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Summer Build Off 2022 - Get Ready!

#321
eeeeee I think I'm going to join!

Wanted to, but am lacking certain tools (planer/jointer) and body blanks are expensive. Was debating trying to do everything with a router, jigsaw, RO sander and some hand tools, but was unsure if I would be biting off more than I could chew and end up sad. But I just found a community centre a few blocks from my house that has a full wood shop! Have to pay $50 (CAD) and do a two and a half hour safety course, then once or twice a week can use the shop for $15 a visit. They do drop-ins four days a week, but I believe only two of them are outside of my work hours. Looks to be fairly open though, when I checked yesterday there was still space for drop-ins at 6:30 today.

Unfortunately, they only do the safety course once a month and it just happened to be last night. Too short notice for me to do it, but I'll be getting in on the next one.

Now time to start sourcing some suitable cheap wood and get planning.

Also yes, I know that fretting over the price of a body blank might seem silly when electronics and hardware will be more expensive, but I already have lots of spare parts kicking about and all that stuff is re-usable. But spending over $100 on a body blank when its my first go and I'll probably mess it up is hard to stomach. Being able to make my own blank brings it down to a much more manageable price.
 
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#322
ARandGenUsrName said:
eeeeee I think I'm going to join!

Wanted to, but am lacking certain tools (planer/jointer) and body blanks are expensive. Was debating trying to do everything with a router, jigsaw, RO sander and some hand tools, but was unsure if I would be biting off more than I could chew and end up sad. But I just found a community centre a few blocks from my house that has a full wood shop! Have to pay $50 (CAD) and do a two and a half hour safety course, then once or twice a week can use the shop for $15 a visit. They do drop-ins four days a week, but I believe only two of them are outside of my work hours. Looks to be fairly open though, when I checked yesterday there was still space for drop-ins at 6:30 today.

Unfortunately, they only do the safety course once a month and it just happened to be last night. Too short notice for me to do it, but I'll be getting in on the next one.

Now time to start sourcing some suitable cheap wood and get planning.

Also yes, I know that fretting over the price of a body blank might seem silly when electronics and hardware will be more expensive, but I already have lots of spare parts kicking about and all that stuff is re-usable. But spending over $100 on a body blank when its my first go and I'll probably mess it up is hard to stomach. Being able to make my own blank brings it down to a much more manageable price.
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Glad you're in! :thumbsup: Nothing wrong with the basics - a jig saw, drill and router will get you all the way there, albeit with a little more handwork. :D

Where are you located up here? I'll send you a canadian wood supplier that may be able to help. :)

Regarding the whole planing/jointing thing, you can accomplish a LOT with a few simple router jigs. Check out the master thread: Router Planing Fixtures
 
#323
Beej said:
Glad you're in! :thumbsup: Nothing wrong with the basics - a jig saw, drill and router will get you all the way there, albeit with a little more handwork. :D

Where are you located up here? I'll send you a canadian wood supplier that may be able to help. :)

Regarding the whole planing/jointing thing, you can accomplish a LOT with a few simple router jigs. Check out the master thread: Router Planing Fixtures
Click to expand...
Please, send me a link! I've been looking a bit for suppliers but not too closely yet. I'm in Winnipeg.

I'll give a look through that link as well, though I already browsed it a bit. I know that its definitely doable, but I'd feel more confident using the proper tools. Plus, between working full time, gigging, and having a two year old, my time project time is usually split into short bursts across many days, rather than a solid chunk of time all at once, so the quicker/easier I can get individual steps the better chance for success I have.
 
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#327
I think no pickguard looks weird, but like this. Just odd enough to be eye catching without being offputting, maybe?
Ignoring my Illustrator skillz. So imagine the lines and curves are more perfect.
 

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#329
Its 95°F with a feels like temperature of 108. So I thought it would be a good idea to go look at a downed walnut tree on Craigslist. 2 hours later I'm sunburnt, drenched in sweat, and have 2 skimpy logs that might be butternut with a lot of spalting. Might be a good top, maybe not.

I think next time I'll just do some overtime at work and buy some 8/4 black walnut from Woodcraft.
 
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#332
Beej said:
Well, in typical fashion, I was planning things out and I discovered a fatal flaw in my SBO design. Now I really do have to redesign the whole thing and make new templates a week before we start. :rollno:
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Oooh, please share! So we can point at you and laugh!
 
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#333
Neck-thru, but I was planning to paint it, but I want an all walnut neck. Now my colour plans won't work, and the only way I can salvage the same scheme is to change it to a bolt-on, which I didn't want to do. I cannot believe I didn't notice this until right now. It was when I was laying the walnut boards over paint chips and drooling at the combos that it hit me.

I either have to paint the neck and lose the walnut, or I need to do something different with the body, like make it all walnut. But I already have the pickguard material and other things that won't work with a walnut body. :banghead: I'm going to have to think hard on this one and that always hurts a lot. :sour:
 
#338
Beej said:
Neck-thru, but I was planning to paint it, but I want an all walnut neck. Now my colour plans won't work, and the only way I can salvage the same scheme is to change it to a bolt-on, which I didn't want to do. I cannot believe I didn't notice this until right now. It was when I was laying the walnut boards over paint chips and drooling at the combos that it hit me.

I either have to paint the neck and lose the walnut, or I need to do something different with the body, like make it all walnut. But I already have the pickguard material and other things that won't work with a walnut body. :banghead: I'm going to have to think hard on this one and that always hurts a lot. :sour:
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I'm unclear on what the problem is. A well-placed paint seam would be better than changing the construction entirely, no? (photo from Kiesel)
vbm5-neck-heel.jpg
 
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#339
ardgedee said:
I'm unclear on what the problem is. A well-placed paint seam would be better than changing the construction entirely, no? (photo from Kiesel)
View attachment 4722799
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Although that looks sick, a seam in my design would look like faecius maximus. :poop:

I've now already gone through all of Kübler-Ross' stages of grief and have accepted that this will be a bolt-on. I'll have to remake one template. Oh it would be nice to get something right once in a while.
 

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