Kirk’s ST-1 Ash Build

[Retroman33]

Welcome Kirk. Thanks for starting a build diary, we are all now following along on your journey. What did you do with those designs in illustrator to get them into those physical black jigs? Some sort of laser cut trickery? What material is that?

If your not going to go for Olympic white, then I rekon your metallic sage green is a good one to aim for. Just don't tell Wayne or Garth. Make sure you test all your finishing steps on some scrap first. There are a few current builds going on using metallic under gloss, so lots of trials and tribulations to learn from right now.

Keep up the good work, mate.

Thanks for showing interest! I’ll appreciate any help and pointers from the community along the way.

The Illustrator files are self created, I just took the templates of the headstock and traced it. I then took a photo of my guitar neck and dropped it into illustrator at 1:1 size. I then created a straight edge notched where the fret bars were located. After that, a bit of 3mm transparent black acrylic lasered did the trick.

If i were to do it again, I’d take the two headstocks lasered, and make them one solid piece that has a bend in it to wrap around the headstock...that way i could easily throw it on, put a bolt through one of the tuner holes and hit the coping saw with complete confidence.

Currently planning for some laser work for the headstock and possibly the back of the guitar neck during the finishing process...

[Retroman33]

Session #2

Ended up being a bit of a slow day... didn’t get much time to dedicate to the guitar, but managed two things.

1) I hit the headstock with 180 grit and 240 grit, and finally got some of the notches removed left over from some shoddy coping saw work when initially shaping the neck. End result looks good, but more sanding to come over the weekend.



2) The heel of the guitar neck did not fit the cavity of the body upon arrival. Forcing it would cause damage to the side of the cavity wall. I needed to sand. I took some 240 or 280 grit sandpaper, and with a sanding block I sanded away both sides of the cavity. I didn’t sand the bottom of the cavity. I also didn’t touch the heel of the neck with the sandpaper. I lightly sanded one side a few times, then the other side of the cavity...then i would try and fit the neck, and repeat the process until it fit. That way i ensured that i didn’t take too much material off one side of the cavity in relation to the other. End result, the neck fit with a very snug fit. Now onto continuing a dry fit and figuring out what on earth i need to do about where to set the neck in relation to the nut and the bridge. More research needed there.



Weekend’s plan is to Dry Assemble, mark out that set out with some light pencil work, and hit the ST-1 guitar body with 140 grit and 280 grit using a bigger sanding block to try and not create waves in the timber.

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for showing interest! I’ll appreciate any help and pointers from the community along the way.

The Illustrator files are self created, I just took the templates of the headstock and traced it. I then took a photo of my guitar neck and dropped it into illustrator at 1:1 size. I then created a straight edge notched where the fret bars were located. After that, a bit of 3mm transparent black acrylic lasered did the trick.

If i were to do it again, I’d take the two headstocks lasered, and make them one solid piece that has a bend in it to wrap around the headstock...that way i could easily throw it on, put a bolt through one of the tuner holes and hit the coping saw with complete confidence.

Currently planning for some laser work for the headstock and possibly the back of the guitar neck during the finishing process...

Very cool. Do you have access to the laser technology or are you getting them commissioned? We are all here to help, so ask anything you want without fear mate.

[Retroman33]

I have a mate who has one in his shop. Small one though, so will need to make my decisions before i put it all together!