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After the headstock face has been band sawed to just over 1/2" the 3/8" anchor drilling can be made at 3 degrees, using this jig. The 3/8" drilling goes to 3/8 or 9mm in front of the nut face where the anchor will sit as it is "heel adjust vintage", man....
https://i.imgur.com/jJ5X3UQ.jpgThe steel insert is changed for the 5mm one and the drilling is continued until it joins the truss rod channel, hopefully at the right place!
https://i.imgur.com/IJ6sZlZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TBF083P.jpg
Now the headstock face and transition are drum sanded now all the drillings are done.
https://i.imgur.com/W410NTO.jpg
Now
to make a truss rod, I have a bunch of 3/16 mild steel rods and some
anchor's made from 3/8" steel rod that need 10-32NF threads cut.
(The bar used to make the anchor is lying on top of the vice, enough
left for a few more!
Grin)
Peened over with a center punch and test fitted.
https://i.imgur.com/qtkMtGG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ov3ZJdW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/va34GCI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/N4aSpBI.jpg
I
dont bother with shrink wrap tube any more as think it sucks Tone. If
the rod is partially tight under tension it is locked into the curved
recess and it ain't going to rattle! As a precaution against rust and
any glue ingress I heat the rod and wipe a paraffin wax candle all
over the rod, this should lube it a tad as well as help with
moisture.
https://i.imgur.com/FKaeT5S.jpg
All
in snug now, a gibbo type rod for comparison. (I used it to check the
adjuster nut fitted, and pull it
out!)
https://i.imgur.com/H5KteIf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/n6PsqAH.jpg
Now
I can glue in the walnut dowel to lock the anchor in place, this is
10mm dowel reduced to 9.5mm or
3/8.
https://i.imgur.com/JBDBIrl.jpg
I
have some nice walnut 1/4" sheet and 10mm dowel from a hobby
shop but fancy some "American Black Walnut" for the skunk
stripe fillet. Luckily I have 1 last off cut left from a big board
just long enough to bandsaw into 1/4 strips
tomorrow.
https://i.imgur.com/grFoeMR.jpg
I
also have a fair bit of hard "rock maple" and a board of
Eastern Curly Maple (Acer Rubrumn) on the bottom of the stack.
This neck is a dry run then I want to build some Flame Maple necks as
well. These will be "2 piece" however with rosewood finger
boards and no skunk
stripe.
https://i.imgur.com/5b4l8bt.jpg
I
checked with Mike at CurlyMaple.Com to what species the Curly Maple
boards were I had purchased for tops mainly. He confirmed it is
eastern red maple acer rubrumn that is almost as hard as rock maple
acer saccurum. Some Tone Wood vendors sell "flame maple neck
blanks" that are Western Bigleaf Maple or Acer Macrophyllum that
IMHO is too soft for necks, although violin makers use it by all
accounts. Just my 10 cents....
I will post some more when I
have the black walnut ready to glue in the skunk strip and a bit more
progress made, fingers crossed.
Cheers, John
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
Looks like a lot of time invested in the jig too.
His jazz tele was absolutely fucking superb imo, one that I'd actually want, I did post a pic up ages ago
His other fender stuff he's done is great too
I'll see you soon for a catch up
(formerly customkits)
Also, loving that Starcaster neck - I know they are anathema to some, but I just love the headstock shape - cool as can be.
Some progress with the neck and hope to get the finger board radiused tomorrow now the skunk stripe fillet is glued in, then some fret work fun. I made up some black walnut 1/4" strips on the band saw after marking of the curve from the router jig rails, then finished them to thickness with a sharp plane and sanded the inner radius smooth.
https://i.imgur.com/hHXh9G9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CkmJQUX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GO3QbTT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/krwy7dt.jpg
Now planed flush and looking tidy.
https://i.imgur.com/ZL7xQ0i.jpg
The headstock transition curve has been sanded after the walnut plug was cut flush-ish then drum sanded to 3/16" behind the nut.
