First Kit Build - All crit welcome.

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KingNothingKingNothing Frets: 22
edited June 2016 in Making & Modding
This is my first kit build and I'm trying to build up the tools as I go along and eventually start a build from scratch.
Anyhow here's what I've done so far, I aren't expecting this to be perfect I'm just using this kit to try a few techniques:
Veneering, body shaping, fret inlays, side dots, binding etc.
The veneer is very brittle (0.6mm oak burr), I had to soak it a little so it didn't chip and I'm worried its gonna rip to pieces when I rout it for the binding.
Also can anyone point me in the right direction for the correct router bit for the binding and a good site for wood stainers.

Any crit, tips will be noted. Cheers.

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Comments

  • step_hentstep_hent Frets: 34
    That's a beautiful veneer! Looks like a great project. Will you veneer the headstock too or leave it as is?
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    Looks good so far.

    Have you left the existing black binding in place?

    There are a couple of ways to help prevent chip out.

    1) tape the top with low tack masking tape (or normal masking tape applied to you t-shirt first) before routing the binding.

    2) pre-finish/seal the veneer to help stabilise it before routing, then bind and carry on


    Sharp bits are the real key whatever you do
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    WezV said:

    Sharp bits are the real key whatever you do
    Someone will be along shortly with the correct bit suggestion, but I'll say this - @WezV is right on the money.  I've just made a Strat body and the round-over bit I used was a cheapy Silverline one that I had from another project.  Brand new and absolute tosh.  Thankfully the body's getting a solid finish as the amount of grain it pulled out wasn't, shall we say, ideal.

    I've had better success with 'Trend' branded bits which are dearer than Silverline but don't cost the earth - I thought they were the same manufacturer to begin with and I'd been had, but they seem a good bit better made so now I'm not so sure.
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  • Yeah I think I'll veneer the headstock, I have a little left over, to be honest there was very little planning towards this build, I just wanted to have a blast at a few things before I put some proper effort into a custom build and avoid fluffing anything up.

    Thanks WevZ that bit of info is very helpful, I'll try the masking tape trick, I was wanting to stain the veneer so treating it first probably isn't a good idea.(?)

    This is the bit I've been looking at randella, it's a little more expensive than I'd have liked but as we all know.. you can't put a price on quality tools.  This has the 1mm rebate but I was hoping it had the 2mm too and I can't find a bearing set anywhere for a reasonable price.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trend-46-Tungsten-Carbide-Rebate/dp/B0001P10EO/ref=sr_1_4?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1465242525&sr=1-4&keywords=rebate+bit
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  • WezV said:
    Looks good so far.

    Have you left the existing black binding in place?

    There are a couple of ways to help prevent chip out.

    1) tape the top with low tack masking tape (or normal masking tape applied to you t-shirt first) before routing the binding.

    2) pre-finish/seal the veneer to help stabilise it before routing, then bind and carry on


    Sharp bits are the real key whatever you do
    Existing binding is still in place yeah except where I reshaped the cutaway.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27590
    This is worth a look - I've a few Wealden cutters and they're excellent and good value.

    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • usedtobeusedtobe Frets: 3841
    Looking pretty good. Will follow with interest!
     so if you fancy a reissue of a guitar they never made in a colour they never used then it probably isn't too overpriced.

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  • SeshSesh Frets: 1839
    Looking good. It will be an interesting take on a tele if it all ends as well. Where's the kit from, and what do you think of it?
    Can't sing, can't dance, can handle a guitar a little.
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  • The kits from Gear4music, I paid £59 but they are on there now for £64, you can probably pick them up cheaper if you shop about and have them imported from China (which is where Gear4music must get their stock) but its nice to know I could have sent it back without any hassle.
    As for quality.. well its a 4 piece body, rough sanded the binding isn't bad, just needs finishing, the neck profile isn't bad either, it looks straight and it fit snug in the neck pocket. I filled the holes for the bridge as it was 1mm off center so be sure to check things like that.
    The hardware is tosh but I really don't want to put too much money into a £59 guitar so I might buy cheap Wilkinson tuners, bridge and pup if I don't arse anything up before it comes to installing them. :)
    It's not plug and play and for some reason I didn't get any instructions/schematics so I'll have to have a root about for them online.

    It's worth £60 if you don't mind putting some effort and time in to it, you pay more than that for body blanks. There's a few lads on here who have done amazing jobs with these cheap kits.. it's where I got the idea from anyway.
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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    Well impressed so far, @KingNothing. Looks a great veneer and well applied :)
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  • SeshSesh Frets: 1839
    The kits from Gear4music, I paid £59 but they are on there now for £64, you can probably pick them up cheaper if you shop about and have them imported from China (which is where Gear4music must get their stock) but its nice to know I could have sent it back without any hassle.
    As for quality.. well its a 4 piece body, rough sanded the binding isn't bad, just needs finishing, the neck profile isn't bad either, it looks straight and it fit snug in the neck pocket. I filled the holes for the bridge as it was 1mm off center so be sure to check things like that.
    The hardware is tosh but I really don't want to put too much money into a £59 guitar so I might buy cheap Wilkinson tuners, bridge and pup if I don't arse anything up before it comes to installing them. :)
    It's not plug and play and for some reason I didn't get any instructions/schematics so I'll have to have a root about for them online.

