Making the Nut

 

In order to make the nut I need to put on the bridge, tail piece and tuning keys.

I first soldered a ground wire on one of the anchors for the tail and then applied a little tight bond and hammered it in the hole closest to the controls. I then glued in the other anchor for the tail piece. I then hammered in the anchors for the bridge with out glue as I will remove these after the making of the nut for final sanding and the finish.

 

Marking the rough out line of the nut. I will take this and remove most the stock on my belt sander and then use files to refine the shape.

 

Installing the tuning keys.

 

This is the rough version. I first used a Stew/Mac string spacing rule to mark the nut. Then a .010 saw to start the slots. I then used various sizes depending on with string slot I was working to finish the grooves.

 

Made by placing the nut in position and stringing. Using an action gauge I cut the nut slots using different size nut files until the string has a clearance of .025 of an inch over the first fret.

 

These are the different files I used along with the string set up gauge from Stew/Mac and just a feeler gauge.

 

With the nut complete and action set. I have .060 of and inch at the 22nd fret for the high -E- and .070 of and inch for the Low -E-. 

Finishing the frets

 

This is what I will work with. Stick belt sander and sanding pads.

 

One side has a single groove.

 

The other a double. 
 

The crowning file was 300 grit. So I will use 300 grit paper to start. Then 400 and then 600 grit.

I use the single groove side for sanding the tops.

 

I use the double groove side for sanding the sides. 

I do this for every fret through every grit.

 

As well as the fret ends.

 

I then use the sanding pads staring at 1500 grit and finishing with 12000 grit.

Installing the frets

I am using Stainless Steel Jumbo fret wire. I thought about springing for the fret press 12" radius caul. But decided to use the tools I already had. A fretting hammer. Maybe the next build I will make that purchase. One thing I did buy was a good diamond fret crowning file. I have been using a standard metal fret crowing file and the diamond file saves you a lot of time as there are not as much sanding needed after using the diamond file.
The first thing I did was cut 22 pieces to length. I then had to remove the tang from the end where they over lap the binding.

 

  

  

Here you can see the  process. Using the tang nippers I remove the tang. I then file the little bit remaining flush.

 

After hammering in a few.  The hammering of frets takes practice. This is only the 2nd total fret job I have done. But it's really not that hard. I first make sure the wire is a little over bent. The wire I am using is approx 10" radius. The fret board 12". I start by placing the two end of the tang in the fret slot. I then using 1 firm strike I seat one end. I then seat the other end using 1 firm solid strike. I then hammer the center out. That allows the end of the tangs to slide side ways ever so slightly and seat them well. I am using a small bag off sand that I wrapped well with duck tape to support the neck during the hammering.

14 down 8 to go

 

22 frets installed and trimmed.

I am now using a 6" fret leveling file to bevel the ends.

After that I using 220 and then 320 grit adhesive sand paper on a steel bar to start with the smoothing.

I then use a steel straight edge and adjust the truss rod to get the frets as level as possible.

I then mark the top of the frets with a sharpie.  I forgot to take a picture of this. But what I did was use the 3/8" aluminum plate that was used for drilling the tail piece and bridge anchor holes. I put 320 grit self adhesive sand paper on the plate and ran it back and forth across the top of the frets until a little marker was removed from the top of all the frets.

Then using the fret crowning file I will file the top tops of the frets where the flat spots are until crowned.

While I am crowning the frets I use a rocker gauge and check as I proceed up the fret board.

Jig for drilling the holes for the bridge and tail piece

 

Here you see the Jig I made for this. I then marked where the two holes for the bridge go. I used two faces tape to hold the body to the base. I then clamped the aluminum template to the base lining up the center line on the template to the center line on the body. I then drill out the holes. After drill the last hole and remove the template. I noticed my first serious malfunction. Evidently the body of the guitar shifted in the jig after the 3rd hole. So the 4th hole is off. Talk about being bummed. The very last serious hole I had to drill in the body.

