some of my jigs and templates

Scatter Lee · January 31st, 2009, 11:55 PM

so.....one day last month i decided to make me a Tele and doing a google search for tele blueprint brought me here to tdowns Rev D PDF then to ehawley's '53 CNC build thread, thats all it took to get me started, I only had to buy a router , everything else i had laying around, so i started making my jigs and templates

these were easy enough

then the neck stuff
neck template

and truss rod jig

fret slot cuttin jig

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 12:02 AM

here's my strait sandin fret board jig

the drill grinder

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 12:06 AM

drill bit guide

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 12:12 AM

few necks in the works

done so far

the "shop"

view from "the shop"

Casual_Reader · February 1st, 2009, 12:41 AM

Nice setup. Looks like it's under control - down to a science.

The radius sanding block... did you make that yourself? If so, how?

and what radius are you making them?

a skunk stripe and a glued fretboard? or a couple of each?

I like the warm color of the body on the white guard in your other post - what kind of wood is that?

questions questions questions...

Buckocaster51 · February 1st, 2009, 01:18 AM

Thanks for sharing your setups.

Looks like you have the bases covered.

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casual_Reader

Nice setup. Looks like it's under control - down to a science.

The radius sanding block... did you make that yourself? If so, how?

and what radius are you making them?

a skunk stripe and a glued fretboard? or a couple of each?

I like the warm color of the body on the white guard in your other post - what kind of wood is that?

questions questions questions...

the sanding block is 7.25, and I also made a 9.5
the camera batteries were dead when I did these but I screwed the router to a board, plunged a hole and measured 7.25 and 9.5 from the front of bit and nailed it to the bench so that it swung side to side

then cut a bunch of pieces of 3/4" wood to this shape

then glued them all together

the necks are all solid maple,

the white guard tele is made of oak from an old antique table that was sitting around in my way, it was almost black, I just sanded it and cleared it, the oak tele neck was a piece of the table that was 7/8" so i guess i did glue on a 1/8" piece of maple to get 1" after i did the skunk strip on the back, that was a practice piece anyway

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 01:36 AM

cant forget the pickguard template

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 01:39 AM

I also tool my own leather guitar straps

BlueRob · February 1st, 2009, 01:49 AM

For the love of....you have the whole enchilada there mate! Ha! but you forgot the most important gadget! A fridge with a couple of cold beers....or in the worst case a coffee brewer! LOL!
Awesome shop! and for what you showed awesome a pure quality results! BTW that leather strap pf the sexy cowgirl its fantastic!

Dlo132 · February 1st, 2009, 01:59 AM

Everything looks pretty sweet... Maybe do a tutorial on the strap making- your cowgirl strap matches my tat :)

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueRob

For the love of....you have the whole enchilada there mate! Ha! but you forgot the most important gadget! A fridge with a couple of cold beers....or in the worst case a coffee brewer! LOL!
Awesome shop! and for what you showed awesome a pure quality results! BTW that leather strap pf the sexy cowgirl its fantastic!

got the fridge there and the kitchen sink

sean79 · February 1st, 2009, 02:10 AM

Awesome set up - wish I had a shop like that. Nice work on the leather too. What kind of dye did you use for the black horizontal box across the girl's chest? I've never seen a leather dye that opaque...

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dlo132

Everything looks pretty sweet... Maybe do a tutorial on the strap making- your cowgirl strap matches my tat :)

my name on youtube is ratfinkazoid, check that out for more of my leather stuff

Casual_Reader · February 1st, 2009, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scatter Lee

...an old antique table that was sitting around in my way

Well that's the thing about oak furniture, isn't it? It's much easier to carry around in telecaster sized pieces.

I do like the pecan shade of it in the picture.

the sanding blocks - simple and elegant. Thanks. I had some sort of brain block as to how it could be done. Visions of the tip of a belt sander swinging back and forth on an adjustable swing set were going through my head.

martyb1 · February 1st, 2009, 02:14 AM

Always wondered what to do with that old bed frame!

Great Stuff!!

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyb1

Always wondered what to do with that old bed frame!

Great Stuff!!

parts is parts

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 02:26 AM

made truss rods too, I guess the hardest part is drilling thru the middle of 3/8" x 1" rod with a vise, hand drill and my eyeball

Casual_Reader · February 1st, 2009, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scatter Lee

made truss rods too, I guess the hardest part is drilling thru the middle of 3/8" x 1" rod with a vise, hand drill and my eyeball

Ouch.

have you been introduced to www.mcmaster.com?

barrel nuts - threaded standoffs

as many taps as I've snapped...

