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czook · March 13th, 2012, 01:08 PM

Throwing my hat in for my first builder challenge. Not a beginner, but I am a rookie,

jkingma · March 13th, 2012, 04:43 PM

Good luck, Rookie.

crazydave911 · March 13th, 2012, 06:44 PM

Welcome and good luck!

Dave

RogerC · March 13th, 2012, 10:40 PM

With only 1.5 guitars under my belt, I'm a rookie too, so I bid you a hearty Good Luck!

czook · March 14th, 2012, 09:11 AM

Thanks all for the encouragement. I have never built a neck, so that will be a little scary, but I have leveled quite a few, so I know the last step ;)

czook · March 14th, 2012, 02:03 PM

My wood. 5/4 Flamed Maple for neck. Log of Poplar for body and Flamed Maple Laminate.

spanker63 · March 14th, 2012, 04:29 PM

i'll be tuning in zook!

czook · March 14th, 2012, 04:34 PM

One of the first things I have to do is carve the slice of body off of the log. It has been cut and laying around for a year, so I will have some kiln (kitchen oven) time to season the wood so the checking is held to a minimum.

If it is too bad and I have to fill too much I plan to laminate the top and maybe the front and back with binding. I will probably bind it regardless just because I like to do it and like the look of it.

tabdog · March 14th, 2012, 05:47 PM

Very cool Czook.

How hard, or soft is that poplar log?

Tabdog

czook · March 14th, 2012, 08:23 PM

Not real hard, but hard enough to hold screws. I made a Jag body a couple weeks ago out of a similar one and it is surprisingly hard for poplar/cottonwood.

My challenge will be drying it enough to prevent future cracking and checking. The Jag blank I made is stable and is not cracking except for when I initially dried it in my kiln, which are small and easily filled.

Once I have it carved out while still in log form with a router and then slice it off with a chainsaw I will put it in the oven for a day or so and let it sit for a few weeks before I finish rout it. I will need that time to carve a neck anyway.

nosmo · March 14th, 2012, 08:35 PM

That sounds like a pretty unique technique. Holy crap I used a Q in two words in a row! I wish I was playing scrabble. Oh, sorry my mind kind of wandered there. That is some nice looking wood you have. I can't wait to see what you build.

czook · March 14th, 2012, 08:55 PM

I found this log/wedge along a mud road last week where some trees had been cleared about a year ago. Though it is dry on the surface once I cut the body slab off it will be fairly green, so I will be using unique technique to dry it.

24 hours in a convection oven at 218f. :)

Picton · March 14th, 2012, 09:43 PM

Good luck with the makeshift kiln; I'll be eager to see how it works. If that log survives uncracked, it'll make a beautiful body.

czook · March 14th, 2012, 09:45 PM

I'll have it sliced and planed to a little over 2" before it goes into the oven, but I may have to name it the 'CrackCaster'.

martyb1 · March 14th, 2012, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by czook

I'll have it sliced and planed to a little over 2" before it goes into the oven, but I may have to name it the 'CrackCaster'.

I had a really nice birch burl I tried to dry.Built a box to go over the heat duct.Didn't work very well.I hope you have better luck!

czook · March 16th, 2012, 12:28 PM

Starting shaping the body log this morning using chainsaw, hammer and wedge.

Allthesound · March 16th, 2012, 12:36 PM

Damn man that redefines the term "rough cut", Impressive, my hat is off to you! . Cant wait to see how this evolves. Keep up the good work.

mkgearhead · March 16th, 2012, 01:16 PM

Good luck, Chuck. I'll be watching this one. Maybe I'll have the stones to throw my hat in the ring next year. Until then, I'll live vicariously through you.

czook · March 16th, 2012, 02:48 PM

Planed the top a bit to see what I have for grain pattern, knots, & defects.

Ryden · March 16th, 2012, 03:12 PM

I don't think we ever seen a chainsaw used in the contest before
Bodacious!

March 13th, 2012, 01:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	czook's 2012 Challenge Build Thread -- COMPLETED Throwing my hat in for my first builder challenge. Not a beginner, but I am a rookie, Last edited by TDPRI; May 10th, 2012 at 04:51 PM.

March 13th, 2012, 04:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
jkingma Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: N 44° 59.564 ~ W 079° 35.317 Posts: 10,105 18 Photos	Good luck, Rookie. __________________ -Creator of Fine Sawdust and Expensive Kindling.

