Body Start Date: 2/19/10
Completed: 7/14/10
Cost: $98 + $19 s&h= $117
Cutting out the body on the band saw.
Rough cut Maple top and Mahogany body.
Routing out the cavities.
Removing extra wood to make routing easier.
Body cavities complete.
Gluing the maple top on to the body. Used Gorilla glue.
Rough cutting the outer edge of top carve. Using a safety-planer
You can only go to a certain depth with the safety-planer.
I need to go deeper.
So I chucked up a router bit! Works great. 3000rpm's
Creating the "topography" of the top curve.
After the wider cuts I divided the space in half and stepped it in half.
Carve topography.
Side view of topography.
End view of topography. A friend called this the ziggurat! ;-)
Starting the carve by using a palm sander with 40 grit paper followed by a scraper.
The blue tape is the area of the top I want flat so I don't touch this area.....yet.
Top carve roughed out.
Getting closer.
I'll stop here.
Time to cut the neck angle of 4.4 degrees.I use my Gilbert sanding disc and angle my table until I get the correct angle.
The body slides into the rotating disc to cut the proper angle.
Just about done.
Wide view of my set up.
Done!
Close-up of the neck angle.
Back edges rounded over on router table(not shown).
Routing pocket for the neck.
Close-up.
Pick-up cavities routed.
Ready for top binding.
A little more sanding and shaping of the top carve.
The back.
More top sanding/shaping.
Now it is ready for binding channel to be cut.
Cutting binding channel. Time for a new router bit, too dull it burned the wood. Not a problem though.
Binding the top.
Checking the fit of the neck. Perfect!
Fingerboard laid on top.
Starting to look like a guitar!
Neck ready to be shaped.
Neck shaped and ready for fretting. Testing fit for neck.
Neck glued in.
Finishing time! Cherry red back, sides, and neck.
Rear head veneers ready for clear coats.
First time shooting a burst. Next one the burst will not come in as far.
Clear top coats.
Head after clear coats.
Time to cure.
Ready to buff out!
Ready to go!
Not a bad burst for a first time.
I love the neck veneers!
Side view of neck veneers.
Ebony head plate.
The finished guitar. This plank is ready to be spanked!
Finished back view.(Video coming soon!!!)
