flatfive's 2011 TDPRI Build Challenge Thread

[gitlvr]

This looks like a really cool build(I keep saying that in a lot of these threads. lol)! I look forward to watching this progress. Good luck.

[flatfive]

Thanks, Mike. I'll hope you'll enjoy what this thread will offer:
botched work due to inexperience and carelessness, plodding
mediocrity, and, eventually, as the deadline approaches,
panic and desperation. Probably the panic and desperation
part will be the most enjoyable part for readers of the thread.

Originally Posted by gitlvr

This looks like a really cool build(I keep saying that in a lot of these threads. lol)! I look forward to watching this progress. Good luck.

[pulaifaz]

Originally Posted by flatfive

.....
Found it on the web for less than 7 bucks, but haven't tested
to see if it works yet.

LOL - I just ordered the same saw

[flatfive]

I did a couple of little tests on scrap this evening, despite
my debilitating cold

My main problem was trying to figure out the truss rod
adjustment cavity at the headstock. My two main
objectives: it's got to actually work, and it shouldn't look
wretched.

I think I finally figured out what I needed to do, but decided
to test things on a piece of 1x4 pine.

I clamped some MDF to my workbench, using the edge of the
MDF as a guide to route the truss rod slot. Here's the
routed pine:



You can see a snafu near the heel -- the MDF only guided the
router on one side, and I got sloppy.

It's a Martin-style truss rod sold by Stewmac.
I used a 7/16" straight bit for the main slot, plus a 3/8" rounded
bit for the part of the cavity that holds the adjustment nut, and
provides access for the allen wrench.



Here you can better see that the adjustment nut goes up to about
the nut, and the length of the access cavity.



Next stop: try to bang in my first fret. I sliced the packaging of
the saw so I could hang it on the pegboard. Learned that trick
from my next door neighbor.



Sawed some slots in a small piece of maple. Used another
piece to keep the blade perpendicular.



If you look from right to left you can see I'm starting to get
the hang of it. But are the slots the right size?



That was pretty easy! I didn't have to radius the fretwire since the
board was flat, but on the real thing I plan to use guitarnut's no-cost
fretwire bender:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home...ml#post2183393

Forgot to mention: it's so easy to clip fretwire! I thought it was
going to be hard. Cutting a coat hanger is a lot harder.

Next steps are to build a jig for doing the neck rout that guides
the router on both sides, and to build a miter box for sawing the
fingerboard.

I think I can, I think I can, said the little train.

[rcole_sooner]

I hope ya get over your cold quick. The last one I had was a nasty bugger.

[Mojotron]

Originally Posted by flatfive

I did a couple of little tests on scrap this evening, ...
I think I finally figured out what I needed to do, but decided
to test things on a piece of 1x4 pine.
...
Next stop: try to bang in my first fret. I sliced the packaging of
the saw so I could hang it on the pegboard. Learned that trick
from my next door neighbor.
....
That was pretty easy! ....
I think I can, I think I can, said the little train.

Alright! See it isn't all that tough. I think the catch is that you have to get to the point where you have done all the steps correctly to get to a neck that works. To do that for my first few necks I experimented on a 2x4s until I had that step down. So I cut up some 2x4's just like I cut up the maple - routed them the same way.... I even radiused the fretboard and did the fret slots on a few of them before I committed Maple to those steps too. It goes pretty fast - most of the time I got the simple stuff right the first time even if I was doing it on a 2x4; when I did it on a maple neck I was able to do it with some confidence

Way to go! Hope you feel better soon.

[guitarbuilder]

If you are using a rectangular neck blank...you might want to put a little perpendicular fence on the saw guide so that it is easier to register to your fret line.

[flatfive]

Hi guys. Thanks for the comments. Guitarbuilder, I'm not sure
what you mean. Could you please say more?

I realized last night that I need to build three simple jigs:

- one for using a router to surface plane
- one for routing the truss rod cavity
- one for sawing the fret slots

I need to get moving!

[gitlvr]

Originally Posted by flatfive

Thanks, Mike. I'll hope you'll enjoy what this thread will offer:
botched work due to inexperience and carelessness, plodding
mediocrity, and, eventually, as the deadline approaches,
panic and desperation. Probably the panic and desperation
part will be the most enjoyable part for readers of the thread.

Hey, that's just the way I work!

[adirondak5]

Hey Glenn , that wood looks great , can't go wrong with that Home Despot maple , cant wait to see this one finished.

[Mojotron]

Originally Posted by flatfive

Hi guys. Thanks for the comments. Guitarbuilder, I'm not sure
what you mean. Could you please say more?

