The Emeraldcaster Project (aka Son of Meloncaster)

[Buckocaster51]

Hey!

I just noticed...the sharp-eyed observer will see the "bondo" in the pickup cavity.



Some chucklehead got a little agressive with his new Forstner bit when he was hogging out the cavities prior to routing them.

Autobody filler is great stuff! Almost as good as spray epoxy!

This body has its share of dingers, but once those sparkles are on...

[MandyMarie]

I wish this thread was a T.V. show...*blush*

Steve, you're killin' me here...can I put dibs on this one instead of the pink one? Can I change my mind after each one you build? Haha!

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by MandyMarie

Steve, you're killin' me here...can I put dibs on this one instead of the pink one? Can I change my mind after each one you build? Haha!

You sure?



Maybe you need BOTH of them?

[Taipan]

Buckocaster51- Looking back at your posts I could not tell how much you adjusted your router for leaving enough of the binding for scraping. Can you tell me approx how much it was depth and from the side?
P. S I'm thinking the Gold one is looking rather hot in the picture next to the green and pick one

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Taipan

Buckocaster51- Looking back at your posts I could not tell how much you adjusted your router for leaving enough of the binding for scraping. Can you tell me approx how much it was depth and from the side?

You see...the plan...and there ALWAYS is a plan...is to put the binding in flush with the wood...so there need be no scraping...

I think it is the glue...yeah that's it...the thickness of the glue makes the plastic stick up a bit proud of the wood...yup! That's the ticket!

But, we would rather take the plastic down a bit...taking the wood down is a lot of work.

Ben there...done that.

Thanks for the props on that gold guitar. Of the three, that is probably my favorite. It has one of those Adder neck pickups...and is a real fine sounding guitar.

[Buckocaster51]

BTW Taipan. Welcome to the TDPRI!

You've landed in one of the friendliest places on the 'net.

[martyb1]

Bucko
What kind of C/A glue do you find works the best.I am about to attempt a binding and was curious.Thin,med or thick?
You are the binding king!!!!!

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by martyb1

Bucko
What kind of C/A glue do you find works the best...Thin,med or thick?..

I used thin, runny stuff that got all over my fingers on this.

There are lots of glues that will work. There is something called DUCO that works very well. Stew Mac also sells a non-CA glue that works well.

Then there is Luthiers Mercantile International a good source of stuff.

[martyb1]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

I used thin, runny stuff that got all over my fingers on this.

There are lots of glues that will work. There is something called DUCO that works very well. Stew Mac also sells a non-CA glue that works well.

Then there is Luthiers Mercantile International a good source of stuff.

Looks like good stuff but once again no shipping to Canada

[martyb1]

I was looking at this stuff.Hard to get C/A glue in any decent size out here in the boonies

C/A Glue

[OutlawSteph1975]

Oh my.. look at all that Gold!!

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

You sure?

[MandyMarie]

I...can't...take....it.

Too much sparkle makes me talk like William Shatner - your photos literally make me want to run around the house like a little kid!!!

[getbent]

That green one is crazy! where'd the blue one go? I'm starting a fan club for the blue one!

[fenderix]

Originally Posted by getbent

That green one is crazy! where'd the blue one go? I'm starting a fan club for the blue one!

I'm with you getbent! Sign me up as a member in "The Blue Sparkle Fan Club".

Maybe if we ask nicely, Bucko will humour us and post a picture of it again?

[Buckocaster51]

Don't worry kids,



it's hiding under a Photoshop layer.

Sort of makes you wonder if ANY of them are real?

[riggergreg]

Alright Steve, Ed's done with his. Now get back to work

[HiggyDude]

Bucko,

Question on the binding - can you soak it in warm (or hot) water to make it more pliable for the horn and rounded areas? I would think if you used warm water - not too hot - it would not affect the gluing that much. Being the science teacher how would a warm surface affect the cyano? Make it set faster or slower? I would guess the warmth would make the glue set slower and be less thick...just a thought...

Higgs

[MandyMarie]

Hahahaha!

Randy, count me in...I want to at least be treasurer (...maybe I shouldn't be, I can't even spell it) or something - that photo is the desktop on my computer and I gawk at it daily.