So what I did was buy a 1/2 plug cutter. Cut out 4 plugs from scrape maple left over from the top. Glues the 4 plugs together.  No the hole I need to plug is 10.8 mm. The plug I made is 12.7mm.  As you can see i put the plug into the drill. Ran it at slow speed with 120 grit sand paper I  made it 10.8. I then glued in the plug sanded smooth and re-drilled.

 

Here you see the damage. I don't think its going to be that noticeable after staining and the tail piece in installed.

The missing post. Drilling holes for the controls

 

  

I forgot to post this step.  The drilling of the holes for the electronic controls. I first cut out paper patterns and placed them in the cavities. I then drilled 1/16" holes from the cavity side.

Now I can take this to my drill press and drill the proper size holes.

 

Here I have drilled the 1/2" hole for the 3 way switch.

  

After the 3/8" holes for the pots.

Gluing the neck on

Here I have gotten everything I think I need to glue this sucker on. Glue, wet and dry paper towels, Q-tips, clamps and radius block with steel bar.

Glue is applied to both surfaces.

Inlay

You can see I have already started cutting this out. I marked the inlay with a sharpie, next time I will draw it out on masking tape and then apply the tape and cut. The sharpie bled a lot on the pearl. You can see I drilled holes at the inside corners. Then I used a fine blade with a jewelers saw to cut. Next time I attempt this I will also purchase magnifying eye ware.

The cutting went pretty good considering I could hardly see what I was doing.

I then used the tools you see here to refine the shape. Dremel with diamond grinding bit. Assorted  files.

Not bad.

Here is where I really needed the magnifying glasses. I traced the H and highlighted it with chalk like I did when I did the inlays in the finger board. But this I had to free hand. You can see its not that good of a job. But for what this will be when I am done you won't be able to tell.

Here I have glued the inlay in using med viscosity  black super glue.

I am going to be painting the head stock black so using the black glue when I scrape the paint off the inlay after painting if I happen to scape a little to much it will still be black there.

Taped off to file and sand.

Update

The issue with the neck transition turns out is not a problem. Jack looked at it told me it should be fine. The dims. I mentioned where for a 59 Les Paul and those necks are much thicker than the necks you now see on electric guitars. I was soooo glad to hear that. I have been doing some fine tuning of the neck carve. Jack pointed out a couple places that needed a little more work. I think I am almost there.
I have also decided to put an Inlay in the head stock so I am trying to decide if I should do that before gluing the neck on or go ahead and glue the neck on and then do the inlay.  I am waiting on a jewelers saw and a 1/16" router bit. I have decided to name the guitar after my wife Hope. So I am going to put an H at the top of the head stock. I am also waiting on some water slide decals that look like the Hope custom# (in silver), that will go on the head stock in between the turn keys.
 

H

Hope          

                       Custom #______

Carving the neck

I had to figure out how to hold the neck while carving so I took a clamp and screwed it to the work bench.

Here you also see some of the tools I will be using. A draw knife, spoke shave and rasp. I will also be using the wood scrapers and sand paper.

 

I used the draw knife to knock off the corners. I could have gotten by with out the draw knife. I could have used the spoke shave to do this as well. You have to be careful with the draw knife as it will take off as much as or more than you want. If you click on this picture you can see where if you are not careful you can gouge the wood. I decided to stop with the draw knife here.

Here I have started to shape the neck with the spoke shave.

 

Starting to really take shape.

I use the rasp to rough out the heel.

Then use a scraper and sand paper to smooth it out.

 

This is where I discovered I made a little mistake. When I rough cut the taper on the back on the neck with the router I brought it down to the nut and I should have stopped at the first fret. This has caused me to have to carve the transition from the neck to the head stock a little differently than I wanted. I am going to take this to my luthier friend Jack and see if he thinks this will effect the strength and the transition point on the neck. What I have figured out is that part of the neck is now .100 or 1/10th of an inch thinner at that point. I figure the worst case scenario is that I end up putting some graphite fiber rods into the head stock from the face side to reinforce the neck. I am going to paint he face of the head stock black so the plugs I would use for the holes would not show. Will let you know how it turns out.