https://i.imgur.com/PKsJPmU.jpg
Heres "one I made earlier" or about 5 years ago to be precise, I built 2 identical Teles, one for my daughter, the "Natzcaster" and this one for myself with BKP underwound "Bluenote" P-90's giving up some proper P-90 grunt n chime. I made a batch of 3 one piece necks in all shortly after building the jig a few years ago. I does strat type necks as well!
https://i.imgur.com/frfkujh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j3h1ZnW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UxJcOCs.jpg
Talking of jigs this one was a bit of a SOB to get right, it will get used tomorrow to radius the fingerboard with a router, only built to do a 7.25" to 9.80" compound taper. I love the vintage feel in the lower position and low action with no fret buzz or "noting out". The cone radius at the bridge is just shy of 12" to set the bridge saddles too, and goes 7.25 at the nut to 9.80" at the 21st fret, if that makes sense....
https://i.imgur.com/FfwMA8O.jpg
I will post some more when I radius the board hopefully tomorrow when I have the jig dialed in and set up right. I did another jig for 9.5" cylinder radius but have never used it as the compound taper is much better, and looks vintage correct 7.25 until you play it! Grin...
Tah John
https://i.imgur.com/f5nGSaF.jpg
There is a small drilling for an indexing pin that also acts as a screw hole to mount the heel end on the jig.
https://i.imgur.com/tjbBsAU.jpg
And another screw locates the headstock using the tuner drillings.
https://i.imgur.com/03DXzN4.jpg
Then the top is screw down on center line and each end checked for equal depth at each end, )the rear rotor bearing has an adjuster bolt to raise and lower the carrier to square).
https://i.imgur.com/DWm3GBn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oloIBt5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WWmlhux.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7yaxpWz.jpg
The first pass is nearly done, half a turn on the turn buckle moves the carriage aprox. 1/16" or a couple of mm.
https://i.imgur.com/Wncn738.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NsHgxac.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WLKn1lh.jpg
This is the good bit, both ends are equal at 25.5mm.
https://i.imgur.com/8XthDJ4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WzbFix4.jpg
My new longer round nose cutter arrived today and had to be tested on the off- cut from the neck blank.The one I had used for this neck was a tad short to chuck in properly and wobbled a fraction widening the cut a fraction.
https://i.imgur.com/elS4qvv.jpg
The new channel is nice and clean and no burn from shaft.
https://i.imgur.com/9F95VZ4.jpg
I can now use my 1/4" walnut sheet that matches the dowel plug and fits perfect.
https://i.imgur.com/6iJy3K8.jpg
Sorry this is getting a bit picture heavy, but the "small things" matter, ah hem, grin (and tad obsessive) On with the neck build, next is the fret slotting jig that takes the Stew Mac Fender 25.5" and various 2 3/4" Gibson steel slotting templates, 25.5" for this one...
https://i.imgur.com/4Pn6dsE.jpg
This is the indexing pin that locates the neck heel end.
https://i.imgur.com/ldWGn2G.jpg
The head end is located on center with a modified screw to fit the 1/4" drillings, this locks it down to jig.
https://i.imgur.com/qKb2XcB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/w1fXq6Q.jpg
All slots are cut now, the saw depth stop is set to just over the .062" fret tang height or the 2nd line on the little depth checker.
https://i.imgur.com/3vnwSGy.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/rTYY1wN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xhCHOZT.jpg
This is the stew mac template from underneath...
https://i.imgur.com/VkwajZo.jpg
And the indexing pin..
https://i.imgur.com/gxi0FvT.jpg
I made this jig a few years ago to take the entire neck for doing one piece necks as my little stew mac mitre box jig only took fret boards and needed something bigger. Final shot of today's work, next up is the dot inlays, if I have not run out of black dowel rod, hmmm.
https://i.imgur.com/JVS13Eg.jpg
More soonish,
John
(formerly customkits)
I like the 1" spacing as the 2nd and 5th strings cover the centers and just look tidier.
