Another Cigar Box Guitar WIP

[_fly_]

Steve,
I don't know if you have to pack out the embossing.
Most of its going to be under the strings and you putting 2 coats of WOP on top anyway.

might be an idea to put the WOP on the yellow you cut out of the label to see if it darkens or dissolves the ink as well.

Glue wise to put it on, Don't think I'd go contact adhesive, Thats stuff sticks great but takes a good while to dry rock hard and its really hard to do a thin coat.

I guess they put it on the proper boxes with wall paper paste but that goes brittle after a few years and then flakes off.

What about using the WOP as a paste. it will stick to itself. So a dab on the back to hold it down and then the 2 coats over the top.

Pete

[Hermit]

Steve,
I don't know if you have to pack out the embossing.
Most of its going to be under the strings and you putting 2 coats of WOP on top anyway.

It would have been nice to pack it out, to preserve the depth of the embossing, but I'd pretty much decided not to go that way. It was just a thought. If the epoxy started to set as I worked, it could make it lumpy.

might be an idea to put the WOP on the yellow you cut out of the label to see if it darkens or dissolves the ink as well.

Good thinking. Actually, the label was originally rectangular, with dark wood-grain surrounding the oval part that I'm using, so I have plenty to test the WOP on. I think it'll be OK, though. We'll see - I'll test it soon.

Glue wise to put it on, Don't think I'd go contact adhesive, Thats stuff sticks great but takes a good while to dry rock hard and its really hard to do a thin coat.

It's not too hard to apply a thin coat if you're quick. I was thinking of a nice wide 'wiper' to put it on in a couple of quick swipes. You're right about it taking ages to harden well, I'd considered that, but it'll be quicker if it's thin and I apply some heat during drying, then give it a few days before doing anything else. I was planning to use my hair dryer, set to 'Low', or put it under an incandescent bulb, to speed the process.

I guess they put it on the proper boxes with wall paper paste but that goes brittle after a few years and then flakes off.

Yeah, that's out.

What about using the WOP as a paste. it will stick to itself. So a dab on the back to hold it down and then the 2 coats over the top.

Not a bad idea, it had crossed my mind. Might well be the best way to go. It's thin, but I could put some aside in a dish until it thickens very slightly, then apply it. It's good for cleanup, being water-based, and since the following coats will also be WOP, it would just need a quick wipe over the thicker bits of squeeze-out.

Also considered polyurethane glue, (Gorilla), but the foaming could cause a problem.

This had been on my mind for some time, since even before I started the build. I was hoping I'd settle on the best way by now. Even the Titebond Original might work OK if I scuff the poly surface first.

I've almost finished the bridge, so I'll test some WOP on the label ink when I'm done, before starting to make the saddle. Gotta thin the bone from 4mm to 3.2mm to fit my slot, before I do any shaping.

[jow104]

Leave it blank and practice some of that trade mark display and then if still wanted do a authentic hand job.

[Hermit]

Leave it blank and practice some of that trade mark display and then if still wanted do a authentic hand job.

Sounds good John, but:

1. By then it'll be too late - the hand-painted stains need to go on before the other finish coats and

2. I'd probably stuff it up. This label looks better than I could ever hope to hand-paint.

I found another label the same as this one today. Turns out they were printed in 1917. I knew it was sometime around 1910. I'll try to buy this second one too, I think. They're getting pretty rare. A collector would murder me for chopping them up and gluing them on a home-made guitar.

Perhaps I'll have a go at hand-painted stuff on my next guitar, though. I do like the idea.

How's your weather today, a bit better than yesterday's -1C ?

[Hermit]

The bridge is good enough for now. It's NGR to match the fretboard. I'll probably put more of a curve on the top, once the nut and tuners are in place. That's just a scrap of balsa in the slot for now:

Bridge rough-shaped.jpg


I added half a dozen rub-blocks to reinforce the neck/body join, too. Looks a bit stronger now.
I fitted the bottom string ferrules as well:

Rub block reinforcing.jpg

The three magnets are to stop any vibration when the lid is closed. I'll still add a decorative brass catch, just for looks.

[Hermit]

I just strung a piece of cotton tightly across from the wooden nut to the temporary bridge/saddle, in the low E position.
The action's high, but well within adjustable limits, by the time I file the nut top and slots lower, then shorten and round the top of the bridge a little and then make the saddle shorter. Needs about 1 to 1.5mm from each end. (The truss rod is still backed right off, until it's strung.) I still need to lap the bridge onto the body, too. That'll shorten it more.
It's not looking too bad at this stage.

by. Rough string height check.jpg


I'm still debating whether to shorten the bridge or make it into a ramparts type, like on an Ibanez AC90. I sort of like the look of them - they allow the saddle to be bedded deeper while giving a wider range of adjustment:

Ramparts Bridge.jpg


No updates for a while now, time to start the coats of finish.

[crowie]

G'day Steve,
I've come onto this build a bit late but WOW quite a magnificent work of art.
Looking forward to seeing the finished guitar.
Cheers, crowie

[Hermit]

Thanks Pete. I'm slowly getting there.
I got the second gloss coat on the soundboard last night. Next up, tomorrow when the poly has cured well, is the cigar box label. (One of the bits I'm nervous about.)

[_fly_]

Thanks Pete. I'm slowly getting there.
I got the second gloss coat on the soundboard last night. Next up, tomorrow when the poly has cured well, is the cigar box label. (One of the bits I'm nervous about.)

Steve,

Thought you were going to test the ink bleeding and if ok put the label Under the WOP?

[Hermit]

Steve,

Thought you were going to test the ink bleeding and if ok put the label Under the WOP?

Almost right. First the sealing coats of poly, then the label, then the final coats. I've decided to use spray poly gloss over the top, so put on a coat of it last night. I'll scuff that with 600G tomorrow, then slap the label on, before a final coat.
I switched to spray poly because I can get a nicer finish. Meantime, I did test the label, by spraying a sealing coat of poly over the top. It's good to go.

N.B. If I put the label on before any poly, I couldn't rub back properly between coats and the final result would look like crap.

This is how it looks so far:

Soundboard with spray poly.jpg

[Cliff Rogers]

Don't forget to put the label on the right way up.

[Mutawintji]

Its lookin really good Steve. Interesting to see how these finishes work as I am going to do a beech table top this way as well ..

Greg

[Hermit]

Its lookin really good Steve. Interesting to see how these finishes work as I am going to do a beech table top this way as well ..
Greg

This one will be a bit of a hodge podge of finishes, Greg. The soundboard is gloss Estapol, the rest of the body is gloss Wipe-On Poly, the headstock is gloss WOP, the rest of the neck will be satin WOP and the fingerboard will be Teak oil. Any gloss WOP that doesn't come up real good will be scuffed with 1200G and waxed.

Edit: I almost forgot - the inside of the box lid was coated in Polycrylic. (Just to use some up, I've got almsot a full tin that I never use.)
All being well, it should come out OK. We'll see.

I'm working it in with a couple of bandsawn boxes, so progress is slower than it could be.

[Mutawintji]

I know what you mean about slow progress. Getting time in the shed iz proving difficult for me lately ... Friends come up to the mountain an stay o/nite and can't be ignored ... So with cooking cleaning preparing entertaining its hard to get a straight few hours ... Last fri-sat-sun a total write off.

am following your finishes and will PM when it is time to do 'progress sanding' if thats OK ?

greg

[Hermit]

am following your finishes and will PM when it is time to do 'progress sanding' if thats OK ?
greg

Anything I can help with, Greg, just sing out.