GREGS GUITARS

Parts ordered

2009-11-07T07:24:00.000+11:00

During the week I bit the bullet and ordered the parts from the US.

So,this is how its going to look now -No more "procrastinating" over the hardware colour etc.

I have decided to use the Gold hardware ,mainly because the Nickle was just too hard to get from one supplier,Cream binding and a Vintage Pearl pickguard.

The top and back will be Tassie Blackwood .I ordered the top from Bob down at Tasmanian Tonewoods and the body and back from the Anogate.

I am going to make my own neck.I have a couple of pieces of Rock maple that I have had for about 6 years and a birds eye maple fretboard that I will slot myself.

The switch and knobs might be black to break up the gold a bit.

I have ordered most of the parts from Warmoth ,(mainly due to the postage cost I was already up for ,for the pickguard.)

The rest of the parts I have ordered from the old faithfull Stewmac.

It was an interesting exercise as I have never used Warmoth before and I did find that the prices are a little cheaper,but we will see what the service is like.

I suppose its time for some pics

Template making,Gluing and decisions

2009-11-01T07:16:00.004+11:00

I have made the Body Templates and the Neck template.I have also glued the Qld maple body and a couple of pieces of Tassie Blackwood for the Top and Back.

I am not sure if to take out the guts of the Qld maple and just glue the back and top onto the edge or leave the back intact and glue the blackwood to it.

I have been hassling the guys on the Tele Forum with questions!

New Build - Electrics this time

2009-10-26T21:20:00.004+11:00

Well,its been a while but every thing else has taken over my time of late.

I did manage to build a 5 Watt valve amp in between painting and renovating the house.

Anyway I have had some plans to build a Strat Style guitar and a Thinline Tele for a while now.

In fact I have all the parts for the Strat for a while now, but I will probably concentrate on the thinline for the start.

The body of the Thinline will be Queensland maple with Tassie Blackwood top and back,Cream bindings and maple neck.

I am at the moment trying to decide on the colour of the hardware ,but I think I will wait till I get the Blackwood and see what Gold looks like with it.

I have started making up the Templates .I will take some pics and post them soon

Set Up

2008-08-24T08:42:00.002+10:00

Well its been a few weeks now that the guitar has been strung up .

I am not sure that I have it set up properly , although I have followed the info that came with itand artlicles that are on the net.

I still have the action set a bit high .

It doesn't sound too bad ,but it does seem to be lacking something (Might be my attempt at playing it too) and the intonation on the low E string is a little out.

I am tossing up now if I should keep "fiddling" with it, or take it and get it set up or, at least played and looked at by sombody else.

This really sound like a Cop Out hey!

Some Pics

2008-08-11T16:02:00.004+10:00

Making music (Kind of)

2008-08-10T17:02:00.002+10:00

I have been playing around with the setup for the last few days and I think I am pretty close now. This is a learning curve on its own!

I did have a problem with the intonation but adjusting the saddle and nut a little (and I mean a little) seems to have solved that problem.

I am going to leave it now for a few weeks then go back and finish it all off.

I am still having problems with it staying in tune,but this may settle down with time??

I picked up some U-BEAUT Ultra Shine polish and gave the body a bit of a touch up with it.This stuff really put a shine back into the finish and I am going to try it on some bone to see if it will polish up.

Strung up

2008-08-03T09:59:00.002+10:00

I have now shaped the bridge and strung the guitar up.I decided to make up a new nut (which was easier the 3rd time around) because the other one had a crack in it.

The guitar at the moment is all over the place and won't stay in tune.I am going to leave it sit for a week or so ,then go back and attempt to set it up.

This will give me some time to read up a bit on set ups.
I am not real sure about the height of the bridge etc .The Stewmac instructions are good but a bit more info would be good.

I have ordered Bill Cory's book which may give me some more detail on the subject.

Bridge fitted,getting there

2008-07-19T15:55:00.002+10:00

I finally feel that I am starting to make some kind of progress,although it still seems to be taking forever to get this finished.

I am really not happy with the way its turned out,but I suppose for a first if it sound good I will be happy.

Its funny,when I think of all of the problems I have had with this build,I can put them all down to trying to hurry or not taking a bit more time to read the instructions.....

Anyway,I have now got the bridge glued on and maybe tomorrow I will start to cut the nut slots and fit some strings -I hope

Tuners fitted and starting to fit the bridge

2008-07-12T21:32:00.003+10:00

I have fitted the tuners now,although they look OK,I am still really "peed" off with the drama's I had.So simple and one big stuff up.