...and then it makes my Teles extremely jealous.

[getbent]

Originally Posted by MandyMarie

Hahahaha!

Randy, count me in...I want to at least be treasurer (...maybe I shouldn't be, I can't even spell it) or something - that photo is the desktop on my computer and I gawk at it daily.

...and then it makes my Teles extremely jealous.

Mand,

I didn't hire you for yer spellin' darlin! My but you are a whiz at figures though!

The challenge is to see the green giant with those other beauties... That pink'en looks good too (he says after dragging his spousal unit's pinkish suitcases through airports the last few days)

That black and white binding is just magic.

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by getbent

That black and white binding is just magic.

Ain't it the truth!

Ain't it the truth!

But..I think it is going to add about 15 hours to this guitar. I'm paying a little more attention to the time on this one - as it looks like I might be putting quite a few of them togther this coming year.

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by HiggyDude

Bucko,

Question on the binding - can you soak it in warm (or hot) water to make it more pliable for the horn and rounded areas? I would think if you used warm water - not too hot - it would not affect the gluing that much. Being the science teacher how would a warm surface affect the cyano? Make it set faster or slower? I would guess the warmth would make the glue set slower and be less thick...just a thought...

Higgs

I am certain that heating the binding prior to bending it would help. A hair dryer would probably be good...and keep things dry. I just haven't tried it yet. Other than around the horn/cutaway, it really isn't an issue. I'll try to remember to try it on the next one...the Rubycaster.

Pretty sure that CA glue cures through a chemical reaction rather than "drying." As such, heating it up would speed up the setting. What is it? The rate of a chemical reaction roughly doubles for every 10 Kelvin (K) increase in temperature? Something like that.


Cheers

Steve Dikkers
aka Buckocaster51

[Chaparral]

I hear the sound of man hours per guitar being calculated at this very moment!

[Chaparral]

I once knew a gentleman, still do I guess assuming he's not passed on(I don't live there anymore) that used to build mandolins in his retired spare time. He had a heat gun that he used to hit the binding with around the scrolls on F-5s. It would wilt immediately.

[BarnesTO]

So, when are you taking orders, Bucko?

[BarnesTO]

I thought this would be the appropriate place to post this, since we're watching the build of a Buck Owens style Tele....Here's a dissection of the original '64 from Summer NAMM 2001, I just found this today!

http://www.pbase.com/jroy/bucktele

[Buckocaster51]

Thanks for sharing those pictures of the Holy Grail!

A couple of things that I notice...

the clearcoat has REALLY shrunk down over the sparkles.

the sparkles themselves look pretty hefty, maybe they REALLY are pieces of crushed mirror/glass like they have been rumored to be.

the checkerboard that I am using, while close, is not the same as on the original. It is hard to tell from the photos, but it looks like the white checks may be set into the black at a 45° angle...so they appear more like diamonds...hard to tell from those pictures.

the REAL THING had checkerboards on the back as well as the front (groan...that sounds like double the work to me...and that stuff just eats up the time...not complaining mind you...but it is a real time sink)

When am I taking orders? I'm not. This is the TDPRI...I couldn't tell you if I was... but thanks for asking.

Right now I am just having loads and loads of fun doing and sharing.

The TDPRI led me on an adventure this week. I can't tell you what it was. But I can say it was serious stuff that had a good outcome...and I had a good time, learned lots of things, met new people, and it would have never happened were it not for the TDPRI.

This is such a good place.

[BarnesTO]

I noticed that about the checkerboard too....the checkers don't look as pronounced to me, but it may be the small pics and yellowed clearcoat?

The replica of this guitar in Fender's Custom Shop hardbound book from a few years back has checkers that look more like yours, of course they aren't yellowed, and the pics are large and bold.

[Nick88]

this is great stuff, keep it up!

just wondered what size binding you are using - i'm thinking of doing this myself

[need2retire]

Helloooooooo Mr. Bucko,
You are great!!! I've learned a lot from ya ... I'm hoping to build my own tele someday. I have a question on binding if you don't mind. Would the following work?
1) by design, allow the binding to stick out of the body a little (maybe by using an extra thick layer of glue :-) ).
2) paint and add several light coats of lacquer
3) after ward scrape the binding ... hopefully this way will give a nice clean line between binding and paint.
4) finish with the remaining layers of lacquer after some sanding.

