Thread: Watch this space,....!

A bit more work done on this project, not sure if it will turn out ok or not. If not I have wasted $200 of resin, we shall see. The first lot of resin took 4 days to cure as it was a deep pour resin I had left over from another project, just wanted to use it up. I still have one more layer of resin to go yet. Then the blade on my 40yo bandsaw snapped, so I have ordered another one. Not sure how long that will take.

Let's see how this goes. If it doesnt look like it is going to work, I wont go any further.

Paul

The last section of resin pour was removed from its mold this morning. I've just put this piece through my home made drum sander and taken it down to about 23.5mm. Both these molds are 500mm x 350mm. This section I removed just now will form the top half of the strat body. The other section I removed the other day will form the bottom half of the strat body.

I intend to glue these together this afternoon. Overnight I experimented with Weldbond glue which I have used quite a lot of to glue resin to timber on boxes that I make. (a lot of these in the box making section). I got a really good bond on resin to timber and also on resin to resin. So happy to use the Weldbond again.

I've wasted a week with my busted bandsaw blade. Trying to order locally from the power tool place up in Coffs Harbour. I phoned early last week and ordred two blades, I know they have to have them cut from some other place. I wanted 2360mm x 1/8th inch blades for my 40yo bandsaw. I phoned Monday to check on the order, it hadn't even been sent as they were waiting on someone else to order something from the same company before they would submit my order. Coulda been still waiting, so I jumped online on Monday just gone, ordered 3 blades from "Combined Saw and Knife" Brisbane. They were cut and in the express postage yesterday (wednesday).

I've got templates glued to 12mm MDF awaiting bandsaw. Like I said if I dont think this brainwave will work, I'll can the idea and just waste the resin. Then again the body may look super.

Paul

OK I am watching. Bit of a hint where its going?
I do home made instrument builds and mostly I go by the idea it should nor look like you bought it in a music store.
Regards
John

PS Just reread and see its a strat. Anyhow like I said make it with your own mark on it.

Hi Orraloon and others.

Still waiting on my bandsaw blades to arrive, very frustrating. Anyway this is where my fender strat body is up to. Yesterday I removed some clamps where I was clamping the top layer to the bottom layer. I now have a thickness of 45.5mm. Strat bodies are supposed to be 45mm thick. My molds were 500mm x 350mm so I will certainly have a lot of wastage after I cut the shape out. I did pour around 6 litres of resin into this all up. About $200.

Lots of scratch marks at present, the resin will polish up lovely with all the swirls. My concern at present is the weight, this "slab" at present weighs a ton. Lot to be removed yet though.

Paul

My new bandsaw blade/s arrived yesterday. Yesssss. bought 3 of them, 1/8th inch 14TPI, that's all I use now in my 40yo bandsaw.

I had 3 templates prepared and glued onto 12mm MDF. Cut and shaped them yesterday arvo and then cut and routered my strat body this morning. Extremely happy with the look at this stage. Thickness is 45'ish mm. Good. I used about 6L of resin which more than half would have been removed and wasted outside the shape, but that's ok. Weight is a bit under 4kgs on my old bathroom scales. Bearing in mind I still have a lot of timber/resin to remove yet, with all the cavities/belly cut/arm rest etc I think I would be happy if the weight ended up somewhere under the 3kgs.

Ok, yes I will continue with this build. I think Orraloon said something about don't make it look like the rest of guitars you see in a shop. Well I strongly doubt I would see another guitar body like this anywhere.

Just imagining a pearl pickguard and matching tremolo cover,...........nice maybe.

I dont intend to use the 3 single coil type fender pickups, I want a pair of double coil humbuckers.

I've made 11 guitars before, gave up on them about 5 years ago, that was enough. Till I had this latest brainwave. All previous guitars I used a LP scale length, and still have a jig which allows me to fret slot cut the full fretboard without measuring a thing, and 100% accurate. BUT I want this to be a fender scale length, and will buy the neck.