https://i.imgur.com/Qqq1wQj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ceWJl1g.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uxLK1ns.jpg
All dots are in now, I found these "whip tips" fits the cyano tube nicely and allow just a small amount without flooding.
https://i.imgur.com/IiflkaD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TJ6RFKs.jpg
1" spacing on 12th dots.
https://i.imgur.com/KkqzMwb.jpg
Nut width is a tad over 42mm allowing for final sanding. (Vintage Tele's were 1.65" or 41.91mm at the nut according to Musikraft web site and later fender necks or modern ones 42.86mm).
https://i.imgur.com/THB759t.jpg
The heel is 55.75mm a tad over 55.56mm which is industry standard for Telecasters.
https://i.imgur.com/4RNyBkp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YN7oakx.jpg
The rock maple I am using was re-sawn from a 2" board back in 2011 and each billet stored indoors so is now positively "vintage" man, and well dried and stable. I still have a fair bit left but need to get some more pretty soon.
https://i.imgur.com/xKD6RW8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jvDMnCK.jpg
Next up is fret work, I will be using Jescar 6105 wire which is tall/skinny wire at .090" x .055" tall and my favorite fret wire as dresses to around .050" tall after fret leveling, jazz club nice.......
Cheers, John
Anyway on with the neck, I am doing this in between things at the mo hence it doing in stages. The frets went in today so a few pics on how I go about prepping the wire and board before gluing and pressing. I use Titebond on maple boards as cyano has a nasty habit of wicking up the slot and staining/sealing the fingerboard looking a dogs dinner on staining and spraying. Also any over spill wipes of with a damp sponge cloth.
To work properly thorough de-greasing of the wire is a must.
https://i.imgur.com/K4hoTMe.jpg
Tops of slots lightly beveled with a file. The finger board edges have also been sanded to break the hard edge a give a very narrow radius or "rolled edge". It cannot be more at this stage or the fret ends will not seat properly, when the edges are filed and beveled the "rolled edge" can be finished of as part of the beveling but very lightly or you will loose some fret width.....ah hem.
https://i.imgur.com/H4ceoRm.jpg
The titebond is mixed 1/3 with water to thin it out a little and a bead run into each slot with syringe.
https://i.imgur.com/CrGZx9b.jpg
Fret edges tapped down lightly...
https://i.imgur.com/VvwlmFS.jpg
And pressed in using a 7.25" caul (its a compound 7.25 - 9.80" radius)
https://i.imgur.com/YM5XoUu.jpg
Now doing 3 at a time..
https://i.imgur.com/5ln1nDk.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cx8cmUN.jpg
Notice the small bead of glue squeeze out under the tang, not on the fingerboard. Before I change over to the 9.5" radius pressing caul I tap all the centers down that are slightly high at this point on then change to the 9.5" caul for the rest of them
https://i.imgur.com/3WhP4Dn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NxxJhaN.jpg
The final job is checking each fret in 3 positions and taping snug any high points with Henry the fretting hammer.
https://i.imgur.com/eG0rpLr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rXKmV3g.jpg
I have also tapped over the edges slightly prior to checking with the fret rocker, this seats the end of the fret firmly over the tiny radiused edge of the board. When the frets are beveled it will be to the top of this small edge curve, if that makes sense....
https://i.imgur.com/GCgSK2f.jpg
You can see the slight edge radius better in this picture,
https://i.imgur.com/cx8cmUN.jpg
I will bang on some more about it soon when I cut the fret ends and file the edge bevels. More in a few days.
Cheers, John.
PS On the subject of "rolled edge" on fenderish necks (and any decent neck with no abrupt edge) it has be be very subtle before the frets go in or loose some playing area on the fret, causing the E strings to "fall off" the edge. That or 8 pints usually does the trick! Ah hem......
If anyone is interested here is a link to Bill Scheltema's jig and neck tutorial I borrowed/stole to build my jigs. Sorry for all the edits as posting this video link became a bit of a mare. The links to all his videos show up after the introduction ends. (I only wanted to post the soddin' Link!)
