I bought the boards back in March or so, but they were from a hardwood shop that kiln dried them. When we tested them with a moisture probe the moisture level was negligible. So I'm puzzled!
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Guitar build thread: The WMD Telecaster
- Thread starter Isaac_James
- Start date
I bought the boards back in March or so, but they were from a hardwood shop that kiln dried them. When we tested them with a moisture probe the moisture level was negligible. So I'm puzzled!
Were they stored laying flat on a smooth surface? Or did you have them stickered? If they were laying flat, they could have drawn moisture from below and expanded the bottom surface leading to cupping on the top surface (exposed to air). If that's the case, they may settle after laying stickered for a few days. If they were stored stickered and this happened, then honestly, I might leave them for a good long while to dry further and select some other boards for this build. I know it's not always possible, but I like to buy lumber and have it in my shop at least a year before using it.
Good feedback. I don't recall how I stored it but I think it may have been flat against a surface at some point, I will hold off on planing it for a while to see what happens.
We have had a lot of atmospheric moisture changes in the past few months, being the Pacific Northwest in the spring and all that.
Today was a short day in the shop, but it felt like a big one. For the first time since starting this project, I have a piece of wood that is recognizably guitar shaped!
I did a rough cut of the lines using a band saw (I've never used one before so this was a little nerve-wracking) then tidied up the edges with power sanders. The edges aren't perfect yet and there are a couple of spots that got a little singed from me spending too much time in the same spot, but I'm confident they'll clean up just fine. I brought along my own Tele to compare the body shape and this is very, very close. I've just got to do some detail sanding to finish it up and get everything smooth, then it's on to the neck.
I also wiped a bit of tru-oil onto a piece of scrap myrtlewood... I'm very, very excited to see how the fretboard turns out when it's all done based on what I saw today.
I did a rough cut of the lines using a band saw (I've never used one before so this was a little nerve-wracking) then tidied up the edges with power sanders. The edges aren't perfect yet and there are a couple of spots that got a little singed from me spending too much time in the same spot, but I'm confident they'll clean up just fine. I brought along my own Tele to compare the body shape and this is very, very close. I've just got to do some detail sanding to finish it up and get everything smooth, then it's on to the neck.
I also wiped a bit of tru-oil onto a piece of scrap myrtlewood... I'm very, very excited to see how the fretboard turns out when it's all done based on what I saw today.
I haven't updated here in a while, because it's been slow going due to summer travel, work, and (almost) finishing up a 10 month remodel project. I'm likely going to be making very slow progress for a while, as my wife is having some major surgery in a few weeks. But I have been able to get a little bit of sanding done on the body. Here are a few shots after taking off the paper template, and then again after sanding down to 150 grit. I've softened the edges and worked out almost all of the lines that the drum sander put on it while I was cleaning up the body shape. I'm still trying to get out a scorch mark that happened when I let the drum sander get too hot, but it's looking better too.
After sanding to 150 grit:
Here's a shot from an angle to show how the edges have softened. I don't want to round them off much more than this.
Here's one that shows a cool grain pattern on the top edge
I'll share more pictures as I refine the sanding, but it'll be a little bit before I make any major progress updates.
After sanding to 150 grit:
Here's a shot from an angle to show how the edges have softened. I don't want to round them off much more than this.
Here's one that shows a cool grain pattern on the top edge
I'll share more pictures as I refine the sanding, but it'll be a little bit before I make any major progress updates.
It's been a while since I posted any updates, but in recent weeks I've been able to get back in the shop and make some progress. The fretboard is now glued down onto the neck - looks to me like I got a nice tight seal all around.
Next step will be setting the dot inlays in the neck so I can do a rough cut and start sanding the radius. I've got a three-day weekend coming up and I hope to make one of those days a shop day. Now that work has resumed I am getting excited about the final product. I put some of the hardware together to mock up what the body will look like. No finish but here it is with the pickups, bridge, and control panel put in place.
I can see a spot along the side of the neck pickup route where I cut a little too much away. Depending on what i have in the way of scraps I might use some leftover walnut to make a surround ring, or I might just leave it alone. Speaking of scraps, I had a strip of myrtlewood left over from the fretboard after I glued it down, so I did a quick sanding job on it and wiped on a single layer of Tru-oil. I could sort of see the curvy flame figuring in it when it was bare, but even this rough job makes it look so much more striking.
