Well after a hiatus of almost 4 years I am finally building my second guitar! I think that if I had not been so nomadic for the last number of years I would have started this sooner. After redoing the finish on my first guitar I got bit with the bug again and so here I am again with the fine folks who reside on this forum.
The kit that I went with for number 2 is a LMI OM that I modified with their kit wizard. It has a sitka spruce top that I had them service and install the Koa rosette. The back and sides are Monkey Pod and the binding is bloodwood. I had them pre-bent for me because I am basically starting over from scratch not only with my experience level but with all my tools. I did not bring anything other than my basic hand tools with me to Japan as I am living in an apartment and do not have a garage over here.
I actually ordered the kit on the 1st of July and was told that it would take an extra week before they shipped it because of the servicing of the kit. Well on the 17th of July the kit arrived in one piece and I must send props to their shipping department because everything was so carefully packaged that even the military mail system did not damage anything. They are normally as graceful as a gorilla with samsonite luggage.
As soon as I can figure out how to resize my images I will post them up.
#2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
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convict27
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:42 pm
- Location: Okinawa, Japan
#2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
Blaine Conrey
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johnnparchem
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Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
good luck with the kit. Post pictures as you progress.
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
Sweet sounding combination. We will all look forward to seeing you build this girl.
Kevin
Kevin
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convict27
- Posts: 35
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Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
One thing that I noticed right off the bat was that the monkey pod does not make for identically book matched back and sides. The figuring has some beautiful coloring very similar to ovankol. It is a joy to work with considering that my last baby had maple backs and sides which had a tendancy to split along the figuring if you were not careful. The monkey pod has some great flexibility but at the same time you know you have to be careful because it has a brittle feel to it.
As soon as I received my package I did a complete inventory of all the components to ensure I had everything and then I let it sit for about a week to get accustomed to my RH of 50%. I wish I had a lot less but considering that I am on a sub-tropical Island in the middle of the Pacific and I live right on the Ocean, I am pleasantly pleased that the inside of my appartment sits at about 50%. I took my Hygrometer outside to see what the outside reading was and it was at 89%! I know it is more ideal to be between 35 and 45, so I will see where it is when I get to the point of closing the box.
As soon as I received my package I did a complete inventory of all the components to ensure I had everything and then I let it sit for about a week to get accustomed to my RH of 50%. I wish I had a lot less but considering that I am on a sub-tropical Island in the middle of the Pacific and I live right on the Ocean, I am pleasantly pleased that the inside of my appartment sits at about 50%. I took my Hygrometer outside to see what the outside reading was and it was at 89%! I know it is more ideal to be between 35 and 45, so I will see where it is when I get to the point of closing the box.
Blaine Conrey
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convict27
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:42 pm
- Location: Okinawa, Japan
Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
Here are some pics of the day when my package arrived from LMI. I put a little bit of Denatured Alcohol on the back for the first pic to show the color of the monkey pod.
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Blaine Conrey
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convict27
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- Location: Okinawa, Japan
Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
Here are some more pics of the contents straight out of the packaging.
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Blaine Conrey
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convict27
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Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
I wish I had started this thread as soon as I started working on my guitar so I could have a way to document my progress and what has gone on, so I guess I will have to start now.
After letting the sides sit in the mold for a week, and watching and waiting for the time to go by, I finally got to start the actual build process! My first step was to take the plans and lay them out on the table and just admire them. On my first build I did not have any plans whatsoever to go off of and amazingly with the help of Bill Cory's first book and this site I was able to complete it. So having plans this time was very foreign as well as a wonderful addition. I decided to go ahead and trim my end block and already made my first mistake. I misread the plans and measured incorrectly cutting my heel block almost an inch too short! I was so P.O.'d at myself and thought I was going to have to order a whole new heel block. Then I had a DUH moment and smacked myself across the face, reminding myself that I had glue and could reattach the part that I cut off and then remeasure, twice this time, and then cut. This part was a very valuable lesson to always measure two to three times before making any cuts!
While I was waiting for the glue to dry on my mistake repair, I measured the sides to determine how much on the ends needed to be trimmed down to length. Since I do not have many hand tools for doing any wood work, I ran down to the local hardware store where I had an over abundance of Japanese Razor saws to choose from in any size or shape imaginable. These things are amazing and made trimming the sides so easy. After the sides were complete and placed back in the mold it was time to glue in the neck block and the heel.
