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Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:26 am
by Skarsaune
I'm mostly a lurker but I thought y'all might like this.

This is #4 or #5, depending (I have 2 in progress on the bench).
The first 3 have been kit builds with minor modifications, and this one has my first moves towards scratch building.

I got a beautiful plank of red oak a few years back, perfectly quartersawn with great ray fleck. I put it in the "special" wood pile.
After some practice, I resawed it into two sets of sides and a back set. First time for that. Those sets sat around for a year or so until I was ready to put them to use.

I built myself a thickness sander based on some ideas I saw on the web. Got the back and sides down to workable numbers.

Did a little finish test on a leftover piece of the oak. Stain wiped on, sanded back a bit, and a wipe of clear. I really like how this looks.
IMG_2362.JPG

Joined the back with a walnut center strip.
IMG_2367.JPG
Building a neck to use. Walnut with a center strip of quilted maple. Walnut head plate. The walnut should echo the binding, center strip, and bridge.
IMG_2368.JPG

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 9:28 am
by Skarsaune
Bent my first set of sides on a pipe. Quartersawn oak bent way easier than expected. Bent up some walnut strips for binding too.
IMG_2369.JPG
I'd like to thank John for the videos on YouTube and this forum.
And the regular posters for sharing their knowledge.

Stay tuned, I ought to have the box closed up shortly.

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 11:06 am
by tippie53
thanks for the kind words and I am sure many will enjoy watching your progess

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 10:08 am
by Skarsaune
So it’s been a minute.
We had a bunch of rain that jacked up the humidity in my basement workshop - ie, standing water.
Once that got dealt with, I got the box closed up, the binding put on and a bit of finish.
back.jpg
sides.jpg
Binding is walnut with a thin B/W purfling line.

The neck I was building out of walnut didn’t work out.
I got it mostly carved, slotted for the truss rod, and was fitting the dovetail to the body when I noticed a blatant design flaw. It had a maple (white) center strip, with the rest walnut. The body has a walnut center strip. Mounted together, the look was entirely wrong.

So that neck went on the shelf, to be used on perhaps a walnut-bodied guitar.
I made up three more neck blanks - solid cherry, solid walnut, and cherry with walnut laminations.

My building time is running out for the season, though.
And I have a ready-to-go mahogany neck from a kit here that I could fit - perhaps changing the headstock overlay to walnut.
So I need to decide - fully scratchbuilt neck or purchased neck.
Stay tuned.

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 10:13 am
by tippie53
love the look you got
nice job

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2020 8:59 pm
by ruby@magpage.com
Very satisfying to build with wood you cut - looks great

Ed

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:22 am
by Skarsaune
I did end up remaking the neck from walnut. A much better match for what's going on with the body.

I took my first shot at binding a headstock with this one. Pretty pleased with how it turned out.
head.jpg
side.JPG
Neck is walnut, so I used walnut binding and BW side and face purfling.
Headstock veneer is oak to match the body.
And a little logo inlay.

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 2:31 pm
by MaineGeezer
Nice job all around. That quartersawn oak back is impressive!

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 10:01 am
by Morecowbell
Very nice all the way around - thanks for sharing the build

Re: Wormy - steps towards a scratch build

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 7:26 am
by jread
this project is so cool. The oak is amazing and love the headstock. The Martin arts & crafts special edition guitar in oak was one of the reasons I got into building as my our house and furniture is of same style. Your guitar would look so great in my living room! :D Thanks for sharing.