I can still see the "crack" in the headstock even though I glued it back.

Today I fitted the neck and set out to fit the bridge.

A while ago I ordered the Bridge Setter and clamp and it has made fitting the bridge very easy.

REAL BAD DAY! It really can't be that hard!

2008-07-06T10:16:00.003+10:00

Well I got the Tuner Bushes from Stewmac and proceeded to drill out the headstock and fit them.

Even though I was taking extreme care with the drill,I almost managed to tear out a large piece of the headstock.

Anyway I finally got them drilled out and fitted the bushes.I then went to fit the tuners only to find that some were far too tight.I am not sure if was a problem with the bushes or because they weren't lined up.

I can't believe this is such a stuff up.It is obvious that Stewmac didn't understand what I was talking about when I contacted them.

I almost feel like throwing the neck in the bin now and starting again.

Still trying to sort the tuner ,bush problem out

2008-06-25T08:30:00.002+10:00

I went to order some more bushes from Stewmac ,to find out that are out of stock for a month or so.

I decided to send the an email to see what alternatives they would suggest.

They have come back and said that the bush that comes with it should be used on the inside hole.

This doesn't make sence to the fact you have to drill through the outside hole to be able to drill the inside one so you .

Anyway I am looking around for some more bushes at the moment ..

As I said before,I should have read Davids post first and I would have been finished!

Grover tuners -Dont make it straight forward

2008-06-22T07:01:00.002+10:00

Well, after patching up the tearout from drilling the holes for the bushes that came with the Grover Tuners, I found out via Kit Guitar Forum that I didn't really need the bushes or in that case drill the holes!

I should have checked first but now I have a 3/8in hole on the outside and 1/4in hole on the inside.

I am probably going to get some more bushes and fit them to both ..

Another lesson learnt !

Fitting Bridge and Tuners

2008-06-20T17:36:00.002+10:00

I have managed to get a few days to myself so I have started to "Finish Off" the guitar.

My first stuff up (This time) -

I started to fit the tuners and forgot about putting a block on the inside of the headstock while drilling the holes out - Result a small amount of tear out on the back. It should be OK but I really kicked myself to do something so bloody stupid.

I mixed up a bit of maple sawdust and epoxy and touched it up.Hopefully it will be OK

Again ,it's trying to squash 2 hours into 1!

I am going to try to fit the bridge over the weekend.

I got a Bridge Setter and a Bridge Clamp from Ken, so I am hoping that this makes fitting it a lot easier.

I have come to realise that trying to pick up where I left off before is going to be like starting again..

I am kind of looking forward to getting a start on the electric.

Kind of back into it

2008-05-17T07:23:00.004+10:00

I am finally going to get a little time off shortly and my first priority is to get this guitar completed.

I reckon Ted has inspired me to get back to it (Thanks Mate)

Its funny,this is almost like starting all over again trying to remember where I am up too ,but all that really needs to be done to finish this off is:

1) Sort the neck problem out.This is probably the biggest drama, and I still can't work out how I stuffed up or what I am going to do.(Looks like I start hassling a few people again)

2) Fit and set the neck

3)Fit the bridge and nut

4) Fit the tuners

5) Fit the stings and set it up

6) Try to make some "Noise" with it!

Gee, that sounds all too easy when I put it down on paper.

Its been a fairly tuff year or so (Stuffed up hand , Too much work and Renovating) and I have really not had too much time to do the things I like doing.

After a visit to the Doc's the other day I (or He) made my mind up that this is all needs to change!.

I have also started to draw up and plan another Electric .I picked up some timber and hardware for this about 2 years ago so that is nice and seasoned...

Still on the face of the earth

2007-10-28T07:53:00.000+11:00

Well this post is more about saying that I am still around.

It feels a bit like "Teds Hibernation post" (G'Day Ted)
http://tedsguitar.blogspot.com/ but its more like I havn't had a day to do any more than house chores or go to work for 12-14 hrs a day.....

It is very depressing every time I walk past the guitar and see how little there is to do to finish it ,and I just can't get the time.

I am planning on taking some time off soon so this may be the chance -I hope

Not much happening at the moment

2007-09-23T06:32:00.000+10:00

Well I havn't even picked up a guitar ,let alone finish this one off .
For the last month I have been working some really long hours as well as renovating part of the house....

I know what I would rather be doing !!!

Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will have the reno finished then I can get on to finishing it Work is another story!

I must say though,time has given the shelac to dry right out and it seems to have really improved the gloss.

Nuts,Neck and Time -Lack off!!!