    It's worth £60 if you don't mind putting some effort and time in to it, you pay more than that for body blanks. There's a few lads on here who have done amazing jobs with these cheap kits.. it's where I got the idea from anyway.
    Thanks for that info. I built a Saga TC10 kit about 10 years ago, and back then they were about the only make of kits I could find/afford. Now, I'm tempted by another, but there's so many more kits available. I know the kits are cheap and most will need plenty of work to make them playable but I want to avoid any kits where however much work you put in it will never be any good. looks like g4m kits might be viable for me. cheers.
    Can't sing, can't dance, can handle a guitar a little.
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088

    This is the bit I've been looking at randella, it's a little more expensive than I'd have liked but as we all know.. you can't put a price on quality tools.  This has the 1mm rebate but I was hoping it had the 2mm too and I can't find a bearing set anywhere for a reasonable price.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trend-46-Tungsten-Carbide-Rebate/dp/B0001P10EO/ref=sr_1_4?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1465242525&sr=1-4&keywords=rebate+bit
    Yep - with you.  From my first serious forays into messing about with wood...

    The Trend 1/4" pattern follower I used was rock-solid, night and day from the cheaper bits.  The bearing followed the template accurately with no over- or under-cut, and the cutting edges were perfectly capable (making sure to not cut too much at once) - they sliced through swamp ash like it was a bar of soap. 

    As for the Silverline stuff - the pattern follower I tried went straight in the bin, it literally was useless.  You'd be better off setting fire to £10. The round-over was a bit better, but nowhere near sharp enough. 

    Anyway, here's where we're up to (lots yet to do!) - I don't think I'll be giving Leo's lot any sleepless nights but it's fun all the same:

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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    I'm loving the work you've done on your veneer - it's something I've been thinking about but it strikes me as the sort of job I'd mess up quite quickly.  I'll keep an eye on the progress here, I think your guitar's going to look pretty mint :)

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  • WezV said:
    Cheers man, I'll have a flick through these builds.


    randella said:
    I'm loving the work you've done on your veneer - it's something I've been thinking about but it strikes me as the sort of job I'd mess up quite quickly.  I'll keep an eye on the progress here, I think your guitar's going to look pretty mint :)

    I just followed a few youtube tutorials and if you're heads screwed on then you shouldn't have a problem. I'm a complete amateur and I haven't fluffed it up yet.. YET! :)
    The router bit was ordered this morning but because of the veneer (0.6mm) and the existing 6mm binding I'm having to go for a 10mm x 2mm binding, I should have skimmed a little off the top before gluing the veneer but its a lesson learnt. 
    Did you glue the two pieces of your guitar body yourself?  Hmm a jointing plane.. another tool to add to the ever growing list.


    It might be a few weeks until I post any progress due to waiting for things to arrive through the post, but I have glued some leftover veneer on the headstock and I'll see how that's turned out tomorrow morning.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27590
    randella said:
    As for the Silverline stuff - the pattern follower I tried went straight in the bin, it literally was useless.  You'd be better off setting fire to £10. The round-over was a bit better, but nowhere near sharp enough.  
    I think it's fair to say that most Silverline products aren't worth the paper they're made from. I use some of their drill vices in jigs for the CNC machine because they're cheap - if the machine takes a swipe at one it doesn't hugely matter.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • KingNothingKingNothing Frets: 22
    edited June 2016
    I glued the headstock veneer last night, this was the best bit I had left after doing the body.
    I've tried a few techniques for trimming the veneer but I still prefer to soak it a little and slowly trim with a sharp razor blade, slow work but it stops the burr from splitting plus spraying it with a little water will reveal any bubbles or parts that weren't clamped properly (I had to re-clamp the body because of a few bubbles, I think it was due to a lack of clamps but its sorted now.

    It doesn't look like it but the truss hole is cut out, it must just be the light when I took the pic. :)

    I was gonna stain this with a teal dye but I think I might just oil it to bring the grain out.

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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    I think just oiled would look fantastic. It's a really nice piece of veneer. Great job on the headstock :)
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  • Has it started as a Tele project and then mysteriously changed to a Strat? Different photos suggest different body shapes!! Keep it Tele. Spend some time getting a Tele headstock shape. Sell to me. Job done.
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  • usedtobeusedtobe Frets: 3841
    Looking really good. Yeah, you just want to bring the grain out, on this. I think I'd just oil it..
     so if you fancy a reissue of a guitar they never made in a colour they never used then it probably isn't too overpriced.

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