Starting out in guitar building - There will be questions!

SteveF

Hi all, 

After building my @BoltGuitarsUK kit, I have got the bug and want to have a go at something with a bit more of the actual woodworking, so as with everything, I have decided to jump in and have a go at making a guitar.  I fully expect to screw this up royally and therefore I will be going cheap for the body/neck materials to begin with.

 I will have questions and hope that the wonderful people here will help me out with their knowledge so I thought I would keep it tidy and throw things into this thread as a bit of a progress thread and an ongoing Q&A if that's ok?

 I appreciate the level of knowledge and experience in here and I'm sure most of the questions I have will have come up for someone before (of course I will try and search for the answers too, but as with anything it seems, the internet is deeply divided even on the basic stuff! (I went down a plane sharpening thread rabbit hole earlier  ) 

Anyway, the first thing I needed was somewhere to work.  The bit of offcut cupboard door clamped to a stool that I used for my kit build wasn't going to cut it for a full build so I built myself a small workbench.  

It is still in progress, and still needs a shelf on the bottom and a vice on the overhang. I think I will build an apron on the front which will also serve as the inner face of the vice.  I will put some dogholes in the top and on the apron and along with the 2" overhang I left on the back and right hand side, I should have enough options for work holding at least to get me started. The good news is it's solid and doesn't wobble!  



The other bit of good news is, by happy coincidence it is almost the same height as this IKEA trolley I have sat in the garage.  In fact it is exactly 3mm taller, so I should be able to pop some 3mm hardboard on top of the trolley and that will give me an extension that I can put to the right hand side if I need to support some longer stuff or while cutting anything. 



So my first question is, what should I finish/protect the top of the bench with?  I was thinking yacht varnish or similar, but wonder whether I should just go for an oil of some kind?  Any advice?  The top is 2 pieces of 18mm ply.  The bottom bit it screwed to the legs and then the top is glued on.  Should I screw through the top as well or will the glue (gorilla glue original wood glue) be enough? 

SteveF

Second question.  I managed to pick up this Triton 1400W router for a great price today from Toolstation (approx 100 off RRP).  What bits would people recommend?  I intend to make a Tele style first, so assume I will need some kind of roundover bit for the body edge, a flush cut bit of some type for routing the truss, pickup, control and neck cavities along some templates and I will probably get a 45 degree chamfer bit for general stuff (maybe the edge of the workbench?). 



Further power tool question - I don't have a bandsaw yet (and it may be a while) and I am planning to cut out the body with a jigsaw.  Do I need any particular kind of blades that people would recommend?  I think the body will be something like poplar, neck maple or similar and fingerboard - whatever is cheap! Will a jigsaw go through all that at the depth of a body/neck blank?  Anything to watch out for? 

Thanks all in advance - your help is always much appreciated!  

TTony

Protect the top against what?

I’ve built a fair few guitars now, and my bench top(s) is(are) still fine.


A sheet of thin (cheap) sacrificial MDF?

Roland

Sacrificial mdf, then you’re not worried about damaging it. Mine’s not been changed in ten years.

SteveF

Oh just more if it gets damp in my garage in the winter (it will, I live near Glasgow and it got damp at times last year). 

TTony

SteveF said:

Oh just more if it gets damp in my garage in the winter (it will, I live near Glasgow and it got damp at times last year). 

It’s only damp in Scotland between January & December.


Router bits.
Mostly, people build using templates.  You get / make the templates, and then copy the shape of the template onto the blank using bearing guided router bits.  Sometimes the bearing is above the cutter, sometimes below it.

Wealden Tools is a good source.  You’ll probably need 3-4 bits of varying length.


Are you following a plan / approach for this build, or making it up as you go along?  Building a guitar is complex, but simple if you break it down into the 100-odd simple jobs that come together to make the guitar.  The trick is doing those 100-odd jobs in the right order.

SteveF

Haha, yes Jan-Dec sounds about right! (although it has been glorious this month). 

Thanks, I will check out Wealden.  I assume I need something good quality and sharp to avoid damaging/gouging the body.  In terms of radius of the bits, what is the biggest/smallest I will need for straight and what roundover?  

I watched a Crimson 5 video series on Triton tools channel of building a Tele style and whilst there were little bits skipped over a bit quick, I think the general flow seemed to make sense. It was this one 

TTony

With the router, it’s more about direction of travel vs the grain direction, and not trying to cut too much in one go.  

Is it 1/4” or 1/2”?



PS 
If you really get into this building thing, Mark Bailey runs courses just down the road in Ayr.

Roland

Router bits: it really depends on what you’re going to do with them. Your router collet looks like 1/4” diameter. For a straight sided body I’d use three 12.7mm bearing guided bits with lengths of 25mm, 12mm and 9mm. For example https://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Template_Trim_279.html

If you’re going to round over the body then a cheap set of kitchen installer bits should give you 1/4” and 1/2” diameter round over bits, and a box to keep them in. You can get these from Screwfix and the like, but don’t go for the cheapest bits - I’ve had them fracture, and damaged the wood.

If you’re going to bind the body then, to cut the channel, you need a bit with the bearing at the other end, and a bearing diameter smaller than the bit diameter. For this you definitely need to look at Wealdon Tools.

As with all tools they can be expensive. I’d buy what you need when you need it. If your working area is damp then keep the edged tools in the house.

SteveF

Thanks both, very helpful! 

@TTony i didn’t realise the Bailey courses were up here. I might look into that

SteveF

The router is this one https://www.tritontools.com/en-GB/Product/Power%20Tools/Routers/MOF001

it has a 1/4” and 8mm collet apparently 

TTony

1/4” is fine.

I’ve got a big 1/2” jobbie too, but it’s not necessary for guitar building.  Manoueverability is more important.  Make yourself a decent router base - that’ll make some of the jobs a lot easier.


Mark is a brilliant teacher.  Website is crap.  Best to phone them (and it might take many attempts to get through!) or email. 

SteveF

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MBGX418/ref=pe_27063361_485629781_TE_item

This seems reasonable for a brand that I recognise? As far as I can tell it should do Tele (1/4” round over) Strat (1/2” round over) and flush cutting deep enough to do a body? And probably a neck but might have to flip it?

idiotwind

When I built my bass last year with no prior experience or kit I got that exact set plus a couple of extras from Wealden. The extras I got were a 6mm straight bit for the truss rod, a 9.5 x 12mm template bit for things like the pickup cavity and a 20mm bottom trim bit which I used for thickness/surfacing.

Are there better bits? Sure, but that set was fine for me. From what I remember it was the cost of roundover bits that made me look at it.

SteveF

Thanks @idiotwind really useful!  

elstoof

Freddy G did a great, comprehensive build series of a les Paul. There’s a lot more info than you’ll need for a tele, but it’ll all be helpful. 

https://youtu.be/xisXv-OFYEM

SteveF

Great, thanks. like you say it will all be useful info!

SteveF

Bit more work done on the bench/work area.  Now has a lower shelf and a back panel so I can store some of the bigger tools underneath.  Still need to fit a vice - the one I had ordered was a little big so replacing with a smaller one.  



Got some templates and timber on order.  I'll update when I have them. 

TTony

Those bikes are going to get covered in sawdust ...

elstoof

My first thought too!

SteveF

TTony said:

Those bikes are going to get covered in sawdust ...

They already did. I have cleaned them and have a tarp on the way