After letting the sides sit in the mold for a week, and watching and waiting for the time to go by, I finally got to start the actual build process! My first step was to take the plans and lay them out on the table and just admire them. On my first build I did not have any plans whatsoever to go off of and amazingly with the help of Bill Cory's first book and this site I was able to complete it. So having plans this time was very foreign as well as a wonderful addition. I decided to go ahead and trim my end block and already made my first mistake. I misread the plans and measured incorrectly cutting my heel block almost an inch too short! I was so P.O.'d at myself and thought I was going to have to order a whole new heel block. Then I had a DUH moment and smacked myself across the face, reminding myself that I had glue and could reattach the part that I cut off and then remeasure, twice this time, and then cut. This part was a very valuable lesson to always measure two to three times before making any cuts!
While I was waiting for the glue to dry on my mistake repair, I measured the sides to determine how much on the ends needed to be trimmed down to length. Since I do not have many hand tools for doing any wood work, I ran down to the local hardware store where I had an over abundance of Japanese Razor saws to choose from in any size or shape imaginable. These things are amazing and made trimming the sides so easy. After the sides were complete and placed back in the mold it was time to glue in the neck block and the heel.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Blaine Conrey
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convict27
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:42 pm
- Location: Okinawa, Japan
Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
The next morning after I glued the blocks in it was time to start the Kerfing. I had a little help with this process ;) She loved to place the clothes pins on and off as I did one half of the top and the bottom at a time.
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Blaine Conrey
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convict27
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:42 pm
- Location: Okinawa, Japan
Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
Radiusing the Kerfing was going to be a bit more tricky. Since I do not have a radius dish to drive the bus with, I decided to make a radius bar. Last time I followed the stewmac method of taking a 2x4 and cutting a wedge for the top and back radius. This time I wanted to make a radius bar so I had the means to not only radius the kerfing but to also radius my braces. When I did the first kit, it came with the braces already radiused, but the LMI kit is not. I did not want to order an actual dish because I dont think I will have time or the funds to build another kit while I am stationed here in Japan. I wanted to go an minimalist as possible.
I had 2 24 inch 2x4's which I had purchased at the same time I picked up the razor saw and I was bound and determined to make my own radius bar with one side being 15 ft and the other side being 28 feet. The first step in the process was to take a 15 foot length of excess wiring from another project that I did in the house. I tied a knot in one end and then put it outside the sliding glass door to hold it in place and closed the door. I then took the other end and tied it to a sharpie and practiced making my radius on a piece of the cardboard box that the kit came in. I realized real quick that this method was going to take some tweaking because I could not get a good solid line consistently. I needed something to ensure the sharpie was going to remain perfectly at 90 degrees to the cardboard. I found a clamp piece that went to a pivoting arm lamp to tighten it down to the bottom of the table that had a perfect hole for the sharpie to ride in as well as a flat side to use as a guide on the paper. Viola! It worked. I then transfered the arc that I made on the paper to the wood by cutting out the paper and tracing the line on one side of the 2x4. The hard part really came into play when I had to cut out the radius as all I have in my house to cut with are the razor saw and a dremel jig saw. That poor little dremel got a work out but after a few hours it was finally all cut out and the fine tuining sanding was ready to commence.
Word to the wise: If you are married and building in your house or apartment, GO OUTSIDE TO SAND! anyway, here is the finished product. I have attached stick on sandpaper sheets for the sanding.
I had 2 24 inch 2x4's which I had purchased at the same time I picked up the razor saw and I was bound and determined to make my own radius bar with one side being 15 ft and the other side being 28 feet. The first step in the process was to take a 15 foot length of excess wiring from another project that I did in the house. I tied a knot in one end and then put it outside the sliding glass door to hold it in place and closed the door. I then took the other end and tied it to a sharpie and practiced making my radius on a piece of the cardboard box that the kit came in. I realized real quick that this method was going to take some tweaking because I could not get a good solid line consistently. I needed something to ensure the sharpie was going to remain perfectly at 90 degrees to the cardboard. I found a clamp piece that went to a pivoting arm lamp to tighten it down to the bottom of the table that had a perfect hole for the sharpie to ride in as well as a flat side to use as a guide on the paper. Viola! It worked. I then transfered the arc that I made on the paper to the wood by cutting out the paper and tracing the line on one side of the 2x4. The hard part really came into play when I had to cut out the radius as all I have in my house to cut with are the razor saw and a dremel jig saw. That poor little dremel got a work out but after a few hours it was finally all cut out and the fine tuining sanding was ready to commence.
Word to the wise: If you are married and building in your house or apartment, GO OUTSIDE TO SAND! anyway, here is the finished product. I have attached stick on sandpaper sheets for the sanding.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Blaine Conrey
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Tony_in_NYC
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- Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:11 pm
Re: #2 LMI OM Monkey Pod
Excellent work! I like the wood choices as well. Your helper is not only handy, but beautiful! Must make the "work" go faster!