2007-08-18T07:11:00.000+10:00

Well not much is happening on the Guitar Front at the moment due to work and dometic chores (renovations).

I have decided to re cut the nut as the other one's that I made ended up with tiny black specs in them from the Wet and Dry - I think.

I am not too worried about the guitar sitting at the moment as it seems that the finish is improving as it drys out- or it might be me!

My next drama is this business with the neck moving.

The more I think about it the more I reckon that I have stuffed this up big time,but there is no turning back.

I have had a good look at it and the only other thing that could be ,is the tenon on the neck is a bit loose.That I can fix!

Also I think that because of the shelac thats under the cheeks,it gives the neck something to slide on?? That too I can fix!

Any ideas regarding the black specs /marks in the nut are welcome!

Finish almost complete

2007-07-27T08:41:00.000+10:00

Well ,a couple of days off and I have managed to get the French Polishing finished.

I am pretty happy with the way it has come out ,especially for my first attempt.

The photos are not the best,(again) but the finish has really come up like glass

well worth the effort

I am really not too sure about the neck joint.I have bolted it on tight and I can feel a bit of movement there -side to side Maybe after its glued it may be OK...???

Anybody thinking of finishing their guitar,consider French Polishing.It is very forgiving.I had a few dramas with the top,gave it a light sand back,and applied some more shellac - No problems.

I don't think I would use anything else now.

American Mahogony

2007-07-08T07:31:00.000+10:00

This is a photo of a piece of American Mahogany I used as a project in the French Polish course I did. This will be the body for the next electric I build.

Snaps of the back during the French Polishing

2007-07-07T12:57:00.000+10:00

The back is coming along a bit better than I thought.

Any body thinking of French Polishing ,a bit of advise -Practice,Practice,Practice -its harder than it looks.

I am using pre-mixed Hard Shellac which I am finding difficult to apply compared to normal shellac.It seems to "drag" .

It might be me though!

Finish started.

2007-07-01T18:58:00.000+10:00

Well I have finally got a good start on French polishing the guitar.I am using Z Poxy as a grain filler and then Hard Shellac....

I have just finished a French Polishing course, and with the teacher there, is wasn't too bad.In fact I polished up a piece of American Mahogany (Future electric body) and it has come up like glass .

I am struggling with the hard shellac.I was told that it would be a BIG learning curve and let me say it is.

The neck is looking OK but I am concerned about the top.

The good thing is it is possible to give it a sand back and start again.(From experience already)

I will post some pics soon.

Starting the finish -Long time between drinks!

2007-06-17T19:12:00.000+10:00

Well between work (you wouldn't do it if it wasn't for the money) and the weather (over 300mm of rain in a week) I finally found some hours to get back into the shed today.

I sanded the guitar down but the spruce top has some dark marks in it which I don't like.

I had sanded over the Rosette and this has stained the spruce top.It looks like its kind of set into the grain.

I decided to put a "spit" coat of Shelac on and it looked like garbage.

I have now sanded it right back, but I dont know if I should keep sanding or not.

I am starting to realise that this is never going to be the perfect guitar.

New nut cut

2007-05-27T18:33:00.000+10:00

Today I decided to make another nut because the original one was pretty ugly!..

This one was a lot easier and came out pretty good except I have noticed a fine crack in it.

I have made up a simple 15 deg Jig to cut the angle on the bottom of the nut and I used a radius sanding block to shape the top of it.This worked well.

I am not going to worry about the neck problem as per my previous post(s).

I am really not sure if its a problem with the top or the neck,but if I keep playing around with it,I will end up stuffing the neck right up.

I have ordered some "Z Poxy" finishing resin,so I can get a start on French Polishing it- But this is another story!

Stuffed Nut

2007-05-15T18:24:00.000+10:00

Things are busy again at work and I have started this Wood Finishing Course so I haven't had a lot of time to work on the guitar.

I have shaped the nut ,which came out OK,but I wiped some lead pencil marks off it with turps and it has stained it....

This neck set is still driving me mad.I had it set up so that the straight edge just skimmed over the bridge by about .5 mm as in Stewmacs instructions.

I put the last frets in the other day and put the neck back on ,and now the straight edge runs about 3 mm above the bridge....

I am not sure if it the top moving around, or its because the fretboard has moved a bit with the last frets in.

I really don't want to start taking more off the shoulders at the moment!!

Nut Shaping!

2007-04-29T16:10:00.000+10:00

First,Thanks Ted and David for the input to my (Guitar) neck problem.

