@johnnierox-boo

Great photos, great that they are in your own garden. 

I was sat in the kitchen one lunchtime, and "Dad" appeared around the end of reeds around the pond.

Don't often see him so close to the house, so I went and grabbed my camera.

When I came back, Dad had disappeared, but Mum & Baby had arrived.  So I took some quick shots!

We get all sorts wandering around.  The Muntjac help with the gardening ...

When I came back, Dad had disappeared, but Mum & Baby had arrived.  So I took some quick shots!

@tv1010101 Fantastic! The best bit of wildlife we’ve had in our garden in a sparrow hawk, it took a pigeon out and feasted on it in the bottom corner. 

Fantastic! The best bit of wildlife we’ve had in our garden in a sparrow hawk, it took a pigeon out and feasted on it in the bottom corner. 

Ahhhhh - that's what pigeons are for!!

It sounds quite idyllic where you are with all the wildlife, I’m quite envious

@johnnierox-boo  Iv'e got all the wildlife but iv'e not got access to a bandsaw here. I not sure yet how I'm going cut the profile of my neck, I don't think the beavers along at the end of the road would help.

 By the time I wake up tomorrow I'll have thought of some way to do it.

@tv1010101 Pigeon breast, lightly sautéed in butter and served with an apple and red current purée is really what pigeons are for. (Sorry to all our vegetarian and vegan members). It really makes even the best fillet steak taste a bit tough and chewy.

By the time I wake up tomorrow I'll have thought of some way to do it.

@robin Have you got a jigsaw? Use a jigsaw for the most of it and finish it off with your router. At a push, you could do it all with a router, I’ve cut out a whole guitar body with this method. Just be careful with the end grain at the headstock and heal ends, maybe cut those by hand. A router bit can grab end grain and spit chunks of wood out, this is bad for the work piece and your health and safety. Have fun, safely! 

 Have you got a jigsaw? 

@johnnierox-boo  I do have a jigsaw but iv'e bought the wrong type of blades (I hadn't realised there were different types of shank). So Iv'e only got one blade, and I think its to short to go through 50mm, I can use it once iv'e cut the side profile.

So for the side profile I'm thinking of chiselling out a notch big enough to get my handsaw in. Maybe do some cross cuts and saw out a series of short sections to stop my saw from wandering off.

I've had some mishaps with the router already, I'm not confident using that at all. Iv'e had the squiggley truss rod slot, I've plunged too deep on my headstock angle when trying a fine adjustment and knocked a lump off the side of the body. All repaired, but frustrating.

@robin

I've had some mishaps with the router already

We've all been there, done that!

It's a great tool and incredibly versatile, but it's also very easy to do something that you didn't quite intend it to do!!

@tv1010101  Another mishap with the router today and split an edge of the heel. I wedged the split open and doused it with superglue. I think most of the split will be cut off later anyway.

 I chiselled this lot out, I actually quite enjoyed it, there's something therapeutic about using a good sharp chisel. Anyway, finished it off with the router and must have caught the corner of the heel, didn't notice until later.

I've had some mishaps with the router already

@robin Don’t worry about it, like @tv1010101 said, we’ve all been there. On my first Bailey Bandsman build, following the online lessons, my router bit rattled and then flew across the workshop. Also, I misjudged the neck angle too and ended up gluing an extra piece on so I could route it again (I’d taken too much off and it was sitting too low in the neck pocket). I don’t think many, or any of us here, are professional woodworkers (correct me if I’m wrong), so when we first start using these tools, we are bound to make mistakes. Over time we hone our skills to use them proficiently. Keep going and have fun! Rock n Roll. 

Absolutely @johnnierox-boo!

I think I now get as much satisfaction from fixing the problems that invariably arise as I do from completing a build!

Every build, every piece of wood, is different.  As long as the mistakes I make are different too, then I’m learning on every build.

And that’s what it’s all about for me.  Learning.  Finding ways to fix mistakes or overcome the problems that arise.

@tv1010101 Most of my mistakes involve the router. I haven't made a headstock template yet, just a paper pattern, I'm thinking about using my new found chisel skills to shape the headstock rather than routing an awkward shape.

I'm really enjoying making the neck. Finished thicknessing the headstock, chiselled the shape and drilled for the tuners. I used a step drill for the tuner holes, drilling from both sides. By the time the 10mm step reached the middle there was a tiny chamfer from the start of the next 12mm step. The truss rod fillet is made and glued in. I managed to cut a thin strip on my improvised saw table and chiselled the width ro get a good fit.

I'm really enjoying making the neck.

Seeing you do that, @Robin, on a workmate in a field - I'm embarrassed really that I've not got stuck into neck building properly, in my indoor workshop.

That's my next workshop task.

Neck making.

🙂 🙂 

@tv1010101  It's great working outside when the sun is shining, but the natural dust extraction was blowing a bit cold today. It's so satisfying seeing the neck gradually taking shape. 

I'm really enjoying making the neck.

@robin Good lad Robin, it’s looking good. Does anyone every walk past and ask you what you are doing? 

@johnnierox-boo    Thanks John. Yes it's it bit of a conversation piece when there's people here, its usually quite quiet during the week. My friend next door is a retired tech teacher, unfortunately has alzheimer's now, he's fascinated anew every time he sees it, i think its jogging woodworking memories, he inspects how sharp my chisels are and recognises the tools but can't remember what they're called.

Yes it's it bit of a conversation piece when there's people here, its usually quite quiet during the week.

@robin It’s good to see you getting attention for it and it’s great that it is stimulating your neighbour’s brain. My wife lost her mum to Alzheimer’s last month and her dad also has it. We can only do what we can to keep them comfortable by being kind, understanding and empathic. It’s looking good Robin, keep going. Once you’ve got all the major cutting, shaping, filing, sanding etc done, a lot of other jobs can be done indoors. I do quite a few jobs indoors such as frets, finniting and even finishing if it’s oil (you just need somewhere to hang stuff to dry and cure). I’ll post a picture of what I mean. 

@robin 

@johnnierox-boo  That neck looks stunning with the oil on it, can't wait to be doing that.