Learning how to build an electric guitar

[lumberjim]

It's apart now because I have to account for the 1/4" I lost fixing my scale length.



I'm going to have to shave that from the neck heel edge of the pick guard.



I think I have to be careful with that. 3 layers. I think I'll mark it and take it to Pete's. He has a laminator and binding machine.

When I disassembled it, I color coded the screws so I know which hole to return them to.



I'm going to paint the control cavities now.

You use conductive paint or copper foil to line the interior of the body cavities. Because of feed back or some science stuff. I'll probably need to understand that at some point, but for now, it's monkey see.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

To be double sure, I'm taping a stop line on the drill bit, and setting the depth stop on the drill press. Also awesome to have one of these handy... (shhh.... I have 3 more cool machines en route.(i got an unexpectedly large bonus this month))

When the cat's away the mice will blow their bonus. Good move, there's no better investment than capability.

Originally Posted by lumberjim

And because I don't want to fight it and strip chrome screws.

Good move, those chromed countersunk ovals tear up easily, then you have burrs that will rip your hand just as the stage manager at the Royal Albert Hall say 2 minutes Jim.

[lumberjim]

Guh. I picked up the new blue guitar for the first time since we decorated for Christmas today. Calluses totally gone again.

I actually need to poke some more holes before I put this paint in. There are wires that go from chamber to chamber so you can wire the pickups and outlet jack to the pots. Gotta do that research and drill them first so I can paint the inside surface of them with a cotton ball on a string. Sounds messy.



And this paint is purportedly noxious and stinky.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Maybe 6" Q-tips would help.

[lumberjim]

I need to go from the big pool to the oval with the output jack, and from the big pool back to the pocket on the rear to ground the bridge and claw.







The pots:


I had to Un solder the output jack so I can run the wires through the holes I just drilled.


I made sure to mark the black wire post with a sharpie

And then put it back on the board it came on until it gets installed. I can't remember if I ordered a jack face plate.

[lumberjim]

Nope! Nor money spent. I said I would do that, but I was lying.

Shame. I'd be mildly interested to know.


Actually, most of the equipment is going to serve for years to come, so adding up what's actually going to be part of the guitar isn't going to be all that much.

If I had to guess on time spent hands on I'd say 30-40 hours. But waaay more than that spent watching videos and reading forums in preparation. I wonder, if I had everything I need in parts, and not counting time for glue and paint/stain to dry, if I could do one in a week.

Speaking of paint....I'm going to paint it at some point. The wood isn't pretty enough to stain it.

I've been thinking turquoise the whole time, but haven't bought the paint yet.

[glatt]

See, if you assign the cost of all that equipment to the guitar, it will be a very expensive guitar. But then all that equipment is a windfall. It's like it's free or something.

[lumberjim]

And I probably wouldn't have bought the tools and machines if I weren't building a guitar. So, I should sell the guitar for the cost of its actual parts, and claim the cost of the equipment as a loss on my taxes. Genius!

[Happy Monkey]

Sorry, unless you incorporate, last year's tax reform took that option away.

Not that you could have claimed more than what you sold the guitar for, as long as it was over 2% of your AGI, under the old rules.

[lumberjim]

Thanks, Captain Obvious. I'll just cancel the meeting I had scheduled with my accountant.

[Happy Monkey]

Heh, your post reminded me that TurboTax always asked about "hobby income", and I got curious what it entailed. I was a bit surprised to learn that the deduction had been eliminated recently. I wonder if TurboTax is going to remove that question...

The second sentence started more flippant, but got super-lawyery through several edits, as I realized several times that I had misinterpretd the link...

[lumberjim]

Well, my fret install lesson got canceled today. I had a feeling. He's having some relationship issues and is too upset to think straight, hasn't slept etc. I know what that's like, so I'm bummed, but I feel for him. We'll try for Weds.

So I've got some free time. Remember how I forgot to use a clamping caul on the fret board? I had an idea for how to make one.

It needs to be roughly neck length and width. That's easy. What's tricky is getting the inverted radius on one surface. I was using the table saw to rip and cut the 2x4 to size, and thought.... What if I put the blade way down to where only 1/8"or so is cutting, and ran the board across sideways? I do enjoy misusing tools, and if I can hold it in a straight line as I work it across....

So, I have those rail clamps from routing the truss rod slot.



Lining it up was tricky



I used a very thin slice of 2x4 from a previous cut to find where the blade stopped cutting, and to protect the clamp.


I ran it through, spun it around and ran it through again. Came out better than I thought it would.



And happens to be just about 7.25" radius

[lumberjim]

Wood burning kit to label it


And tried n true oil to seal it.


I could sell these.



Oh, and last night I made a thing to hold the frets while I work

[xoxoxoBruce]

Very good thinking.
Also a reminder the blade doesn't discriminate against body parts coming at it from any angle.

[lumberjim]

Measure twice, cut once, think of three ways you could cut your finger off before you start.