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John A's Challenge Build 2012
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Author:  John A [ Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:20 pm ]
Post subject:  John A's Challenge Build 2012

Hi everyone -

This will be my third guitar -

it will be a classical - made of Black Walnut, possibly a black walnut or cherry neck, and I'll mix some maple in there and basswood linings and spruce braces from Home Depot. WR Cedar top -- all from my local lumber yard / hardwood dealer

Once I put the box together on my second - I will put that down and start on this one.

My estimate - it will be under $100.00

Author:  WudWerkr [ Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Look forward to seeing it ! [:Y:]

Author:  John A [ Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

OK - finally closed the box on #2 - I will put it aside for binding and carving later -

Began my challenge guitar on 02-09-2012 - I purchased wood -

Curly Cherry - $28 ---> only using half the board I bought 6" wide by 32" long - 1' thick, resawing into sides and back
total $16.00
Walnut neck - $12 ---> only using 80% of this board - but I may use it all to make trim and binding and lining with the rest -
Cedar top - paid for a large board of 5/8" x 6.25" planed board - $40 I think - I am only using 1/4 of this board - so my top is $10.00

Total wood cost so far is -- $38.00

Will post pics of today's work in a little bit - joined top and joined back, cut up neck blank, cut sides to size

bliss

Author:  John A [ Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

OK some pictures -

Author:  John A [ Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

So after joining my plates - front and back - I planed them and sanded them to near the proper thickness. After working the plane on curly cherry, I can safely say my next guitar will be walnut again. ugh. I ended up using the ROS to make it look nice. I should have just setup my Wagner Saf-t-plane and been done with it.
Cedar was fine, I used a toothed blade to get me to thickness. I used three pieces of wood that I resawed out of 5.5 inch x 20" cedar x 5/8 thick. I sliced it into 3 pieces and made a 4 piece top. The rest of the top scraps are my grafts and braces.

I got to working on my rosette as well - curly cherry for a center ring bordered by black stained wood - most likely stained holy. Creativity was not my forte this week. Will post pics later.

Author:  WudWerkr [ Thu Feb 23, 2012 3:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Looking forward to more pics . I personally like cherry as a build wood .

Author:  John A [ Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

OK finished the rosette and started the neck this past weekend. Cut the stacked heel, headstock, and I am beginning the heel and headblock cuts now.

Author:  George L [ Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Nice work, John. Nice shop and tools, too!

Author:  John A [ Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Thanks George ! - it's taken me a while to get a shop I am happy with - and the tools is a constant struggle to not keep collecting cool stuff.

Author:  John A [ Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

OK - carved the neck and cut the headstock and slots - ready to sand the neck and begin bracing the soundboard !

Author:  John A [ Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

OK updating my materials list - I will post some pics later

Curly Cherry - $28 --- actually it was only $24.00 found my receipt ---> only using half the board I bought 6" wide by 32" long - 1' thick, resawing into sides and back
total $12.00
Walnut neck - $12 ---> only using 80% of this board - but I may use it all to make trim and binding and lining with the rest - $9.60
Cedar top - paid for a large board of 5/8" x 6.25" planed board - $40 I think (paid $50, checked receipt)- I am only using 1/4 of this board - so my top is $12.50

Braces - spruce 2x8 from Home Depot - $8.00 for a 12' piece - I split and used 1/4 of it - total $2.00
Lining - I have to find the price - but it is Hog - I had pieces left over from other builds - and I have to buy some now for the back - ok $4.00 each - I am using 3 pieces total - $12.00
Center strip - Basswood from Home Depot - $2.67
Fretboard -

total so far - 12 + 12 + 9.60 + 12.50 + 2.00 + 12.00 + 2.67 = $62.77

Author:  John A [ Thu Apr 19, 2012 2:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

OK updated pictures !!

Author:  alan stassforth [ Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Lookin' really good, John!
I do my binding ledge with a Sloane cutter too.
I also use a Schneider gramil as well,
one set up for the side cut, one for the top.
I don't do purfs yet.
I can't use a chisel for the clean up like you can.
Kudos to ya!

Author:  John A [ Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Thanks Alan. I may need to get another cutter as it would be useful t have two preset at once - I am still debating on using the router. I tried it and was unhappy with it. I actually did some of this with the router and then went back and refined it with the cutter. I may have to find nice mix of the two - either way it is this part of th build process that I detest ! Bindings and purfling !! ugh...


I just glued my purfs in tonight - feeling good again...

next step is to bend the binding - and glue it on.

Author:  alan stassforth [ Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Since I hate dealing with the cutter binding with the waste wood,
sometimes I score with the cutter top and side,
then use a router that cuts just shy of the score,
then finish with the cutters.
I just hate putting a router on a guitar at that stage!

Author:  John A [ Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Alan,

that is pretty much exactly what I did. Once you cut out the meat with the router - then the pourf cutter only has a little bit to cut and it pops off easily. Likewise it is the same for the purf channel. I am binding this week - so in a few days we will know exactly how my channels came out...

Author:  John A [ Thu May 31, 2012 9:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012 - COMPLETED - video link

For better or worse - here is my entry ! This is my second completed guitar - and will be my future experimental guitar - to practice refinishing and testing.


added to list above - tuning machines - $15.00 ebay and $2.00 bone saddle
so my total is $62.77+$17.00 = $79.77

Walnut fingerboard, bridge, and nut.

Please excuse my playing !!!


http://youtu.be/4URqdbIbfj0


Author:  Trevor Gore [ Fri Jun 01, 2012 2:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

Nice work John, and nice vid.

Author:  Steve Davis [ Fri Jun 01, 2012 7:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: John A's Challenge Build 2012

looks great!

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