some finish on it. It's making me think too far ahead though, I've got too many projects as it is.

KingNothing · June 2016

StanleyAccrington said:

Has it started as a Tele project and then mysteriously changed to a Strat? Different photos suggest different body shapes!! Keep it Tele. Spend some time getting a Tele headstock shape. Sell to me. Job done.

I reshaped the cutaway and filled the neck pickup pocket before veneering. I love the tele shape, I owned a 72 deluxe about 10 years ago and wish I'd kept it, it was actually a Squire body and genuine fender tele neck and it was lush but I mainly play RG's these days and I like the pointy bits.

The strat body is randella's.

Andyjr1515 said:

I think just oiled would look fantastic. It's a really nice piece of veneer. Great job on the headstock

I've been experimenting with inks all yesterday and I'm scared of ruining a nice veneer so I think oiling is the best option.
Any suggestions on oils, tints etc? This is all new to me so any advice is good advice.
Also how do I remove this wax crap off this Trend rebate bit?

KingNothing · June 2016

randella said:

@Sporky I can just about cope with *some* crap tools. My router is a Screwfix own-brand effort, cost the princely sum of £35. The base wasn't true, but an hour's work with various grits of sandpaper double-stick taped to my workbench and it's as good as anything now. But you're right, a lot of the Silverline stuff is utter bobbins, absolutely unusable.

@KingNothing yep, it was a rough-sawn plank of swamp ash I bought from Tonetech Luthier Supplies in Stockport. Don't know if he's on here, but he should be! Very helpful fella. I'm lucky enough that my dad has a solid old German planer/thicknesser, or rather lucky that my mum had the foresight to buy said planer/thicknesser for £20 when she was offered it, and then give it to me dad. Planed the wood, squared up the edges, bit of Titebond and some sash cramps. The join looks a bit rough in the picture, in reality it's not - I just marked it in pencil to use as a centre line. Sorry for the hijack, I'll start up another thread when I get a minute

Really liking the veneer on the headstock, nice accurate work, looks very smart. That grain's really going to pop when you put some finish on it. It's making me think too far ahead though, I've got too many projects as it is.

How much roughly did you pay for the rough cuts? With me buying tools at the same time as materials it's crippling my working speed so if I can get some rough cuts on the cheap to start with then its all gravy, I'd rather be planing some wood than sat looking at what I've done impatiently waiting for bits to arrive.
And post away, I like to see other peoples work, its all very inspirational.

randella · June 2016

This was the wood

http://www.tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/guitar-tonewood-timber/guitar-body-blanks/swamp-ash-board-1.html

Looks like he's all out at the moment. I went to the shop and he had a few planks, so maybe he'll get some more in. I didn't think £45 for the board was all that bad, some places will charge you twice that for a jointed, planed 2-piece swamp ash blank. It's lovely and light, and almost rings when you tap it so I have high hopes it'll sound OK

I'd love to find a UK timber merchant who sells rough-sawn alder - I've searched but nada so far.

KingNothing · June 2016

randella said:

This was the wood

http://www.tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/guitar-tonewood-timber/guitar-body-blanks/swamp-ash-board-1.html

Looks like he's all out at the moment. I went to the shop and he had a few planks, so maybe he'll get some more in. I didn't think £45 for the board was all that bad, some places will charge you twice that for a jointed, planed 2-piece swamp ash blank. It's lovely and light, and almost rings when you tap it so I have high hopes it'll sound OK

I'd love to find a UK timber merchant who sells rough-sawn alder - I've searched but nada so far.

To be honest I'm not sure what you pay for timber, I've been meaning to pop to the local wood workers and building suppliers, they have lots of timber, I'm just not sure what I'm looking for yet. I'm wanting to build a 5 piece neck through, I might be jumping in at the deep end here but personally I think its the best way to learn although I will be crapping myself when it comes to cutting it. Lots and lots of measurements and checks!

KingNothing · June 2016

Ok, a few updates and probably a few questions.

I've pulled a little off the neck, I'm a big fan of the slim D shape and this was a C(?), I was a little scared of going too far without knowing how deep the truss groove is. I might brave it and take a little more off the middle.

