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Custom Grabber - 1st A to Z build

#121
hey guys, i'v ebeen going about this for the last 4 hours and so far, only one side is pretty flush (treble side of headstock/neck) in dry fitting them. The bass side still needs a little work, but what gives!!! After 4 hours, i figured having it all leveled smooth and everything would be flush dry tested.... :(

p.s. the picture with the c clamp in plain view, the pieces are flush together, just a part of the small paddle blank that came off but, it's all flush together in this dry fit.
 

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#124
ThaCoast said:
I've finished it. took another 30 mins to get it all even, but it woks now. Just finished gluing it up after a dry test and having it clamped up dry. Nw comes the 24hour wait for the glue to set and then the neck portion of this build can briefly start.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear it! All that hard work will be worth it.
 
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#125
Yes it will, and today is my day off since there's not much to do to it anymore. I figured out a way to keep the pickup in place while it's sliding up and down: EVA foam strips. They leave the pickup in the cover and once it's in place of preference, it won't slide out of that position. I will probably still put some felt onto the pickguard to make it smoother. But other than that, there's no work to be done today. So until tomorrow, and have a good sunday.
 
#126
I'm getting ready to route the truss rod channel. My truss rod will be accessible from the headstock part, and i'm using a double action truss rod. I've been drawing all morning the neck and headstock design on the newly done neck blank. After doing some reasearch, i'm insanely scared of screwing up the truss rod channel route. But it's all in practice. I'm going to make myself a jig so that i can route the channel straight without having the router go off track. photos this week most likely
 
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#127
Definitely use guide rails. Definitely clamp everything down securely. Definitely do multiple shallow passes. And definitely practice on scrap first! You'll be fine.
 
#129
I've started cutting out the neck. No where near it's final perimeter.

Headstock is getting the excess cut off and the scarf joint is dead flush. I'm pretty happy about it. No idea if i'll finish it tonight or tomorrow, but i'm glad i'm making up for lost time. Once at least the heel of the neck is done, i'll be able to trace it onto the body, and route the pocket out. I've judged about 1/2-9/16th deep. But i'll go back on my calculations for that.

Any tips on how i need to proceed with the neck pocket depth?
 
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#131
Headstock is taking shape :P also had to add two little shims at the top of the neck cause i had previously removed a bit too much off the headstock paddle piece, & now i'll be able to have the fretboard parallel with the neck piece. All is coming together nicely. I'm hoping to finish the whole neck's wood shaping by next week while i paint the body as well.
 
#133
Making good progress. We need more pics! Want to see that scarf joint...

For gluing the fingerboard, you'll want clamps, clamps, and more clamps. Take a straightedge to the neck first, to make sure the gluing surface is straight and true. Depending on what kind of truss rod you are using, you may want to put some tape over the truss rod to keep the glue from seeping into it and hindering its motion.

And don't forget to leave room for the nut!
 
#134
Thanks. The scarf joint actually turned out very great. better beyond imagination for my first time doing it (2nd try but shh :P)

I'm using a double action truss rod. I've read somewhere, but i can't find it, that once you insert the truss rod, you'd want to place a masking tape over it, apply just enough glue to the neck piece, remove the masking tape, and then apply the fretboard center lined and trued up with the neck. Then clamps. And when that fretboard is clamped, the glue will reach the very most edge of the truss rod channel. Should i just leave the masking tape inside?

Oh and everything has been calculated before hand, i've drawn up the neck piece with the componants several times: due to shaping and sanding, the lines tend to erase :)
 
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#136
Well, if you insist, here's some halloween goodies for you all! there's the outside parts when the blank was still in one massive piece, and the inside parts that make the actuall neck. Plus a little teaser of what comes to be.
 

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#137
P.s. since the teaser shot of the neck, which was this week, i've cut off some excess at the heel part since it was leftover from where i thought the fretboard would reach. SInce the nut is only 5mm in depth, the truss rod channel now arrives at 1/4th of the way into the 21st fret. I'll be working on this starting monday, since it's going to be a long weekend of birthdays and get togethers, i won't have much time.

Happy halloween, i know i'm ready. xD
 
#140
So i'm getting ready to route the neck pocket and i'm at a stump on how much to carve out D: My neck blank + the fretboard is 1 inch exactly. And my bridge saddles at the lowest point is 7/16th. Surfing around and most if not all, are for fender specs. I was wondering how i go about my calculation cause i found one who says it's the neck - the lowest saddle point which would mean the neck pocket depth. By that calculation, my pocket depth would be 9/16th. But would that 9/16th be my minimum, or maximum depth cause the guy doesnt really explain more that that.

How do you guys proceed with the neck pocket depth. Thanks. Ideally, i'd like to get it done now/today.
 

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