Hmmm , A Build for me ?

[crazydave911]

Serious tool envy here

Hey, I'm man enough to admit it (just remember that if I ever build a pink bass )

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by Mojotron

Looks great! Ya - I'm a big fan of using a face shield - they are awesome and easy to work with - adding a lot of safety.

Thanks Mojo :)

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by crazydave911

Serious tool envy here

Hey, I'm man enough to admit it (just remember that if I ever build a pink bass )

Ha , Dave , its nice to have tools for the job at hand , my wife calls my shop the retirement room , and if you ever build a pink bass I would probably be speechless :D

[mgdesigns]

Looks great Herb. When do you add the maple top? I thought they get added prior to flush trimming, but I guess I am wrong. Going to be a great sounding guitar for sure.

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by mgdesigns

Looks great Herb. When do you add the maple top? I thought they get added prior to flush trimming, but I guess I am wrong. Going to be a great sounding guitar for sure.

Thanks Mark , gonna hog out the chambers on the mahogany first , its heavy , then I'll glue down the cap and flush trim it using the body as the template , at least that's my plan for now :)

[davmac]

Originally Posted by adirondak5

Thanks Mark , gonna hog out the chambers on the mahogany first , its heavy , then I'll glue down the cap and flush trim it using the body as the template , at least that's my plan for now :)

That's exactly what I did with the last chambered Tele I built. Worked like a dream.

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by davmac

That's exactly what I did with the last chambered Tele I built. Worked like a dream.

Yep , I did the same with the thinline I built or started last year and finished up a month or so ago , that does seem to me to be the easiest or most convenient way to do it .

[adirondak5]

Ok , time to hog , I put the template for the chambers on , penciled the chamber outlines , took the template back off and hogged out about 15/16" in depth with a forstner bit , I'll get the rest with the router.

[adirondak5]

Got the router out and a 1/2" x 1" pattern bit , put the chamber template back on and went to work , the mahogany is a touch over 1 3/8" and the cap is at 3/8" , so I routed to a depth of just a hair over 1 "





Next I drilled 2 - 1/8" register holes in the cap , they line up with the template screw holes in the body , I put 2 tooth picks in the body screw holes so the cap will line up properly when I glue it on





Next I wipe down the surfaces to be glued with naptha , let it dry , spread some Titebond Original and slip the cap over the tooth picks and onto the body , add a lot of clamps . I uses a few of my 3/4" templates for clamping cauls so I don't mar the body or cap .

[mgdesigns]

Oh, now I get it. Looks great.

[kwerk]

Originally Posted by adirondak5

Ha , Dave.........and if you ever build a pink bass I would probably be speechless :D

Sounds like a direct challenge Dave

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by mgdesigns

Oh, now I get it. Looks great.

Thanks Mark

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by kwerk

Sounds like a direct challenge Dave

Ha , don't do it Dave ! :D

[adirondak5]

Took the clamps off this morning , nice tight glue joint .





Got the router table out with my 1/2" spiral upcut flush trim bit , I'll use the mahogany body as a template , it should clean off any glue squeeze out that I missed with the damp rag yesterday , I taped the sides of the mahogany with frog tape also so it was pretty much glue free when I stripped the tape this morning







Got the weight down to 4lbs 4.4 0z , after routing the neck pocket a pickup cavity I am hoping to be at a touch less than 4lbs .






Gotta start thinking about my finish , the mahogany is going to get mahogany color grain/pore filler and no staining or tinting , the maple cap I am not decided yet , not sure whether to go with a bigger roundover on top or faux binding , I may just tint the lacquer on the top , rub on a few coats of BC Sealer Filler to pop the flame a bit , I'll have to think on it a bit

[flatfive]

Wow, you're doing beautiful work, Herb, and also doing a good
job in explaining your process. Sorry I missed this thread until
now. I really like your choice of hardware and woods. That
top is going to be super-nice when finished. I'm looking forward
to see exactly what you do for finishing it.

Also looking forward to hearing how you like the TV Jones pickups.

By the way, with the spiral router bit, do you need something
more powerful than, say, a Porter-Cable 690?

Now subscribed!

[adirondak5]

Originally Posted by flatfive

Wow, you're doing beautiful work, Herb, and also doing a good
job in explaining your process. Sorry I missed this thread until
now. I really like your choice of hardware and woods. That
top is going to be super-nice when finished. I'm looking forward
to see exactly what you do for finishing it.

Also looking forward to hearing how you like the TV Jones pickups.

By the way, with the spiral router bit, do you need something
more powerful than, say, a Porter-Cable 690?

Now subscribed!

Thanks Glenn , this is the first time I've worked with mahogany (African mahogany) , it is heavy , easy to work with , machines nice , as hard as ash I've used in the past , very beautiful grain and shimmer to it , it should look real good grain filled and cleared , I am leaning towards faux binding on the cap , probably will end up wiping a stain and sanding it back also , that worked well on my last thinline . I can't wait to hear this TVJones Classic + either , it should rock , the hardware is really nice too , hopefully it will all meld together nicely.
As to using the spiral bit with a PC 690 , I would say no problem , I have a Bosch 1617 EVS in my router table it is a 12 amp 2 1/4 peak hp router , the PC 690 is an 11 amp 1 3/4 peak hp router , the top end on the Bosch is 25,000 rpm, the top end on the 690 is 27,500 rpm , for the way I route with this bit , only taking off 1/16" or less I believe the PC 690 would work fine with it , I get nowhere near even straining my router when I use this bit . I also think the Whiteside RFT5200 up cut Spiral Flush trim bit is a great bit for guitar work , no bearing lines on the bodies , no downhill routing saves a lot of work and a lot of time , I see on Amazon they have gone up a few dollers , around $81.00 now , I also see Sears lists them for $160.00 , big difference , but in the long run I think they are well worth the $81.00 , for the clean edge they leave and the work they save .

[crazydave911]

Originally Posted by adirondak5

Ha , don't do it Dave ! :D

Hmmmm, not that tempted................yet

[skipjackrc4]

Originally Posted by crazydave911

Look away, I am hideous

Ha!!

[adirondak5]

I sanded the sides with my sanding block , want to make sure they are pretty near perfect before I do the round over , especially with the bearing riding those sides , got them nice and smooth





Then absentmindedly I decided to drill the jack hole next , so I clamped the body to the workmate and got my hand drill and 7/8" forstner bit , marked center lines for the jack hole and drilled away






Next I needed to make the flat spot where the jack cup goes otherwise it'll have the dreaded butt crack , so I marked for the flat spot , got out the ROSS , and made my flat spot




Luckily before I started routing I realized that I should have done the round over first , especially since I am going for a 5/16" round over , now the bearing is going to fall into the jack hole , well , it would have if I didn't realize my mistake , but I did , so I routed the round over , only on the backside , from both sides towards the jack hole , there was less than a half inch that needed to be done where the bearing would fall in the hole , being I did this on the router table I did this area free hand sort of , I got away with it this time , round over came out good , I went with the 5/16" round over just to give the mahogany a softer look and edge , I think it does just that , I like it.

[adirondak5]

I forgot to show a pic of the round over at the jack hole where I almost had a major malfunction yesterday , so here it is



I also mounted the template to the back , just with clamps to route the rear control access .



Then I drilled a few holes with the hand drill and routed the opening





Also drilled the 2 - 3/8" holes for the volume and tone pot



I need to make a template for the rear control cover recess , I have an old metal cover that I'll use as a template to make the cover itself , dont know if I'll go with pickguard material or make one out of some of the scrap mahogany I have left.