Tele 12

[Bowmap]

After a bit of space issues and an overcrowded shop, I finally moved the producer desk out and got it upstairs for final assembly. It is so nice to move about the shop without bumping into that behemoth. Plus I can start saving on electric again since I do not have to keep the place warm enough for the finish to cure. I can drop back to 55 during work and 45 at other times.

I had been gathering a few parts here and there to start build a telecaster around a bridge I had bought a couple years back.



For the body, I have had these two chunks of Honduran Mahogany for about a year. Patiently waiting their turn to be put to use. I had some calibrations issue with my saw as the blade wasn't quite getting to 90. Thus my the edge for joining the two pieces was tight on one surface but slightly open on the other. I did get that sorted but I had shaved the blocks enough times I was beginning to wonder if I had enough width. I just do not have that much 2 inch thick wood around here.



After getting the results I wanted (I don't have a jointer) I put the template to see if I will need to do something to the proportions. I lucked out and just a about an 1/8 inch on either side of the lower bout.



I have an 8 x 8 x 2 block of Thuya Burl that I am planning on using for the top. Thuya, generally, isn't the type of wood that comes as lumber. And as expensive as it is, I will need to make some patterns to see if I can get enough to fit. It going to take some creativity on seam placement. I do have some bloodwood sticks I might incorporate, so instead of trying to hide the seams, enhance them. Still nothing yet set.

I have two pieces of the producer desk in the shop. The riser and the keyboard drawer. I am working on the riser adding a final little feature to it. So I hope this weekend the figure of the top of the tele.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bowmap

 

[Bowmap]

Had a small accident with the Thuya burl. So this guitar will not be getting that as a top.

So I went to move on to joining the two pieces of mahogany when I notice the joint was not going together quite right. The two pieces have cupped with age and are no longer flat. Plan B, switch to sapele. That too has cupped. Well that put a hold on the project to contemplate how to correct this.

I had been interested in build a CNC router so I knew of linear bearings and rail. After a bit of digging I found something that is fairly inexpensive. Well I have enough scrap wood left over from... you guessed it... building the garage, that I could fashion a router sled from it. The rails came in last week and the frame was built this week end. I got a good start on the carriage. These 20mm bars are probably overkill but they are solid. I suspect I could have used 16mm. I have to fashion the bed, finish the carriage, and eventually put some legs on it. But it is level and parallel with the laser confirming. Soon I will be able to get back on track with the Tele 12.



Thanks for stopping by!

 

[Bowmap]

Flattening sled is getting there. Today was the first trial. Took an old 2 x 12 and fastened it in. Of course the fasteners where well outside the reach of the bit.

Before...



After ...



This was just a quick test. Glides very smooth. The router is 2 and 1/4 HP and I was using a 2 inch spoilboard surfacing bit. I do not think I would want to go to a larger diameter without getting a more powerful router. The router shank is 1/2. I would be not comfortable using a 1/4 shaft for this operation.



I have to put a bed on it with dog holes, add dust collection, add stops on the ends of the rails for the carriage, and attach the legs seen in the upper right of the picture above. The ones with the blue casters.

I hope there are no more rabbit holes to go down on this build.

Hopefully the next post in this build will be a pic of a nice flat piece of mahogany.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bowmap

 

[NobodyReally]

Sweet build! Following....

 

[crankmeister]

Incredible. I love this stuff. Keep it coming.

 

[Bowmap]

I decided to take a break from my hydroponic system builds to get the bed installed. Well actually I was hoping someone was going to throw out a table with a laminate top at the dump however, that did not seem to be happening. I figured out an alternative way to create a flat bed. Construction left overs to the rescue again.

I had noticed that despite being out in the elements for a couple years, a piece of sheathing from the garage build was still flat. None of the usual warping or chip flaking. I still had some scraps inside. I found a suitable piece and just had to figure out how to stiffen it to make it ridgid. I had a short piece of 14 inch LVL. LVL is very stable and very ridgid. After all it holds up the second floor of my house and garage. I cut 3 pieces to run the length of the sheathing. Now I had my ridgid bed. Create a stackable support system to hold up the bed so I could adjust the height when needed and I was good to go.

