kfowler8's Left-handed '59 Build Thread

[kfowler8]

So after reading, lurking, and posing some questions over the last couple of months, I’ve decided to officially start my build thread. One thing I think will be a little unique about mine is that I’m left-handed. So this will be a Left-handed 1959 LP build. Similar to Barnaby’s, I hope to use this thread as a complete guide to be used as a future reference for myself and also perhaps point out some of the things that worked and didn’t.

About myself, my main guitar is a PRS. I’ve owned two LPs in the past. A 1992 Custom and a 1999 Classic. I sold both years ago but now wish I had kept them. I’ve been wanting a new LP for a while now and have been monitoring eBay for any nice lefties. I fully admit that I am a sucker for nice maple tops. I love a pretty guitar. Here's my PRS.



So after much debate and reading all these build threads, I decided to take a shot at making my own. If this works, it’ll be fantastic since finding a nice lefty guitar is pretty tough. Perhaps now I’ll just build my own.

Woodworking wise I have a fair amount of experience building large projects. Fences, basements, cabinets, etc. However this is the first time I’m trying something that requires this kind of precision. That’s the part that’s got me worried the most. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and I want this to be done right.

The biggest disadvantage I’m going to have is time. I’m married with a 3 year old and a 5 week old. I also have a pretty demanding job with some travel. So it’s hard to find the time to build but my plan is to really get things moving around Christmas. My goal is to have the guitar finished by the end of spring.

[njdelta]

Good luck.

[kfowler8]

Tool wise I’ve got some acquisitions to do. I have a fair amount, just not what I need for this. I’ve recently picked up a Porter-Cable 693LRPK plunge router and a Kreg router table. Two main items I’m looking for now are a spindle sander and a 14” band saw. So far no luck on Craigslist. From what I’m reading though it looks like you can do a tremendous amount of works with a router. I just bought a 2” pattern bit from Mlcswoodworking.com/, item #8814.

As I said, the guitar itself will be based on a 1959 with some modifications. I’m not really going for a true historic look. For instance I don’t plan on putting fret dots on both sides like real vintage lefties. The neck shape is going to be based off my PRS. It’s a custom D-carve shape. Pickups will be SD Alnico II Pro’s. Color wise I’m still undecided. I want something similar to the Ace Freely guitar in BoTB. Looking for more of an orangish-amber color. We’ll see.

Here are some of the main threads I’ve been using as a reference.

ExNihilo's Build Thread

Barnaby's 2nd

Plans are the Bartlett’s. I needed to figure out a way to convert it to a lefty. The only real change is with the body. I took my plans to Office Depot and had them copy mirror images of the body for me. Worked out great with scale remaining intact. I came home with four copies to make my templates with.

My plan is for four sets of templates. #1 will have backside outer control cavity, outer switch cavity, and pickup cavities. It will also be the master template that all the others are patterned from. #2 will have backside inner control cavity, inner switch cavity, and pickup mounts. #3 will have wire cavity and neck cutout. #4 shown is just a test but will eventually be the contour lines.

I purchased a ½” x 2’ x 4’ MDF board from HD. It was like $8. All four of the paper body cut outs will fit on the board. I used just plain Elmer’s glue to paste the cutouts onto the board. I tried my best to get all the air out without ripping. The Elmer’s actually get’s pretty tacky quick so you don’t have a whole lot of time to make adjustments. Since template #1 is going to be my main template, I aligned the neck line against the edge of the board to make sure it was straight.



After letting it dry overnight, I used a simple jig saw to rough shapes out of the board. So here’s where I’ve reached my first dilemma. I really need a spindle sander here to trim the board to the line of the body. I tried using the jig saw on a test piece but found that it was really hard to keep the cuts at a 90* angle. After testing this I determined it just wasn’t going to be accurate enough. I’m going to try my routing table next and see how that works. That and keep an eye out for a spindle sander.



I do have one piece of wood for the guitar. I wasn’t in a hurry to find a top but have been looking if I found something I really liked. I came across the one below at Curlymaple.com. The price was right and I really liked the top. I was looking for a ribbon feel and a little chevron that would go towards the neck. Paul, who runs, Curlymaple.com was great to work with.

