The Buttercaster Project

[jwells393]

Well ............... you could tell me either of those was the sharper one and I'd have to believe you because I can't tell any difference.

[andy__woods]

looks like the picture on top is a little brighter as far as color goes too, the green is a little greener on that side

[meyekel]

Hey Buckocaster, nice job documenting everything. You are making me want to start accumulating the parts to build one myself. Keep the info coming!

On a side note to the Pshop sharpening, try using the high pass at around 30-40 and using hard light. scrubby back the opacity to taste. it gives it that surreal/illustration look. desaturate a tad and you'd swear it was done in oil paint.

[Buckocaster51]

No time to get to the "shop" today...but supplies continue to pour in...

These are a couple of Allparts necks and staggered height tuners that arrived from the Home Office of Fret Tech the other day. Those Allparts necks are hard to beat. I have a couple of USACG necks and if they are any better I can't tell. (USACG does offer custom options - I guess that is what the "C" stands for - so you can get things from them that you can't get from Allparts.)

There are also a few Fender bridge plates in there. Dale down in Texas has some Glendale Wide Intone Twang compensated saddles coming my way that will finish them off nicely.



A couple of sets of Bill Lawrence Keystone pickups have arrived. The ones I have used in the past have been MORE than adequate and have opened a few eyes. The low price is just icing on the cake. I do want to try to put pickup covers on these. I just needs to have my chrome.



Tools! Where would we be without tool? I broke my sort of strick but not too strick rule of never spending more that $99 on a tool and got this great box from Grizzly. I hope there is an oscillating spindle sander in it.



and for those of you who have been follwing the discussion about sharpening up photos w/Photoshop, here is the same picture w/o using the HIGHPASS filter trick



betchacanseethedifferenceinthese

so much to learn...so little time to learn it in...

maybe Friday night, if I skip the football game, I can get one of the bodies routed for binding.

[mojocasterman]

wow, nice loot :)

And yes, I can see the difference now!

[Douglas_Holt]

Man this is GREAT stuff.

[tweeddeluxe]

Man am I glad I found this thread. Love it!

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

These are a couple of Allparts necks...

What? You're NOT making the necks???? That's the fun part!

[Buckocaster51]

oops!

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Tom S

What? You're NOT making the necks???? That's the fun part!

I do have a copy of Melyvn Hiscock's book and am taking notes and making plans. I suspect there is some neck making in my future.

Baby steps. Baby steps are the story of my life.

Thanks for looking out for me!

btw - I DID build the neck on this beast...



(this is either a stringless bass - or a photo of the back of an acoustic bass I put together a few years ago. I can't remember which it was.)

[jwells393]

....this is either a stringless bass .........

Stringless bass ........... ????????

[mojocasterman]

Originally Posted by Tom S

What? You're NOT making the necks???? That's the fun part!

considering how good the Allparts necks are, why bother? :)

[Ronkirn]

With a stringless bass, do you humm the notes into a mike over EQ'd on the low end while slapping the pickups? And how do you tune those strings that aren't there?

Ron Kirn

[Tom S]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

I do have a copy of Melyvn Hiscock's book and am taking notes and making plans. I suspect there is some neck making in my future.

Baby steps. Baby steps are the story of my life.

Thanks for looking out for me!

btw - I DID build the neck on this beast...

If you built that neck, you probably don't need Hiscock's book. And you already know there's something very satisfying about making your own neck! Then again, for all the work...

Originally Posted by mojocasterman

considering how good the Allparts necks are, why bother? :)

...there's definitely something to be said for this line of thinking!

[Big Tony]

I've been following this thread.
Just wanted to say that I think it's great, I'm learning new stuff all the time!

Thanks, Buckocaster51!

/ Tony

[Buckocaster51]

Another week done, several boxes of supplies have arrived, the football game is out of town tonight, we're not giggin...time to make some sawdust!