(formerly customkits)
I have had to take a couple of days out so only recently got around to finishing of Ze Fretwork, excuse a picture heavy post as my favourite bit of the neck build, and also the most time consuming. After cutting the wire flush I bevel the end by hand right up to the edge radius until brushing on the wood. (Yesterday evening)
https://i.imgur.com/0AtU5tl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/txXJHHh.jpg
As it is sunny I am doing the fretwork on a handy tall surface in my kitchen, facing south where the light is better than my workshop lighting. First up is removing any burr's and rounding the fret ends, this can be done after fret leveling when the final rounding and polishing is done.
https://i.imgur.com/iBhGudg.jpg
This small triangle fret file has "safe" rounded edge so it doesnt mark the wood.
https://i.imgur.com/qe5hiPz.jpg#
Next the neck is "read" and truss rod tightened until the very small relief disappeared in the middle and dead flat.
https://i.imgur.com/b3tsSZq.jpg
Now onto the fret leveling, I use a dead straight aluminum beam that used to be my bandsaw fence with 3M gold self stick P-320 abrasive paper. This is used by sanding parallel with the neck edges i.e. following the string lines as this is a 7.25" to 9.80" compound or "cone" taper on the finger board. If it was a 9.5" or 7.25" cylinder radius you would sand down the center line if that makes sense....(I used to do this after carving the neck but found it makes little odds and tends to go back into a small "up bow" when the neck is carved.)
https://i.imgur.com/RPEiuHW.jpg
At this stage it is mostly done but I am taping off the 12th fret area and leveling beam to remove a couple of thou' from the last few upper frets creating a very small fall away.
https://i.imgur.com/0qECG8J.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oTvYWBl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4TS97TY.jpg
Then fret crowning or rounding. I use just the 2 smaller triangle files as remove any shoulder from the flats better than the round diamond ones do, and quicker. I use the diamond one last just to finish of the radius.
https://i.imgur.com/EWgbnSZ.jpg
Medium file.
https://i.imgur.com/3WprT5j.jpg
Now the tiny one with very fine cut..
https://i.imgur.com/h20SMQ6.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zUbOCcK.jpg
This has left just a very narrow line that I remove with the diamond file, then notched sanding sticks with P400 then P500 grit sanding belts to remove the file marks and finish of the crown radius.
https://i.imgur.com/QOPUmpV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xMBouH2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kMYtGDP.jpg
Just showing the filed notches on the sanding stick, these conform nicely to the inside radius and the top radius to sand the whole fret, not just the top. I then use 0000 fine wire wool to polish the tops and bevels then a bit of metal polish on the tops.
https://i.imgur.com/LF2rbeF.jpg
Notice the daylight is long gone.... hmmm, told yer it takes time lol. Tape is now removed and frets cleaned with lighter fluid to remove polish and metal residue that will melt into clear lacquer.
https://i.imgur.com/e0vveHv.jpg
Now to finish off the "rolled edge" by hand with a small sanding stick and p400 self stick paper.
https://i.imgur.com/7KlqMll.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Ywt0PJY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wjk3f5n.jpg
Nearly bed time now! The lighting not so good indoors now, I still need to dress a couple of fret ends that still feel a tad sharp on the hand but fret work mostly done now. The hard bit is after several coats of nitro lacquer sanding in between frets getting it all nice and smooth.... Rosewood boards are a walk in park in terms of man hours and work required, maple needs a lot of prep work. Next up is cutting the back taper and the neck carve which is always nice to do, seeing it become a neck at last....
Cheers, John.
