Official Luthiers Forum!

Nooooo!!!! I'm cringing from here!

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Alex, glad you like it! 7 years ago I started teaching an intro wood-metal shop course for about 16 mech engr students and I wanted them to build something 'cool' for the woodshop part, so we started with fishing-line strung cigar box guitars. Every year I try to improve it... steel strings, mandolin shape, then guitar, then body molds, CNC'd necks and bridges, etc. Currently it's a $55 steel-string GA, Sitka top, BB ply B&S, Sapele neck and bridge, and mostly conventional bracing -- with lots of simplifications: Fender neck joint, integral/flat fretboard, no truss rod, no binding, no side taper, and flat back. It's a far cry from anything you all build, but it's entirely playable and pretty decent sounding. And of course students are very engaged. It's both a blast and exhausting to teach!

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David Malicky

david, thank you very much for the details, I am sur your students are very enthusiastic and interested in these projects. Seems you are what a teacher should be like. I like that a lot!!!!

cheers, alex

James, I have the better part of a gallon of the Cardinal which was opened in May of this year. I'm using waterborne now because of the fumes, so would be willing to give this to you for the cost of shipping (if I can legally ship it...I don't know the regulations on shipping flammables and toxic things). If you want to look into it, my zipcode is 85748 and if you get a favorable shipping price from either USPS or UPS I'll send it to you!

That's so kind of you, Beth! I actually ordered a quart later Saturday afternoon. Another $30 into this one, but I think not that I have the spraying bugs worked out and understand how to use the Cardinal, another two coats will be just the ticket to get it leveled, buffed, setup, and out the door.

Making some progress on two Tele style Thinlines. The bodies are chambered, access panel done (yes, I know that its big but its too late for that now...), the tops have the "F" holes cut, and the tops are glued to the bodies.

Very figured maple drop tops on Elm bodies. Figured maple for the necks.

I am going to be binding these two, so I am in the middle of that right now. Yesterday, I ordered all o the non-wood bits. At least one is having a TV-Jones Filtertron bridge pick up and a Tonerider neck pick up.

The other one probably will, too, but that's more moola than I have right now...

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Very nice, Douglas, though I don't know anything about building electrics. I certainly appreciate the number of clamps you have doing the job. I notice they're all on the perimeter. Do you have a radius on the body so the drop tops are sort of forced down in the central parts where there is no cavity?
Also, how do you prevent glue from getting in to the body cavities? Probably very elementary information but I've never seen an electric build at this stage and it's interesting.

Beth, the plates and the body were well trued up to be in plane, so there isn't a lot of clamping pressure required. Yes, there are a lot of clamps, but not to exert lots of pressure, rather to apply the pressure consistently. They're just snug. Also, just in case, I used epoxy, which does not require a lot of clamping pressure.

I took advantage of the pattern locating screw holes, two of them along the center, to add clamping pressure in the middle area.

There is no visibility into the chambers, so glue squeeze out inside was not a concern. The chamber in the horn and at the butt are completely sealed, the chamber for the pots is visible only from the back and only when the access panel is off. The bass side bout does have the "F" hole, but the visibility sight lines are very limited. One would have to have a very tiny angled mirror stuck in there and anyone who does that would get a good "Whack" to the head! That is crossing the anal retentive line big time.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Thanks for the explanation, Douglas. Are you posting this build on a thread? I'd like to follow it or see your end result!

I had one of those stoves in my Michigan shop! Loved it, and no scrap was safe. Don't need it in Mississippi! Nice guitar too btw.

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Alex, Thanks for the kind words!

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David Malicky