JR-1 semi-scratch build

[neverwas]

Thanks Brendan, Wokks, Stan and Andy. The neighbour's kids may have learnt a few new words that day .
I'm planning on a dark stain so hopefully the patch wont show, if it does will cross that bridge when I get to it.
Asked Pabs to make a humbucker routing template (already had the P90 template from the last build). He asked if I was direct mounting the pup so he could adjust the template to suit. At the time was going to use a mounting ring, but the seed was planted and used his template as a master and made another with a smaller opening. If it doesn't work, can always go back to using a ring.
During and after

Stan, had the same thought about the control cavity and sketched out a shape that should work. After my mishap with the drill, wasn't going to try to freehand the rout, so made a couple of templates. Tried to line them up as close as possible to the cavity wall but both ended up a little off on the straight edge.

After those pics were taken, cleaned up that bump with a chisel and with a little sanding should not be noticeable.
The two templates

[neverwas]

Drilled the holes for the Grover tuners and test fit

The neck screw holes were pre-drilled, dowelled up one so I could round off that corner and fit the ferrules.
Used an 8mm auger to drill the holes for the pup wires and a 3mm bit for the bridge earth wire, then made holes for the controls.
Now I'm at the point where we usually start a kit from, time for a mock up.


Grant

[stan]

Nice work with the control cavity, love the headstock - a bit PRS, a bit Schecter, a lot cool

[neverwas]

Thanks Stan

Been a bit lax keeping this up to date, time to show whats been happening.
Started shaping the edges with a spokeshave to try to get a flat bevel face. Got the hang of fine adjusting the spokeshave just at the end of what I needed to do, kept getting chatter marks when not going with the grain or the blade wasn't set right.
Attachment 14403
Being a bolt on neck, used the screw holes to attach some extra pieces so the shaping didn't "fall" into the neck pocket ( found that on someones thread a while ago, not sure whose)
Attachment 14404Attachment 14405
And sanded up to 320 grit

cont...

[neverwas]

Then onto colour. Used the U-beaut stains I already had and tried to go for an eggplant purple. On the test piece ( bit of plywood), couldn't quite get the shade I was after and decided to use diluted colortone cherry red as a base.

Two coats of purple over the red

The repair around the string through hole showed up a bit too much so used the airbrush to add more colour across the holes to try and make it less noticeable. While wiping on the colour, managed to pull out some of the timbermate in the patch, will try to fill with the wipe on poly. After first coat of poly

Like I said, was trying for an eggplant colour, looks more like sliced beetroot

Grant

[wokkaboy]

wow I haven't caught up with this thread for a while Grant, love the bevelled edge and the angled pups and staggered string through holes.
I think it's time you build a scratch build axe you have more than enough skills to build a ripper.
Love the colour too, I'd call it red wine colour not betroot !

[Dedman]

all i can say is WOW

[andrewdosborne]

That's fantastic and love the colour

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[UpperCaseH]

That's looking great!

[neverwas]

Thanks Wokks, Dedman and Andrew.
Looks like three pics aren't showing so here they are again


Will try to do a scratchy when I can source some affordable wood and decide on a shape/style, and then there's the neck. After looking at Simon's amazing builds, would love to give it a go, just seems like a big step.