First thing is to get out the Grizzly Oscillating Spindle Sander. I have high hopes for this critter. My palm sander tends to "round over" the sides. I hope with the spindle sander I can keep the sides perpendicular to the top and back.



So we pop on the 3" diameter drum and sand away...



Low and behold...the sides are staying perpedicular and avoiding the round-over I get with the palm sander. I'm happy. This will make binding easier.

It's also nice to have a way to easily sand these small radii.

[Buckocaster51]

Now time to cut some channels for the binding.

Here's what I will be using. The world's worst router, and a set of Grizzly adjustable rabbeting cutters.



Here is the bad boy that will do the cutting. A carbide cutter with a pilot bearing. The set comes with a selection of bearings. One of them gives a cut that is the same thickness as the binding. There is a machine screw that goes into the top of the shaft that holds everything in place. Got to get it tight. That little fellow has spun loose on me a few times in the past. It gets lost in the sawdust, the bearing goes flying, and the cutter takes a big chunk of wood that you would rather have stay in the guitar. Not an entirely pleasant event.



Before I actually take the cutter to the guitar body, we make a sample cut in a piece of scrap. A short piece of binding fits nicely. I have measured twice and cut once. Norm will be happy.



With the cutter in the router and the body securely clamped to my workbench (aka a radial arm saw table) I am ready to make that first cut.

[Buckocaster51]

Take a DEEP breath and cut away...

and this is what you get. The flat spot is looking nice. Got to have a nice looking flatspot. All double bound Teles just got to. That's the way it is.



a few more careful cuts...repositioning the body on the work table...flipping it over...and suddenly, you have a body that has been routed for binding. (It only looks like the bearing got a little warm. Really.)



The world's worst router has come through again. Two bodies, one poplar and one alder are almost ready for binding and glue.



"Almost" because first we have to get rid of some of the fuzzy edges. 220 grit sandpaper will work nicely.

[tdowns]

Great thread!!! Thanks for sharing. You are a great craftsman. I know it's gonna come out great.

[Buckocaster51]

Time to do some binding, but I need fresh masking tape. Time to go to the Dollar General store. Do you know why it is called "Dollar General?" Many things, but not all things, only costs a dollar. Masking tape is one of those things that only cost a dollar. Spray paint only costs a dollar, but they don't have any good colors. It's nice when you can buy what you need for a dollar. Makes up buying that budget-busting Grizzly sander. It cost more than my self-imposed limit of $99.



On the way back from the Dollar General store we get a little glimpse of what the outside of the "shop" looks like. Truck needs washing. Truck needs washing BAD. Sawdust will do that.



Before we get going, I want to point out that my fingers are clean and not covered with cyanoacrylate glue. I bet in 15 minutes they will look different.



This project gets moved inside. It's nice and warm inside. Inside is a good place to be. Can't make sawdust inside. That would be bad. Can't be bad.

A container of cyanoacrylate glue (Super Glue to you non-chemists) some binding, a utility knife, my nice new masking tape, and a place to sit should be all that I need.

[Buckocaster51]

The binding fits nicely in the channel. It should, I measured twice and cut once. All you have to do is load up the channel with glue and put the binding in place.



and hold it all in place with lots of that $1/roll masking tape. Hey, it looks like we are back to that flat spot. I bet if Tele Customs didn't have a flat spot, they wouldn't be nearly as popular. I bet that is what it is...



We work out way down both sides towards "the hard part."



This is one of the hard parts. Straight plastic isn't really meant to go around sharp corners. Could use heat I guess. Flexing it back and forth, being careful not to flex it enough to break it (wonder how I know that?) applying some glue and holding it all in place with lots of that $1/roll masking tape also works.

[0le FUZZY]

...Ah!! great yew made it threw this here part!

...That neck pocket area waz the tuff part fer me.



...Mark Jenny gave me sum green tape fer my last bindin job and it werkes purdy good.

...My first won I held the bindin on with umpitty-squat big rubber bands I got from Stew Mac.



...Wish I could find that same glue again.