The dimensions of the maple top banks together are 21” x 15” x 5/8”.

Here’s some sample pics.

[Barnaby]

I've said it before about that maple and I'll say it again - beautiful wood!

Really looking forward to this build.

[TKOjams]

Wow! that top is breathtaking!!

[kfowler8]

This may be a silly question but if you want to get an idea of what the grain will look like finished, can't you take a wet rag and wipe down the board? Will this hurt the wood at all? Seems like you send so much time trying to get the water out it wouldn't be a good idea to add it back in.

I finished my router table last night. I'm hoping to put the template on and trim it down soon. Maybe tonight! I put in an order for a set of Forstner bits.

I'm quickly realizing that I'm probably going to spend more money on tools than wood and hardware. Guess you only have to do it once.

[nuance97]

Wipe it down with naphtha.

[captcoolaid]

That top deserves its own Porn site and definately a HOLY SHITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by kfowler8

I'm quickly realizing that I'm probably going to spend more money on tools than wood and hardware. Guess you only have to do it once.

I could have bought a few truly spectacular guitars for the amount I have spent on hand tools alone in the last year - but, as you say, you only have to do it once.

Seeing all of those tools just sitting there - mute, reproachful and expensive - is also great motivation to do further builds.

[kfowler8]

Originally Posted by Barnaby

I could have bought a few truly spectacular guitars for the amount I have spent on hand tools alone in the last year - but, as you say, you only have to do it once.

Seeing all of those tools just sitting there - mute, reproachful and expensive - is also great motivation to do further builds.

I was looking at a Woodcraft catalog last night while my daughter was at dance. Holy crap some of that stuff is expensive. Especially some of those Japanese hands saws you use. But even like feather guides for $40!!

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by kfowler8

I was looking at a Woodcraft catalog last night while my daughter was at dance. Holy crap some of that stuff is expensive. Especially some of those Japanese hands saws you use. But even like feather guides for $40!!

...and don't get me started on the shipping costs. I've paid more for that than most of the tools themselves. Especially heavy things like Western-style planes, which can't be easily bought here.

Still, at least the Japanese saws and chisels are cheaper for me - I just head down the road and grab 'em from a local store. I should go into business selling 'em to you guys for a huge profit, then retire to Aruba...

[kfowler8]

So I got my router table completed last night and my new PC router mounted. First time I've used one so I was pretty excited.

So another lesson learned. I was hoping I could use a straight bit to trim the rest of the template down to the plan lines. That didn't work so well. It was very choppy and the curve wasn't smooth on the test piece. Interestingly enough the jig saw did a better job. Just like with most things, you need the right tool to do it right. Still scouring the net for a local spindle sander.

I did have an idea I want to try. I need to combine the accuracy of the jig saw with the right angle cut of the router. So I'm going to try and use the jog saw to cut along the line while keeping pressure toward the inside of the template. This way if the cut is not at a right angle, it will flare outwards. Then I'm going to put the template on my routing table and use a trim bit. I'll run the bearing long the top part of the side of the template and this should give me a right angle cut as it removes any flared out edges.

We'll see.

[FF_Pedals]

Originally Posted by nuance97

Wipe it down with naphtha.

I think Zippo has all kinds of xylene and toluene in it. From looking at the MSDS it looks like Ronsonol is mostly naptha.

[kfowler8]

Originally Posted by FF_Pedals

I think Zippo has all kinds of xylene and toluene in it. From looking at the MSDS it looks like Ronsonol is mostly naptha.

OK I may look really silly here but I thought he was joking. I though this would be damaging? Does it just evaporate?

[nuance97]

Naphtha is great to have around. It is useful for wiping down oily woods like ebony before gluing. It evaporates quickly and leaves no residue.

[kfowler8]

Originally Posted by nuance97

Naphtha is great to have around. It is useful for wiping down oily woods like ebony before gluing. It evaporates quickly and leaves no residue.

