Some nice grain pattern on that top

👍

You realise that you're making these quicker than some "professional" guitar builders???

That top looks great! As @tv101 said, amazing speed in your workshop. 🙂 

@tv101 but only one at a time instead of batches lol

@swepri I get bored and restless lol

Well that's the body blank all glued up! Needed a few clamps due to the nature of wonky oak lol. I often find with anything spalty or that it needs a few extra clamps but once glued to a stable body it's fine.

@nsj That looks gorgeous, very nice indeed. 😍

Neck blank has been routed, trussrod fitted and fretboard glued, I can get on with that tomorrow or something but in the meantime I've been out and levelled the top of the body blank then cut it out.

Been trying things out for the finish on this one when it comes. First is sawdust and superglue to fill the cracks then a coat of oil based polyurethane thinned and a touch of amber stain.

Then this one is black stain added to grain filler with the same poly finish over it, loooks really spalty

That's pretty effective @NSJ - as you say, very spalty.

Got a good bit of the neck cut out, sorted the heel, done the neck pocket and planed the angle into the heel for the tom bridge.

And got the ash stripe lined up nicely

Neck kinda thicknessed and gluing on wings for the headstock. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the neck carved

Got sorting the neck more or less done today, fretboard radiused, neck carved including volute, headstock shaped and tuner holes drilled.

@nsj

More nice work Neil. Just been watching your latest YouTube video. You don't need any advice from me when it comes to building guitars but get yourself some NEC tape instead of the super glue and masking tape trick. It'll help save your lungs and your wallet. This is the best double sided tape on the market and it doesn't leave any residue when you remove it. Mark has some in his shop. 

 🙂🙏🎶🎸

@russ hehe I've seen Mark on about it in his lives and the look on hios face at the mention of superglue and masking tape!

I might get some eventually but my shed is very windy inside so not to much fumes. If I'm hardening spalt I'll splash it on the wood and leave

Well I used the superglue and masking tape method again, this time to hold the neck into the body while I routered the neck pickup cavity. Done the bridge one too aswell as a nice belly carve and a small leg carve. Stole that idea from either ESP or LTD, one of them does it on a LP copy.

Well today was carve day, oak is really really hard!

Anyway I got there in the end and also did the access carve, did it on the bobbin sander and it worked lol

Posted by: @nsj

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oak is really really hard!

 

I've heard that some people even waste it, building house frames!!

Nice carving work there.

@tv101 mate used to work for carpenter oak in Scotland doing that very job, he travelled all over.

Well today was different, I was doing my recessed controls but tried to be a bit clever and paid the price lol

The bit caught the wood and had a munch

But after a bit of initial swearing I just got busy adapting, I added more of a curve from the flat top which took out the damage.

I love the way I handle mistakes these days rather than freak out. It's from making loads previously lol