Lostheart · February 1st, 2009, 05:35 AM

Awesome stuff here...

guitarbuilder · February 1st, 2009, 07:27 AM

Hi Lee,

I like your cool sanding jig. You might be interested in checking out my router version on www. luthiersforum.com and mimf. Search for McClary jig. More chips, less dust, less time, and I think you could adapt it to your rails pretty easily.
I love jigs. :-). That is quite an art in itself that leatherwork you do.

mimf.com/library/fingerboard_radius3.htm

Marty

ehawley · February 1st, 2009, 09:16 AM

So many ways to make a guitar!

...Looking good Lee! I hope the fridge is as well stocked as your shop!

Cheers
ED

Scatter Lee · February 1st, 2009, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitarbuilder

Hi Lee,

I like your cool sanding jig. You might be interested in checking out my router version on www. luthiersforum.com and mimf. Search for McClary jig. More chips, less dust, less time, and I think you could adapt it to your rails pretty easily.
I love jigs. :-). That is quite an art in itself that leatherwork you do.

mimf.com/library/fingerboard_radius3.htm

Marty

thanks for that, got up this morning and made one, a real nice jig

bobthecanadian · February 1st, 2009, 07:49 PM

You have some skills my friend.. mad, mad skills.

guitarbuilder · February 1st, 2009, 07:56 PM

I always did think that would be a perfect jig to dedicate to one of the cheap laminate trimmers you can get for 20 dollars at harbor freight since very little material is removed from the neck or fingerboard. Maybe I'll do a new version.

olgluefoot · February 1st, 2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scatter Lee

I also tool my own leather guitar straps

Skeleton strap is amazing!!

(the babe is nice of course)

mattdean4130 · February 1st, 2009, 09:32 PM

i want boobies on my strap! Do you make straps to sell? Where would one go about checking out what you have?
Awesome workshop and jigs by the way, looks like you have it down to a T

Buckocaster51 · February 1st, 2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitarbuilder

Hi Lee,

I like your cool sanding jig. You might be interested in checking out my router version on www. luthiersforum.com and mimf.

That jig is crazy neat!

Someday...when I have the room...

BlueRob · February 2nd, 2009, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scatter Lee

got the fridge there and the kitchen sink

Well then! now you have a complete shop!

Scatter Lee · February 3rd, 2009, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattdean4130

i want boobies on my strap! Do you make straps to sell? Where would one go about checking out what you have?
Awesome workshop and jigs by the way, looks like you have it down to a T

dont have a website , I'll post some pics on my photobucket in a day or two

Vizcaster · February 3rd, 2009, 01:03 PM

On that fretboard radius jig - if you were to put two slightly different radii on the two arcs of the router base, and skew the guide rods so they're not parallel - aside from entirely unpredictable results would that give you a way to get a conical/compound radius?

Trying to avoid reinventing the wheel here since I'd bet one of you talented people has come up with it already. I was thinking about a sled on the router table but it would be more complicated than this jig.

Also, gotta say, I've never seen sculpture in leather tooling anywhere else.

LocustPlague · February 3rd, 2009, 01:43 PM

I'm fairly certain you won't get a compound radius..

in order to get the compound radius, you'd need the different radius on each end of the fretboard and the router would need to travel down the length of the fretboard (while those radiused rails stay in the same place)

http://www.cambrianguitars.com/compradjig.html

guitarbuilder · February 3rd, 2009, 05:11 PM

I don't do compound radii. My jig runs in a matching bottom section with the same arch as the top, like what is on the bottom of a band saw table that allows it to tilt. Check out the luthiersforum for more variations for compound radius jigs.
Marty

RodeoTex · February 3rd, 2009, 06:27 PM

So how would you move that router, by rocking it back and forth across the neck or by sliding it up and down the length?

guitarbuilder · February 3rd, 2009, 06:28 PM

Both, on my jig, I tilt the router by pushing it forward on the arc and then running it left and right. Push router forward some more, repeat left to right. You do this until it is arched. Takes about 2 minutes or less. I finish up with a radius block to remove tool marks.
Marty

Scatter Lee · February 3rd, 2009, 06:57 PM

i ran it up and down longways, putting the pvc on the rails makes it a real smooth move

52Tele_lover · February 5th, 2009, 05:52 PM

Would you be able to explain exactly how you made the truss rod? i would really like to try!