Next step will be setting the dot inlays in the neck so I can do a rough cut and start sanding the radius. I've got a three-day weekend coming up and I hope to make one of those days a shop day. Now that work has resumed I am getting excited about the final product. I put some of the hardware together to mock up what the body will look like. No finish but here it is with the pickups, bridge, and control panel put in place.
I can see a spot along the side of the neck pickup route where I cut a little too much away. Depending on what i have in the way of scraps I might use some leftover walnut to make a surround ring, or I might just leave it alone. Speaking of scraps, I had a strip of myrtlewood left over from the fretboard after I glued it down, so I did a quick sanding job on it and wiped on a single layer of Tru-oil. I could sort of see the curvy flame figuring in it when it was bare, but even this rough job makes it look so much more striking.
Another shop day, this time with Dad's new tool - a spindle sander which he was very glad to have an excuse to buy. Thanks to the spindle sander, I was able to do quite a bit of sanding on the headstock, and the neck is now more neck shaped than ever! I also got the tuner holes drilled with the drill press.
A view from the back, since it looks better than the front side, which still has the paper template on it. But I'm nearly done with that!
The drill press also made the job of setting the dot inlays quick and easy. The smudges around the inlays are from the black CA glue I used to set them in place, but that will sand off when I radius the neck. Just a bit more cutting to go before I can start shaping the curve of the neck profile.
I've started putting some tru oil on the body as well. I'll do a few coats then sand down and reapply, I'm planning to let the body get a little more glossy than the neck, where I prefer a satin texture.
The difference in color between the two halves wasn't nearly so noticeable before the finish went on. I like the way it looks!
A view from the back, since it looks better than the front side, which still has the paper template on it. But I'm nearly done with that!
The drill press also made the job of setting the dot inlays quick and easy. The smudges around the inlays are from the black CA glue I used to set them in place, but that will sand off when I radius the neck. Just a bit more cutting to go before I can start shaping the curve of the neck profile.
I've started putting some tru oil on the body as well. I'll do a few coats then sand down and reapply, I'm planning to let the body get a little more glossy than the neck, where I prefer a satin texture.
The difference in color between the two halves wasn't nearly so noticeable before the finish went on. I like the way it looks!
I got some more shop time in over the weekend, and though it was again incremental progress it felt like a big leap forward - I finally have a neck shaped piece of wood!
Even more exciting for me is that I can finally be done with the paper template that I stuck on the headstock, and now I can see what the stripes look like from the front. And I'm really liking what I see. I was going for an "inverse Yamaha BB" look on this, though with a deeper cut on the "hook" at the end. Comparing it to this picture, I think I achieved that.
Next steps include radius sanding the neck, routing the headstock down to its final thickness, and of course shaping and sanding all the contours.
The neck is still a little too big for the pocket, but that's good because it's much easier to take material off than it is to put it back on. But if I set it over the pocket on the body... that sure looks like a guitar, doesn't it?
Even more exciting for me is that I can finally be done with the paper template that I stuck on the headstock, and now I can see what the stripes look like from the front. And I'm really liking what I see. I was going for an "inverse Yamaha BB" look on this, though with a deeper cut on the "hook" at the end. Comparing it to this picture, I think I achieved that.
Next steps include radius sanding the neck, routing the headstock down to its final thickness, and of course shaping and sanding all the contours.
The neck is still a little too big for the pocket, but that's good because it's much easier to take material off than it is to put it back on. But if I set it over the pocket on the body... that sure looks like a guitar, doesn't it?
Got a few more hours in the shop today. Since the last update I've sanded the radius on the neck, put another couple coats of finish on the body, and today I got the transition from the fretboard dpwn to the headstock cut. There's still a few rough spots to sand out, but I'm pretty happy with where I got it today.
Next steps will be side dots on the fretboard and carving the back profile of the neck. It's a slow process, but it's moving forward!
Next steps will be side dots on the fretboard and carving the back profile of the neck. It's a slow process, but it's moving forward!
