Zodiac. Building a Tele based 12 string.

Ironwolf · May 18th, 2008, 01:12 AM

Late this afternoon, I set up the new planer and started plaining the top for the guitar.

The new Rigid planer is a rather hefty and solid machine.

The glued up top sheet really shows the blade marks from the table saw.

You can see how well the planer cleaned it up here. Final thickness is 7/32 of an inch.

I still have a 16"x24" piece of Black Limba (Korina) left from building the 'Caster SS, so If it doesn't have any flaws, I'll be using it for the body blank.

spook777 · May 18th, 2008, 03:14 AM

Looks like the one I built...we must have good taste :)

On the note about flaws and voids...

Every figured flame top I've seen from AA to AAAAA look the same from piece to piece. Perfect grain, figure from left to right, same coloration...yawn...don't get me wrong if I could I'd build all mine this way, but this one is unique and could never be replicated. Pretty fancy guitars are flawless so customers won't complain...guitars with flaws and voids have character and are unique. Thats why I picked these two pieces of maple. Down by my control plate is a massive void, but I filled it and its just as smooth as the rest of the body after clear coating it.

Specs:
Alder core, figured maple back (found at home depot), walnut pinstripe, figured crotch maple + cocobolo + purpleheart top. Mighty Might Birdseye neck, Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson top loading bridge (chopped), Seymour Duncan JB wired full/split/out of phase, Indian rosewood control plate (headstock veneer from Stew Mac), rosewood pickup ring, custom cocobolo knobs from Brian Williams.

BTW I made this with a template Ron Kirn makes. I think he's on this forum.

jwells393 · May 18th, 2008, 07:39 AM

Ah ............. so that's what the new Ridgids look like. I think the new ones have three cutters. Mine only has two.

Ironwolf · May 18th, 2008, 10:23 PM

I did some work today, I had a lot of other things to do. I did get the body template shaped and the bridge, humbucker and wing chamber positions drawn and/or sketched in. I used it to cut the body out and then rough sanded it. It currently stands at 5.6 lbs.

Ironwolf · May 22nd, 2008, 10:10 PM

This is a horribly out of focus shot, but it does show the body hollowed out. The weight has gone from 5.6lbs to 4.1 with the top sitting on it. once its glued up and the pickup and neck routes cut, it should come in just under 4lbs.

Ironwolf · May 24th, 2008, 10:12 PM

Painted the chambers flat black, glued on the top, trimmed it to the body and routed the pickup positions. The weight is now 3.9lbs. I still need to clean up the f-hole binding. The whitish looking stuff in the control chamber is a reflection in a paint run.

Ironwolf · May 26th, 2008, 07:50 PM

Routed the neckpocket to standard strat measurements for Warmoth's 12 string neck. Did a 3/8'' round over front and rear and quite a bit of sanding to even it all up.

A little more sanding by hand and it should be ready for grain filling and sanding sealer. Question: Dye the wood before sanding sealer or after the sealer has been applied and sanded off?

Telegazer · May 27th, 2008, 04:47 AM

It's already bleeding gobs and gobs of spiffy-ness, and the f-hole binding is a really nice addition...Keep up the good work!

Elrond39 · May 27th, 2008, 07:19 AM

That's a really cool and different body-shape you've gone for! It reminds me of several guitars at once, without really looking like any particular one of them. Looking forward to seeing this one when it's done.

Ironwolf · June 13th, 2008, 12:15 AM

This is an awful picture. The flash really hoses up the color; I'll have to do another shot outside, but it shows all the hardware mounted.

I've ordered a birds eye maple and rosewood neck and two sets of tuners from Warmoth. While waiting for them I have a lot more clear lacquer to apply.

Ironwolf · June 27th, 2008, 09:24 PM

The neck came in from Warmoth. I worked on the neck pocket template to get a nice fit then re-routed the neck pocket.

This is how it currently looks. I figure about 10 more coats of deft on the body then let it cure, and probably about the same on the neck, except what will be needed to seal in and level over the headstock decals. The temps here are running right at a hundred with sub-20% humidity, so I'm able to get 4 or 5 coats a day on when I'm home. Since I start a two week staycation this evening, I figure I should be able to buff and finish this puppy in about three weeks. Some times the heat is a good thing.

