motor_city_tele's 2012 Challenge Build Thread -- COMPLETED

[Muzikp]

Will you have to squeegee it down after each night of gigging? Might be the first instrument where cleaning it with windex IS the recommended method.

[Barncaster]

Originally Posted by motor_city_tele

here is what I will be building my 2012 challenge out of.

The long piece of rough sawn lumber is called Guyana Rosewood or Wamara. It is sap wood so it is light in color. I will be making the neck and body supports out of it. It is a very dense wood so the shaping and machining may take a toll on my cutting tools. The rest of the material are sheets of glass. The plan is to build a sunburst esquire.



tootles - jb

jb,

I guess there will be no amp or stage bashing with that rig. You know what they say about people who play glass guitars.....

Barncaster

[vintage65]

Be carefull with that glass, before you know.....

it will break

[motor_city_tele]

I found my huge roll of butcher block paper and made a couple of tele body tracings. I needed to know if my hunk of rosewood is going to be enough wood to make all of the wooden parts. I think I have enough - barely. The sketch on the right is a quick pattern that I will use to cut the glass pieces.



That's about I could muster this week.

[mkhhunt]

Cool a tiffanycaster! Or is it a cathedralcaster? Will it have internal lighting? That would be cool!

[ChaosRocker]

Originally Posted by Barncaster

You know what they say about people who play glass guitars.....

They shouldn't play the Rolling Stones??

[motor_city_tele]

Originally Posted by mkhhunt

Will it have internal lighting? That would be cool!

I'm thinkin' it'll have to light up to have any merit as a lampCaster. The question is do I tear apart one of those Harbour Freight LED flashlites or do I use 6.3 volt incandescent bayonet mounts that I have for my amp builds. and of course, there is the power source to deal with. a 9 volt battery would probably do the job but where does it go. then there is the switch factor.

[jpbturbo]

Originally Posted by motor_city_tele

here is what I will be building my 2012 challenge out of.

The long piece of rough sawn lumber is called Guyana Rosewood or Wamara. It is sap wood so it is light in color. I will be making the neck and body supports out of it. It is a very dense wood so the shaping and machining may take a toll on my cutting tools. The rest of the material are sheets of glass. The plan is to build a sunburst esquire.



tootles - jb

[Scooby Snax]

This is going to be a good one... are you going to use foil or lead cane?

[Matt Haskins]

Very cool. Can't wait to see this take shape.

[LightninMike]

For the switch, just tie it into the jack - use a stereo jack so one part is only the negative connector on the light circuit....

[nosmo]

When you build a guitar as nice as the one you built last year, it makes it kind of tough to step it up a notch dosen't it? I think you're on the right track though. This should be awesome.

[motor_city_tele]

Originally Posted by Scooby Snax

This is going to be a good one... are you going to use foil or lead cane?

It'll be foil.

tootles - jb

[motor_city_tele]

I started cutting glass this evening. If you haven't stumbled upon Vicky Payne on PBS and watched her stained glass show, this is how it's done.

The pattern is pinned down and the pieces are assembled on top of it.


Some card stock is slipped under the pattern.


Some transfer paper (carbon paper) is slipped between the card stock and the pattern.


A good sharp strong pencil will transfer the piece outline onto the card stock.


The template for the next piece of glass is ready. I mark the top with an X


The template is cut out and the outline is traced onto a piece of glass. Since this piece is black, a paint pen is needed to see the lines.


The paper is removed and the glass is ready to cut.


I use an oil cutter. I push the cutter down with pressure that scores the glass. It snaps off pretty easy with a pair of glass cutting pliers.


The piece is shaped with a glass grinder until it fits accurately against the piece next to it.


When the piece is the correct shape, copper foil is applied along the edges.


The edges are burnished with a piece of dowel.


The piece is positioned and flux is applied.


The soldering gun is ready to go. A damp sponge is used to keep the tip clean.


Tack the pieces together.


Repeat this for every piece of the puzzle.


Tomorrow I'll cut and grind the red, amber, and white glass.


btw, earlier I got started on my 2014 build challenge. - 2 years from now

Remember that cherry tree I cut down? Here is the trunk staring at some serious bandsaw.


It was a hell-a-va lot easier getting it into the trunk the second time.


I will stack the pieces in a corner someplace for the next year or so to dry.

[kwerk]

Incredible. This is going to be out of this world.

[nosmo]

Of all the builds, I think this is the one, well in the top two, or three...dang it, I really want to see this one!

If, for any reason, you're not happy with it when you're done I'll send you my address.

[Scooby Snax]

Wicked work, I think you'll have to change your handle to "Tiffany" as in Wm. not the Redhead...

[emoney]

This gonna be, quite possibly, the coolest guitar I've ever seen. Exciting just watching
it develop.

Oh...and I've got this feeling your trunk looks a lot like mine, lol.

[onenotetom]

I find it hard to believe you are only building one or are there others being built in the background that you are not telling us about.

[RogerC]

I said this on another thread, and I'll say it again here--

I just KNEW that my cement guitar would be the most inventive use of materials this year... WRONG

This is going to look spectacular!