Build thread - carved top LP

TTony · August 2013

I'd posted a lot of this on the other forum ... so apologies for the repeat, but hopefully you'll get to see it finished over here.

TTony · August 2013

In the last couple of months I've built 1 Tele, have part-built a second, and have almost finished a set-neck DC (it's just going through the finishing process atm).

Time to try something a bit more adventurous ...

Here's the top, routered to thickness. It's thick (a little over 20mm) and one piece. It's been drying for the last few years, since I bought a couple of freshly-felled planks at a local wood fair.

It bowed (side to side) a bit as it dried out, so I've taken almost half the thickness off it to prep it as a cap. This is the probably the least attractive piece - the rest has a more even grain pattern. So if this one goes well, expect to see some more Walnut capped guitars from me.

I've had the body blank sat in the workshop for years. I'd forgotten what wood it is .. I'm now told that it's Idigbo. As you can see, it's very plain (I'd been thinking that it was Sycamore).

Ready for gluing. The holes you can see are screw holes. I thought it can't hurt to screw the pieces together as well as clamping?

It's now at this stage ...

That's 16kgs of water softener salt on the top as well as the clamps as well as the screws. Will take a look in the morning. I also used a brand new and fresh bottle of glue, so it had better stick nicely.

The plan is for a carved top LP style guitar. With the thickness of the cap, I've got plenty of scope for a full carve. I'm thinking of freehand router-ing a rough carve once I've drawn the contour rings on the top in increments of 2-3mm, and then finishing with the normal handtools.

TTony · August 2013

Up bright and early one morning.

Cut out nicely. I've just bought a couple of 1/2" router bits. They eat - EAT - anything!

This is the plank of Walnut that the top was cut from. This plank should provide another couple of tops. And then I'll start on the second plank.

So expect to see a few Walnut-themed builds from me in the coming months ...

It's English Walnut, so not as bad to work with (or poisonous to other plants) as the American Black Walnut.

Scope for a bit of a carve there! 21mm of scope. I'm planning on taking it down to c7mm at the edges, which will give a thickness at the edge of around 40mm, and 54mm in the uncarved middle. It's not too heavy though.

TTony · August 2013

Contour lines marked up ...

No idea whether my freehand routing skills are up to the challenge, and I'm too tired to find out today. I discovered a while back that there's an inverse relationship between my woodworking skills and levels of tiredness. So, that's a job for tomorrow.

I thought I might make the challenge a bit more interesting by carving in a flat area where the vol & tone controls will go, probably at about 17mm. Can't visualise all the transitions at the moment (see comment about tiredness levels!), but I don't see why it wouldn't work, and it might even look good.

TTony · August 2013

With thanks to Wez for the tip ... this should make my freehand routering slightly more idiot proof ...

I'm now getting on with some procrastination. Not that the prospect of taking a router to that top is in anyway scaring me .

TTony · August 2013

Luckily -or, more correctly, based on knowing my own capability for cock-ups - sensibly, I decided to try it out on a piece of scrap wood first.

Yup, the inner most ledge shouldn't have been routered - that ledge only reaches that depth where it meets the next ledge down, not where it meets the top of the body.

Still, the piece of scrap would never have made a good guitar (joke - it was a piece of leftover constructional pine from when we built the summerhouse last year!). It'll do much better on the fire one evening.

TTony · August 2013

Decided against trying to use the router to do the carve. This will be hand tools instead.

Patient is masked up, and ready for the operation.

The masking tape is just there to highlight the carve line, and to give the non-carved top a bit of protection against slipping rasps!

That was surprisingly quick. Perhaps 45 mins. I spent longer trying to make the templates for the router carving!

And the other side is initial-carved too.

This is a sketch of a cross-section of the shape I'm working towards;

I drew this out when I was still thinking of using a router. Hence the "cut depth" measurements.

So far, I've rasped the straight diagonal line. I'll now use some shaped chisels and cabinet scrapers and sandpaper to try to form the two-stage carve into the top

TTony · August 2013

It's slow, but (slow) progress is being made on carving the top ...