Could use heat I guess. Flexing it back and forth

...I used a hair dryer and I waz usin 3/16" bindin HEE! HEE! It iss hard stuff tew dew. I form fitted all the binding on the body with the hair dryer before I taped and glued. It the waz molded purdy good.

...Great thread!!!!!!


0le FUZZY

[Buckocaster51]

Looks like I missed one.

This binding is very flexible and easy to "preform" to the curves of the cutaway.

Good thing I bought three rolls of tape.



Here's where I was when I stopped to write this up and post some pictures. When I'm done here I'll finish them up on that side and let them dry for the night. Tomorrow morning I'll take off the tape and go to the front.



What do my fingers look like about now?



Oh my. They are loaded up pretty good. And yes...that is blood. Didn't move quite fast enough and that finger got "stuck" to the guitar. Pulling it off left a little skin behind. Oh well...

Just found this picture of the Dollar General paint shelf. It only costs a dollar (get it?) but there sure aren't any colors there that I want to put on a guitar.

[Clive Hugh]

As as matter of interest, if anyone is planning on building a body, if you want a drill bit of a similar length and can't find one, I have done this several times for jobs at work (I am a fitter machinist), get a drill of the required size, either get someone to do it for you or put it in a 3 jaw chuck on a lathe with the butt end out, this is fairly soft.
You can either drill a hole up it about 1/2 inch long or turn it down about 1/32 to 1/16 a side. You now get a bit of bright mild steel round ( sometimes called free machining steel) and either drill or turn it to fit. You only want about .002" clearance so drill the hole first and turn the spigot to suit. This is because the drill size can vary slightly.
Then use a silver solder to braze it on. You need the grade with the highest silver content, a brand name we use is Easy-Flo.
Before you join them make sure you have flux inside the hole and after machining DO NOT TOUCH THE NICE SHINY SURFACE WITH YOUR FINGERS, it will cause the Easy-flow to not bind properly.
When you get the flux in heat both parts up till flux melts and then push together, not with your bare hands it's hot, then keeping the flame on the job deposit a small bead on the join and using the flame chase it round, add a bit more and do the same.
It makes it easier if you lay it in a it of angle iron to keep it straight.You will find it works it's way in with capillary action and viola, a good strong joint that you can drill accurately with.
I have done this to drill out a series of holes that were in line on a flail mower element that was 8 feet long and a 5/8 drill.
Brilliant post ,it has been fascinating and inspiring.
I see stewmac have templates, are they any good?
Clive

[refin]

Fascinating thread,thanks for sharing the pics and info....can't wait to see and hear the final products!

[Telenator]

Nice work! I just did some maple binding on a walnut guitar project and man does that super glue wick through the wood! Stuck my fingers down nice and tight a few times!

Looking forward to the next installment!

[sean79]

Are you using one of those sanding "erasers" to clean your sanding drums? They are supposed to extend the life of the drums' sleeves - Grizzly calls them "abrasive belt cleaners" - they're pretty neat.

Threads like this really make me want to tackle another teleproject, but I think my wife would kill me if I started one without finishing her house. Great stuff... can't wait to see them finished.

[daviddoubleu]

This thread is great. So detailed, with brilliant pics, thanks Buckocaster51.

[Buckocaster51]

I stayed up last night and glued the front binding in place. Today is a new day so let's take off the tape see what we have.

From here it doesn't look too bad.



But let's take a closer look.



Super glue is nasty stuff. It wicks everywhere. It even glues tape to the wood. It would be really hard to bind a finished body. Certainly would have to be a bit neater about things than I have been. My hat is off to everybody that has pulled that off.

So it is back to the workbench/radial arm saw and my friend the palm sander. 60 grit paper should get rid of excess binding and the cyanoacrylate glue that has wicked and oozed.



Here we are after he have gone over the top and back with 80 grit paper. It is starting to look like a righteous Tele© body.

