Thread: 1st Accoustic build (StewMac)

nice one Richard...

...and you are too right

...forgetting the cost of tools (which are ever increasing) is a typical oversight prior to build ...i have discovered

Thanks R3R when i have finished i will post a total costing original price plus tools glues sticky tapes paint etc.

Has anyone got any ideas r.e. painting???? I'm up to paint & havent got a clue LOL

Richard
vini vidi vici

Hi Richard,

I built one of Stewmac's 000 a couple of years ago. I ended up French Polishing it using U Beauts Hard Shelac. It came up OK.

Regards

Greg

thanks Strungout (Greg) ive sort of been tossing up two-pack or shellac still keeping my options open , do you have any pics of yours?

Looking good there Richard. Interesting use of a violin style internal mold during early stages of fabrication. Bracing looks neat and not too heavy..nice job on the scalloping and shaping.

Cheers Martin

Thanks Martin but most of the credit goes to the supplier as a lot of the shaping is done for you. Though on the next one (yes im addicted) i figure to do a from scratch build

Oh BTW i have to speak off topic for a moment & relate something my wife said.

This was said just after buying my first good quality guitar & at a stage where i could play to some degree She said "that new guitar came with the same songs!" but she delivered the line straight faced. I was able to see the funny side & just cracked up.

Hi Richard,

Here are some pics I posted .

And here is my blog that kind of tells the story.

I found French Polish to be a bit time consuming BUT very forgiving and rewarding.

I did ask a lot of questions here and did a basic course at night.

Cheers

Greg

Wow Greg that 000 is really great looking I read your blog & found that I had similar problems to you with drilling the headstock (even though mine is the Dreadnought) I put it down to soft timber & too quick a drill speed so have taken to using a (small size) brace & bit & brad point bits & the gouging problem went away as i can control what happens if the drill bit bites too hard.

Greg be warned I may need some ideas when im setting up.
I will stumble through but it is much nicer to speak to someone else who has done the same thing just for backup if nothing else.

Richard
vini vidi vici

Originally Posted by Dix_Fix

Greg be warned I may need some ideas when im setting up.
I will stumble through but it is much nicer to speak to someone else who has done the same thing just for backup if nothing else.

Richard
vini vidi vici

No probs Richard,but I have to say I am no expert by any means.
I am not real happy with my setup and when I get some time I will probably have another "fiddle" with it..

I have to say that when you build your own they always seem to sound better than anything else !!!!!

If you get stuck I have some articles that I got off the web that may help.

Regards

Greg

Thanks again Greg , I may call on your assistance as im after feedback, not an expert.
Someone who has done what im doing ( with the same sort of experiance) & allready has sussed the problems & can make me feel like im heading in the right direction. Or give warning where they feel im going wrong.

As for the set up once i have mine to that stage. Im usually pretty good at working that sort of stuff out. I might be a novice woodworker but do have 5 other trades & a few other qualifications to my credit LOL

Richard
vini vidi vici

Richard ,

You may be interested in Bill Cory's site http://www.kitguitarbuilder.com/.

It is a wealth of knowledge for Kit Builders

Regards

Greg

Originally Posted by Dix_Fix

Wow Greg that 000 is really great looking I read your blog & found that I had similar problems to you with drilling the headstock (even though mine is the Dreadnought) I put it down to soft timber & too quick a drill speed so have taken to using a (small size) brace & bit & brad point bits & the gouging problem went away as i can control what happens if the drill bit bites too hard.

Make sure you also clamp a sacrificial piece of wood behind the headstock when drilling...this will reduce risk of tear out. I use a brad tip bit in the drill press and dont usually have any problems.

A peg hole reamer is also handy for fine tuning tuner holes if theyre a bit tight.

Greg,

Did you sort out the issues with the sideways play in the neck? If the cheeks are hard up against the body then it sounds like the tenon needs shimming.

When Im doing the tenon for my dovetail neck joints I rub chalk inside the mortise and then test fit the tenon. High spots on the tenon will have chalk on them and can be lightly sanded with a sanding stick until the fit is good.

Cheers Martin

brad point bits!! grrr

wish i got em prior to me last build