I'm still aiming at the combination of curves that I drew out ... ambition!

Oh, and I partly changed my mind again in the power tools vs hand tools debate.

What's the best way of getting a nice, flat, even edge all around the outside of the guitar? Use a router of course. So that's what I did. The carve to transition from the nice flat even outer edge to the nice flat even central top of the guitar will be done by hand though.

TTony · August 2013

It's still coming along slowly ... I want to get the basic shape sorted before I get the power sander out, so I've been using small carving chisels, rasps and microplanes. With the odd bit of 60 grit when I want to step back and see how its looking.

Still got a couple of curve transitions to work out, and also thinking that the top is so thick, maybe I should take 2-3mm off the top too.

TTony · August 2013

The carving is almost done, and the top is sanded to 120 grit. Still a couple of spots to work on, but mostly the top's done.

The walnut was surprisingly easy to work. Luckily, as I've done it without use of power tools so far - just lots of chisel/gouge/sandpaper work!

So I'll be starting work on the back next, then tidy up the sides.

It'll be another Wudtone finish - I just don't know which one yet!

TTony · August 2013

WallyP is now ready * for staining ...

So, I've started staining it;

That's the first coat of Wudtone Amber stain. I'll add some gold highlight before the next coat, and finish it in gloss.

* yes, "ready" apart from drilling the holes for the bridge.

ddlooping · August 2013

That's going to look quite yummy.

TTony · August 2013

And where we are today ...

Well, turns out that routing out the pickup cavities with a 1/2" bit isn't the best of ideas, as the bit doesn't get properly into the corners of the template. So it doesn't take out enough of the wood. So the pickups don't fit.

This guitar-building, eh ... you can see why Gibson have so much trouble.

Not fatal though.

So I inserted the correct router bit, re-applied the template and cut out the cavities properly.

Took off the template so I could get the right depth ... and that's all good. The pickups now fit fine.

But the base of the router scratched the top when took the template off and ran the router base across the top of the body. Which was a dumb thing to do.

So I'll need to sand it back a bit and re-stain. But I'll fit the neck first, and then decide whether to use a wrapover bridge or a separate bridge and tailpiece. That'll be influenced by how accurately I've cut the neck angle and hence the bridge height needed to get the action right.

I have drawn it all out as a side elevation plan, but I'd still like to see it with my eyes before I make the decision and drill the big holes!

So, stay tuned folks, more to come on this one.

ourmaninthenorth · August 2013

Do you remember that programme that Tony Hart did, where he'd conjure up any number of beautiful things out of, essentially what looked to me like bugger all? I used to be totally fascinated as a kid by his artistic process, and am equally fascinated with your work here, bloody wonderful thread - could read and watch this sort of stuff all day.

Thanks TTony.

Adam_MD · August 2013

I'm looking forward to seeing the progress on this one. This was one of the threads I missed when the old MR forum went down. How are you planning to finish it Tony?

TTony · August 2013

Thanks Mr ourmaninthenorth!

I love building the things. I do it only for my own satisfaction, which is immense when I recall (and my wife regularly reminds me) that I couldn't saw a piece of wood in half with c*cking it up until about 6-7 years ago.

Now I can build guitars, from raw lumps of wood.

This is what (who) made the difference;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf__7SybvGo&feature=share&list=PLE2EFC3A5E7887D33

TTony · August 2013

Adam_MD said:

I'm looking forward to seeing the progress on this one. This was one of the threads I missed when the old MR forum went down. How are you planning to finish it Tony?

It's Wudtone again - this time it's their "Amber" kit, with gold highlights. The gold hadn't been applied in the pic above - but even now it is applied, you have to catch the angles just right to see it - it's a really subtle effect.

Posting the thread on here is partly a bit of a self-applied kick up the backside for me ... I've done little work in the workshop for the past 2-3 weeks ... now I'm going to have to get on with it again.