[Buckocaster51]

A trip back to the Grizzly Oscillating Spindle Sander will clean up the sides. I'm beginning to really like that gizmo. It used to take hours to sand the neck pocket area and cutaway, and then I was never happy with the results. It cost more than $99 but I am beginning to think it was worth it.



I have a guitar body!

Now "all" I have to do is repeat the sanding process with 100, 150, and 220 grits papers and it will be ready for the application of some deadly chemicals through an aerosol process.



By the way Paul, if you would like to use this picture on the TDPRI calendar, I am sure that we can work something out.

Thanks again to everybody for the thoughts, advice, and warm fuzzies you have been giving me on this little endeavor. I appreciate it.

[Jelly]

Wow again, Buckocaster! I bow to your craftmanship, dedication, and thrift. I have a question - you didn't mention how you approach the joint where the two ends of the binding finally meet up after the "hard part." Do you just carefully trim the edges on the fly? Do you cut it at a bevel or cut it flat and just butt them up? Also, it seems the binding on the back side must be really darn close to where the bolt-on neck holes are drilled? Any issues there?

[Tom S]

Things are looking great! Congrats!

Btw, there are other options for the binding glue. There is a particular glue made for plastic binding that might be easier to use than the CA you used (I'm assuming you used thin CA?). I have some, but didn't use it on my last project because the binding was wood and I needed the wicking effect. Another option I think would work nicely is the gel form of super glue. I used it for my dots and side markers. It is MUCH easier to control!

Funny story (though not at the time) about using thin CA on the bindings...
When I was gluing mine, I found that the thin CA is SO thin it will run right down the side of the body if you overdo it. But it's hard to see exactly how much you are applying. I kept wiping it off with a paper towel whenever I saw it run. I had the body on a plastic mat and was rotating it as I went. Well, I must have missed a run, becuase when I went to rotate the body at one point, it wouldn't move. The CA had run under the body, and it was glued to the plastic!

I ended up having to basically pry it off the plastic mat, and a thin layer of the veneer I was using was permanently bonded to the mat. I actually had to sand it off! That stuff is evil.

[reddogbass]

That CA glue is just too nasty, and not very forgiving...at least for me. I use the Weld-On #16 (like pictured in Ole Fuzzy's post) for the plastic binding to wood. Makes easy work of it. I don't know where it's available locally. I got it from Stew-Mac.

Tap Plastics also has glue that is very similar and works well. It's called Bond 634.

To make my job easier I cut out an identical shaped form from MDF and used a heat gun to form the binding. Made gluing a snap!

Nice job Buckocaster!

[Buckocaster51]

Before I bought the LIFETIME SUPPLY of CA that I am using...I was using DUCO Household Cement. Great smelling stuff! I did a half a dozen or so accoustics with it. Seemed to work okay.

I think that everybody that has used cyanoacrylates has some sort of horror story. (One little "gag" I like to pull is to give my 9th grade students an assignment that might require some glueing...and then maybe, just maybe, drop the hint that they might want to use CA. There's more to education then what you learn in a book.)

Clive Hugh asked about Stew-Mac templates. Don't know about them. I got mine from Ron Kirn. They seem to be pretty good. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

Jelly asked about the binding interfering with the neck attachment bolts. Not a problem. Plenty of room to spare.

He also asked about the place where the binding meets underneath the neck...I think the operative word is underneath the neck. It is so out of the way... I cut the first end to the correct length the bend the other one around to meet it with a little overlap. Then with a razor knife I try to cut through both pieces. If you pull that off you can get a nearly invisible joint. I rarely pull it off. But it is under the neck. I think that is an old finish carpenter's trick. (Every wonder why Finland has so many carpenters and why they are nearly all old?)

Reddog...that is a good idea about using the MDF (or .pdf) and heat gun to form the binding around. Already ahve the MDF in the form of the template. I have the black & white checkered purfling and binding coming up for the Martycaster. When I did my gold sparkle Buckocaster I was using pipe clamps, c-clamps, strapping tape...anything I could get my hands on. Preforming seems like it would be an improvement. I might give it a try. If I do, I will take some pictures.

