COMPLETED -- $100 Telecaster Challenge - Palletcaster

I'm in... I am not going to take this too seriously and I may not finish, although I will give it my best attempt… but it just sounds like too much fun throwing something together…

How about the Palletcaster ?

I was at work today looking around the recieving dock... The wood is probably not dry enough to be luther quality. I stopped by homey depoe and found some maple I can make a neck out of…

As I understand it the first Tele prototypes were made by Leo using 3/4" boards from amp production and that is why they were 1 1/2" thick. Imma glue me up some of these boards and make a 1 1/2" thick Palletcaster.


http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/palletcaster-a.jpg

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/palletcaster2-a.jpg

Hey, if it's good enough for Taylor, right?

Hey, I say that is definitely palletable. ;)

Yup...my pallet is wetted!!?!:shock::lol:

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/palletcaster2-a.jpg

Looking forward to this build Big Mike - Funny what an odd lot we are that we can look at this and say "Wait a minute... I can build a body out of this"

The pallet on top looks like some nice pine that had 1008 quarts of oil shipped on it... the stuff in the box was nailed to the floor of a 18 wheeler trailer used to block forklifts for shipment. = FREE wood!

Older pallets I think where hardwoods, and still are if used for heavy loads...
What woods I do not recall...

02-15-09

Well... I took the pallet apart and pulled all the nails from everything... now I got wood...
That's all I got done and then I went to the Sunday blues jam...


sorry bout the bad camera phone picture...
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/palletcaster4-a.jpg

If I fill a few holes I could make a second 2 piece body from this blocking wood...
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/palletcaster3-a.jpg

Nice Springer, and I don't mean spaniel. ;)

02-16-09

I decided to use the 3 pieces that run front to back on the pallet and not the top or bottom pieces so it is going to be a 4 piece pine body.

I don't have a table saw ... or a bench vise... so I make do with what I have to work with... an old saw my dad left me and a c clamp from harbor freight.
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1322a.jpg

I got the pieces sanded to fit together as best I can with my trusty belt sander.... smeared titebond on all the surfaces, put down some wax paper and clamped it up with some more clamps from harbor freight. All those clamps I bought years ago are coming in handy now...
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1326a.jpg

After a few minutes I scrape off most of the glue squeeze out with a piece of cardboard and flip it over and pull off the wax paper.
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1328a.jpg

Funny what an odd lot we are that we can look at this and say "Wait a minute... I can build a body out of this"

I don't look at wood the same since I found this place either.

Go for it Big Mike!

I don't look at wood the same since I found this place either.

Go for it Big Mike!


I had this affliction before I got here...:oops:

I been wanting a router... my wood working tools consist of a delta belt sander, a ryobi 9" benchtop bandsaw and a harbor freigh benchtop drill press... and now I got me a used router offa craigslist for $40...

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/500/medium/router-a.jpg

Man...another porter cable for 40 dollars.... I should check out CL.
marty

Major score with the router tips! Subscribed and good luck...now time to lay on my pallet.

That is a heck of a score for $40. Some of those bits probably cost about $40 each. Mount that extra base in a router table.

Well wednesday 12-18 I got it cut to shape and then on Thursday and Friday I sanded the top and back then routed the outside with a follower bit. It is a little farther along than these pics. I found a piece of maple for the neck that I had left over from making a 6 string banjo neck a few years ago.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1329a.jpg

I just love woodgrain....
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1330a.jpg

I made the hardware from some copper scraps left over from the motorcycle gas tank project.

I should have called it the coppertone-caster...
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1337a.jpg

I made the hardware from some copper scraps left over from the motorcycle gas tank project.

]


That is Sweet!!! love copper :mrgreen:

great work... that copper hardware is awesome

I finished routing on the body and drilled the wiring holes, It just needs a little sanding and it is ready for finish.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1340a.jpg

I went over to Maricopa's house and he let me use his fret slotting saw and jig. Also in this pic is the piece of maple I bought from Home depot a few years ago to make a 6 string neck for a banjo and this was the left over. I am going to use a 5/16 square bar epoxied in the neck instead of an adjustable truss rod.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1343a.jpg

Here is my template that I made by copying the Allparts neck in the middle of the pic and here you can see the neck blank has the steel bar epoxied in and the blank is rough cut to shape.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1346a.jpg

This is awesome! I particularly like the copper hardware.

Pine Palletcaster in Sonic Blonde (or is it Daphne Blonde?) with Paua dots.

I still need to profile the back of the neck and add some coats of clear over the next two days.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1355a.jpg
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1356a.jpg

Lookin' good! Can't wait to see the finished product!

I still think you should have left it 'Natural Pallet', but that looks great Mike.

Ended up being a good lookin' piece of neck there.

the ultimate "recycler" tele




brewws

So is this your first attempt at routing? I have been thinking about getting one and trying this kind of stuff, but I have never had my hands on one and am a little scared of the stories I have read here about mishaps with routers.

