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Thread: New Build - Double Cutaway Prototype

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Nathan Dekens View Post
    Mark, Im a bit confused on the purpose of the vaccum box. Was it just to hold the body in place when you chambered it rather then clamping and routing one side then re-clamping and routing the other?
    That's it exactly. It gave me free run all the way around the body while I was chambering it...more importantly when flush trimming the body blank to a template or trimming a laminated top to the body. No more reclamping or bumping into clamp handles. It also removes the possiblity of a clamp caul damaging the piece I'm working on or from me dropping one during repositioning.

    I opted for this approach because I've never been comfortable with router tables. My limited experience with them has been enough for me.

    Peace,
    Mark
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  2. #17
    Mark,

    Thanks for your reply! I have to admit before I found this forum, I had sold my old strat 1975 and have been using the funds to purchase shop equipment to do exactly what you are doing. However my passion is with the strat style rather then teles and the like. I have learned a lot from watching your builds and I hope that within the coming years I can produce something of the quality that you are sharing with us. In short you rock!

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Crenshaw View Post
    That's it exactly. It gave me free run all the way around the body while I was chambering it...more importantly when flush trimming the body blank to a template or trimming a laminated top to the body. No more reclamping or bumping into clamp handles. It also removes the possiblity of a clamp caul damaging the piece I'm working on or from me dropping one during repositioning.

    I opted for this approach because I've never been comfortable with router tables. My limited experience with them has been enough for me.

    Peace,
    Mark

  3. #18
    So, back to all that routing I need to do. The body back by itself wighs in at a touch over 5 lbs. to start.



    I normally hog out most of the chambers with a forstner bit but I wanted to put the vacuum box thru it's paces. It works great! I may need to vent it on the side to let the DC work a little better...when I lean into it with the router, the body can slip a hair. Nothing scary, just not fully locked down. I don't normally exert that much lateral force but I wanted to test it's holding power.



    My camera batteries were down so I didn't get a pic of the scale after chambering but it weighed in at 3.028 lbs. Shed 2 lbs the easy way. It's chambered, profiled and ready for the top.



    I taped the top to the back of the body and ran the glue side thru the planer just to level it out. I did this to the body also before chambering it.



    So, all laid out and ready to glue up the top.



    Clampzilla!!!



    [/QUOTE]
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  4. #19
    While I was waiting on the body to set up, I got started on the neck. One of the things I've wanted to do is build a jig for my scarf joints. There's been quite a bit of discussion in the forum lately so I thought I would give it a shot.

    My best option is my band saw. It has plenty of height and has proven itself to cut straight thru many resaw operations. I started by building a sled that's guided on both edges of the table. Since the table is a custom setup, it doesn't have a slot for a miter guage so I had to rely on the edges.





    Then I marked a line down the center that marks the blade path.



    I laid out a scarf joint on a mahogany blank and lined the diagonal line front and back on the blade path line. Then I drew out a line along the back of the blank that gave me my reference for the fence. Attached a piece of ash from the bottom making sure to countersink everything so nothing would drag or hang up as the sled moved.



    The first pass thru the saw cut the blade path and angled the end of the ash fence.

    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  5. #20
    After the first pass with the jig. I rushed the cut a bit. Feeding it slower will yield a smoother cut.



    After a bit of sanding in the belt sander...nice flat joint. I'm glad this worked out so I didn't have to use a hand plane. I used one on my PRS build by it wasn't much fun.



    With the body out of the clamps I trimmed up the top and got rid of any router bearing marks with a quick pass on the belt sander.





    On to the neck pocket and carve tomorrow.
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  6. #21
    While I had the scarf joint jig set up, I ran a few more necks. I took my time and eased the stock thru and got a very smooth cut. I think just a touch up on the belt sander and these will be good to go.



    I also made my neck pocket template. It was pretty easy once I figured out I wanted the 21st fret at the end of the pocket. Some quick calculations and I was ready to go. My neck tenon will be 1.625" beyond te end of the neck/fretboard, completely under the neck pickup route. I left .375" below the pocket. I'm thinking that's a good thickness to have there making the total thickness of the heel, neck and fretboard 1.750". Or to break it down, .750" tenon, .750" neck and .250" fretboard.







    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  7. #22
    I moved on to the first steps in the carve by angling the top. The area from just in front of the bridge out to the neck pocket needs to be angled at 4 degrees to match the neck angle.

    I used a modified version of a router sled to do this. The body is set on the table a 4 degree rise and the router is suspended overhead. The clamps on the far left and right guide the router in straight lines across the body.





    After 2 passes from the zero cut line just in front of the bridge location.



    About half way thru.



    When I reached the end of the neck pocket, I shimmed the back of the body level with the front and finished it off at the same level. This will leave more material for for the carve on the horns.



    With the cutting completed you can see the gentle slope toward the neck pocket. Time for the fun stuff!!! Carving!



    Peace,
    Mark
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  8. #23
    Since I ended up chambering the body to reduce it's weight, doing a tummy cut on back isn't an option anymore. So here's an updated look for the back without the cut and with a larger radius on the edges. I also tweaked the control cover.



    Peace,
    Mark
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  9. #24
    Join Date
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    Very nice write-up so far and gorgeous as always on the work!

  10. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Van Huskey View Post
    Very nice write-up so far and gorgeous as always on the work!
    Thanks Van.

    The heat is going to break this weekend so maybe I'll be able to make some progress soon.

    Peace,
    Mark
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  11. #26
    I braved the hot temps in the shop just because I was frustrated with not getting anything done. It was unpleasant but I made some good progress.
    I decided to start on the scarf joint so it would be setting up as I worked on the body. The use of the band saw jig I made really paid off. I marked a couple of pencil lines as a guide and with some 80 grit on a piece of 3/4" MDF, I blocked out the back side of the joint.



    It only took 15 of 20 secs to level it out. I then followed with some 220 which I have stuck to the other side of the MDF.



    I use a gluing method that clamps the main part of the neck to the bench on it's edge. Then I clamp a block of scrap to the bench that keeps the upper part of the joint in place.



    All that's left is to apply glue and clamp it up.

    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  12. #27
    This process for the scarf joint worked very well and I went ahead and glued up 3 more mahogany blanks thoughout the day plus a couple of maple blanks for the ash top projects I have coming up.







    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  13. #28
    In between gluing up neck blanks, I worked on the body. First step was to do a pre carve. I used an overhead router setup to do this. I trimmed out the carve portion of my full sized printout and traced it onto the body.



    The router works by using a tongue that sets the width of the cut and the depth is set by the router.



    After the pre carving. Each step was made by advancing the bit and retracting the tongue.





    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  14. #29
    For the carving I decided to do a video series. It's more demonstrational than informational but hopefully there's some usable info. About 35 mins between the 3 vids. Excuse all the sweating...it was HOT out there.

    Part 1
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXSj44ji79A

    Part 2
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYLIsC4R4ik

    Part 3
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHopuF1iTek

    Peace,
    Mark
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

  15. #30
    I really wanted to video tape the the remaining rough carve but the heat and humidity were fogging up the optics in the camera so I just pushed on without it.

    Here's a shot of the rough carve so far...I still need to work on a few areas but it's close.



    Peace,
    Mark
    "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Williamson.

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