Whodatpat's 2012 Build Challenge Thread -- COMPLETED

[whodatpat]

I will probably wind up doing a "fastest build" thread, but I will kick myself if I don't try. This challenge was an amazing experience last year. This year I am going to try to go by the original challenge rules, $100 or less. I will only have a month to work on it. I am in London for work so I won't have access to my shop until March 25th, and then I am on the road through the end of the month. My daughter has been asking for a guitar so this is as good of a time as any. I will have her help with sanding at least.. My only thought is a thinline without the F hole to cut weight. I may go with a shorter scale to cut weight. But that could over complicate the build. Peyton will decide on the color.
Cheers

[RogerC]

Great reason to build. Good luck!

[PapaLion]

Ah daughters... had three, now old and grey a feeble as a result... but ah... our sweet daughters.
enjoy the build, and the keen travel.

[raito]

Originally Posted by PapaLion

Ah daughters... had three, now old and grey a feeble as a result... but ah... our sweet daughters.
enjoy the build, and the keen travel.

I only have one, but I'm tricksy and waited until I was old and feeble to have her.

[crazydave911]

Welcome back Pat! And good luck!

Dave

[Muzikp]

Fastest build thread - that's funny, too bad you can't program it to scroll quicker than everyone else's thread .

[whodatpat]

Just a note to the moderator that I ain't thrown the towel in. I am just still in London. My daughter is looking forward to getting started with me Saturday. I will post pictures as soon as I have wood in hand.

[whodatpat]

After a day of jetlag I finally had a little progress today. The mystery wood timbers are from the attic in an old garage in Pennsylvania. They had nails through them that I will have to work around. Otherwise it is nice straight and thick rough cut lumber. Really white and soft, I am thinking it is a pine. It has virtually no odor left to it.


I plained it to get it fairly flat, and then my daughter Peyton and I used the table saw to square up the sides and the joiner to smooth the edges for gluing. (Dont worry, her hands are and will be kept clear of spinning sharp things.)

We indexed the pieces so that the old nail holes will miss the body when we cut it out.


It is really nice having someone around that is excited to vacuum up the dust!


All glued up. It will have to sit like this till I get home Friday and we can get started on cutting and making this look like the Purplecaster she is hoping for.

[src9000]

Very nice. Good luck.

[junk mutt]

Yeah, my daughter was into purple when she was little too, now she plays guitar better than me! Good luck with your build Pat.

[RogerC]

Nice work, Pat. It's always great seeing the kids get involved in these builds.

[nosmo]

I wish your daughter was around here to vac my shop. Maybe I could find those clamps that I'm sure are on the floor somewhere.......

[whodatpat]

I have been swamped bussy since I got back from Vegas. We managed to make some more progress.
Since the glue-joints were rock hard I let Peyton scrape them flat before we hit the planer.



Then I marked out the body to "miss" the nail holes and trimes the board to exactly 13 inches wide. (12.75 would have beeb better!)



After we got the thickness down to size we marked the body for real and drilled relief holes for the band saw.



The Ryobi 9" band saw was not up to the task and gave up half way through. So I finished the "cutout" with the drill press! (Thank you Scatterlee for yet another handy piece of wood shop ingenuity.)



I turned an old TV stand into a router table. Of course I braced it with what I use to brace everything in my shop. Failed and practice necks.



We ran out to Woodcraft to pick up the Purpleheart and Maple for the neck. Note to self (Measure twice before you BUY also!) This beautiful piece of birds-eye maple is too short for the normal Tele headstock. So I will have to use my modified (yet unoriginal) headstock design. I am still not sure if I want to cut this piece of maple down and put the fred board on it or save it for a 1 pice. It is really beautiful. Maybe i will check the Maple bin for 3/4 at Home Depot!



I ripped the Purpleheart and left a large enough piece for the skunk stripe and dowel. This stuff is not a "purple" in the middle. I planed the two pieces down so now I have an extra if i ever want another purple fret board.



Well I still have MUCH to do (even with a helper) and little time to do it so, Bye for now.

[Bowensby23]

Fantastic repurposing of that tv stand! And I think its great to see your daughter giving you a hand. I can't wait til my kids are old enough to help out

[volowv]

is the maple too small even with a short scale? or did that part of the plan change?

is purpleheart one of those woods that only changes colors when oxidized? or exposed to UV?

[Sharp5]

Great to see your daughter helping. In a few years mine will be there with me. The time spent together is priceless.

[nialldabass]

Originally Posted by Sharp5

Great to see your daughter helping. In a few years mine will be there with me. The time spent together is priceless.

Ain't that the truth.

And plenty of time to get this finished we are only three weeks in, seems alot longer

[whodatpat]

Decided against short scale. Full size everything. She can handle my guitars fine. I believe this wil be a guitar she sits with and one she can play forever. A short scale would find its way to a closet.

That purple is already coming back vividly. I read that on the google box thing that when the wood gets hot from the saw it can turn brown and when it cools it gets the color back. Your oxidation argument is likely closer to accurate. The sawdust was purple right away and that is probably because of the surface area to mass ratio. In any case I like it. I am thinking about Tru-Oil finish, but I have read lacquer does well. We will see. Never oiled a neck and i like learning new stuff.

[whodatpat]

Bowensby23, Sharp5, & Nialldabass,
Peyton is more excited for shop days than I am. I am enjoying the experience with her and knowing this is something she will tell her kids about.....as she is teaching them proper shop safety and how to make a basic t-style guitar. :-)

[Sharp5]

I really like Tru-Oil on the maple necks I've made. Great feel.