Began Finishing my first LP!

[NHMorgan]

.h

Ive decided to continue my thread. Mods, if this is in the wrong forum please move or delete.

Grain filler on:

 

[mnbaseball91]

Looking really good so far. I'm in the middle of building my own first LP. Mind if I ask you a couple questions? I have a pretty good idea of how to do these things, but I'm always looking for other methods...how did you cut the neck angle into the top? If you used some sort of jig, do you mind sharing the info? Also, did you make a template for the tennon (if so, how) or did you just freehand it? Like I said, I know how I could do these things, but I'm looking around for easier/safer ways.

Thanks in advance, and your LP looks really nice so far!

 

[NHMorgan]

I didnt make a template the first time, I cut it out a hair large on a bandsaw and shaped it to the final fit by hand. My second two I made an MDF template, but still had to do a little of the final shaping under the heel where the router wouldnt go. This is one area that I feel I still need to find a much better way to go about it. I cut the neck angle into the top with a very ghetto jig where I ran to 3/4 (to discourage bending) thick boards up the length of the body, leaving a big enough gap in between to have the router be able to cut the neck angle plane and pickup plane. I got the angle by making the back taller than the front and measuring the angle until I got it to 4 degrees. For the pickup plane I drew lines for where the bridge sits and where the neck ends and set the jig until the router bit would make contact at the first line and exit at the second (that gave me the pickup plane). Ive got plans drawn up to try and make a more formal version of this jig that will be more consistent and easier to set up.

 

[NHMorgan]

First nitro coat on this morning, turns out this things got a bit of flame.

 

[thewizardofaz]

That is beautiful. Is that spalted maple?

 

[shuie]

Nice work! Thanks for sharing!

 

[mnbaseball91]

I didnt make a template the first time, I cut it out a hair large on a bandsaw and shaped it to the final fit by hand. My second two I made an MDF template, but still had to do a little of the final shaping under the heel where the router wouldnt go. This is one area that I feel I still need to find a much better way to go about it. I cut the neck angle into the top with a very ghetto jig where I ran to 3/4 (to discourage bending) thick boards up the length of the body, leaving a big enough gap in between to have the router be able to cut the neck angle plane and pickup plane. I got the angle by making the back taller than the front and measuring the angle until I got it to 4 degrees. For the pickup plane I drew lines for where the bridge sits and where the neck ends and set the jig until the router bit would make contact at the first line and exit at the second (that gave me the pickup plane). Ive got plans drawn up to try and make a more formal version of this jig that will be more consistent and easier to set up.

Thanks a ton for sharing. I'm not sure if I should be encouraged or discouraged that you did pretty much what I was planning on doing. :wha On one hand, yours came out fantastic...on the other hand, I don't know if I can pull it off!

The spalted top is a really cool variation.

 

[NHMorgan]

I went with the spalted, because, as with most things I checked out the internet first to look for what I wanted to buy. I found two bits of wood, one really nice duane type top that was $$$ and the spalted which was $16. I bought both figuring that I would try the cheaper wood first. Turns out I found enough curly maple for 4 guitars locally for only $20 so $16 isnt that cheap, but Im happy with the way it turned out as the spalted gives a nice variation and was really smooth to carve.

 

[NHMorgan]

That is beautiful. Is that spalted maple?

yup, wizard, I gotta say both your site and freddy G's site are two places I visted regulary to get ideas on how to do certain parts. Both you guys have done excellent work, that made me want to finally get around to giving building a try. :salude

 

[thewizardofaz]

Thanks very much for the kind words Cibai. Fred is a pro, I'm an amateur that has fun, though I suspect Freddy does too or he wouldn't do it. For me, it's a love/hate thing. I hate leaving stuff alone and love making it appear, at least in my view, better. That plain honey burst was boring. Bursts themselves are pretty common, nice ones aren't. The color on mine is really nice. I nailed the image I had in my head. The red has faded almost to a brown except for under the selector switch ring. I love it when I can execute what I had envisioned. Now, I have to wire it back up. For me, that's the hard part.

 

[NHMorgan]

Another perfect spraying day today. Here's where I really feel like I am in the dark, but stumbled on through this morning with the first of the color coats, and staining the headstock. I went 75/25 yellow/amber for the burst base. Still not very sure how this mix will turn out when the red and brown go on tomorrow.

(btw, color in photo is a little more washed out than in person)

 

[thewizardofaz]

take a piece of scrap and spray the same yellow to test the burst part on. Any color you have mixed in the gun will change when it hits the yellow depending on the color and the thickness of the color.

 

[NHMorgan]

Got the base coat sealed in and a first wide band of very slightly redder shade around the burst. Weather has gotten a little cooler here for a few days, but hopefully before the end of the week I will get to shoot the red and the brown. (Should I have scrapped the binding, or do you wait until all the color is on? Dan's book isnt completely clear on that)

 

[clayville]

:worship

 

[thewizardofaz]

Really nice cibai. Are you shooting the burst with a big gun or an airbrush?

 

[NHMorgan]

Big gun, which makes me kinda nervous for the thinner parts. I was thinking about doing just a red mahogany/ tobacco brown coat to give an overall honey/light tea burst, as I think that is what this guitar is really suited for (I really love darkbursts ala duane, but also think those are better suited to flamier tops, and so may wait on that). My plan as of right now is to do the brown in a couple of very tinned coats, the first thinner and wider and the second coat a little thicker and mostly on the upper and lower bouts. Any advice for the last bit of bursting wizard, as yours have turned out great.

 

[thewizardofaz]

I'll tell ya, but I don't know as it will apply to you, since you're using a big gun. I use an airbrush. I feel it gives me much better control of where the paint goes and in much more controlled amounts. I can keep the bursted parts very thin. I mix a bottle of color. The bottle is about the same size as a bottle of model airplane paint. I start with Stew Mac color tone. I used 10 drops of Cherry in one bottle about 3/4 full of lacquer and the rest thinner. I test sprayed on a white box, I didn't have a yellow box, lol. when I was satisfied on the spray, no big drops, coverage per spray, etc. Then I added black Colortone untill I could hold it up to the light and not see through it and it was like a black cherry. As you can see from my pre shot pics,
Preburst

and the post shooting process:
Post shots

that the yellow morphed the red, which appeared as a black cherry on a white box, but appeared as a faded red brown when shot. Thickness of spray causes the color difference.

Now, look at this link:Hollowcaster and you see what appears to be a brown into red. That's all one color...mahagony red/brown, no mixing. The yellow changed it, as it got thinner and towards the burst center, into red.
Neat huh?

 

[thewizardofaz]

Any progress to report?

 

[NHMorgan]

I wish, the weather has been horrible here most of the week with huge storms and tornados and now its cold Ive been using the bad weather to try and finish up at least one more guitar to spray before the spring weather is over. The first of next week is looking good for spraying and Im hoping to get the burst finished up.

 

[thewizardofaz]

Mine is essentially done. I decided to shoot a thin layer on the back side to fill in the grain, but am going to still keep it very thin. I don't want to mess with the the tone that the thin finish lets out. Shoot as little as you can to get the effect you want. You won't be sorry.