Scraptasticaster Blanks!

[Jupiter]

Some of you have read that I stumbled onto a cache of Indonesian mahogany scraps about 5cmx5cmx40cm (like 2"x2"x17"). I got 'em to use for firewood, but after figuring out what they were, I pulled a pile of the best ones for building purposes. This stuff was just sitting outside on a pallet for I don't know how long, so some pieces are pretty weathered, and a lot of otherwise nice pieces had split or checked. They seem to fall into two categories: really lightweight, light-colored ones that look kinda like korina, and quite heavy dark red ones that ring like claves (a lotta these had to be rejected due to checks and cracks...).

My plan is to glue up at least one blank each of the light ones and heavy ones, with the idea that the light ones will become a solid-body guitar, and the heavy ones will become some kind of thinline.

Today, 'cuz I'm getting sick of dremeling little rockets out of baked fimo sheets, I decided to start on the blanks. So I grabbed a stack of the lighter ones.

Working outside in the popcorn snow. Es muy macho, no?



A little sun, too.



I can only get 7 sticks in there at once, and I reckon I'm going to need 8 when all is said and done, so I did 2 batches.



Some of the ones that looked and sounded the best had to be discarded because they were twisted, and I didn't trust 'em.

After running the sled over them, I had to use my hunk o' granite to take out the router marks. Somehow my system isn't precise enough to get perfectly smooth faces just from routing....



I ended up with this:



Color doesn't match well enough for any kind of transparent finish.



Some have quite a few, um, tone holes, I think they're called.

And is this spalting? Do I need to worry about that stick being strong enough to hold a bridge screw??



Mineral streaks--or maybe mold....



Anyway, I think I can get 8 decent pieces out of this. Think I'll try gluing it up tomorrow.



The rejects are really great firewood, by the way; they burn long and hot and fit perfectly in my little woodstove.

[Rich Rice]

Great start! An obvious suggestion here, but it will be easiest for you to fit four at a time to glue, then stick the two subassemblies together as a separate step. You will have more control and a better result than trying to glue seven plus one. ;)

[Jupiter]

Originally Posted by Rich Rice

Great start! An obvious suggestion here, but it will be easiest for you to fit four at a time to glue, then stick the two subassemblies together as a separate step. You will have more control and a better result than trying to glue seven plus one. ;)

Thanks. I was starting to puzzle about this. I probably would have tried to get all 8 together at once, and then ended up with a gluey mess.

[Rich Rice]

LOL.. I've fought that battle before.. It's easier to work with fewer pieces, as they want to slide around when the glue goes on.. I've also stuck two together, let set, then added one at a time. That worked much better, but took more time.

[Cliff Rogers]

Watching, you going to call it 'The Chopping Board'?

[Jupiter]

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Watching, you going to call it 'The Chopping Board'?

Nobody likes "Scraptasticaster"?

[crazydave911]

Originally Posted by Jupiter

Nobody likes "Scraptasticaster"?

Hey, I do!

[whodatpat]

Originally Posted by Jupiter

I got 'em to use for firewood, but after figuring out what they were, I pulled a pile of the best ones for building purposes.

It has been my experience that just because I have decided to cut some wood up and call it a guitar does not guarantee that it will not end its life as a pretty piece of fire wood.

[Bentley]

Its not like you have anything to lose by doing this, you have a huge pile of patchup wood if anything goes wrong too! This is going to be scraptacular!

[jimdkc]

I think I'd arrange them for maximum contrast between pieces, fill all the "tone holes" with something black, and still do a transparent finish! Maybe a deep wine red?

Nice find!

[RogerC]

Originally Posted by Jupiter

Nobody likes "Scraptasticaster"?

Originally Posted by crazydave911

Hey, I do!

Me too

This looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.

[nickhofen]

Originally Posted by crazydave911

Hey, I do!

I do too, dadaridatoo.

[Jupiter]

Originally Posted by whodatpat

It has been my experience that just because I have decided to cut some wood up and call it a guitar does not guarantee that it will not end its life as a pretty piece of fire wood.

At least in this case, it'll be a short trip!

[glen smith]

Me three!

[Warem]

And me four.
A great project you got going there Jupiter.

[adirondak5]

Count me in too , I mean 5

[Jupiter]

Gee, now I have actually do it....




Gotta arrange them to fit the outline of my next body shape, otherwise they're not quite long enough. Marked for order, orientation, etc.



That was way too much glue. Those puppies slipped around like crazy while I was trying the get the clamps on. I got glue everywhere....



It was pretty messy. On the next one, I used a plastic putty knife-type thing to spread the glue and scrape off excess. That one didn't slip around as much.

I also learned something that might be useful to some folks: Titebond Original doesn't stick to baking paper. I need to replace the roll I stole from the kitchen.

I'm going to do these up in pairs, then glue pairs into groups of 4. Man, with the fun I had getting two sticks together, I shudder to think what might have happened if I'd tried to do 8 at once.

[Mike Simpson]

I use waxed paper like you show and I also leave it clamped for about 30 to 45 minutes and then unclamp it and wipe off all the excess glue with a wet rag.

[crazydave911]

Whoa! Can you get pipe clamps (preferably small ones) where you are? If so use an old furniture makers trick. Just alternate the clamps over and under (minimum 4 clamps, all the same type) and make sure you do it on a level surface. They will be self-leveling and leave you very little truing up to do . And for god's sake, get a little touch-up paint roller to apply that glue. Great coverage, very little squeeze out (paper rollers are better than foam )
If you can't find any of that, check out my build from the 2011 Build Challenge. I used sticks just like that, of poplar, and I didn't have pipe clamps

LINK

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Jupiter

On the next one, I used a plastic putty knife-type thing to spread the glue and scrape off excess.

Get some of those small diameter fabric trim rollers @ The Homie Despot...