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Jay's 2016 Challenge entry
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10145&t=47888
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Author:  J De Rocher [ Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

After working out how to inlay ammonites into ebony, I inlaid ammonite fret markers into the fretboard for the first time. It went a lot easier than I expected. Ammonites turn out to be a bit fragile but it's manageable and they sand nicely.

Routed and chiseled out the recesses for the ammonites.
Attachment:
73 Recesses ready for inlays.jpg


Glued the binding on the end of the fretboard.
Attachment:
74 Gluing binding to end of fretboard.jpg


Glued binding to the sides of the fretboard. My setup for doing this step uses the router table for clamping the binding to the fretboard.
Attachment:
75 Gluing binding to sides of fretboard.jpg


Completed fretboard:
Attachment:
76 Completed fretboard.jpg

Attachment:
77 Ammonite inlays.jpg

Attachment:
78 Ammonite inlays.jpg

Author:  SteveSmith [ Thu Oct 13, 2016 6:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Like the logo on the headplate - looks good. Ammonite inlays are very cool!

Author:  Bryan Bear [ Tue Oct 18, 2016 11:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

That fretboard looks awesome!

I'm seeing an awful lot of curly woods in this challenge. I might need to step it up. I've been trying to use medulary rays as a theme in mine but that just can't compete. . .

Author:  J De Rocher [ Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

I completed the neck today. The curl in the big leaf maple is pretty cool. It didn't want to be carved along the grain with a chisel so most of the shaping was done with a variety of rasps. I was worried that the bloodwood binding on the fretboard might be a problem from sanding dust getting into the maple, but it turned out to be no problem at all. Now I need to round over the body binding and do the final sanding of the body and then it's on to putting the finish on.

Attachment:
79 Gluing fretboard on.jpg

Attachment:
80 Neck carving.jpg

Attachment:
81 Neck carving mostly done.jpg

Attachment:
82 Gluing heel cap on.jpg

Attachment:
83 Completed neck.jpg

Attachment:
84 Completed neck.jpg

Author:  SteveSmith [ Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Looks good. Great curl in that neck, it'll look great under finish.

Author:  JBoogie [ Fri Oct 21, 2016 5:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Looks great. Where did you get the maple for the neck?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Author:  J De Rocher [ Fri Oct 21, 2016 1:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

I bought it on ebay from another guitar builder. It was a billet big enough to make two 12-fret necks like this.

Author:  J De Rocher [ Mon Oct 24, 2016 4:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

This weekend, I finished sanding the body to prep for finishing and got the first z-poxy pore filler application on.

Attachment:
85 Body sanded.jpg

Attachment:
86 First z-poxy application.jpg

Author:  SteveSmith [ Mon Oct 24, 2016 6:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Jay, that looks great!

Author:  Bryan Bear [ Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Looking good. I can't believe how far along you are. You'all have time to make another.

Author:  J De Rocher [ Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Well, now that I'm entering the finish phase, things will slow to a snail's pace for a while.

Author:  JBoogie [ Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Looks great

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Author:  Alex Kleon [ Tue Oct 25, 2016 1:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

That grains a poppin'! Nice work, Jay!

Alex

Author:  J De Rocher [ Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Just about as exciting as watching paint dry around here lately because that's where I am now. The finish is curing.

That got me thinking about my next guitar so I dug through my back and sides sets and hit on this ziricote set I got from zootman a while back. I like the intricate figuring in the middle of the plates a lot but not so much the plain sections toward the outside. It occurred to me that this set could be a nice fit for a parlor size guitar so I got out the piece of poster board left over from making the template for the guitar in this challenge thread and took a look. I like it.

Now it's on to choosing the other woods to go with it.

Attachment:
Ziricote set.jpg

Attachment:
Ziricote set for parlor guitar.jpg

Author:  Ruby50 [ Tue Nov 29, 2016 7:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Are those ammonites filled with something to make them flush with the board?

Ed

Author:  J De Rocher [ Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

There's no fill. I inlaid them into the already radiused fretboard with them sitting just a hair proud on the centerline, then sanded them down to match the radius. They sanded nicely. Similar to sanding pearl.

Author:  chucksurette [ Wed Nov 30, 2016 11:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

That zircote is crazy... I like it. What are you using on top of the z-poxy?

Author:  J De Rocher [ Thu Dec 01, 2016 12:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

The z-poxy only went on the back, sides, body binding, and headplate. I used Target Coatings UltraSeal-WB Shellac Sealer and EM6000 gloss over the z-poxy. The shellac in the sealer gives it a bit of a tint which warmed up the look of the maple neck on this guitar nicely.

Author:  Robert Lak [ Thu Dec 01, 2016 8:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

Jay, that build is just awesome. MY son was asking if it would be possible to inlay some fossils and now I have something to show him. Nice!

That ziricote is also awesome. That figure reminds me of a canyon, I wonder if there's something that can be done to enhance the 3-D look of that back. Maybe it would be over the top tho. Nature usually does it best. :-)

Author:  J De Rocher [ Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

I've been wondering what other fossils might lend themselves to this too. Some fossilized corals look very cool and, depending what the workability is like, could make nice inlay material. Crinoids also look interesting.

Author:  fingerstyle1978 [ Fri Dec 02, 2016 2:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

J De Rocher wrote:
I've been wondering what other fossils might lend themselves to this too. Some fossilized corals look very cool and, depending what the workability is like, could make nice inlay material. Crinoids also look interesting.


I've been looking at Malachite and Labradorite. Not sure how hard they are on tools though. I just have the Proxxon mini wet bandsaw with a diamond blade that I'd hate to have to replace. Really cool modern looking alternatives to shell but I have a feeling that there's a reason why many avoid using those materials. It's probably a PITA!!!! [:Y:]

Author:  J De Rocher [ Fri Dec 02, 2016 3:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

I've seen malachite (green) used for inlay on rosettes and as part of a headstock inlay. In those cases, the malachite was ground fine in a mortar and pestle and used to fill the inlay recess and then flooded with CA. It sanded perfectly flat and smooth. Looked great.

I used crushed turquoise in the rosette and the headstock inlay for my first effort at an inlay on my first steel string guitar. For the rosette, I didn't grind the turquoise to a powder, I left it granular to give some larger texture (the rosette channel was sealed against CA leakage into the spruce). The headstock inlay had much smaller spaces to fill so I ground it pretty fine for that. In both cases, the ground turquoise was added to the routed recesses and flooded with CA. The turquoise leveled and sanded very nicely. The headstock inlay is a Northwest Native American design with two ravens' heads around the moon.

Attachment:
Turquoise rosette ring.jpg

Attachment:
Turquoise headplate inlay.jpg

Author:  Ruby50 [ Sat Dec 03, 2016 9:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

I'm really enjoying the non-traditional materials.

Ed

Author:  J De Rocher [ Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

DOH! I just noticed that I forgot to put in the side marker dots. The finish has been curing for two weeks now. gaah [headinwall]

Guess I get to learn a new skill.

Author:  Bryan Bear [ Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Jay's 2016 Challenge entry

I'm sure you will be fine. I have faith in you!

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