Junk mutt's 2012 Challenge Build Thread -- COMPLETED

[junk mutt]

Thanks mate, I just tried it and it works.

[junk mutt]

Ok, I decided to start a new neck.
I was'n't happy with the quality of the wood and the amazaque did'nt look that nice either.
So I rummaged around in the back of the shed and found some decent timber and will start again soon.




Heres the timber, nice piece of rosewood I forgot I had.

Mick

[mkhhunt]

Nice build, that mahogany is great. Really cool idea on the top carve. Can't wait to see it progress.

[junk mutt]

Cheers mate, the mahogany is a joy to work with after spending so much time with ash and maple!! Its kinder to the tools too

[adirondak5]

Looking good junk mutt , I likes the carve top. And you are right , mahogany is a pleasure to work with wink:

[junk mutt]

Thanks Herb, its my first carve and I'm really liking it. I think its bringing out my artistic side.
As I said before, I'm going to make a new neck but I thought I'd show how I do a truss rod slot on my router table.
I find that doing it this way is more stable for me because I've got both hands on the timber instead of the router.
Ok, first off I pencil in the neck shape and a centre line on the blank. Then I mark out the truss rod length. I then transfer the rod length to the back of the board with a square. So now I have two lines on the back.
I put a guide fence on the table the exact distance away from the bit as the centre line to the outside of the blank.



I then route from one line to the next, I complete the full depth in about five passes.
I get the depth I want by placing the rod to the bit.


Truss rod slotted



And installed. Hope this helps someone. All in it took about 5 minutes.

[junk mutt]

Cut out the new blank on my little bandsaw. This thing has been a godsend.



I had to glue an ear on the headstock because the plank was'nt wide enough.



All clamped up. Glad I save that little triangular cut out. Makes a great caul.



Tomorrow I'll stick the template to the neck and route it to shape and glue on the fret board.
Have fun.!!

[raito]

Originally Posted by junk mutt

Drilling for the small MOP dots, I don't know what everyone else is like, but no matter how hard I try I always manage to get at least one out of line.

Have you tried clamping a fence to the drill press table, and drilling before you taper the neck? That way you're holes will always be the same distance from one side of the neck, at least.

[junk mutt]

Thanks for the tip raito, I'll try that.
I've always been a little gung-ho about things and generally just get stuck in, I suppose I'll just have to stand back a bit and think WWPD? (what would Preeb do)

[junk mutt]

Alright, this is where I'm up to as of tonight. I had to make a new neck because I was'n't happy with the other one I made, which is now in the bin.
Yesterday I cut the fret slots, drilled for the dot inlays and glued the new fretboard onto the neck.

Routed the fretboard flush with the neck


I sanded the body a little more, have to be careful with that orbital sander, it takes a lot off very quickly



So here is where I'm at.
Please feel free to comment, good or bad. I'm thick skinned so I can take it.


and another for good luck.



In the next couple of days, I'll radius the fretboard to 10" , carve the neck and drill for the tuners. And with a little luck I'll route out for the humbuckers.
Still waiting on my badass style bridge. Have fun.!!

[RogerC]

Lookin' good to me! I'm a sucker for dark fret boards, so you get a thumbs up from me

[junk mutt]

Thanks roger! Loving your build by the way
Ok, so I radiused the fretboard and glued in the MOP dots, sorry no pics of this process, my fingers were stuck together with superglue
Got my frets cut to roughly the size I wanted.



And pressed em in with my home-made caul in the drill press.



Got them all seated nicely ready for the ends to be trimmed with my dads old cutters. I ground the cutters flat so I can get close to the fretboard.
WARNING !! Dusty photo coming up !!



Filed the ends flush with the fretboard then filed an angle on them



I'll finish off the ends later on with a needle file set and give em a polish with varying degrees of sandpaper. Should'nt need much leveling with a little luck.

[RogerC]

To me, that is the part that makes me say "Oh Yeah! now we have a guitar!"

[junk mutt]

I'm glad the days are getting a bit warmer so I can work outside, I don't have a lot of room in the "workshop". I love this little shack though.

[flatfive]

Nice work, junk mutt, you're making good progress!
Our builds have a lot in common, both with set,
mahogany necks and wraparound bridges. I want
to see how (or if, maybe) you'll treat the neck/body joint.

[Barncaster]

Originally Posted by junk mutt

I'm glad the days are getting a bit warmer so I can work outside, I don't have a lot of room in the "workshop". I love this little shack though.

Hey Junk,

A man must have a shack or as we say in the US, a man cave. It is an essential for our mental health and well-being. By the way, very well done with the guitar!

Barncaster

[junk mutt]

Hi flatfive, thanks for the kind words.The neck is just a standard neck with a heel and a 3 degree angle, The neck pocket is just a standard size but deeper, if you know what i mean?
I left the side of lower part of the heel intact so I could get more glue surface, Hope it holds up ok.
Heres a coupla pics that might explain it better

[junk mutt]

Thanks Barncaster, I know what you mean about a place to escape. I leave her to her soaps and she leaves me " to play with my wood" as she says. :-)

[junk mutt]

Hi all, Hope everyone's having as much fun as me Ok, I got a bit more done in the last couple of days, I got the neck profile done- going for a nice chunky c profile.

Here it is roughed out. My main tools for this is a spoke shave and rasp then sanded later using 80, 120, 240, and 400 grit paper.



Heres the heel shaped more or less to how I want it, I can fine tune it later in the sanding stage.



Fuzzy shot of the headstock transition. I'm really good at taking crap photos

[junk mutt]

Routing out for the neck humbucker, I'll route for the bridge p'up when the wraparound gets here.



Drilling the wiring channel with a long 1/4" bit into the control cavity.



Glued in the neck. I did this now so I can start sanding the body and neck both at the same time and try to blend in the neck joint so its comfortable.