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Lefty Burst
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 2:46 pm
by vanhalen5150
Thought I'd throw up a few pics of this one I've been working in for a while.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 6:48 am
by neikeel
Looking good, when is the next installment?
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:27 am
by vanhalen5150
I should be gluing in the neck this weekend. Normally I would glue in the neck and then route the pickup cavities. probably get some grain fill on the mahogany done as well by next week.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 11:46 am
by rgorke
yeah, can't wait to see progress even IF this one isn't for me.....I bet that maple top is gonna look good.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:54 pm
by stef
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:18 am
by vanhalen5150
Side dots. I use tortoise correct dots I make with a drill press. Select the correct sized bit. Clamp a hand plane sideways to the press and drill a hole through the side. I then reverse the bit and use as a punch. The dots are about 1.5mm. I found some tortoise binding on ebay. 50's era correct side dots is actually tortoise. I never knew that. If you look close you can see they are a brown translucent on vintage LP's.
I bevel the frets back so they are not touching the edge of the binding. You can see that here and that edge will get rounded off a little. If you look straight down you'll see about .5mm of the binding to the outside of the fret edge. The corners then get taken off just a little. Then use 800-2000 grit sandpaper on a small sanding block that has a 1/2' piece of foam attached for the fret ends. This gets the edges very similar to a well played neck. Very nice look. Ill take some close ups when they are polished.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:22 am
by vanhalen5150
I used a fret press and added fish glue to each slot. Its surprising how this seems to held set the fret better. Almost like it sucks them down further. With a straight edge every fret was already level. That's a bonus.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:39 am
by neikeel
Excellent stuff!
I had an old SG refretted (Gibson style)by Martyn Booth a few years ago. He salvaged the tortoise dots and used them in the new binding first I had seen like that (I know I should have got out more!).
My new R0 has tortoise dots too
I am knocking up a RW board strat for my youngest daughter and the fret ends are new (not rough or nasty) but I want to get that smooth well worn in feel to the frets on the high E side particularly.
Presume you mask the board and neck off and start with 400->1000->2000 progressively? Some people use a stone?
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 7:58 am
by vanhalen5150
Yeah, for the top frets that's what I do. I just do the ends this way first. I use an 8" radius block. Put a black sharpie line on each fret so you can see where you have done. I then put a line again and use the crowning files. I try to leave just a hair of that line before polishing.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 7:20 am
by vanhalen5150
Neck glued in. Hide glue actually pulls the neck in tight as the wood absorbs the water.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 6:59 am
by vanhalen5150
Mohawk oil based grain filler. Antique cherry analine(oil based) with a little linseed and tung oil added for penetration and better colour distribution. I put the filler on with a brush with the bristles cut down to about an inch. Allows you to really get in the grooves. Then let dry for just a few minutes and remove with a straight plastic scraper and then a piece of burlap. I'll let his set for a few days and then clearcoat with nitro on the back and front before any other stain. I guess this is going to be a straight up "lemon". But not the sound........
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 8:22 am
by neikeel
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:28 am
by jimmyride
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 7:31 am
by vanhalen5150
Clear sealer coat of nitro.
Re: Lefty Burst
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 7:32 am
by vanhalen5150
Crap IPhone pics.
My creepy basement.