(formerly customkits)
Anyway I decided it would be a good time to make a better carve template before starting on the neck carve, the Musikraft 57V .86-.96" looks very close to what I am after and suspect it's another classic Gibbo profile as they did a lot of soft V carves in the day.
https://i.imgur.com/gqPnH0V.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rVmh0f9.jpg
I copied these profile from a well known web site ah hem, and scaled them up by 186% on my printer and bang on scale now to make a template. I am using some 2mm scrap strip of Limba to glue the paper template too.
https://i.imgur.com/7v1YM4R.jpg
A nice fit now...
https://i.imgur.com/xdE6tdd.jpg
This is the build I did last summer where the scrap Limba wood came from, a modded SC version of my 336 build, the templates are close to the V carve I did by eye on this neck.
https://i.imgur.com/4qdVQ5I.jpg
The top, she got to have her 15 minutes..... grin
https://i.imgur.com/5CLaLMb.jpg
Here is her big Sister, the DC 336 I built the year before after talking ES-335 stuff with Darren at CustomKits, I couldn't afford the dosh for one of Ken McKay's lovely kits, and did carved top and back instead. It's all Darrens fault, honest!
https://i.imgur.com/hFZ22yk.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Tl0NBxO.jpg
This has more of a C carve with some shoulder removed.
https://i.imgur.com/kic1P8m.jpg
I forgot to add, this 57V profile is similar to some Black Guard Tele necks from the 50's
https://i.imgur.com/I81FCX5.jpg
Heres some bedtime reading material that got all this started.......
https://i.imgur.com/AHt2RQw.jpg
This is the plan for the CS-336 I got from "Gibsonish Designs" Jamie Urden that started these 2 builds of, I had to move the F holes a tad more center and pot holes but pretty close, and cheaper than the custom shop one ah hem....
https://i.imgur.com/kuaF8KH.jpg
Anyway it's a good time to get a proper neck profile template made and I can start on the carve tomorrow and try this V profile on the new Tele neck.
The metric for the 57V is 22mm or tad under at 1st fret and 24.40mm at 12 fret. I usually shoot for a bit over to allow for final sanding and will go for 22.5mm and 25.00 just in case!
Cheers, John
(Just my 10cent on profiles btw)
Love all the limba builds i've done and yours so far with plenty more to come
you'll be needing some bubinga for fretboards next, sounds great with limba imo, could all just be bollocks but good fun none the less
(formerly customkits)
The neck is about ready for carving now and eventually got the back taper cut after mucking around with more jigs. The tuner holes can now be drilled thro' with 1/4" drill and reamed to 11/32" for the vintage 6 in-line tuner ferules. (The steel drilling jig was used only when the first pilot holes were drilled btw but a useful bit of kit.)
https://i.imgur.com/Tgh5WxF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6Frmxsv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wuxbxeX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BsFVahf.jpg
The ferule hole can be drilled with an 11/32" drill bit but the reamer makes a cleaner cut., also easier to get to 8mm depth so there is still a 1/4" drilling in the headstock wood for the tuner shaft.
https://i.imgur.com/Uf9GqU9.jpg
I use this jig to hold the neck square and usually use an overhead router to cut the neck back profile depth but also works with a bit of care with the safety planer. (A 3mm drill bit is placed under the 1st fret on center line to jack it up for the taper from the 1st to the 14th fret. I need to loose 2.5mm under the 1st fret to bring it down to 23mm).
https://i.imgur.com/krAAixd.jpg
The heel transition is similar to a strat neck and marked up.
https://i.imgur.com/CD7x8vl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OY4gx9i.jpg
After safety planing..
https://i.imgur.com/CmmNd4h.jpg
It is now .910" or 23mm at first, excuse the wood colored gloves in photo as it looks confusing.
https://i.imgur.com/bBtqtWh.jpg
And .984" or 25mm at the 12th fret
https://i.imgur.com/HGixHL4.jpg
When carved the transition should look like this on the p-90 tele, my pencil curves are in fact the wrong way round as ends up concave facets, doh!
https://i.imgur.com/OTnYbz2.jpg
Its now ready for carving.
https://i.imgur.com/Hbx2IZs.jpg
I will do this tomorrow now as just put new strings on the p-90 tele and forgot how good she played...
Cheers, John
(formerly customkits)