First Build - DC Junior

PeteC

On my next build I think i will allow for the slight shortening of the heel and adjust for that so that the fretboard still joins exactly at the body. Hopefully with a very small gap at the heel joint.  We will see ! 

PeteC

any cutting of the heel will push the neck back and make the bridge very slightly further back unless allowed for in an oversized heel to start with I guess.   

TTony

PeteC said:

any cutting of the heel will push the neck back and make the bridge very slightly further back unless allowed for in an oversized heel to start with I guess.   

Yes, it would change the positioning of the bridge.

I've just measured the gap on mine, with the neck properly push fitted, and the gap is 1.5mm at the top, obviously tapering to nothing at the bottom.  I think I'll just have to live with that.

Although I might still disguise it with a little wood glue and RW dust.

PeteC

Judging by some of the 50s Gibson pics I have seen I think 1.5mm is in the best of class category !   Bearing in mind the juniors were designed to be a “budget” guitar.   Great score on the wood supply btw !  

TTony

PeteC said:

Judging by some of the 50s Gibson pics I have seen 

Indeed. But Gibson is *not* our quality benchmark

PeteC

Agreed , I love my jap Tokais for their build quality 

Danielsguitars

When you've done your neck angle to get the neck to fit at the back of the pocket use a bobbin sander to take off the back of the neck at the bottom, just use the new flat heel and it'll take it off and stop as you reach the top of the neck, even with a tiny gap it'll still be great, most old ones have a gap anyway

PeteC

Cool, thanks Danielsguitars.   I might do that.   At the mo I like the way the fretboard ends exactly at the body join.  Might do that on the next build and make the neck heel 1-2mm oversize to compensate for the sanding down.  

Cheers 

Danielsguitars

PeteC said:

Cool, thanks Danielsguitars.   I might do that.   At the mo I like the way the fretboard ends exactly at the body join.  Might do that on the next build and make the neck heel 1-2mm oversize to compensate for the sanding down.  

Cheers 

Yeah they're a bit different to normal joins if you want the fretboard at the start of the body, that's my preference as they look nicer imo, I couldn't do that on my coronet because the tenon wasn't long enough, the neck blank wasn't originally planned as a DC

greggreg66

It's Monday.... does that mean we get a DC Junior update later?  

PeteC

Yes indeed !    Breakfast then off to the shed...  fret caul just turned up so some beginners fretwork today !  

MattNovak

Really impressive build thread, @PeteC - what size fretwire are you going for?

PeteC

Gone for Dunlop 6155 medium in the end. 

Spent more time running errands than building this morning but the fret press and caul made short work of getting the frets in.  

After scratching my head about neck supports and whether to bother making one I found an acoustic luthier blog where he talked about using a homemade sandbag as a neck support - so that’s what the canvas bag is in the photos below - works really well and you can change its shape for the more difficult heel end.   

Spent a bit of time mucking about checking the neck angle now that frets are in - it’s easier to judge now.   Break angle came out at 3.2 degrees.   Just cleaning up the fret edges at mo then onto shaping the heel which is foxing me a bit to be honest.   Need to check more pics of juniors to get it into my head properly and not screw it up.  

The eagle-eyed will notice that the first fret wasn’t seated fully when I took this shot ! Now sorted . 

Pleased with the fretboard though.....

more later if I get much done....

Cheers
pete 

Sarge

Very nice!
I use a great big bag of table salt as a neck support, wrapped in whatever towel is at hand. 

PeteC

Bit more progress after lunch 

pic is mid way through neck shaping - it’s now all done except for the tricky heel and headstock transitions - can anyone send me any close up pics of theirs as a guide for these bits ?  

Tuner holes drilled and tuners test fitted    Nice clean holes with the home made brad bit fashioned using Freddys Frets method 

had a real problem with the first fret keeping lifting so I removed it, checked the slot , tightened the fret radius a bit and pressed it back in after carefully cleaning the slot.  All good now thankfully and the board looks nice and straight so I am hoping the fret levelling and crowning/polishing will go well

was going to do the body roundovers today to finish that but my only roundover bit is a 6.3mm and  most things I have read suggest a 5mm or 3/16th inch which I will have to order in.  

I tried the 6.3mm on some offcuts and tbh it looked OK - just not sure if it will be too much on the finished body.  

Any the obligatory pictures from this pm.....

cheers , Pete 

TTony

PeteC said:

pic is mid way through neck shaping - it’s now all done except for the tricky heel and headstock transitions - can anyone send me any close up pics of theirs as a guide for these bits ?  

Will do tomorrow - though mine don't have the G word on the headstock, so if you're aiming for G-authenticity, they might not be the best guide.

PeteC

Pics still welcome , thanks TTony .

greggreg66

Looking awesome Pete! I love how each step just makes it look more and more awesome. 

Here's pics of my 59 junior. It's probably a bit late now, but if I can help with any dims from it just let me know

PeteC

Thanks so much Greg - that is going to help a lot.   Lovely junior you have there !  

I keep wondering whether to trade my 76 Firebird so I can buy an old junior, but I just can’t bring* myself to do it.... eventually I will buy one.  

I have tomorrow off too this week so I will try get the neck finished ready for glue up once the body has it’s roundover done.   

Need to make a jig next to get the bridge location right, But I guess that’s best done once the neck is glued in , in case of any movement. 

Off to search for very long drill bits to do the body drilling now.....tips welcomed. 

Cheers
pete 

greggreg66

No probs, happy to help. Yeah you gotta have an OG junior! I really want a 50s TV Special. I've missed out (aka chickened out) twice now on some "affordable" player grade ones. Would need to sell a few to get there, but that's the ever present quandary I guess!!

I'll be watching eagerly when you do the bridge setting as I'm also doing a wraparound. Saw @IvisonGuitars has an intriguing method for setting the wraparound bridge. 

Re drillbits, I'd just go to Wealden Tools as a default.

Enjoying seeing the junior progress, so good.