I ended up gluing a very,very thin piece onto one side like Ted suggested. It looks a heap better,but its not perfect.

I think I might be expecting this to turn out like something from the Martin factory or something.

Anyway I have started shaping the Nut today.So far thats gone OK.

Last week I picked up some Nut files which were on on special from Australian Luthiers Supplies if anybody is interested in saving a few dollars.

Neck Problem

2007-04-26T05:34:00.000+10:00

I have got no idea what is going on with this neck.I had it set up pretty good the other day,and today its out .

I am not sure if its because of the play in the bolt on neck or the wet weather we are having although the shed has a de humidifier in it.

Anyway here is a picture of the gap under the cheek of the neck, which is about the thickness of a thin piece of paper .

Its only on one side and it almost looks like something is holding the neck from coming down or over on one side.

This would explain why the "side to side" set is out a bit, by about 1/8 at the bridge.

Sorry about the photo quality - Good camera,bad user.

Sanding,sanding,sanding

2007-04-23T17:00:00.000+10:00

Day off today...

I Spent about 6 hours sanding and patching.

I started out trying to polish the scratches out of the white plastic binding. It didn't come up too bad but again,this will go down as something to watch next time.

I sanded the back and sides starting at 400 grit and going up to 2000 wet and dry.

It has come up pretty smooth.I have a few dings and marks on the sides that I will need to sort out.

I bolted the neck back on and for some reason the gap between the neck and body seems to have got bigger.??and I am really not too sure what to do about it either.

Neck Fitting Done

2007-04-22T17:48:00.000+10:00

I managed to get the neck fitted today. I am not too sure that the bolt on neck is that much easier than the dovetail.I went to heaps of trouble to make sure the neck block was square,and it still needed adjusting.

I had to take a bit off both sides to get it right..I now have a slight gap between the neck and the body,but I think it will be OK.

Its funny ,but I see so much wrong with the guitar,and I bet no body ever notices.

All I hope is that it sound good!

Neck Shaping Done

2007-04-18T21:13:00.000+10:00

I have got the neck shaped and finished now ready to fit the saddle,nut etc.

I have enrolled in a French Polishing course.The teacher actually build guitars so this should be pretty good.

I bolted the neck on tonight and I have a small problem.The neck/ fretboard was sitting up about 1.5mm off the top.

My first thought is to file the holes out a bit so it will sit down.I have asked the guys on .Guitar Kit Forum for their opinion

Inlay and headstock pics

2007-04-16T20:49:00.000+10:00

Well you wouldn't think it could take so long to do the inlay and headstock shaping.I am pretty happy with the inlay,but if I do any more I will approach it a bit different( and neater)

I am happy with the back of the headstock, although I dont think it ended up with the shape that Stewmac talk about!

Inlay started

2007-04-13T18:06:00.000+10:00

I managed to get a few hours in to try my hand at inlaying . Here is a pic of it before I fill the "gap".

It looks a lot worse than it is because of the zoom on the camera.It will be interesting after I glue it in and fill/sand it.

Fretted and Glued

2007-04-09T17:44:00.000+10:00

I have glued the fretboard to the neck.Stewmacs rubber bands do really work quite well for this.

I was a bit unsure at first but it was pretty good.

See who can pick the mistake I have made ?? Cosmetic only!

Neck inlays done

2007-04-07T20:31:00.000+10:00

Well it has been a little wet over this long weekend so "sadly" I haven't been able to do too many domestic chores outside.

The next best thing I suppose, was to get into the shed and get some more work done on the guitar.

I spent about 6 hours fitting the diamond shape fretboard markers They didn't come up to bad but it was a very fiddly job cutting the shapes out on the fretboard.

On one of the electrics I made, I completely stuffed this up,so I wasn't going to do that again.

This has also kind of got me thinking about some kind of pearl inlay on the peg head ,so I will start to have a read about that now.

I have also ordered the tuners.

After searching around the net and hassling Ted,( http://tedsguitar.blogspot.com/)

I finally found that it was cheaper to get them from Stew-mac than down here.

Neck /fret board started

2007-04-03T05:35:00.000+10:00

Well I got a little bit done this week.I managed to start on the headstock and mark out the fretboard and cut and trim it

I also made up a shooting board and sharpened up some of my tools.

The fretboard wasn't too bad,but I did cut it a bit "fine"..

I am trying to make my mind up if I am going to shape the headstock or leave it square.

I worked out that by the time I finish this I will have one extra guitar,but a shop full of extra tools and jigs!

