In case you're not already across it, a small diameter bit for the corners of the pocket comes in handy, but they are hard to come by for cheap (e.g. stewmac prices).
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In case you're not already across it, a small diameter bit for the corners of the pocket comes in handy, but they are hard to come by for cheap (e.g. stewmac prices).
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Quote:
I will now need to get a short length router bit to do the neck cavity.
FWIW, I bought a set of 12.7mm dia. top bearing router bits with cutting depths ranging from 1/2", 3/4", 1", 1-1/2" off of Amazon.Quote:
In case you're not already across it, a small diameter bit for the corners of the pocket comes in handy, but they are hard to come by for cheap (e.g. stewmac prices).
I'm sure they're not Stew-Mac quality, but they worked fine for my needs.
Thanks Dozy and McCreed,
I have a short cut, top bearing bit in the mail, and a few more on the never ending wish list.
I have cut out the chambers for the thinline - done with a jigsaw.
A question.:confused:
We all apply top coats on our guitar bodies and necks to protect them from changing climate (humidity mainly). But hollow bodied guitars do not have the inside chambers sealed.
Why don't we need to seal the inside of hollow electric or acoustic guitars?
Should we if we can?
I, too, would be interested.
It wouldn't really make sense to have anything unsealed would it, if you're trying to keep moisture out of the wood.
My stubby router bit arrived, so I have now routed out the two chambers.
Next I will glue on the base.
I never realised that when building guitars the number of clamps you need is N+1, where N is the number you have. Another trip the the BGS is on the cards.
Clamps, guitars, hand planes, chisels, files, rasps, amplifiers, Road Bicycles, motorbikes, V8 performance cars.......N+1 is a universally applicable money reducing equation.
Can confirm.
I have sealed the inside parts of the hollow chambers with 3 coats of tru-oil. I'm not sure if this is worth it or not!
Next is to glue the top onto the body.
Yesterday I glued on the top. Today I have trim routed the top and back to be flush with the body. Then sanded the sides to get rid of a few glue marks and to get it smooth and tidy.
I'm not sure whether it would be best to have glued on the top and back while everything was still rough cut, and then trim routed the body shape. That way there would be less glue to remove!!
Looking good Trev. Are you planning a stain or paint finish?
Thanks McCreed,
I'm planning on staining both the thinline and the solid body - possibly a FW golden teak followed by tru-oil, or cedar, or mahoganny, or walnut, or teak brown! I should have made 5 bodies.
All good options in my opinion. If you haven’t used the FW mahogany before, I’d warn you it’s pretty dark. If you want more colour and less darkness consider diluting it. How about all five in an almighty burst? 💥
Edit. Yes, five stain burst sounds horrible.
Looking great Trevor!
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Sorry I missed your post Trevor. That picture is gold! This build journey of yours is fascinating for me to watch because it represents my Everest - doing the whole lot basically from scratch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Davies
Now I need to understand all these unfamiliar terms you use like "router" and "drill bit" and "wood" :)
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Thanks DarkMark, Dozy and Johnny, :D
Today I have routed out the pick-up cavities, control cavity and neck pocket for the thinline and the solid body. I was a little anxious about doing this but it all worked out (routed out!) well. Also gave the solid body a 3/8 inch round-over for the top and bottom. Plus more sanding to 240 g.
I have purchased 2 Pitbull 21 fret TL style necks and 2 TL-1 chrome hardware packs. The headstocks are now shaped and sanded.
Forgot to mention that I had drilled out the jack plug holes, the channels from the pick up cavities to the control cavities (using extra long drill bits) and the ground wire holes.
Looking really good!
With the neck in place, it looks like a very thin thinline body.
Have you got enough depth for pots and selector switches etc?
Hi Simon,
the selector switch was also my original concern, but it fits with a few mm spare. All good.
Brilliant! That is good news.
I've just upgraded my Squire Mini Strat with new pickups, pots, through-body bridge plus locking tuners, and and fitted an Oak Grigsby 5-way to it, only to find that it was too tall for the thinner body (might be a smaller thinner body but it weighs more than my regular Strat body!) so had to revert back to the shorter original 5-way switch (which is Korean rather than Chinese so isn't too bad a switch).
So I have switch depth on the brain at the moment!