First victim was the mahogany that I had a failed attempt of veneering thuyla on to it. I use the router sled to strip the veneer and flatten both pieces of mahogany.



Now that I have a flat side, I can run it through my planer to get the other side flat and parallel.

Of course I masked up and donned googles, turned on the overhead dust filter but I do need to put the wheels on this thing so I can roll it over to where the hose from the dust collector will reach. I bought a dust port attachment for the router. In the future I will added it but it is only a 2 inch port.

The shims in the picture above were used to lock the mahogany into place.

Well back to making the control system for my hydroponics. Why did I want to grow carrots?

Thanks for stopping by...

- Bowmap

 

[Bowmap]

With the weather a bit better in this part of the country and with the advent of daylight savings time (I will be in mourning for a few more weeks for my missing hour of sleep), I am able to get a little bit of time in the shop before dinner time.

Yesterday, the flattened blanks have been planed. I resawed a piece of maple to book match it for the top. Those pieces were glued up and went into clamps last night.

Today I pulled off all the clamps, and shaved a square side down both sides. It took a second pass to square up as the tilt of my blade was off .2 degrees. When you are trying to get a tight joint where the two pieces come together, .2 degrees matter. Once I was happy with the joint, I ran several passes through the planer to get a smooth top and took some off the backside to bring my thickness down to 1.75 inches.



Happy with the results so far, I marked the pieces for biscuits and called it quits for the night.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bowmap

 

[Bowmap]

Biscuits in. Glue on. In clamps.

 

[GrooVey]

Thanks for stopping by!

Are you kidding.
Holy crap. I’m giving up.

Like when I was in high school and went to see YES (Steve Howe.). I could never play like that.

Can’t wait to see this finished.

 

[Bowmap]

Can’t wait to see this finished.

Thanks. Nor can I. My original thought was to double bind it but the neck is not bound. The maple is thick enough to round over and then I could contour the back side. Another thing I am not yet settled on is rear mounted pups and controls or not.

 

[Bowmap]

I did mark the outline and locate the neck pocket today. Trying out some Alien Tape to hold the 'sticks' I used to guide the router for the pocket. I start with the neck pocket and then mark where the bridge goes. Then the control, and pup routes before I cut the shape. Gives the router more area to sit on.

 

[Bowmap]

Yesterday-

That Alien Tape stuff sticks better than the double sided foam tape. I will see on the re-usability part. I have moved my router guides a couple time and it takes a twist to the get them to release.

I knew I need to check the neck width against the template. I always do. 6 string necks have always been a good snug fit. This one is quite a bit wider at the heal. So out came the sticks.



Checking positioning of the bridge. It is in the neighborhood. I had to stop there as my wife had a bunch of things she wanted to do after I dropped my car off for inspection.

I hope today I can get some routing done after the dump run.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bowmap

 

[Bowmap]

Something wasn't sitting right in my head with the neck position. What was bothering me was the left side shoulder. With the wider neck the shoulder would wind up being next to nothing. So I offset the neck a little.



Marked it. Set up guide blocks for the router bit, and double checked. Glad I did. When I dropped the neck into the slot between the guide blocks it was a little loose. I had to adjust the blocks. Then I had a good fit.



I had squared off the ends of the body blank and cut off the excess. One piece of excess came in handy for router support.

I am happy with the way the neck sits in the slot.



Now I could re-establish the center line based on the neck pocket. Routed the neck pup pocket. And located the bridge position. This one punch hole is the one that will establish the bridge position. It needs to be on the money. The line above it is 25 1/2 from the face of the nut. The line it is sitting on is 26 inches. I wonder if Leo planned it that way.



Dropped the bridge into place and snugged it down with one screw. Lined it up.



And transferred the rest of the holes using transfer punches. I couldn't use the template I had this because 12 strings bridge has the through holes offset.

I hope tomorrow to get the bridge pickup pocket routed, and then I can release to guitar from it confines in the body blank.

P.S. You'll see later why the neck pick up pocket looks that way.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bowmap