Now to think about cavities and start sourcing the bits and pieces. This will take a while.

Paul

I enjoy a good guitar build ... keep it coming.

A little bit more advanced. Still waiting on quite a few accessories to arrive. Yesterday I ordered a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers, quite expensive so this better work. Bridge/tremolo system (Gotoh) should be here soon so I can figure out the routing process for that.

Paul

In previous guitars I have built my own neck/s. I have a jig where I can cut fret slots for a LP scale length without measuring anything, 100% accurate. BUT this of course is a fender scale length. So I bought a neck from a bloke who reckons his Uncle travels down here from the USA regularly and brings fender necks with him. This neck looked pretty good when I seen it at his place. It was finished with a tinted (I believe) nitrocellulose lacquer, tinted yellow. The timber is Canadian Rock Maple. When I got home I put it next to my guitar body and it looked terrible. Did not match at all. I tried getting rid of the lacquer with acetone, thinnners, even a heat gun but no luck. So I attacked it with a cabinet scraper.

Pretty much got it all done now. Back to a nice rock maple white. Not sure what I do at the finish, even thinking about buying a spray can of guitar nitrocellulose lacquer, a bloke sells them on ebay to supposedly replicate 60s fender formulas. Anyway still thinking whilst awaiting parts to arrive.

Paul

I had no idea what you was building at first!, excellent work.

A bit more advanced. My Gotoh tremolo/bridge system arrived yesterday (sunday, not bad). I was more than a bit concerned with the routering cavity of this, never did a tremolo system before. But very happy with the outcome of it all. The little "shelf" had me a bit confused, its only supposed to be about 1/4 inch thick, but it all worked out well.

Now awaiting on my White Seymour Duncan set of humbuckers to arrive. I noticed that some Seymour Duncan humbuckers had "long legs", I am hoping mine dont have those. I dont think they do. Also still waiting on the tuning keys and the electronics to see if I need to go deeper on those routs.

At this stage, very happy, long way to go yet though.

Paul

Slowly getting there. I've been away for a couple of weeks over the Christmas period. In that time most of my accessories have turned up, still waiting on a few though. Just prior to going away I added extra resin here and there for various reasons. At this stage I have now commenced spraying it with nitrocellulose lacquer (in a can). It's apparently a formula designed to replicate the 60s finishes. I've done just a few coats at present, not sure how many I will do. I'd even ordered another can of it yesterday. My thinking is I will build this finish up with quite a few, leave it all for somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks. Then a very sand and polish going from 1000 to 1500 to 2000. Not sure if I can get any w&D any finer. Then a buff polish.

Another thing I have white pearl scratchplates for both front and back (tremolo cover). However whilst away my son suggested why dont I use clear transparent scratchplates, and be able to see through to all my fire red resin and electronics, wiring and so on. Why hide it all behind a coloured scratchplate. Hmmm, interesting, very unique. So I searched worldwide and there was only one source that sold what I wanted, that being a HH with only 2 control holes. This is obviously not your standard strat scratchplate. So I ordered it from the USA, postage was dearer than the item. Plus also a clear tremolo cover from China. They have not yet arrived. Could be very interesting.

Paul

Good call on the clear scratchplates. Its going to look pretty special.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by Pauls321

Then a very sand and polish going from 1000 to 1500 to 2000. Not sure if I can get any w&D any finer.

I have W&D sanding discs up to 10,000 grit. Here are some with 5000 grit: Sydney Tools

My local automotive spray paint supply has sheets of W&D up to at least 3000 grit.

For those that are wondering where this is up to. I have come to a standstill due to too much humidity/moisture in the air. I should have purchased 3 cans initially of the nitrocellulose lacquer, but instead kept buying one. Then waiting for the next to arrive. Now it is stinking hot, humidity is around 90%. I did a coat a week or so ago and got a slight hint of milk/white in the lacquer. So now I have to be patient and wait.'

Paul