Binding cleaned up

2007-03-26T13:47:00.000+10:00

I have managed to scrape the binding back.I am not real happy with the end results but I suppose I will put this down to "learning"

The white binding is a real pain,as it shows ever bump and scratch.

I have also made up a clamp to hold the body on the bench.It was money well spent.

Here are some pics.

Binding laminator Pic

2007-03-24T07:25:00.000+11:00

Here is the Binding Laminate jig that I made and used.I am sure it made the job a bit easier when it came to "wrestling" with the binding..

This took about an hour to make and cost me about $1.50 AU in material

I think in hindsight Stewmac's price (About $30.00 AU) is quite reasonable if you don't have to pay the freight.

Binding done - Pics

2007-03-24T06:33:00.000+11:00

I managed to get the binding done this week.I didn't cut the channels quite deep enough (Trying to be too careful),so I have had to scrape a fair bit off.

This has made the binding a little bit "bumpy" and there are a couple of areas that have scratches in them ,but I suppose it doesn't look too bad.

I posted the question - http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/threads.php?id=1301_0_2_0_C

I have also found a supplier of Micro Mesh in Sydney - Coated Abrasives Australia - Newtown.

Binding jig made,end strip done

2007-03-18T17:04:00.000+11:00

I managed to finish cleaning the routed channels up,cut and fitted the end strip and I decided to make up a "Binding Laminating Jig" which I got done.

I also laminated the three thin bindings for the top ,so if I can get a couple of hours after work I will get that done ..

The jig worked pretty good and I hope only having the 2 strips will be a bit easier to glue.

I have also started looking around for some ideas for the finish.I am leaning towards the French Polish at the moment but I am going to have a play before I touch the guitar.

One thing that does concern me is the amount of dirty marks on the spruce top(See Pic) . I am hoping it all cleans up OK

The next thing I need to start thinking about is tuners..I am not sure what to use yet....

Binding rebate cleaned up

2007-03-15T20:42:00.000+11:00

Well I finished "cleaning up"the binding channel using the Laminex Trimmer.

I don't know why ,but this was a lot easier and I have managed to kind of make the channel a lot neater than it ended up with the Dremel.(I am a bit happier now)

I was having a look throught one of my books and I see that they had cut down to the kerfing ,so I am not too worried about that.

I have decided that I am going to make a guide for the trimmer so it rides just on the edge and the guide will run along the side by about 50mm.This should make it a bit easier next time.

My plans are to get the binding and the neck done this coming weekend.

Routing the back binding - its got to get better!

2007-03-13T18:11:00.000+11:00

Well, I managed to get down the shed after work today,but I wish I hadn't.

I started routing the back binding ,using the Dremel and the Precision base.
I made a small 5 deg wedge up and modified the router base .Too easy - Ha Ha!

The whole thing is up and down and all over the bloody place. I am not happy at all.There has to be a better way to do this!..

I ended up getting the laminex trimmer out and put a 13mm Straight bit in it with a 9 mm bearing .I then added a couple of turns of tape on the bearing...

I then stuck the 5 deg wedge on it and started "patching" it up.

This did seem to work a lot better than the Dremel,but as I said there has to be a better way.

I also noticed that in one part I have just touched the kerfing. Not much I can do now I suppose.

Not real happy with this at all.I hope the end result sounds good!

Not as much as I had hoped!

2007-03-11T18:34:00.000+11:00

Well I never got started on the neck but I did get a go at routing the binding rebate - Hows the nerves now! Your kidding! I am glad I used the Dremel and Stew-macs jig.

I never got it finished because I was starting to rush ,and not watch what was happening.

I am not too sure what is going on,because on some parts the cut is fine but on other parts its not deep enough.The sides looked pretty square and flat so I don't know.??

I also wasn't too sure on how much bigger to leave the binding (if any) so it can be sanded/scraped flush with the top and sides.

Any way I will go and have another look at the Stew mac DVD and see what they say.

The box is closed-At last

2007-03-10T07:00:00.000+11:00

Well finally.....,I have the box closed.This weekend I am going to get a start on the neck - I hope.

I recieved my "Precision Router Base"
from Stewmac this week and I am now thinking about some kind of inlay - (Get ready Ted for more questions!)

This product is really well made and a lot better than the Plastic Dremel base I have.

I am starting to think about the finish now and I am not sure if to try my hand at French Polishing or one of the water based finishes.(Time to start reading I suppose).

Top ON - and RIP Billy

2007-03-04T15:16:00.000+11:00

Well I finally got the top glued on today.I glued the back on first but I don't think I would do it this way again.

