I've got wood...

[Merton]

The main body all glued and dry, waiting for the top



And a close up of the go faster stripes:

[GreeneKing]

[quote name='Merton' post='216959' date='Jun 11 2008, 03:30 PM']Good edumacated guess but nope. Tho the guy building it does originally come from Colchester, but that's highly irrelevant to everything really![/quote]

With respect Merton no he doesn't. He's a Merseaite and there's a whole world of difference believe me.

I err.... grew up with his Mum (who's actually 3 or 4 yrs younger than me)

Edited May 13, 2010 by GreeneKing

[Merton]

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='836645' date='May 13 2010, 09:36 PM']With respect Merton no he doesn't. He's a Merseaite and there's a whole world of difference believe me.

I err.... grew up with his Mum (who's actually 3 or 4 yrs younger than me) [/quote]
Pedant

[Mikey R]

[quote name='Merton' post='836806' date='May 14 2010, 07:33 AM']Pedant [/quote]

Uncle Pedro is right - Mersea Island is, or at least was, very different from the mainland. Fewer white ford escorts, for one thing. But I did used to work just down the road from where the Status workshops are now just outside of Colchester, so Mert isnt too far wrong.

Anyhoo, Merton has been a propper gent waiting for me to put this one together. During the course of building this, alot has gone on, but Im glad Im now getting more time to spend in the workshop.

Edited May 14, 2010 by Mikey R

[Merton]

You're both pedants!!

Hehe. I've only ever been to Colchester 4 times - thrice to visit Rob and Dawn etc at Status and once with my then (witch of a) girlfriend to walk around and get moaned at - so i haven't actually got a clue

[Merton]

[quote name='Mikey R' post='837094' date='May 14 2010, 12:58 PM']Anyhoo, Merton has been a propper gent waiting for me to put this one together. During the course of building this, alot has gone on, but Im glad Im now getting more time to spend in the workshop. [/quote]
Hey, I am happy to wait as long as it takes, like you say there's been a lot going on for you over the last year so it's cool.

But, I need it for two gigs tomorrow if that's ok?

[GreeneKing]

Mersea Island:






Colchester:





Nuff said?

[Mikey R]

Peter, has the castle gone mouldy? It looks kinda greenish?

I prefer it here (York Minster in winter):



Or even here (Kendal in the spring):



I think we chose well!

Edited May 15, 2010 by Mikey R

[Merton]

I like the look of Mersea. Nice

Anyhoo, enough about Essex, let's talk bookmatch tops:



This is from Mikey's mobli - he says "excuse the crappy phone camera"


Whooop!

[GreeneKing]

Yes apols for the side track Martin, looking forward to this coming to fruition.

Peter

[Merton]

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='837945' date='May 15 2010, 10:00 AM']Yes apols for the side track Martin, looking forward to this coming to fruition.

Peter[/quote]
I'll forgive you

[Merton]

Couple more pics of the top gluing into place:

[Merton]

More pics, neck this time:



End of the neck stripped down with the ash and walnut accents glued in. This will look awesome when Mikey cuts into it



You can see the fingerboard in the background of this one



Neck with walnut edge lams not yet attached



Gluing the walnut edge lams



The headstock end.

Grand work, every weekend Mikey gives a few more teasers like this

[johnnylager]

Looking good, Mike & Mert

[Tegs]

Woodwork and basses........... heaven! That pristine workbench is alien territory to me though

Is that titebond pu or the original?

[Mikey R]

[quote name='Tegs' post='855452' date='Jun 2 2010, 09:53 PM']Woodwork and basses........... heaven! That pristine workbench is alien territory to me though

Is that titebond pu or the original?[/quote]

Hey Tegs, the bench is pretty good, by pristine I guess you dont mean tidy Its only a few months old, Im still working on getting it all dinged up. Heres a shot before it got covered in tools:



I mostly work with hand tools, so the vice needs to be a monster. Its wracks quite badly though, so Im thinking of modifying it or replacing it with the big Veritas twin screw.

The glue is Titebond Extend, I had a load left over from building the bench from B&Q 2x4s. The longer open time is better for complicated glue ups. Ive never used PU glue, I dont like the idea of the mess and the need to wear latex gloves. I need to make the most of my shop time and yellow glue is just the easiest to use.

[Tegs]

Looks like a solid enough job mate Tell me you haven't planed all those walnut strips by hand....? I will hang my head in shame

I use a fair bit of pu glue (Woodcare is best I reckon) but would hesitate to use it on something like a guitar body as there's a risk of putting too much on. You can easily end up with faces not quite coming together due to the expansion, which is why I asked, as any spaces would obviously be catastrophic in something like a laminated neck.

Look forward to seeing the finished product!

[Mikey R]

j[quote name='Tegs' post='855516' date='Jun 2 2010, 10:46 PM']Looks like a solid enough job mate Tell me you haven't planed all those walnut strips by hand....? I will hang my head in shame [/quote]

Yep, the only power tools I use are a jigsaw, cordless drill, drill press and a router. The rest is all cut and surfaced by hand. That includes ripping all those walnut strips.

I also bought the timber for the bench rough sawn, so I prepared all of that by hand too. You learn quickly that way. If I was doing this for a living then I would certainly get some machines in the shop, but since its just for fun I choose to use hand planes and saws.

[quote name='Tegs' post='855516' date='Jun 2 2010, 10:46 PM']I use a fair bit of pu glue (Woodcare is best I reckon) but would hesitate to use it on something like a guitar body as there's a risk of putting too much on. You can easily end up with faces not quite coming together due to the expansion, which is why I asked, as any spaces would obviously be catastrophic in something like a laminated neck.

Look forward to seeing the finished product![/quote]

Yeah, apparantly the foam doesnt cause issues, and several bass builders use it exclusively. I just dont like the idea of it. Ive not had a problem with yellow glue yet, so Im happy to stick with it.

A luthier friend suggested I try epoxy next, something good like West Systems. Its an option for the next bass.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Mikey R

[Tegs]

Fair play to you, you must be a demon on the wetstone

Whilst I love working by hand as much as possible, the workshop has to earn, which means bleedin' windows and doors most of the time. Working myself up to a life of furniture and basses!

Woodcare (Wudcare?) do a 60 minute pu now which is really useful by the way.

Sorry everyone for turning this into a woodworking thread

[velvetkevorkian]

I read that and thought "Why would anyone need to bleed a door?".
I am an idiot

[Merton]

Headstock's top veneer to match the body top:

[attachment=51669:HS.jpg]

[Merton]

Truss rod and 2 graphite rods now in - truss rod covered by a walnut strip and the graphite rods by maple strips:



All planed and ready for the fingerboard

[Merton]

And a photo put of the clamps:

[Merton]

Fretboard now cut:



Being glued to the neck:



Glued and ready for the next step. Not sure what that is, possibly removing the paper though Spot the zero fret, we like that.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Merton

[cheddatom]

I'm [i]still [/i]following this by the way , it should turn out very cool.