First Scratch Build: Maple Walnut neck through-RD

[ForcedFire]

Getting a bit ahead of myself...

I need to grain fill the walnut stripes on my build. I'm only able to get clear nitro in spray cans in Canada so I have to do my colours with stain. I have water based grain filler that I dyed black for another project. I'd like to use that but I'm wondering if the black will dye the maple. I have some laminated scraps so I will have to test everything obviously. Maybe I'll need to mask the maple, grain fill, sand it all down and do a wash coat of thinned shellac? I also want to start with water based walnut stain on the maple, then sand this down to enhance the flame and continue with alcohol based amber. Gonna be complicated...

[the older brother]

I used this:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_s ... iller.html

and it turned out pretty OK, even though it was my first time I used it. I used the mahogany coloured version and it sanded right off the dense maple and just stuck in the mahogany open grains. I have spotted some places where it didn't filled quite as much as I intended to though, but hopefully I get the clear to cover that.

[ForcedFire]

I used this:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_s ... iller.html

and it turned out pretty OK, even though it was my first time I used it. I used the mahogany coloured version and it sanded right off the dense maple and just stuck in the mahogany open grains. I have spotted some places where it didn't filled quite as much as I intended to though, but hopefully I get the clear to cover that.

Ah, I just watched the video. I'm pretty sure what I have is very similar. I bought it from LMI though and tinted it to a charcoal colour. I used it WAY thicker than he does in the video. I'll have to try thinning it more and using a brush. It was BRUTAL to sand off the way I did it. I left way too much on when I let it dry.

[the older brother]

The Timbermate is really easy sanded actually.

[ForcedFire]

The Timbermate is really easy sanded actually.

Maybe I sand like a little girl

[the older brother]

[ForcedFire]

The pickup routes came out pretty good. They won't win any awards for looks since I did them with the dremel but not too bad. She's going to dress up nice for the party





Well I held out as long as I could. I decided to do active electronics. Maybe a clean boost or a fuzz. Whatever I choose, it'll be easy to swap circuits if I ever want to. There will be a rocker switch, thumbwheel pot and LED in the pickguard near the horn.

Here's the battery compartment:



I'm going to embed some acorn nuts so I can use machine screws to cover the battery:



I hogged out under the pickguard for the circuit. I'll route it later:

[thepastrecedes]

I'm going to embed some acorn nuts so I can use machine screws to cover the battery

Personally I would use some brass inserts instead of trying to embed the acorn nuts. For the inserts all you need to do is drill a hole and install them, there would be no need for trying to make a hexagonal hole for the nuts.

[ForcedFire]

I'm going to embed some acorn nuts so I can use machine screws to cover the battery

Personally I would use some brass inserts instead of trying to embed the acorn nuts. For the inserts all you need to do is drill a hole and install them, there would be no need for trying to make a hexagonal hole for the nuts.

Yeah, that's exactly what I want. Where do I get those?

[thepastrecedes]

Yeah, that's exactly what I want. Where do I get those?

I haven't used them personally but some one at TDPRI used them for one of their builds for the pickgaurd and neck.

You may be able to find them in your local hardware store, just ask for 'threaded inserts'

or try ebay, I would of given you a direct link to some but there's so many sizes I didn't know what you wanted. I assume your in the US so I used there version:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=thread ... m270.l1313" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ForcedFire]

Yeah, that's exactly what I want. Where do I get those?

I haven't used them personally but some one at TDPRI used them for one of their builds for the pickgaurd and neck.

You may be able to find them in your local hardware store, just ask for 'threaded inserts'

or try ebay, I would of given you a direct link to some but there's so many sizes I didn't know what you wanted. I assume your in the US so I used there version:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=thread ... m270.l1313" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry, I just found some online. I just came on to edit my hasty post .

Thanks for the suggestion!

[ForcedFire]

Ah, cool. Lee Valley is a local store, they have screw in inserts: http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/pa ... 41311&ap=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .

Originally my thought was to epoxy some 3/4" Chicago screw extensions that you can get at Home Depot. These are round posts with a threaded insert on the end. Then I found the acorn nuts in my collection and thought that would work alright.

[thepastrecedes]

I'm eventually getting round to experimenting with these on my acoustic build I was planing to make a standard dovetail joint then use these but 10mm ones for the neck joint. hope it works

[antisymmetric]

This is a great build, awesome work, despite the problems with your first fingerboard (you should have seen mine! ) Brilliant idea punching out those side dots too.

Re those switches- maybe it's too late now if that circuit's going in, but the switches can always be mounted further back behind the surface, they don't need to stick out far to be usable. They can be mounted to a plate behind the pickguard, and backspaced even further with washers, if you like, with just the tops of the switches showing, and no mounting screws visible (WAY better looking IMO). The same works for mini-toggles, it's what I do- just some tiny slots with the tips of the switches showing, no nuts visible. Still easy to use, but harder to hit by accident. Much cleaner look, plus with mini-toggles, you can get 2,3,4(+?) pole.
Just my $0.02.

[ForcedFire]

Nice tip. It should be possible to inset the switch (I'm only going to have 1 now) and go without mounting screws.