Lyn #15 - Solid-body Nylon Acoustic

[koldo2552]

Amazing!! And only with hand tools... I hope someday i will be able to do something like that!

[robin]

@Kick and @koldo


Thanks guys, but it’s really no big deal, I am just doing what everybody else is doing here, it’s just that I choose to use hand tools.


Some people cut with a power saw I choose to cut with a hand saw, no great talent required, it’s just that I have the time to indulge myself by only using hand tools.


@Warren


Hey Woks, you’re the inspiration to a lot of us mate. How many guitars now? Must be getting close to 100. Talk about a machine!


Someone just has to mention a bread-board guitar and you’ve got it half finished by the end of the weekend. I’ve been researching this build for months, and I started about 3 weeks ago and all I’ve got to show for it is a rough neck. Sheesh!!

Thanks guys
rob

[Simon Barden]

Rob, I forgot it was all pine. Yes, far better to have it. Hope you don't need to use it!

[robin]

Looking great Rob. As always, jealous of the skills man. I am interested in how you measure and cut the fret slots so if you could detail that part I would be very eager to read! Do you do it before or after the fretboard is radiused, and what do you measure with?

cheers,
Gav.

Hey Gav, just a follow up on the how's, where's and why's of fret slots. (From an absolute rank amateur)

This is the mitre thingie, and the Dovetail pull saw that I will be using


a different angle of the thingie


The saw fits behind the front plate, like so.


It was originally designed to take a saw blade about twice the thickness of the Dovetail, so accuracy will be a bit problematic.

This is the trial I did on the off-cut of the fretboard. Because accuracy is so important I used a very sharp pencil to mark the slot line, but my tired old eyes had trouble seeing it when I positioned the mitre above it. I found the best solution was to use a Stanley knife to score the wood, which made it much easier to see. On the left is a trial cut, next to it is the Stanley knife score line. The fret was hammered home and seems to be quite secure. If there are problems I guess I can always glue them in.


As I said earlier, I will cut the slots into the fretboard while it is still square to make sure they are true 90 degrees to the FB, I will then shape it to the taper of the neck.

Accurately measuring the fret positions will be paramount and will be done and checked, and then checked several more times. According to Mr Google the key is to measure fret positions from the nut so if a mistake is made with one fret it is not compounded as you move along the neck. I will then double check my measurements by measuring the distance between each fret as against measuring from the nut. I think I'm getting paranoid.

I hope to get the slots cut this weekend, I'll let you know how it is goes.

Cheers
rob

[FrankenWashie]

Hey Gav, just a follow up on the how's, where's and why's of fret slots. (From an absolute rank amateur)

This is the mitre thingie, and the Dovetail pull saw that I will be using


a different angle of the thingie


The saw fits behind the front plate, like so.


It was originally designed to take a saw blade about twice the thickness of the Dovetail, so accuracy will be a bit problematic.

This is the trial I did on the off-cut of the fretboard. Because accuracy is so important I used a very sharp pencil to mark the slot line, but my tired old eyes had trouble seeing it when I positioned the mitre above it. I found the best solution was to use a Stanley knife to score the wood, which made it much easier to see. On the left is a trial cut, next to it is the Stanley knife score line. The fret was hammered home and seems to be quite secure. If there are problems I guess I can always glue them in.


As I said earlier, I will cut the slots into the fretboard while it is still square to make sure they are true 90 degrees to the FB, I will then shape it to the taper of the neck.

Accurately measuring the fret positions will be paramount and will be done and checked, and then checked several more times. According to Mr Google the key is to measure fret positions from the nut so if a mistake is made with one fret it is not compounded as you move along the neck. I will then double check my measurements by measuring the distance between each fret as against measuring from the nut. I think I'm getting paranoid.

I hope to get the slots cut this weekend, I'll let you know how it is goes.

Cheers
rob

I favoured using a marking knife for clarity's sakehttp://https://www.carbatec.com.au/w...ble-edge-pfeil

I found it also made it easier to use a thicker straight edge and maintain squareness.
With the varying grain in the rose wood that I had used on my test board I found it difficult to gauge cut depth, but that comes from experience and care I'd guess.

[robin]

Hi Frankie,

I agree that a marking knife would have been better. When you are trying to get measurements correct down to fractions of a mm it is a bit difficult with a Stanley knife blade.

Regarding depth, it would be nice to have a fret saw with a depth gauge, but as this FB will be flat it will make it a bit easier to get a constant depth. Just eyeballing the little saw it looks like I will be able to use the teeth as a rough depth gauge. I guess I'll find out soon.

rob

[FrankenWashie]

Hi Frankie,

I agree that a marking knife would have been better. When you are trying to get measurements correct down to fractions of a mm it is a bit difficult with a Stanley knife blade.

Regarding depth, it would be nice to have a fret saw with a depth gauge, but as this FB will be flat it will make it a bit easier to get a constant depth. Just eyeballing the little saw it looks like I will be able to use the teeth as a rough depth gauge. I guess I'll find out soon.

rob

Yes, flat would be much easier! The fretting jig I built whilst doing a fair job of keeping everything square and locked down unfortunately obscures vision of the cut depth. I have a depth stop for the fretting saw that I use, but it can't be used as it would foul on my vertical squaring bar. I was contemplating re-doing that squaring arrangement but I have more important things to do like sanding. And sanding.

How are you measuring out? I started my test with a vernier caliper, but ran out of caliper at the 5th fret. I have some at work that are sufficient to do the whole board but even second hand these are reasonably high cost.

I've used the taped down paper template method as well but that also has pitfalls.

[gavinturner]

Great info Rob - thanks for that! I guess I have no excuse to not start a 100% scratchie. Might be time to tool up!

cheers,
Gav.

[robin]

Great info Rob - thanks for that! I guess I have no excuse to not start a 100% scratchie. Might be time to tool up!

cheers,
Gav.

Go for it Gav, all you've got to lose is your sanity. Luckily I had already lost most of mine so the rest didn't take long.

How are you measuring out? I started my test with a vernier caliper, but ran out of caliper at the 5th fret. I have some at work that are sufficient to do the whole board but even second hand these are reasonably high cost.

I've used the taped down paper template method as well but that also has pitfalls.

Hey Frankie, for measurements from the nut I just used my trusty 600mm steel rule. Getting the measurement down to 3 decimal places is for mugs. All you can do it get it as close as you can. I measured and checked several times. Whether it will be close enough, well I guess time will tell.



Then to prove that I am not a total Ludite, I used my trusty "electronic measuring stick". I measured each fret from the previous one. Its a good way to get peace of mind that the fret spacing is correct. Or at least as correct as I could get it.


Once I was happy that the measurements were OK I then scored the FB with the Stanley knife.


rob

[FrankenWashie]

Hey Frankie, for measurements from the nut I just used my trusty 600mm steel rule. Getting the measurement down to 3 decimal places is for mugs. All you can do it get it as close as you can. I measured and checked several times. Whether it will be close enough, well I guess time will tell.
rob

Yeah i guess that is a fair call, my pedantism on that is a work related issue. I play in those tolerances and tighter all the time. Its a hazard when some of your most critical tolerances get measured using the interference of overlapping wavelengths of a monochromatic light source.
I have yet to make some corrections to the test board, so I will see how that goes once I start fretting it. The it will be on to the Ebony board for the SV-1.