Thanks!!!

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Nick88

this is great stuff, keep it up!

just wondered what size binding you are using - i'm thinking of doing this myself

Thank you.

Back is 0.060" and the front/top is 0.040 x 0.25

more or less

a bit thicker on the back would not be bad

the top stuff matches the "inside" line on the checkerboard purfling

Cheers

Steve Dikkers
aka Buckocaster51

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by need2retire

...Would the following work?
1) by design, allow the binding to stick out of the body a little (maybe by using an extra thick layer of glue :-) ).
2) paint and add several light coats of lacquer
3) after ward scrape the binding ... hopefully this way will give a nice clean line between binding and paint.
4) finish with the remaining layers of lacquer after some sanding.

I've though about this, but haven't tried it yet. The glue "squeeze out" would mess up the "nice clean line between binding and paint" or at least that is the thought that is going through this mind.

Maybe somebody else has actually TRIED it and gotten different results...sort of like carrying two different cannonballs to the top of the bell tower at Pisa and dropping them to see which one REALLY gets to the ground first. Thought experiments can be misleading.

[Buckocaster51]

Let's spray some paint!

Of course, first we need to mask off the binding.

Here are the tools.



A few different widths of 3M striping tape, and a #11 blade...



It is silly to try to cut that tape with anything other than a fresh, sharp blade.

Let's start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start...



It seems to be pretty easy to follow the line between the binding and the wood. I might be in for a surprise when I take it off, but it is going pretty well. Actually, I am trying very hard to make sure that I don't mask off any wood. We want the paint to come right up to the binding.



A sharp blade makes trimming the tape easy.

[Buckocaster51]

Now we'll tape the side of the top binding.



I'm just just stretching out the tape here, it will be a lot closer to the edge of the binding when it is stuck down in place.

There is a gap between the tape on the sides and the tape on the top. We'll put a piece of tape there and burnish the edges down tight.



and then we go on to that back binding that is all of 0.060" thick. Not much to work with here!



I do believe it is pretty much ready for some color!



Once again you can see that bondo type stuff that I used to do some adjustments in the pickup routes. It's good stuff. Almost as good as spray epoxy!

[Buckocaster51]

It's fairly cool tonight. I finally feels like October in NE Iowa. We'll bring the KRYLON up to a good spraying and coverage temperature by heating it up in some warm water.



This is an old trick from my model car and airplane painting days. The warmer it is, the better it sprays and flows. Of course we don't want to heat it up too much. Don't want the can to cook off in the sink. That would be bad.

We'll take it out to the garage and spray a basecoat.



Pretty much no turning back now!

There are emerald green flakes going on top of this. I suppose we could h ave used a metallic paint for the base...maybe we will down the road. Right now I think this will work okay.

By the way...



It's GREEN!



and shiny!

I'm thinking that this would look pretty good with white binding.

[riggergreg]

Holy Cow!! Look at all those bodies hangin back there...

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by riggergreg

Holy Cow!! Look at all those bodies hangin back there...

Shhhhh!

Sometimes it is best to hide things in plain sight!

If you know what I mean!

[Buckocaster51]

The KRYLON has been drying for about an hour. To get the best edge on the tape, we usually want to get it off as soon as possible...it is now possible!



This makes me feel like the painter on American Chopper!

Now let's see if we can get to the piece over the checkerboards!



I think it is under there!

Here is what it looks like on the back.



Before we go any farther, I want you to all understand that there is some work to do yet. Some emerald needs to be cleaned up off the binding, and in a few places, I am sure that the binding/wood boundary will need to be cleaned up a bit.

Here is how it looks from the side.

[Buckocaster51]

and by golly

here is what the front looks like



Which reminds me...I need to paint the headstock.

I'm happy.

This might work after all!

[getbent]

hmmm... checkerboard on the headstock... hmmm...

[Dogbear]

Buckocaster, just wanted to add to the rest on how much I enjoy your creative expressions. I can't wait everyday to check on the progress of your current eye candy. How about doing a B Bender. Something really bent.......