Modified V Build

[Dewesq55]

More progress and process photos:

Neck mortise routed:


Bridge pickup cavity roughed out with forstner bits. I started to do the neck pickup cavity until I remembered that I need to fit the neck tenon first, and I dont have a neck yet:


Bridge pup cavity fully routed:


I decided/realized that my first neck blank is unsalvageable due to router tearout in bad places so I am gluing up a second one to try again. I have a plan to get a better result this time.

 

[smitty_p]

I'm watching this with a lot of interest.

Just curious...what do you do about the screw holes left in the body from attaching the routing template?

 

[Dewesq55]

They will be covered by the pickguard. Were it not for that I would have utilized a different method of securing the template. For instance, the neck mortise template was screwed into wood that is going to be wasted when the neck pup cavity is routed. I could also have made the template wider and screwed it into the wood which will be wasted when the control cavity is routed.

 

[smitty_p]

Ahh...gotcha.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do to get the correct neck angle. Make sure to get good pics of that process, if you're able.

 

[Dewesq55]

Ahh...gotcha.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do to get the correct neck angle. Make sure to get good pics of that process, if you're able.

The neck mortise template was machined at a 2.5° angle that means the 2.5° angle was routed into the floor of the mortise. I will post a pic of the angled mortise tomorrow. To make it, I set the blade of my table saw to 2.5° off of perpendicular with a digital precision angle gauge and ran the template stock through it on edge with the blade all the way up.

 

[Dewesq55]

Here's a pic of the angled mortise template:

 

[JohnnyGoo]

comming along nicely

 

[Dewesq55]

Neck blank 2.0:


The first one had some bad tear out when trying to rout the vertical profile so I scrapped it. I have reoriented the grain in 2.0 hoping to prevent it. I will also primarily use climb cuts for the same reason. I will be fabricating a special jig for that purpose. Here are a couple of pix showing some of the tear out:

 

[JohnnyGoo]

ya knicked it up pretty good huh

 

[Dewesq55]

ya knicked it up pretty good huh

Yeah, unfortunately. I feel good about getting it right this time. flipping the grain ought to help, I think. Also the climb cuts.

 

[JohnnyGoo]

well i hope so,ive never tried to make a guitar from scratch .

 

[smitty_p]

The first one had some bad tear out when trying to rout the vertical profile so I scrapped it.

Ahh...ain't nuthin but a flesh wound. Sand it out and put it in a Warmoth Strat body!

 

[Dewesq55]

Ahh...ain't nuthin but a flesh wound. Sand it out and put it in a Warmoth Strat body!

Ha!

 

[Dewesq55]

well i hope so,ive never tried to make a guitar from scratch .

Thanks for the well wishes. I've made 3 1/2. This is my 5th.

 

[Dewesq55]

And suddenly, its a guitar!


And this one is for @smitty_p 2.3° neck angle.

 

[Dewesq55]

Neck 2.0. I decided I'm not going to attempt to rout the profile this time. I'm going hand shape it from here after I cut the neck taper to fretboard shape. That is wat I habe always done before: bandsaw to rough shape then finish shaping by hand.

 

[Dewesq55]

Here's how I cut the headstock angle using a tapering jig on the table saw:

 

[Dewesq55]

Now she looks even more like a guitar:

 

[JohnnyGoo]

looking good.cant wait to see it finished.

 

[Dewesq55]

Neck pup cavity roughed out with the forstner bit.