Astro

Before I start, I have checked the ugly guitar tread and didn't see this one in there, unless it's been added in the last week or so.
Picked up a PBG-2 kit in the summer sale coz I had a flash of inspiration / madness after looking thru a guitar book a few days earlier.
The kit looks like this
Attachment 2388
and I decided to try to turn it into this, the one on the left
Attachment 2389
Here is a pic of a real Astro-Jet
Attachment 2390

Now this is more 'inspired by' than 'tribute to' so bear with me. After a few tracings and mucking around I figured I could get close to original shape although not entirely in proportion with the real thing.
Shape pencilled in on body - might be a bit hard to see
Attachment 2391
They have a 4 by 2 headstock design I wasn't all that keen on replicating so took the easy option and borrowed a shape from a later Gretsch model which suited the 3-a-side headstock
Attachment 2392
Just hope it will match up OK with the body shape. Started shaping by cutting with a small bandsaw.
Attachment 2393

Used a sanding drum in the drill press to clean and square up the edges then marked out for the bevelling
Attachment 2394
Attachment 2395
Attachment 2396
Attachment 2397

Got a spokeshave from the big blue shed and with that and a few rasps and some 60 grit sandpaper started shaping
Attachment 2398
Attachment 2399
Attachment 2400
Grain filled and sanded to 400 grit
Attachment 2401
Attachment 2402

Because they are a mahogany body, I used mahogany Timbermate on the front and borrowed a tip from Gav and used ebony Timbermate on the back and sides (for grain filling). Sanded to 800 grit.
Attachment 2403
Attachment 2404
Attachment 2405
Attachment 2406

wow, you're doing a great job

Coming along very nicely and good idea on spoke shave for shaping

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

Speaking of borrowing ideas, I'll be using the stamp pad ink method with this one and wanting a gloss finish will use Tru-oil on top.
Here is the front done with a 'double' coat of ink
Attachment 2407
The pic was taken about ten minutes after application so looks patchy due to some spots still being wet and others soaked in.
Will probably need another coat, and when it can be handled will turn over and apply black to the back. The fun part will be getting the line where the two colours come together straight and trying to not get any bleed through from one colour to the other.
The plan is to do the neck and headstock in black.

Grant

Thanks Stan, and Andrew, kind of thought this might appeal to you because it's a kind of skewed SG shape.
Cheers

What an amazing project! Super progress never was, I'm loving it!

cheers,
gav.