Thanks again everybody. Doing and sharing is a lot of fun.

[reddogbass]

Bucko-

It took me a while to figure out what worked best for me in using the form. To give the impression (if I did) that I just strapped the binding to the form and heated it, and then it took that shape would be wrong.

What worked best was to heat, and form by hand to the aproximate shape. Once I was close, I then strapped it to the form and applied a little heat all around, allowing it to relax at the bends even more.

When it come time to apply the binding to the body, it was a cinch. The real benefit of it being pre-formed is that you don't have to apply mush pressure in the tight curves, or hold it as long before using tape. Tape is probably not necessary even, but what the heck- a little extra precaution doesn't hurt much.

[Buckocaster51]

10-4 Reddog

[Buckocaster51]

Well kids, the Old Buckocaster is in trouble...

If you have been following this thread you know that the "Buttercaster Project" is actually THREE guitars...the Buttercaster, the as of yet unnamed orange caster (maybe Capricaster) and the Martycaster which I hope will be visually similar to Fender's Marty Stuart Stratosphere Blue w/black & white checkerboard purfling.

So today I started work on the binding of the Martycaster. The back was a piece of cake. Unlike the Marty Stuart Fender, the Martycaster will only have the checkerboard on the front. The back just gets a single black piece of plastic. Just like the Buttercaster, except black. Same size. Same cutter. No sweat.

But the top is another story.

The binding purfling is made up of a stack of a piece of binding and the purfling. That will give me the black & white checks in the middle with a solid black line on both the outside and inside. The two pieces measure about "46" on the old dial-calipers.



So at some point I need to make a cut 0.146" in width. (That will be the width of the "shallow" ledge on the cut. The deeper part, on the outside needs to be the width of the outside piece of binding. The whole mess looks something like an upside-down "L" if you can visualize tht.)

My Grizzly cutters have changeable pilot bearings held in place by a little machine screw.



The big bearing...the one I have used for the binding so far on this project(s) gives me a cut that is about 0.124" deep.



The bearing the next size down gives a cut of 0.191" more or less.



There you have it. The big bearing is too small, and the small bearing is too big. (Think about that one.)

What's a simple Buckocaster to do?

When I cut the channel for my gold sparkle Buckocaster I "shimmed out" the smaller bearing with thin pieces of vinyl tape that I wrapped around the bearing. Not real eloquent, but it sort of worked - until the bearing heated up, the glue on the tape melted and fell off. Then I had a real mess. Fixed it up with Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty and covered it with paint. I know it's there but you can't see it. But I would rather not go through that again - if you know what I mean.

I'm thinking about talking a friendly machinist into turning a shim for me but that seems sort of whacky. Maybe I'll have to break down and spend some more $$$ - after all, it is only dirty paper.

Do you kids have any ideas?

[mojocasterman]

Man, how I love these threads, and how I deplore my total lack of abilities to even come close to *thinking* about maybe, one day, considering the chance that I may be so bold as to remotely entertain the faraway thought of handling such an unrealistic - for me - guitar buildin' endeavor

Great job, thanks so much for the pics and posts!

[0le FUZZY]

...I noe yew ain't payin me noe nevermind on iss but fi waz yew I'd place the vinyl tape in a strip jes unner the slot yew are routing and allow the bearing tew ride on it roun the body. It mite take a few layers tew make it thick enuff!!


0.F.

[Tedecaster]

Sounds like your binding is around .050" & you have a .045" discrepancy, pretty close. Do you have a spare piece of binding to glue to the body where the bearing would ride and then remove it? Basically the same idea as Fuzzy's just using a piece of binding. It would get you in the ballpark. There used to be laminate routers that had an adjustable guide wheel & bracket that clamped to the side of the router and held the wheel under the cutter (you used a regular, bearing-less bit) Someone probably still makes them. Or maybe you can find a specialty bit with the right cut. Keep those posts coming!