BlueRob · February 5th, 2009, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scatter Lee

i ran it up and down longways, putting the pvc on the rails makes it a real smooth move

Ha! Pretty smart!

Scatter Lee · February 10th, 2009, 11:16 PM

today I needed a planer after making a body to thick, so I found an old vinyl window frame, some PVC water pipe, old ceiling light track, piece of plywood and two little 2x4 pieces, screwed on my router and BAM!, got me a planer

Buckocaster51 · February 10th, 2009, 11:22 PM

The ideas that you are giving me!

Thanks again.

January 31st, 2009, 11:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	some of my jigs and templates so.....one day last month i decided to make me a Tele and doing a google search for tele blueprint brought me here to tdowns Rev D PDF then to ehawley's '53 CNC build thread, thats all it took to get me started, I only had to buy a router , everything else i had laying around, so i started making my jigs and templates these were easy enough then the neck stuff neck template and truss rod jig fret slot cuttin jig

February 1st, 2009, 01:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
Buckocaster51 Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Iowa USA Age: 58 Posts: 8,831 1 Photos	Thanks for sharing your setups. Looks like you have the bases covered. __________________ "If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all." - Thumper the Rabbit "An awfully lot of time can be wasted waiting for the right time." - Gunsmoke's Doc Adams

February 1st, 2009, 02:10 AM	#13 (permalink)
sean79 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: northcentral/western Pennsylvania Posts: 2,986 8 Photos	Awesome set up - wish I had a shop like that. Nice work on the leather too. What kind of dye did you use for the black horizontal box across the girl's chest? I've never seen a leather dye that opaque... __________________ Every now and then I know it's kind of hard to tell, but I'm still alive and well.

February 1st, 2009, 02:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
martyb1 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Age: 45 Posts: 1,920 13 Photos	Always wondered what to do with that old bed frame! Great Stuff!! __________________ Before throwing it out,make sure it's not 16x13x1.75

February 1st, 2009, 05:35 AM	#20 (permalink)
Lostheart Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Germany Posts: 1,834	Awesome stuff here... __________________ Casper: "Mmmmm. Butterscotch, yo. That's the best!" From the movie Kids

February 1st, 2009, 12:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	here's my strait sandin fret board jig the drill grinder

February 1st, 2009, 12:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	drill bit guide

February 1st, 2009, 12:12 AM	#4 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	few necks in the works done so far the "shop" view from "the shop"

February 1st, 2009, 12:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
Casual_Reader Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ohio Age: 50 Posts: 463	Nice setup. Looks like it's under control - down to a science. The radius sanding block... did you make that yourself? If so, how? and what radius are you making them? a skunk stripe and a glued fretboard? or a couple of each? I like the warm color of the body on the white guard in your other post - what kind of wood is that? questions questions questions...

February 1st, 2009, 01:36 AM	#8 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	cant forget the pickguard template

February 1st, 2009, 01:39 AM	#9 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	I also tool my own leather guitar straps

February 1st, 2009, 01:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
BlueRob Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Mexico Age: 30 Posts: 155 3 Photos	For the love of....you have the whole enchilada there mate! Ha! but you forgot the most important gadget! A fridge with a couple of cold beers....or in the worst case a coffee brewer! LOL! Awesome shop! and for what you showed awesome a pure quality results! BTW that leather strap pf the sexy cowgirl its fantastic!

February 1st, 2009, 01:59 AM	#11 (permalink)
Dlo132 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Age: 32 Posts: 44	Everything looks pretty sweet... Maybe do a tutorial on the strap making- your cowgirl strap matches my tat :)

February 1st, 2009, 02:26 AM	#18 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	made truss rods too, I guess the hardest part is drilling thru the middle of 3/8" x 1" rod with a vise, hand drill and my eyeball

February 1st, 2009, 07:27 AM	#21 (permalink)
guitarbuilder Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hemlock, NY Age: 55 Posts: 1,066	Hi Lee, I like your cool sanding jig. You might be interested in checking out my router version on www. luthiersforum.com and mimf. Search for McClary jig. More chips, less dust, less time, and I think you could adapt it to your rails pretty easily. I love jigs. :-). That is quite an art in itself that leatherwork you do. mimf.com/library/fingerboard_radius3.htm Marty

February 1st, 2009, 09:16 AM	#22 (permalink)
ehawley Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Keyport, New Jersey Age: 56 Posts: 1,232 48 Photos	So many ways to make a guitar!...Looking good Lee! I hope the fridge is as well stocked as your shop! Cheers ED

February 1st, 2009, 07:49 PM	#24 (permalink)
bobthecanadian Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: EDMONTON, Alberta... yes, in CANADA Age: 43 Posts: 1,777	You have some skills my friend.. mad, mad skills. __________________ It don't mean a thang if it ain't got that TWANG!!!