I had to grind, file and sand down the cheapo fret pullers as they were unusable and didn't nip the frets. Hendrix (our cat) helped.

I had a little bit of tear-out, what do you guys use as a filler for rosewood?
The inlays are coming out, I've never been a fan of the dots and all my RG's and acoustics have no fret markers (personal preference I guess) and I'll replace them with something a little more fancy when I find and can afford a good router base for the Dremel.

randella · June 2016

Good work on the frets, it's a shit, nerve-wracking job pulling them out. Also, awesome name for the cat!

For filler, use rosewood dust. If you're sanding down the board, save the dust in a little bag. To fill holes, I pack some dust into the hole and drip superglue on to it (water-thin superglue mind, not the gel stuff - I got some cheapo stuff in the pound shop, worked fine). Once it's set it sands off like normal. I had to saw overspill out of the fret slot afterwards, but I gather you can fold over a bit of teflon baking sheet and use it as a dam in the fret slot to save yourself the bother.

KingNothing · June 2016

I'm gonna rout and bind the neck so there should be plenty of dust to play with, I just don't want the superglue to look a little darker against the rosewood. It was slow and steady pulling with no help from the cat sticking its nose in every few seconds.
Yeah the neck needs sanding regardless, its rough as arses, there's a mark where it looks like its been tightened too much in a vice so that'll have to go. I also put some glow in the dark side dots in but they are naff, they aren't very bright and hard to see in day light, I'll just put normal dots in when I've stuck some binding on.

KingNothing · June 2016

A couple of schoolboy errors with the router, I think it was just a bit too big and aggressive for the job so I'll probably invest in a laminate trimmer for binding in future or not bind a neck that's already been shaped... What a ballache it was.
All in all it was a learning experience and that's the reason I bought the kit.

I'll sand the fretboard properly at a later date, I'll be attempting some inlays soon.

Andyjr1515 · June 2016

Looks pretty good to me!

Also, very brave to bind a neck first time round...

...I've still never done one

usedtobe · June 2016

You're not playing at it, are you!

KingNothing · June 2016

Thanks Andy, I am quite happy with it I just wish I'd not fluffed up the routing, I nipped a bit off the end where the fretboard overhangs so I had to even it up on the other side, I quite like the effect to be honest.

usedtobe said:

You're not playing at it, are you!

I'm not sure what you mean mate.

Andyjr1515 · June 2016

KingNothing said:

Thanks Andy, I am quite happy with it I just wish I'd not fluffed up the routing, I nipped a bit off the end where the fretboard overhangs so I had to even it up on the other side, I quite like the effect to be honest.

It looks like it's meant to be there

usedtobe · June 2016

I mean you're really going for it. Doing lots to it, rather than just screwing it together..

JudasVigilante · June 2016

That headstock shape rocks mate. Cool as anything. I have a question for you: is it difficult to shape a neck? I have a jazz master. I built from similar kit, the neck is a bit of a handful and I've bought the same cabinet type scraper you have but never had the courage to attempt it.

KingNothing · June 2016

Yeah its pretty easy @JudasVigilante I was just a bit worried about going too far, I play RG's mainly and they have very slim necks so I was hoping to get this down to that shape but I was a little scared of going too far. You can afford to take a fair bit off though.

KingNothing · June 2016

After lots and lots and LOTS of sanding (two full days) I've finally got the first coat of Tru Oil on, using WezV's method.
I think I'm gonna need more oil.
Somebody suggested I oil the veneer before routing for the binding and they are right, I don't want the glue to block the oil in spots and I want the veneer to be stronger so it won't chip while I rout it.

WezV · June 2016

The first coats of tru-oil can be pretty heavy, but you don't need as much for the slurry coats. If a small bottle doesn't do a whole guitar you are using way too much.

KingNothing · June 2016

Note taken, I've seen a few vids on youtube where they pour a ton on and I don't think I was that generous when I did the top but I might have put a little too much on, its shiny in some spots, do you recon I should rub over it with the 0000 wool or some wet and dry before putting the next coat on?

Andyjr1515 · June 2016

That looks flippin' gorgeous!

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