Great to know.

So I found a band saw. I really wanted a 14" one but found a 12" Craftsman that was too good to pass up and it's right by my house. I'm not planning on re-sawing anything so this should work. Going to pick it up this afternoon. Got it for $65.

[kfowler8]

Picked up the band saw and got it set up at home. Worked well but found out quickly why it looks like most people use a spindle sander to get the line close. The band saw needs some adjustments but I ended up not being happy with template. I think I'm going to go with my other route and try the jig saw with the trim bit.

Not making a whole lot of progress but learning a lot.

[TKOjams]

Originally Posted by nuance97

Naphtha is great to have around. It is useful for wiping down oily woods like ebony before gluing. It evaporates quickly and leaves no residue.

...and it doesn't raise the grain.

[kfowler8]

Update: Frustration!!!!

So I stopped by Office Depot on the way home Friday to pick up another copy of the body to use on the new template.

So I went back to my plan of using the jig saw on a larger piece so I could keep the cuts at 90*. Took it slow and it came out real nice. Sand papered some rough spots and overall I was pretty pleased.

So I grabbed the other rough cut templates so I could trim them to the correct size when I noticed that the fresh cut template was not the same size as the others or the original plans. BAH!!!!!! Turns out they didn't turn off scaling when I asked them too.

So in my frustration and being a little anal to make sure this is done right I just put in an order for a set of Bartlett templates. Should be able to just flip them over to be lefty. With any luck they'll be here before Thanksgiving.

In the mean time my patter bit came in so I have some time to practice with that.

BTW for you first time router users. When you hook it up to a router table, keep a close on the base and the router itself to make sure it doesn't slip. Turns out mine was tight but the vibrations when on caused the motor to start slipping out of the base. Fortunately I saw it and tightened the nut on the clamp.

[kfowler8]

Progress!!!

Feel like I actually made some progress over Thanksgiving. f

I was having some trouble downloading the contour plans and some of the other member here hooked me up.

Need LP Carve Plans Thread

Also thanks to Jure who pointed me to a great German site.

www.gitarrebassbau.de/

With that I was able to complete the contour templates. They're made out of 1/2" MDF and I cut them using a jigsaw. Turned out pretty good. I need to clean up some of the paper edges but otherwise they look sound.



My first attempt at gluing my top boards together was a learning experience. Almost an expensive one. I was not happy with the way they turned out at first. There was a small ridge in the seem after I glued them. I did not pay enough attention to this when I started.

So after trying to use my heat gun to separate the boards, I ran it across my table saw to split it up again. Problem then was I had to re-join the edges. I tried a ton of scrap pieces on my router table and just couldn't get anything that worked right. I ended up taking the boards to a local shop who were able to straighten up the edges. I did find a local mill that can do a planing, jointing, and re-sawing plus they have all kinds of wood. That was huge score. Place is called Armstrong Millworks. It's about 30 min away and I plan on driving out there soon to look for some mahogany.

With my new edged boards, I tried gluing the boards again. This time I started from one end, clamped and checked the seem. Next I moved up half way and repeated. Finally a third time. Worked out much better. Really pleased with how it turned out.



Here's a preview. May still move the outline up some.





One other update was I found a nice piece of Braz rosewood fingerboard. Should be here toward the end of the week. Not sure how much I'll get done in the next couple of weeks. I'm headed to the UK on Sat but I've got two weeks off for Christmas so hopefully I can make some progress.

[jonas 335]

Remember to get the templates as smooth as possible - everything on the template will be transferred to the wood when you rout. Also, small cuts with the router work the best - take 1/16 or so at a time if you can. Many small cuts are much better than one big one with wood tear-out, good luck...

[kfowler8]

Hard to believe it's been since Nov 27th since my last update. Wow times flies. I was in the UK for a week so things got delayed some. I've been making progress. I've acquired all my wood. Picked up a nice piece of Honduran Mahogany from Northridge Hardwoods for the body and neck. Got a piece of American Holly veneer off eBay.