I realized last night that I need to build three simple jigs:

- one for using a router to surface plane
- one for routing the truss rod cavity
- one for sawing the fret slots

I need to get moving!

" - one for using a router to surface plane"
Flat or curved like the fretboard? I use the older version of the '2 parallel 2" PVC pipes taped to 2 steel 2" angle iron "Scatter Lee"...' jig - it works really well and takes very little time to make...

[flatfive]

Hey Mojotron. Flat. The jig I'm building is not very flexible, but
super-easy to build from materials I have at hand. I'll be able
to use it to "thickness plane" the fingerboard and headstock.
But I'll radius the board by hand.

Originally Posted by Mojotron

" - one for using a router to surface plane"
Flat or curved like the fretboard? I use the older version of the '2 parallel 2" PVC pipes taped to 2 steel 2" angle iron "Scatter Lee"...' jig - it works really well and takes very little time to make...

[Mojotron]

Originally Posted by flatfive

Hey Mojotron. Flat. The jig I'm building is not very flexible, but
super-easy to build from materials I have at hand. I'll be able
to use it to "thickness plane" the fingerboard and headstock.
But I'll radius the board by hand.

OK - just for reference here's that Scatter Lee jig I was talking about (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/2881430-post2.html). It's really precise and does 95% of fretboard radius shaping - as well as leveling with a straight sled. I use an identical sled, except, I just tape the pipes to angle iron with packing tape, then just use clamps to hold it while I route...

[dragonfly66]

This is an awesome thread. Thanks for sharing how you are doing things. One day I want to build a tele and threads like this keep me inspired.

[flatfive]

Thanks, Mojotron. That's elegant simplicity. And you screw
the router to a plywood carrier that has a radius sawn into it,
right?

I definitely want to build better jigs but feel that I need to
get a move on. I may not even be able to use the compressor
I got for Xmas on this thread because of the time it would take
me to guy accessories and figure out how to use it.

Originally Posted by Mojotron

OK - just for reference here's that Scatter Lee jig I was talking about (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/2881430-post2.html). It's really precise and does 95% of fretboard radius shaping - as well as leveling with a straight sled. I use an identical sled, except, I just tape the pipes to angle iron with packing tape, then just use clamps to hold it while I route...

[flatfive]

Thanks a lot, dragonfly. You can do it. If you haven't
already, a good start is to do mods on guitars you own.

Originally Posted by dragonfly66

This is an awesome thread. Thanks for sharing how you are doing things. One day I want to build a tele and threads like this keep me inspired.

[Mojotron]

Originally Posted by flatfive

Thanks, Mojotron. That's elegant simplicity. And you screw
the router to a plywood carrier that has a radius sawn into it,
right?

Right - I'm only interested in 12" radius necks - so I just needed to make one sled.

Originally Posted by flatfive

I definitely want to build better jigs but feel that I need to
get a move on. I may not even be able to use the compressor
I got for Xmas on this thread because of the time it would take
me to guy accessories and figure out how to use it.

In fact, I think I have read the recommendation that people should use mostly hand tools to make their first few necks to figure out what's really needed...

[guitarbuilder]

What I was mentioning was about the block of wood you had clamped down for a saw guide. I just thought you should add another piece to it that would aid in indexing it against your fretboard with more ease. Add another piece of wood that runs along the fingerboard attached to the block that would make the saw guide always cut perpendicular

[flatfive]

I'm back at it after a bizarre cold that started off mild
but hit me like a tank yesterday. I slept about 6 hours
during the day and then had a full night's sleep.

Anyway, I'm starting to get back into it today.

I'm building two necks now; one for practice and one
for real (but hope the practice neck ends up a good one.)
The fingerboard for the practice neck was more than
1/16" too thick, so I thinned it with a simple routing
jig.



The holes are there to hold the wood flat to the bottom
of the jig, even if the wood is bowed. Here's the view
from below:



The holes are deep enough to grab the wood with 1/8" of the
wood screw. But I wasn't too happy with how this worked out.
I used #6 screws. The holes were kind of big, and the rosewood
is so brittle that it wanted to splinter when I screwed it to the
jig base.

The jig in action; the router is mounted to a piece of 1/2" plywood.



Also routed the truss-rod channel in the practice neck.



I still have to make the jig for sawing the fret slots. To control
the depth of the fret slot I glued some "artificial wood" to the side
of my fret slotting saw.

[Mojotron]

Originally Posted by flatfive

...

Anyway, I'm starting to get back into it today.
...
I glued some "artificial wood" to the side
of my fret slotting saw.

Cool idea - I keep futzing with my home made pexiglass gizmo to get the same slot depth because I tend to always use the same wire... I should just do what you did and glue it.