I had a bit of trouble getting the top square and the back is out by a few mm.

Also I have a small gap where one of the braces is.I don't think this will matter because the binding will cover it.

I could almost write a book on what not to do!

And on a sadder note:

The passing of Billy Thorpe this week was a real shock and devastating to Aussie rock.. This guy was a real rock icon.

http://www.thorpie.com/

RIP Billy.

The backs on,but not without a small problem

2007-03-03T06:15:00.000+11:00

Well,I have got the back glued on (Did this before the top) and I see that one of the braces has held the back up off the kerfing,It is only as fine as a piece of paper,but something to watch next time!

I checked this quite a few times ,but I think that a splinter has come away from the brace and held it up off the kerfing

I am going to get the top on today and get a start on the neck so I feel as though I am finally getting somewhere.

The weather here at the moment is garbage.
The last 4 weeks have been so warm,wet and humid its been making it a bit of a task to do too much.

I reckon I should have put a small AC unit in the shed , as the De humidifier makes it quite warm in the room.....

Binding confusion ??

2007-02-20T06:19:00.000+11:00

I am not quite ready to do the binding yet,but as I was having a look around I am a bit confused with what has come with my Kit.

I have the side binding - no worries,but then I have 3 (2 White and 1 Black) very fine bindings.

I am not sure how these are suppose to go on the top.Stewmac keep mentioning white/black.

How do you glue the 3 fine strips in??

Back Bracing done. + Rap for Stewmac

2007-02-11T16:39:00.000+11:00

Well its good to be back and to be able to get a bit done on the Guitar.
What I am finding is that because I am not contantly working on it,I have to keep going back to the instructions and watch what stage I am up too so I dont forget any of the "small" bits .

Anyway I have managed to get the back bracing done today so I hope that in the next few days I will get the box closed in.

When I do the next one I won't be using Yellow Glue.Its lucky you can't see the top bracing!

Now I want to give Stewmac a big rap.
I have been dealing with them for a number of years now ,and all I can say is that there Customer Service is exceptional.
They always have responded to any problems without a hassle.

In my latest saga,the Video that came with the Kit ,for some reason ,decided to start playing up.(I purchased the kit some months ago but never really played the Video right through)

I contacted them just to see if they had any problems with them and without any questions they offered to replace it with the DVD.

Hows That!

Top bracing complete and Weld On 16 purchased

2007-02-09T16:27:00.000+11:00

Well I have managed to get a bit done this week,but really not as much as I had hoped.

The humidity in Sydney this week has been up around 80% ,so the de humififier has been working like mad - and making the shed/work room very warm!

I have got the top finished now and all the braces trimmed.I am not too sure if to try to fine tune them or what.-- Any comments very welcome.

I am going to try to get the back done on the weekend .

I went to Mulford Plastics today (Thanks to Ted's research) and picked up a tube of Weldon 16. The tube of glue is really not expensive $7.95 AU.

Now for a whinge!

When Mulfords do the invoice they then charge you an extra $10.00 for a "Fuel Levy"!
The total cost for the tube is then $18.00

I really thought this was just a compete rip off.

Thats not a bad mark up for absolutly nothing at all.

Bracing Glued

2007-02-04T20:01:00.000+11:00

Well, I finally got some time in the shed today to get on with the guitar.

For the last few weeks I have been working out of town so not much has been happening-Not real happy! (Thanks for your concerns Ted)

Anyway I used the Go Bar deck to glue up the braces.I think this is the way to go but I did have some problems getting the rods to stay on at first..

I used piece of cardboard around the edge to make the form.

Anyway I am going to try to get the back done this week and hopefully I might get it closed next weekend.

Bracing

2007-01-01T09:05:00.000+11:00

Well I had a couple of days off over Christmas and got the bracing kind of sorted out.
I am not real sure or happy about the 2 "X" braces that I shaped but I suppose they will do.

I also finished off the "GO BAR DECK" and I think I might use it to glue the bracing on, although I am not real sure if this is the way to go,especially with the top due to the radius.

I dont have any "Radius dishes",so I am hoping it will work out like the way Stewmac say in the book

Rosette Done -ABOUT TIME!

2006-12-17T13:10:00.000+11:00

Well I managed to get a few hours to myself today ,and did the rosette.

I really took my time with it and I managed to get the join perfect.You really cant see it.

Now I need to get into the bracing and again I want to be able to take my time with it and not sqash it in between other things.

BEST WISHES FOR CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO READ THIS.