May 18th, 2008, 01:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ironwolf Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, Idaho Age: 52 Posts: 205	Zodiac. Building a Tele based 12 string. Late this afternoon, I set up the new planer and started plaining the top for the guitar. The new Rigid planer is a rather hefty and solid machine. The glued up top sheet really shows the blade marks from the table saw. You can see how well the planer cleaned it up here. Final thickness is 7/32 of an inch. I still have a 16"x24" piece of Black Limba (Korina) left from building the *'Caster SS, so If it doesn't have any flaws, I'll be using it for the body blank. __________________ Oderint Dum Metuant Last edited by Ironwolf : May 18th, 2008 at 01:12 AM. Reason: missed word*

May 18th, 2008, 03:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
spook777 NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Age: 32 Posts: 1	Looks like the one I built...we must have good taste :) On the note about flaws and voids... Every figured flame top I've seen from AA to AAAAA look the same from piece to piece. Perfect grain, figure from left to right, same coloration...yawn...don't get me wrong if I could I'd build all mine this way, but this one is unique and could never be replicated. Pretty fancy guitars are flawless so customers won't complain...guitars with flaws and voids have character and are unique. Thats why I picked these two pieces of maple. Down by my control plate is a massive void, but I filled it and its just as smooth as the rest of the body after clear coating it. Specs: Alder core, figured maple back (found at home depot), walnut pinstripe, figured crotch maple + cocobolo + purpleheart top. Mighty Might Birdseye neck, Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson top loading bridge (chopped), Seymour Duncan JB wired full/split/out of phase, Indian rosewood control plate (headstock veneer from Stew Mac), rosewood pickup ring, custom cocobolo knobs from Brian Williams. BTW I made this with a template Ron Kirn makes. I think he's on this forum. Last edited by spook777 : May 18th, 2008 at 03:41 AM. Reason: edit

May 18th, 2008, 07:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
jwells393 Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Albuquerque, USA Age: 64 Posts: 10,857 101 Photos	Ah ............. so that's what the new Ridgids look like. I think the new ones have three cutters. Mine only has two. __________________ Jack's Disclaimer: When I say something.... always ask yourself ..... "What the hell does he know?" _ Guys - learn to disable the flash on your digital cameras.

May 18th, 2008, 10:23 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ironwolf Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, Idaho Age: 52 Posts: 205	Template and raw body. I did some work today, I had a lot of other things to do. I did get the body template shaped and the bridge, humbucker and wing chamber positions drawn and/or sketched in. I used it to cut the body out and then rough sanded it. It currently stands at 5.6 lbs. __________________ Oderint Dum Metuant

May 22nd, 2008, 10:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
Ironwolf Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, Idaho Age: 52 Posts: 205	Routed out the body. This is a horribly out of focus shot, but it does show the body hollowed out. The weight has gone from 5.6lbs to 4.1 with the top sitting on it. once its glued up and the pickup and neck routes cut, it should come in just under 4lbs. __________________ Oderint Dum Metuant

May 24th, 2008, 10:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
Ironwolf Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, Idaho Age: 52 Posts: 205	Next step. Painted the chambers flat black, glued on the top, trimmed it to the body and routed the pickup positions. The weight is now 3.9lbs. I still need to clean up the f-hole binding. The whitish looking stuff in the control chamber is a reflection in a paint run. __________________ Oderint Dum Metuant

May 26th, 2008, 07:50 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ironwolf Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, Idaho Age: 52 Posts: 205	More routing and sanding. Routed the neckpocket to standard strat measurements for Warmoth's 12 string neck. Did a 3/8'' round over front and rear and quite a bit of sanding to even it all up. A little more sanding by hand and it should be ready for grain filling and sanding sealer. Question: Dye the wood before sanding sealer or after the sealer has been applied and sanded off? __________________ Oderint Dum Metuant

May 27th, 2008, 04:47 AM	#8 (permalink)
Telegazer TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Republic of Korea Posts: 47 9 Photos	It's already bleeding gobs and gobs of spiffy-ness, and the f-hole binding is a really nice addition...Keep up the good work!

May 27th, 2008, 07:19 AM	#9 (permalink)
Elrond39 TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Utrecht, Netherlands Posts: 21	That's a really cool and different body-shape you've gone for! It reminds me of several guitars at once, without really looking like any particular one of them. Looking forward to seeing this one when it's done. __________________ Tangado haid! Leithio i philinn! Hold your positions! Fire the arrows!

June 13th, 2008, 12:15 AM	#10 (permalink)
Ironwolf Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, Idaho Age: 52 Posts: 205	Body hardware installed. This is an awful picture. The flash really hoses up the color; I'll have to do another shot outside, but it shows all the hardware mounted. I've ordered a birds eye maple and rosewood neck and two sets of tuners from Warmoth. While waiting for them I have a lot more clear lacquer to apply. __________________ Oderint Dum Metuant

June 27th, 2008, 09:24 PM	#11 (permalink)
Ironwolf Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, Idaho Age: 52 Posts: 205	Progress The neck came in from Warmoth. I worked on the neck pocket template to get a nice fit then re-routed the neck pocket. This is how it currently looks. I figure about 10 more coats of deft on the body then let it cure, and probably about the same on the neck, except what will be needed to seal in and level over the headstock decals. The temps here are running right at a hundred with sub-20% humidity, so I'm able to get 4 or 5 coats a day on when I'm home. Since I start a two week staycation this evening, I figure I should be able to buff and finish this puppy in about three weeks. Some times the heat is a good thing. __________________ Oderint Dum Metuant Last edited by Ironwolf : June 27th, 2008 at 11:28 PM.