March 13th, 2012, 06:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
crazydave911 Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: East Tennessee Age: 53 Posts: 7,020 2 Photos	Welcome and good luck! Dave __________________ "No trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced." My Facebook

March 14th, 2012, 02:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	My wood. 5/4 Flamed Maple for neck. Log of Poplar for body and Flamed Maple Laminate. Attached Thumbnails

March 14th, 2012, 04:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	One of the first things I have to do is carve the slice of body off of the log. It has been cut and laying around for a year, so I will have some kiln (kitchen oven) time to season the wood so the checking is held to a minimum. If it is too bad and I have to fill too much I plan to laminate the top and maybe the front and back with binding. I will probably bind it regardless just because I like to do it and like the look of it. Last edited by czook; March 14th, 2012 at 08:51 PM.

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March 13th, 2012, 10:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
RogerC Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Oklahoma Age: 40 Posts: 3,191	With only 1.5 guitars under my belt, I'm a rookie too, so I bid you a hearty Good Luck!

March 14th, 2012, 09:11 AM	#5 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	Thanks all for the encouragement. I have never built a neck, so that will be a little scary, but I have leveled quite a few, so I know the last step ;)

March 14th, 2012, 04:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
spanker63 TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: upstate ny Posts: 3	i'll be tuning in zook!

March 14th, 2012, 05:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
tabdog Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Bryant, Arkansas Age: 64 Posts: 154	Very cool Czook. How hard, or soft is that poplar log? Tabdog

March 14th, 2012, 08:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	Not real hard, but hard enough to hold screws. I made a Jag body a couple weeks ago out of a similar one and it is surprisingly hard for poplar/cottonwood. My challenge will be drying it enough to prevent future cracking and checking. The Jag blank I made is stable and is not cracking except for when I initially dried it in my kiln, which are small and easily filled. Once I have it carved out while still in log form with a router and then slice it off with a chainsaw I will put it in the oven for a day or so and let it sit for a few weeks before I finish rout it. I will need that time to carve a neck anyway.

March 14th, 2012, 08:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
nosmo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Lake Jackson, TX Posts: 2,128	That sounds like a pretty unique technique. Holy crap I used a Q in two words in a row! I wish I was playing scrabble. Oh, sorry my mind kind of wandered there. That is some nice looking wood you have. I can't wait to see what you build. __________________ Telecaster - The AK-47 of the guitar world. Some may think its ugly...but it works!

March 14th, 2012, 08:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	I found this log/wedge along a mud road last week where some trees had been cleared about a year ago. Though it is dry on the surface once I cut the body slab off it will be fairly green, so I will be using unique technique to dry it. 24 hours in a convection oven at 218f. :)

March 14th, 2012, 09:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
Picton Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Reading, Massachusetts Age: 38 Posts: 1,851	Good luck with the makeshift kiln; I'll be eager to see how it works. If that log survives uncracked, it'll make a beautiful body. __________________ M Dixon Reading, MA

March 14th, 2012, 09:45 PM	#14 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	I'll have it sliced and planed to a little over 2" before it goes into the oven, but I may have to name it the 'CrackCaster'.

March 16th, 2012, 12:28 PM	#16 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	First Cut is Always... Starting shaping the body log this morning using chainsaw, hammer and wedge. Attached Thumbnails

March 16th, 2012, 12:36 PM	#17 (permalink)
Allthesound Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Connecticut Age: 46 Posts: 840	Damn man that redefines the term "rough cut", Impressive, my hat is off to you! . Cant wait to see how this evolves. Keep up the good work. __________________ Steve - Connecticut "Give me ambiguity or give me something else".

March 16th, 2012, 01:16 PM	#18 (permalink)
mkgearhead TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Fort Morgan, CO Age: 43 Posts: 51	Good luck, Chuck. I'll be watching this one. Maybe I'll have the stones to throw my hat in the ring next year. Until then, I'll live vicariously through you.

March 16th, 2012, 02:48 PM	#19 (permalink)
czook Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: NW MO Age: 59 Posts: 1,072	Planed the top a bit to see what I have for grain pattern, knots, & defects. Attached Thumbnails

March 16th, 2012, 03:12 PM	#20 (permalink)
Ryden Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sweden Age: 40 Posts: 435	I don't think we ever seen a chainsaw used in the contest before Bodacious!

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