Keep at it

2006-11-22T06:33:00.000+11:00

Well after this stuff up with the sanding stick,I have decided to make up the correct stick and re sand the linings.

This will reduce the width of the sides by a fraction,( about 2 mm I think) but I really don't think it should matter to the end results - I HOPE!

The things that I have stuffed up so far -

Cut the tail block flush.This should have been slightly longer than the sides even though Stewmac say they should be flush - Easier to reduce than add!

Small gap in join at the tail block end - Take a bit more time or use another method -Jig of some sort so you can see the end.

Lining breaking - ?????

Sanding stick wrong - Think about what I am doing.And get some advise if not sure (before hand)!

Sanding board pic - explain

2006-11-16T18:14:00.000+11:00

This is the pic of the sanding board I made and used to sand the kerfing.

I made this as described (or the way I read it) in Stewmac's 000 instructions.

I cut the 2 wedges 8 inches long and at 5 deg and 1 1/2 deg.

I then glued them on to a 2 ft long board .

The concen I had was that in the Stewmac Dreadnaught instructions,it says to make the angle from the centre of the sandpaper to the end of the wedge ,which would be over a length of about 20 inches.

I made the angles over the length of the wedge - 8 inches.... Which makes the sanding angle less than 5 deg and 1 1/2 deg

I hope this makes some kind of sence??

I think Ted's comment might be right,I should stop worrying about the "small" things and just get it done!

Not happy and confused

2006-11-12T20:21:00.000+11:00

Well after my last post I had a better look at the kerfing that I finished.
I have a slight gap on one side where the waist clamp was.

At the time I couldn't see it and because of the waist clamp, was unable to get a peg on that part of the kerfing.
http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/threads.php?id=906_0_2_0_C

The other thing thats bugging me is Stewmacs Sanding Stick.I made one up as per their manual .

I cut the 2 wedges , 200mm (8 inches) long. One I made 5 deg and the other 1.5 deg .So far so good -So I thought?

I was having a bit of a look at Bills KIT GUITAR BUILDING site,and found an article on the sanding stick.

In this article it sais to make the angle from the centre of the sand paper to the end near the wedge.

This would give a true/closer 5 deg and 1.5 deg at the sanding area.

Using Stewmac's description,the angle would be a bit less and flatter.

I have put a post on Bills site http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/threads.php?id=905_0_6_0_C , to get some clarification.I reckon I might be missing something somewhere ,

Every thing made sense when I read the instructions for the first 20 times,and this is the easy part!

Kerfing finished and sanding board made

2006-11-10T21:04:00.000+11:00

Got home at reasonable hour tonight so I finished of the kerfing and made up the sanding board.

I wasn't real happy with the kerfing.!

It was so simple but I ended up with about 4 joins due to it breaking.

Oh well see how it comes out after I sand it.

Kerfing,and bloody pegs

2006-11-03T13:31:00.000+11:00

Well first up I appreciate Ted's comments on the tail block gap.
I was kind of more disapointed than anything but I am sure things like this will be on-going ,especially when we try to squash the building in with all the other things that are going on!

Anyway,went out to get some "STRONG" cloths pegs today.Pretty easy you would reckon,but all I found was cheap garbage that would be lucky to hold a sock on a line.

Anyway another trip down to the Hardware.They have some small spring clamps that I think will work better.

The other drama I have had (and I know others have had) is the kerfing keeps breaking around the waist curve.I have posted the question up on http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/threads.php?id=893_0_6_0_C
to see what the guys have to say about a solution.

Clamps off,Not Happy!

2006-11-01T11:14:00.000+11:00

Well I removed the clamps today only to find that the tail block join has a gap in it of about 1mm.

I think the grease proof got caught in the join.Its not a lot and I am sure I can fill it ,but its really annoying,especially after getting it all sit up ,and taking my time in the first place.

In thinking about it,I should have left the neck block longer and that way I wouldn't have had to worry about getting it flush with the top.

I also think if you were using a mould,it would be easier.Too Late !

Neck and tail blocks glued up

2006-10-31T21:44:00.000+11:00

Amazing what can be done with a day or two off. I got the tail and neck block glued up.
The glue dried pretty quick so I hope it all lined up and comes out OK

I ended up trimming up the tail block to fit .Stewmac say that the sides may have shrunk a little but I think that the tail block may have been off a dreadnaught kit.

Finally getting a start

2006-10-31T08:56:00.000+11:00

Well I have come to the conlusion that life is busy! Trying to get a few hours is not as easy as it sounds.