Good to see you here Adam.

ourmaninthenorth · August 2013

I've seen him at the Manchester Guitar Show a few times, delightful geezer. My missus tactfully pointed out to me one year, as she could see my cogs whirring, that I have to order 250 foot of skirting board to do around an airing cupboard. I think what she was saying to me was let someone else build 'em and you just play 'em....it'll be best for us all in the long run. I have to agree with her...but at this point I would rather she didn't know.... b-(

TTony · August 2013

I was quite serious - if I tried to cut a piece in wood, in half, I'd cock it up.

Mark showed me (a) that I could make a guitar and (b) how to make a guitar.

If you've ever thought about making your own, if you even think that it might be interesting to talk to someone about perhaps doing it, sometime ... Mark will make it happen for you. Pre-existing wood-working skills are absolutely NOT necessary.

I'll stop the evangelising now.

Sporky · August 2013

Before going on Neil Morgan's course, I managed to set some loft boards on fire with a circular saw. No, really.

It's amazing how far a few days of really good tuition can take you.

DiscoStu · August 2013

Gotta say TTony, I didn't think you were going to pull off the carve going by some of the earlier pics.

Great effort, lad! That looks bloody good!

TTony · August 2013

DiscoStu said:

I didn't think you are going to pull off the carve going by some of the earlier pics.

There were times that I wondered ... it's a bit scary attacking the top of a nice piece of wood with sharp tools. But it's the only way to find out if you can do it or not.

fatherjack · August 2013

Tony, that's going to look lovely.

Another plug for Bailey Guitars from me - I've built two, but if you want an idea of what can be done if you're willing to spend the time (and money):

This was made in 30 days over 18 months (scrape, scrape, scrape) by someone who went on to do a rather handsome LP-a-like.

Adam_MD · August 2013

fatherjack said:

Tony, that's going to look lovely.

Another plug for Bailey Guitars from me - I've built two, but if you want an idea of what can be done if you're willing to spend the time (and money):

This was made in 30 days over 18 months (scrape, scrape, scrape) by someone who went on to do a rather handsome LP-a-like.

Not something I'd usually be interested in but that looks really nice.

TTony · August 2013

^^

@Archtop_Dave is on here somewhere.

I remember him standing in the corner (not the naughty corner, more like the carving corner) when I did one of my BYOG courses. We were all there making guitars, and made one each over the course of the week. Meantime, Dave was making sawdust ... scrape, scrape, scrape ... but was emerged from the pile of sawdust became the back of the guitar that's in the pic above.

That man has patience, and his work is beyond stunning.

ArchtopDave · August 2013

TTony said:

^^
@Archtop_Dave is on here somewhere.
I remember him standing in the corner (not the naughty corner, more like the carving corner) when I did one of my BYOG courses. We were all there making guitars, and made one each over the course of the week. Meantime, Dave was making sawdust ... scrape, scrape, scrape ... but was emerged from the pile of sawdust became the back of the guitar that's in the pic above.
That man has patience, and his work is beyond stunning.
This is how I got the nickname "Archtop Dave". I'll own up to having patience, and the ability to make expensive sawdust. It became a bit of a standing joke that I'd be scraping away whilst the rest of the people on the courses made whole guitars.
Just to remind Tony, this is how a Les Paul should look!

ArchtopDave · August 2013

TTony · August 2013

Gets a "wow" from me!

IIRC, yours is a pretty accurate, period-correct, reproduction of a specific model, including the carve? As well as being a beautiful instrument in its own right of course.

(mine will be more an interpretation, or in a shape reminiscent of ...)

axisus · August 2013

I love this thread! I so want to build a guitar from scratch. Where can I get details about courses?

EDIT: found the courses. As I guessed, unfortunately way beyond the amount of money I will ever have to spare! However, if my premium bonds win me something decent ....

fatherjack · August 2013

http://www.baileyguitars.co.uk/courses/

TTony · August 2013

axisus said:

I love this thread! I so want to build a guitar from scratch. Where can I get details about courses?

PM me if you want any more details that you don't want to ask about here!

Although, be warned, I will just tell you that it's a totally amazing experience and that you have to do it.

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