Share:
Notifications
Clear all

The Phoenix

102 Posts
10 Users
256 Likes
4,064 Views
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

The Phoenix...............

A Firebird Build?

Really happy with my Bandsman Build.   I have now sorted some of my duff tools.  I also added a Titan cheapo thicknesser planer - first one worked for 3 minutes - Screwfix replaced it - second one works - got a mate who builds furniture to show me how to use it.

So - laminated through neck - going to be a slower build...........

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ, mark bailey, Russ and 1 people reacted
Quote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

And before anyone comments I won’t be burning it in a ‘Crimson’ moment.......

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ, mark bailey, Russ and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
mark bailey
(@markbailey)
Admin
Guitar Making God
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 883
 

Cheers for the heads up!

I think Titan Tools might not be the best quality...not the first time I've heard of them not working out of the box or lasting 3 weeks.

Some annoying person once said 'Buy cheap, buy twice'. I have the Axminster version - but to be honest I hardly ever use it these days unless I have a lot to take off -  I put 60g on the thickness sander instead. If the piece is twisted I can level it on the surface planer first.

Measure twice, cut once...


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

I have already learned about cheap tools - some of my tools will get very light use - the planer (second working that is) has given a good flat, smooth  surface to a couple of bits of pine 4 x 2 so far.  My ancient Axminster thickness sander works well - what different papers do you use in your Jet?

 

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

My Firebird plans arrived a couple of days back.  It is a long guitar but the body is quite thin.   The headstock angle is 14 degrees - does this cause problems or help with tuning?   I would like to fit a term, the Duesenberg Trem 2 looks good as it just replaces the tail piece.

I want to try a through neck - was thinking of two pieces of Maple and one of walnut - each about 22mm wide for the main bit with an extra pair of bits of walnut at the body end to take the width up to about 100mm total.   Wings would the be glued on - I’ll do a sketch later......

 

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

Break angle question - my Firebird plans have a headstock angle of 14° - I am adding a trem.

The Duesenberg Trem 2 replaces the tailpiece and will do gentle wobbles nicely.  Do I need a more shallow headstock angle - if so am I looking at 10° or less?

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
mark bailey
(@markbailey)
Admin
Guitar Making God
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 883
 

@frocesterbill Yes - I would aim for 9 to 12 degrees...14 would work but it is a bit fierce

 

Measure twice, cut once...


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

Thanks Mark!

I will draw it out tonight.

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

I have bought some bits of wood over the last couple of months to use in this build.  The blank needs to be 1150mm long and 80mm deep to fit in the headstock and the body angle.  I had two pieces of Maple 25mm thick and a one of Padauk 12mm thick.  I also had a bit of Walnut 22mm thick.  The Walnut was trimmed to 80mm and was then attacked with the band saw to give two bit about 10mm thick.

Padauk and Walnut we bunged through the drum sander until the Padauk was 10mm and the Walnut 6mm.

Pics show the bits clamped - the Maple will need to go through the drum sander.  

I have some black (fumed eucalyptus) and ash veneer that I might put between the bits.  Do you cut the veneer oversize and trim after glueing?

0FE81DAF 79DD 4285 9F01 0CA6CF91EB9F
213D8A0D 925D 4490 967F 5153226106EF

 

 

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ, Peebee, Russ and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

The blank as it stands is 70mm wide once the profile has been cut two bits of Walnut will be glued on to the body bit to make that bit 100mm wide - my bandsaw’s max cut depth is 85mm.

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
mark bailey
(@markbailey)
Admin
Guitar Making God
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 883
 

 Do you cut the veneer oversize and trim after glueing?

All the bits should be a little oversized - what is also important is that you have it lined up correctly...

I do the gluing on a flat bench and make sure all the pieces are flat on the bench.

When dry you can plane/sand it flat on both sides but remember that the headstock and body will be angled so you only really need it perfect where the fretboard is to be glued.

Looks good!

Measure twice, cut once...


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

Glued the bits to make up the blank - only 70mm wide until I have cut the profile - will add 15mm thick walnut at the body end to make the centre 100mm wide.  Ran it over the planer - happy with how it looks!

F19EBB56 1A86 4F5F 98BE B0D9DB90CC33

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ, Peebee, Russ and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

I have been thinking ahead - glueing on the wings - do I just glue them to the flat sides of the through blank?

 

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

One of the issues with my first home build was that I didn’t sand it enough.  I used my old orbital sander but it can be a bit fierce so I didn’t use it as much as I should have......

I picked up the Telecaster I built in the workshop with Mark and realised how much smoother it felt - in the workshop Mark had used his air powered sander to finish it.

I started to look at air sanders but they need lots of air from a big compressor.

Mirka do air and electric sanders and when I did the sums the electric one seemed to be the way to go.

I ordered a Mirka Deros and it arrived yesterday and my tests so far have been excellent.   The paddle controls the speed and that works very well.  The dust extraction is also brilliant.

This post was modified 4 years ago by Bill Flude

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ, mark bailey, Russ and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

I have made a jig for headstock and body angle - original Firebirds have a 14° headstock angle but I want to use a trem so have gone for 11°.

I have set the body angle at 3.5° - I have a Tune-a-matic bridge - from my drawing that gives a height of about 18mm from body to a line projected from the top of the fretboard so 2mm more with frets - is that about right?

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
mark bailey
(@markbailey)
Admin
Guitar Making God
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 883
 

Lay a straight edge along the top of the frets and measure the airspace underneath it at the bridge location.

Ideal height for Tunamatic bridge is 16-18mm

Measure twice, cut once...


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  
0CA63AB5 3FCA 433E A30F 148224748F1B

 

Firebirds from Gibson have this image on the scratch plate that also carries the pickup selector.  I don’t want a scratch plate.....

The top of the wings are going to be Padauk - could I carve the bird into the Padauk and then use something in a contrasting colour to fill in the design - would coloured resin work?

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ and Russ reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

I have been preparing wood for the wings.  I had been planning to use Black Walnut, Maple and Padauk but the pieces of Maple started to warp very badly.   I tried a glue up of some off cuts using two pieces Padauk and one of walnut with ash veneer between layer - tried Padauk - Padauk - Walnut and Padauk - Walnut - Padauk.

78406A1D 627D 4DCF 9F58 64C5D48A3533

The Padauk - Walnut - Padauk version is the one that I think I will use.

 

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
Russ, mark bailey, Russ and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
darrenking
(@darrenking)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 5112
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 950
 

Hi Bill, try looking up Milliput. It's a two part epoxy putty that cures very hard and is often used for exactly what you are trying to do. Available in a limited number of colours black/white/terracotta and something else I think. Make sure that you mask off the area and then carve through the mask as if you get the putty into the surrounding grain it isn't coming out again.

Darren


   
Russ, mark bailey, Russ and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
Bill Flude
(@frocesterbill)
Famed Member
Luthier
Rep Points: 3827
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 655
Topic starter  

Hadn’t thought of Milliput - I have used it building model railways, one of my other perversions - I have some white - will do a test.

Cheers Darren!

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
ReplyQuote
Page 1 / 6
Share: