Experimental project

[Rich Rice]

It snowed like crazy yesterday, but overall my building season is back...

I spent some quality time in the shop last week, and I'm planning to continue this build in the next few days. Really feels great to be back in full swing!

[shoretyus]

As others have said it is Black Cherry.

As far as that herringbone top I doubt that you could keep it stable enough to keep the seams closed. Each piece is going to move at different rates and at a different direction to the main body of the guitar. Better if that part was plywood but we know that it won't be.

[three barrel]

Sweet "Teisco" tulip-shaped bodies you got there! Please do a build thread with one of those someday!

Make it a Tulipcaster!

[Rich Rice]

I've done a number of Tulip guitars now- getting them down. I may do a thread in the near future on these. Very cool.

I got busy with the thickness sander this afternoon, and worked the old log-turned-neck blank.. It has a bit of a twist to it, I'll try to straighten the twist out tomorrow. Here's a hunk of bocote I have been saving for a special fingerboard.. Maybe this is the one.

[Rich Rice]

OK- So I lied. I couldn't sleep, so back into the shop I went.. I set the jointer for an imperceptible cut (almost nothing) and face jointed my blank. After several passes, the face was as flat as the bed of the jointer. Once this was accomplished, I took the board over to the thickness sander, and made light passes until the non-jointed side was parallel to the jointed face. Presto! No more twist! Luckily, I still have almost a full inch of thickness when I place the fingerboard blank on the neck blank. I was worried that the blank would get too thin in the jointing/straightening process and become firewood once again. Dodged a bullet tonight. ;) Looks like it's full speed ahead on this neck.. I just have to wait for the truss rod to arrive.

[Stuco]

I like where this is headed.

[markothefish]

Awesome thread ... I love watching this come together . I really admire your work , Rich .

[Rich Rice]

Well, thanks for the kind words. I got a few hours of sleep, and started in on this neck right away.. I trimmed the fingerboard down to a manageable size

Then ran the edges on the jointer- it was pretty ragged from the table saw, and I needed a true edge for the fret slotting miter box. once the edges were true, I ran it through the sander for uniform thickness.



Then carefully slotted it for frets.

[Rich Rice]

The slotting went beautifully.


Then I trimmed the end of the neck blank to square, and laid out the neck shape. The neck would fit perfectly on the wood, but not the very edge of the headstock, if I choose to do a T style headstock. I probably won't, but I like to have the option. I traced an outline, visited the bandsaw, and took off a hunk of excess wood from the headstock end.

I did some rearranging (luckily I had run both sides of the blank on the jointer) and got a good fit and grain match


Made up a little gluing jig, and glued it on up. Beautiful!

[Rich Rice]

Not too bad for a hunk of firewood! ;)

[Rich Rice]

I talked to my neighbor over the weekend, and he thinks this wood is apple. It has a distinct sweet smell when cutting or sanding it. Whatever it is, it's a hard, tight grained wood. I sure am starting to like it! Just waiting for the truss rod order to show up so I can continue. ;)

[Rich Rice]

I figured I'd make up the body. I made a hem/fir body blank, cut it to shape, and routed the outside edge. Then started laying out all the little pieces of wood for the top..


Here's the back of the body.. I'm really liking this lumber.


Once I had the sides glued up, I ran each side through the jointer, to get a nicer joint up the center.


Then started gluing everything up. Center piece first.

[Joe Chaney]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Here you go.

......

now that is REALLY cool!

[boneyguy]

What's very hilarious to me is when your son throws the log out his window and it hits your back patio you're immediately aware of it's acoustic properties.

I don't think that's the typical response most non-luthier parents would have.

[Rich Rice]

True.. my ears are always open.. ;)

Got a bunch done on this one this afternoon, gotta do some power posting here.. leaving to teach in 1/2 hour.

I glued up each side of the front after having attached the center strip

[Rich Rice]

After a couple of setup/glue-ups, I wound up with this..


As soon as I dared, I put it on the band saw, and roughed out the shape

[Rich Rice]

Once it was trimmed close, I ran it through the thickness sander, to flush up the top..



Then over to the OSS for a closer trim..

[Rich Rice]

Once that was close, I block sanded for a bit- not finished, but to get it closer.. then I dampened the top to raise the grain and... umm... wet my pants...




No pickguard is going on this one now..

I'm shocked.

[riolux]

Wow, the progress made from when I last checked this thread would take me a decade to accomplish!

[ajgus]

Wow, that turned out as well as I hoped it would. You should be very proud.

[boris bubbanov]

Rich, did you leave any room for expansion on those joins, or are you hoping for a lil synchronicity in the way the herringboned pieces expand and contract along with the primary guitar body wood?

Gawjus, really impressed.

[ThreePlyGuy]

Damn, this thing is going to be beyond pretty!

[three barrel]

Shut my mouth, that's going to be one amazing looking guitar! Those two last pictures oughta quiet any of the previous dubious remarks.