Any way, I finally got a start on the guitar yesterday.I layed it all out only to find that the tail block is too long.I am not sure if its something I am missing or doing wrong, but I will wait to see what the guys on http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/threads.php?id=872_0_2_0_C

have to say.
I realise that it looks easy on the video and in the manual,but an extra set of hands would be great when it comes to gluing it up!

I also have found that the room that I built is OK but could have been about twice the size.

Weekends go too quick

2006-10-22T19:05:00.000+10:00

Well I have been trying to get this shed/room sorted out -This project was bigger than I ever thought. !!

Hi Ted,
Here is a picture of the inside and the door going into it,but as you can see,its still not finished.

The room is only about 4 sq mts but at least I can keep it seperate from all the other happenings in the garage.

I suppose now that I dont have to worry too much about the humidity etc,I can get a start on the kit,and leave it for a while if I am busy at work

A tower would be quicker!!

2006-10-21T07:29:00.000+10:00

Well I have finished my out of town work for a little while so hopefully I will be able to get started now.

I have just about finished the reno to the shed and have built a small room to build my guitars.

I have managed to pick up a cheap dehumidifier so all I need to do now is get started.

Hopefully this week!

Another week gone by!!

2006-09-24T07:03:00.000+10:00

Well apart from working a bit out of town this week,I have been trying to get the "shed"finished cant wait for daylight saving!

My aim at the moment is to get started on the body of the guitar over the next 3 day weekend.
The wood is still getting used to the crazy weather we are having here,Today 33 deg C, tomorrow 20 deg C.

The only good thing is the humidity is riding at about 45 - 55 % at the moment

In the between times I have been having a look around for ideas on finishing am giving French Polish a bit of thought at the moment

Getting used to the weather

2006-09-16T05:59:00.000+10:00

This is the kit so far! Still getting used to Sydney's weather

No construction yet due to the fact that I am building a room to make these in.Using bits and pieces I had laying around, the all up cost will only be about $250.00 + $240.00 for a De humidifier.

Who said it was a cheap hobby!

Day OFFF!

2006-09-14T17:43:00.000+10:00

Well I have finally bit the bullet with my thoughts about this humidity thing.The weather has been up and down and the humidity has been up around 70 - 80 %.It's been that bad that some timber that I had in the shed has twisted .

Any way I had a heap of 3x2 Pine so I decided to knock up a little room in the shed and stick a dehumidifier in there.

All up this is probably going to cost me a few hundred dollars,but once its done its done.

Still haven't started the kit yet !!

Saturday,Cauls made

2006-09-09T18:50:00.000+10:00

Today it absolutly poured down here.(Again)
I went into the shed and started to make some more spool clamps and gluing couls.

The humidity is riding at around 70% so .

Oh well at least I got a "start"

The prep day (Sunday)

2006-09-04T06:00:00.000+10:00

I spent most of today "fiddling" around in the shed finishing off the spool clamps and cleaning up.

I have left the kit in the house at the moment and the humidity is sitting between 50 - 60% .

The weather over the weekend was quite warm - 26Deg +

I am considering building a "small shed" in the shed to work on the guitar.This will add extra work and time before I get a start on the kit.

Saturday Very early. 2/09/06

2006-09-02T05:48:00.000+10:00

I had planed to get into the shed this morning ,have a clean up and make some room to get a start.

I have just been called into work now, so again those plans are gone.

I have been keeping my eye on the weather and today is going to be 28 deg c .
I am still concerned about the humidity over here.It doesn't seem to drop below 65% in the shed,although it does remain pretty stable.

I know after talking to people I might be worrying about nothing at all,but I am a bit of a perfectionest and like trying to do things the right way.

I am still thinking about building a small room in the shed,and putting in a cheap dehimidifier.Only problem is I cant find a CHEAP dehumidifier.

I am very interested in what other guys do with this problem.

Its funny ,I read Teds posts,http://tedsguitar.blogspot.com/,One of the aussie guys on http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/forum/index.php and he has got right into it without any stuffing around.

He has kind of inspired me to get started (Thanks Ted) and stop procrastinating (I think thats how its spelt).

Oh well off to work for the day!

It has arrived! How quick was that.

2006-09-01T16:24:00.000+10:00

Last weekend I ordered my kit from Stew Mac http://stewmac.com thinking it would take a week or so to arrive.

Well to my surprise I got home to find it had been delivered - 3 days from the US to Australia.

They would be one of the best companies that I have dealt with..

I checked out the parts and all seemed to be OK. There are a couple of bits that I dont know what they are for,but I am sure the instructions will say.

Now all I need to find some time to get started.!!