I decided to use a atandard size bridge and save the half bridge for something else later so I had to make another copper bridge. I made a copper bridge pickup base plate out of copper too.

Also here is a shot of the back of the neck with some finish on it.

I am liking the black pick guard with the Daphne Blonde and copper... Whadda y'all'uns think?

I might make a black leather one and save the allparts 1 ply in the pic for another project.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1369a.jpg

I made the hardware from some copper scraps left over from the motorcycle gas tank project.

I should have called it the coppertone-caster...
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1337a.jpg

How did you cut the slot in the control plate ? ? ?

I drilled a little hole at each end of the slot and then cut between the holes with a little disc on a dremel tool.

I am liking the black pick guard with the Daphne Blonde and copper... Whadda y'all'uns think?

I like the color scheme. Looks great with the copper parts.

Better use a liner/gasket under the neck plate with that soft of a metal for the plate.

The copper looks great!

Also here is a shot of the back of the neck with some finish on it.

Nice! That neck went from rough cut to awesome in a heartbeat!

Wait a sec, so not only did you fashion your own body, neck and hardware, but the pickup too?

Great looking work there Big Mike. I think you need to give us a little lesson and forming that bridge plate - if you have time.

Wait a sec, so not only did you fashion your own body, neck and hardware, but the pickup too?

Ian, The pickup I bought on ebay, it is supposed to be out of a 50's classic. I made a base plate for the pickup out of copper and I made the bridge out of copper.

RodeoTex, to make the bridge I out a fender bridge on top of the copper and scribed a line around it and marked all the holes. Then I center punched all the holes (except the 3 in the back lip) and drilled them all on a drill press. I clamped the copper between a piece of wood and the table and bent the sides over with a brass hammer. I cut out the pickup slot by drilling a series of 1/8 holes around the outside and then cut through the holes with a dremel cut off wheel and smoothed the inside of the slot with a dremel sanding drum and a file. I drilled the intonation holes last. Then I silver soldered the corners and filed it all smooth then went over it with a scotch brite pad.

In my minds eye I just saw an anaconda PG with that copper hardware. ;)
Probably a budget buster though.... ;)

http://www.petechimbidis.com/photos/gear/BajaAnaTeleBody.jpg



OR Brown Tortoiseshell perhaps...






OR

Ya I will probably still make a leather pickguard and dye it black.

That is awesome! You'll have to update us on how it plays, how fast the neck is, and how much it weighs. I know for less than $100, that may not mean much, but I'd like to know.

-TJ

Very cool!

Here are some progress photos... I still need to do a bunch of stuff... make a nut, wire it up, make a pickguard, Set up, strap buttons, string tree, maybe replace the brass saddles and hope it all works.

The neck is a slow neck... I prefer a slow neck because I hate playing fast... it is 1.02" at the 1st and 12th frets... this thing is a bat.

The knobe are copper solder on pipe caps I got at Lowes for .53 each with a wood insert to fit the pots and switch.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1381a.jpg

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/825/medium/img_1384a.jpg

Glad you kept the 'brand' Mike. It preserves the guitar's rich heritage as a transport platform for industrial equipment. :mrgreen:

Now hurry up and finish so we can show these things to the other guitar geeks at the jam.

looks cool! How did you join the three bent up sides in the corner on the bridge?

outstanding!

Cant say how much I love the copper!
Its too bad you that you cant get a copper P/u cover for the neck pu

Looks great. As mentioned already, the stamp left over there on the edge looks great.

j

Its too bad you that you cant get a copper P/u cover for the neck puDupli-Color makes a transparant tinted spray called MetalCast. It is available in a variety of colors. It is used by car enthusiasts to color chrome. I'll bet the Orange MetalCast would make that neck pickup cover look like copper............ not that there's anything wrong with leaving it as is.

......http://www.duplicolor.com/gallery/gallery_images/metalcast_wheel_orange.jpg

Good job Big Mike.............http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/Animations/ThumbsUp.gif

Hi Mike,

Very cool... Did you put a finish on the copper (lacquer?) or are you just going to let it tarnish and age? A buddy of mine uses a piece of 1/2" copper plumbing pipe for a slide and it has a really nice antique look now.

Cheers

Murray

looks cool! How did you join the three bent up sides in the corner on the bridge?

I used silver solder like you solder copper pipe together with.

Hi Mike,

Very cool... Did you put a finish on the copper (lacquer?) or are you just going to let it tarnish and age? A buddy of mine uses a piece of 1/2" copper plumbing pipe for a slide and it has a really nice antique look now.

Cheers

Murray

There is no finish on the copper... I thought about it but didn't do it. I will either leave it "au natural" or maybe put some Gibbs on it... it can tarnish and darken... patina ya know.

I took it to work yesterday and put it on the digital scale... 6.62lbs. I thought it may have been lighter since the body is only 1 1/2" thick, but I guess it's the big neck...

Well I have today off work as a "furlough" day so I am going to try to get a few things done. I need to scrape the lacquer offa the frets, make a pickguard, wire it up and put in the output jack, drill the knobs for setscrews and maybe make some copper saddles.

