@nsj totally 😅. The little hosco fret saws are amazing, but it still takes a while.

I used uhu Hart glue. I got it from Rothko and it worked pretty well. Turns out it sets quite hard too 🤦🏻. I should have cleaned the slots before clamping, but like a dumbass thought 'how much work can it be when dry...'

Lesson learned!

@liebe I was concerned about slot depth, slots being clean, getting to much glue on and it choking the slots etc etc lol

Might try the acetone next time. Supposed to work well and of course it doesn't fill the slots

@nsj I had a bit of an experiment with acetone just on making a binding repair glue, to hide gaps and repair chips rather than fix the binding to the fretboard.

I found cellulose dissolves quicker than abs and, without actually trying it, I'd be concerned with how well it would fix binding to the fretboard without exposing it to too much acetone and just ending up with a goo.

Worth an experiment for sure and acetone is definitely a solution for repairing binding, but I just wonder if specific adhesives (and a bit of time on clean up) is the better way.

But like I said before, I'm a dumbass😅

Well, I started giving updates of this build so I'm going to continue....!

I've I managed to get all the binding glue out, fretting went well and no issues under cutting the fretwire for the binding.

Decisions on the fly continue, mainly down to wanting to give stuff a go, but sometimes to solve practical issues. The sycamore cap on the body is an example of this as a router error meant the control cavity went all the way through the body.

I've adjusted the shape of the headstock and added binding to the body to match the neck. I've used super glue to grain fill & finish the headstock headplate. I think I've got enough thickness to wet sand to a polish.

I'm really pleased with how the top is looking (a piece of lightly figured sycamore I'd bought from Mark and had planned for another build). I'm thinking of using stain to bring out the figure.

I glued the neck in today and looking forward to taking the clamps off tomorrow. Gluing the fretboard and the neck are the two points which scare the life out of me!

@liebe I went to deep once, measured from the lip for the cover rather than the back of the guitar lol.

I used the template to draw the shape on a piece of wood, cut it etc then glued it in and then routered to the correct depth

@nsj I was trying to go deeper than my router wanted to and I think the chuck released the bit and through it went! I may have sworn a bit.

I would have considered a patch if I'd had any matching wood, but zipping the body through a sander thicknesser and popping the top on seemed the easiest. I then learnt I didn't have enough clamps and one edge hadn't glued perfectly, hence the binding 🤦🏻

It is a real ball ache when things go wrong, but things do go wrong despite the best planning and all you can do is fix it. In between is where the learning happens, which I always enjoy.

My next two builds I'd planned to do carved tops and have two nice 50mm body blanks ready. I like the figured top so much I might change my plan on at least one of them, but it would mean removing plenty of that thickness which seems a shame!

Thankfully, gluing the neck went well and I now have a new guitar if sorts.

I practiced staining on an offcut off the top and really enjoyed the process on the actual guitar. It's not 100% what I was aiming for, I'd planned on a darker border, but figured the wood will take the strain the way it wants to and was happy to stop when I thought it looked good.

I'm finishing with Osmo hard wax oil for the first time and will have the third coat on today, light sanding with synthetic wire wool between coats. I've also got a test piece in going to see if I can use a burnishing cream and buff a bit more of a shine on the satin, it if I need to use a wax. I'm not looking for super glossy, just an experiment really.

As I'm wet sanding the headplate I wanted to oil the body first to prevent any moisture ingress.

I'll take a few more photos (you lucky things) as I go.

I'm thinking I might be able to assemble this over the Christmas break...

@liebe That’s a nice burst, very well done. It’s subtle but really effective, classy. 👏👏👏👏

Thanks @boo!

Yes, it's somewhere between a lemon or a Tigers eye burst. My wife jokingly (I hope) called it a Bert burst, as in Bert and Ernie, but what starts as a joke ..

Happy new year, folks!

As I've bored you with the earlier parts, I may as well show the final product 🤷

Fully shielded and finished off with a bone nut, gotoh tuners and a set of Seymour Duncan Phat cats.

The weak winter sun didn't show off the top very well.