Sounds like you're in a similar place as me re: building, Simon. I'm choosing to tinker and mod some previous builds rather than adding to the herd!
Well, it's been winter here, so no chance to work outside or do spraying. With a house move proposed for sometime after the middle of next year, I doubt if I'll start any new builds this year as I don't have room for more guitars until I do. I've got a couple of projects that I need to get back to; the refinish of the old Peavey 5-string and a Tele for a mate with piezo saddle pickups.
I've been doing a lot of fettling work on a friend's guitars to keep me busy, but there's only one left to do now.
No-one can dig a hole. You can dig the dirt or whatever material you need to replace with a hole. You just dig, and then you see a hole. Actually, no-one can see a hole since it's a void. Avoid holes, they're dangerous. Where was I? Where am I?!Quote:
Originally Posted by McCreed
Peter
I have finally got some more done on my thinline.
I have stained it with FW cedar. Then gave it 2 coats of tru-oil.
I then tried to do a faux binding by routing an edge with a 1/4 inch round over bit, but I did not like it (the ply was not white enough). So I have now stained the rounded over edge. Now waiting on some more tru-oil.
Maybe I need to try some proper binding - but I will need a get a binding router bit to give it a go. I cannot seem to find one locally!
Also, has anyone tried pinstripe decals to add a faux binding?
For decal binding, you’d have to print the decals to match the outline exactly, which wouldn’t be easy. The decal itself would need cutting to follow the outline, leaving a very long and thin decal to slide off the paper and not crease or fold. It could be done, but you’d probably need a few tries to get it right.
Thinline teles have thin binding, not the thicker striped stuff, so you could just mask and spray some white faux binding on.
For decal binding you could look at these possibly
https://www.inlaystickers.com/collections/binding
Binding router sets are pretty expensive and hard to match a rabbeting bit to a bearing. The cheapest setup I've seen is the attached but can't vouch for site but are Amana bits which are pretty good with the 49342 being the most suited.
https://www.toolstoday.com/binding-r...-bit-sets.html
StuMac are another source of binding tools.
Finally got around to putting CA glue into the knot holes of the pinewood tele, and sanded them back with 180 g paper. Then stained the neck and body with FW Old Baltic stain.
Sorry, I missed this one Simon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Barden
I was thinking of trying 6 mm auto pin strip decal. I think the thin thickness would be fine.
How did the stain react with the CA? Does it take up any stain or repel it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Davies
It probably doesn't matter here if you're filling knot holes, as the CA will project (FLOABW) the colour underneath it like a finish repair using drop-filling.
That will look cool with a nice gloss.
The stain is repelled by the CA.Quote:
Originally Posted by McCreed
Luckily all the knot holes were very dark/black in colour and will be darker than the stained areas. I had to ensure all the CA was well sanded back on the neighbouring areas so as to avoid lighter stained spots. So best to use thicker CA so as to avoid runs (Note to self!).
I was in a bit of a quandary about the order I needed to follow - either
1. fill with CA, sand, stain,
2. stain, fill with CA, sand, restain, or
3. stain, top coats, fill holes with CA, sand (But would probably get sand through!), more top coats.
Next time (or if using a darker stain, or if there are lighter knot holes) I think I would go method 2!
My inclination would have been option 1 also.
As for option 3, if you first scrape the CA level with a single edge razor, and then use the strip-sanding method, you can avoid sand-throughs. I've banged on about these techniques in a number of threads here :o
Yes, I have used this razor/strip sanding technique with my STA-1HT after I put a small dent in the back. If I look carefully I can still see the CA area as there must be slight difference in optical density of the CA compared to Tru-oil! I have to look hard though.Quote:
Originally Posted by McCreed
Yeah, I imagine you're right about that. I've only done CA drop-fills on factory poly finishes (most likely polyester).Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Davies
Lots of tru-oiling. They are starting to get a nice gloss.
Nice! I forgot about the thinline!
What's your tally system on the masking tape? Coats of Tru Oil?
I'm surprised you don't reshape your heels to transition closer to the pocket.
Yes the masking tape tally is the tru-oil coats. The solid body has been given 2 painted coats, 3 wipe-on coats, then rubbed back with 600 g etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by McCreed
AS for the heel transition - I have not felt the need. I will make it a priority for a future build ;).