I wonder what effect the copper bridge plate and copper plate on the bottom of the pickup will have on the sound? The pickups are some I bought off ebay a couple of years ago that are supposed to be out of a 50's classic and I added a plate to the bottom of the bridge pickup.

On Thursday I had off work as a "furlough" day I got a few things done. I scraped the lacquer offa the frets, wired it up and made a home made socket cup kinda like an electrosocket and put in the output jack, drilled the knobs for setscrews and made a nut out of a dog bone from Petsmart that I had cut up for a previous project. I didn't have a .047 cap so I used 2 of the little .022 chicklet ones (because they were laying around) in series for a value of .044 and wired it like my other Pine tele (std 3 way). I made a string tree out of copper but it looked crummy so I put on an allparts tree.

Left to do:
I need to do a fret level
make a pickguard
make saddles (time permitting)
play guitar.

1) Do a fret level
2) Make pickguard
3) Make saddles (time permitting)
4) Play guitar
5) Send guitar to Keith

I made my own "electrosocket" to save $12... I tool a 3/4 nibco copper solder on pipe cap and cut it off, cut the end almost off, cut it down the side and made it fit in the 7/8" hole... then I melted some silver solder in the cup to solder the end back on and fill the split in the side... then with a few drill bits and my handy dremel tool I made it look kinda like an electrosocket.

cost .53 and and 1 1/2 hours labor...

Then I made a pickguard out of a scrap of leather that had some barb wire scratches in it. I copied the allparts pickguard shape. On this one I decided to not do any tooling except the groove around the outline. I dyed it black with fiebings USMC black and put some pecards leather dressing on it.

Here are the finished seductive couch photos...

Cost:
Pickups $40
Tuners $15
Pots $10 ($5ea)
Switch $9.50
Screws $3
Knobs $1.50

Total $84.50

Wood... free
Leather... scrap
Copper... scrap
Decals left over from 1st pinecaster
I still need to replace the saddles and string tree with copper ones.

I will post a sound clip in a few minutes...

Wooo!

Here is a sound clip to prove that it plays... (pardon my playing)

This is the Neck Pickup on rhythm and the Bridge pickup on lead.

www.members.cox.net/mp3post/palletcaster.mp3

Recorded plugged direct into the computer using Cakewalk, I did add some reverb to the mix.

Here is a sound clip to prove that it plays... (pardon my playing)

This is the Neck Pickup on rhythm and the Bridge pickup on lead.

www.members.cox.net/mp3post/palletcaster.mp3

Recorded plugged direct into the computer using Cakewalk, I did add some reverb to the mix.

I dream of playing as well as you.

Dont take this the wrong way but it sound just like a Tele:razz:
Well done:mrgreen:

Very nice, I would take it off your hands for 84.50$.

Well done sir! Moral of the story? Never judge a pallet by its load.

Love the basic black leather pickguard. Nice and clean look overall.

And the tone - nice and richly mellow.

Hate to see what you'd build for a few dollars more.....

Here is a sound clip to prove that it plays... (pardon my playing)

This is the Neck Pickup on rhythm and the Bridge pickup on lead.

www.members.cox.net/mp3post/palletcaster.mp3

Recorded plugged direct into the computer using Cakewalk, I did add some reverb to the mix.

I like it - nice twang! Very cool build, Big Mike!

I need to fine tune the pickup heights and setup a little... I am not a real Luther... The action is surprisingly low, maybe too low still... this is my second guitar where I made everything and the 3rd neck I have made. I built a Partscaster before but I bought the body, neck and all the parts and did the finish. oh and I just realized I need to put the strap buttons on too...

My favorite so far... I love all the guitars you intrepid home luthiers have made, but as a failed pallet woodworker, I've got to admire this one the most. This is the best contest EVER.

Mike brought it over the other night and it's as cool in person as it looks in the pics. Sounds nice too and my daughter even liked it better than my Dano-Caster! :sad:


Pick his, Pick his! :mrgreen:

This has been fun, demanding and an exercise in time management. It was a little frustrating for me because I am a bit detail oriented. All in all it turned out pretty well. The cost limit forced us to make and improvise on a few things we would probably have all bought.

My vote goes to Scatterlee or Martyb1 or Guitarbuilder... I don't have any delusions of winning and will probably give this guitar to my son if he wants it. (the neck is kinda big)

I need to get back to work on the motorcycle project now... The 77 shovelhead motor is finally done (builder had it for months) and I need to finish that project.

As you can see... I have a copper problem...
http://www.clubchopper.com/photopost/data/500/img_1239a.jpg
http://www.clubchopper.com/photopost/data/500/img_1208a.jpg

Thats a great looking guitar, Mike

Great job there Mike!

That turned out nice. Like the sound clip and the bike, too.

Looks great Mike.Like the others,love the copper!!:smile:

good job

Nice! Love the look of the copper hardware and the black pickguard on that finish!

Sounds sweet, too!

Good luck!

Jim