February 1st, 2009, 07:56 PM	#25 (permalink)
guitarbuilder Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hemlock, NY Age: 55 Posts: 1,066	I always did think that would be a perfect jig to dedicate to one of the cheap laminate trimmers you can get for 20 dollars at harbor freight since very little material is removed from the neck or fingerboard. Maybe I'll do a new version.

February 1st, 2009, 09:32 PM	#27 (permalink)
mattdean4130 Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia Posts: 198	i want boobies on my strap! Do you make straps to sell? Where would one go about checking out what you have? Awesome workshop and jigs by the way, looks like you have it down to a T

February 3rd, 2009, 01:03 PM	#31 (permalink)
Vizcaster Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Glen Head, NY Posts: 911	On that fretboard radius jig - if you were to put two slightly different radii on the two arcs of the router base, and skew the guide rods so they're not parallel - aside from entirely unpredictable results would that give you a way to get a conical/compound radius? Trying to avoid reinventing the wheel here since I'd bet one of you talented people has come up with it already. I was thinking about a sled on the router table but it would be more complicated than this jig. Also, gotta say, I've never seen sculpture in leather tooling anywhere else. __________________ "Why don't you just make 10 louder, and make 10 be the top number, and make that a little louder?"

February 3rd, 2009, 01:43 PM	#32 (permalink)
LocustPlague Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 498	I'm fairly certain you won't get a compound radius.. in order to get the compound radius, you'd need the different radius on each end of the fretboard and the router would need to travel down the length of the fretboard (while those radiused rails stay in the same place) http://www.cambrianguitars.com/compradjig.html Last edited by LocustPlague; February 3rd, 2009 at 02:15 PM..

February 3rd, 2009, 05:11 PM	#33 (permalink)
guitarbuilder Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hemlock, NY Age: 55 Posts: 1,066	I don't do compound radii. My jig runs in a matching bottom section with the same arch as the top, like what is on the bottom of a band saw table that allows it to tilt. Check out the luthiersforum for more variations for compound radius jigs. Marty

February 3rd, 2009, 06:27 PM	#34 (permalink)
RodeoTex Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,125	So how would you move that router, by rocking it back and forth across the neck or by sliding it up and down the length? __________________ Turn it on, turn it up, turn me loose.

February 3rd, 2009, 06:28 PM	#35 (permalink)
guitarbuilder Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hemlock, NY Age: 55 Posts: 1,066	Both, on my jig, I tilt the router by pushing it forward on the arc and then running it left and right. Push router forward some more, repeat left to right. You do this until it is arched. Takes about 2 minutes or less. I finish up with a radius block to remove tool marks. Marty

February 3rd, 2009, 06:57 PM	#36 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	i ran it up and down longways, putting the pvc on the rails makes it a real smooth move

IMPORTANT:Treat everyone here with respect, no matter how difficult! No sex, drug, political, religion or hate discussion permitted here.

February 5th, 2009, 05:52 PM	#37 (permalink)
52Tele_lover Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 126	Would you be able to explain exactly how you made the truss rod? i would really like to try!

February 10th, 2009, 11:16 PM	#39 (permalink)
Scatter Lee Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ina-gadda-da-vida, florida Age: 51 Posts: 701	today I needed a planer after making a body to thick, so I found an old vinyl window frame, some PVC water pipe, old ceiling light track, piece of plywood and two little 2x4 pieces, screwed on my router and BAM!, got me a planer

February 10th, 2009, 11:22 PM	#40 (permalink)
Buckocaster51 Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Iowa USA Age: 58 Posts: 8,831 1 Photos	The ideas that you are giving me! Thanks again. __________________ "If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all." - Thumper the Rabbit "An awfully lot of time can be wasted waiting for the right time." - Gunsmoke's Doc Adams