Couple thoughts about the build so far. You definitely have a lot of first time tool cost on these first builds. Just in router bits alone at $20-30 a pop is starting to really add up. I've been to Woodcraft every day for the past three days. Got to go again tomorrow. Finding specific bits has been an issue.

I'm starting to get a lot more comfortable with my router table and the band saw. Band saw has been my favorite. Straight forward and easy to use. The router has been another animal. There's definitely been a learning curve there and some mistakes. I bought a bit that a out of balance that caused all sorts of havoc.

So here's the progress...

[kfowler8]

I started to work on the body first. After drawing an outline with the template. I rough cut the body using a 4 TPI 1/4" blade on the band saw. This went great with no issues. I then did the same thing with the maple top.

Next came the big router fiasco. I'd been have all kinds of problems with vibrations. I was using a MLCS 2" top and bottom bearing router trim bit. When I started cutting into the body, I quickly learned that I needed to have cut more material off the edges with the band saw. Trimming thicker stock and using an in-balanced bit caused some tear out and burns. I ended up with this after only about 1/2 the body trimmed.





I fortunately had enough edge left on the un-trimmed side that I was able to shift the template over slightly. I bought a new Freud trim bit and went back to work. First I trimmed some more edging off with the band saw and then went back to the router table. This went much smoother. I still had some left over tear out marks so I sanded them down. I'm pretty pleased with the results.





I've got just a small area left now to fill and I should be set.

More to come...

[kfowler8]

Next was the wire channel cavity. This was harder than I expected. I first hogged out the channel with a 3/8" Forstner bit. No issues here. My problem came in that I couldn't find a 3/8" router trim bit. So I went with a 1/2". As you can see from the photo, I had a little tear out with the initial cut. I'm going to sand this smooth and then it'll be covered up anyway. Shouldn't be an issue.



Next I moved to the back cavities.

I debated about how I wanted to do the control cavity. I ended up deciding to go ahead and go all the way through. Again, I hogged most of the material before routing.

I used a 1" long top bearing trim bit for the two back cavitities. Ideally I would have used a longer bit but I was able to make the 1" work. I did get a burn mark where I didn't notice that the collet rubbed up against the edge. This should come out when I cut the 1/8" recess for the covers. The inner edge I'll sand down.



I got the switch cavity started but need to finish.





So that's where I'm at right. I need to find a couple more router bits. I'm really trying to get where I can glue the top and bottom together by Christmas.

I've picked up a couple more items to be used.
- Behlen Hide Glue from Woodcraft
- Fret wire, hand saw, miter box, and Dremel base from Stew-Mac
- Fret bender off eBay
- Fret hammer, pliers and cutter from eBay

[kfowler8]

So I've made some progress over the Christmas break. Having two weeks off helped. Still I'm lucky to get an hour in hear or there.

I finished routing out the back cover plates. My biggest issue here was finding a patter bit short enough. I ended up using a 3/4" long trim bit and then putting half inch spacers between the template. This actually worked out pretty well.







I used my Dremmel and a sanding bit to clean up the tear out in the channel. wasn't going for anything pretty. Just wanted to keep a wire from catching on it.



Next up: First time hide glue!!!

[kfowler8]

At this point I was ready for my first experience with hide glue. I bought the Behlen hide glue from Woodcraft. Seemed to have very positive reviews. One thing I found while researching was how the ratio to water varied greatly and the problem with the glue setting too fast.

I decided to go with 2 parts water and 1 part hide glue. For primary reference, I used these two pages.

Hot Hide Glue Help

Scroll down to "Hide Glue... A Theory"

Using my weight scale, I mixed a batch the night before. One of my biggest concerns was the temp. I live in Michigan and it's a wee bit cold right now. I read how it's good to glue in a hot environment to give you more work time. So I took a couple of precautions you'll see.

First I numbered the clamping sequence on the top.



Some other threads mentioned heating the pieces with a hot air gun prior to gluing. Instead I stuck them in front of the fireplace for a while. They got nice and toasty.



In the mean time I took over the kitchen and laid everything out to be ready.



Glue, pot, brush and thermometer.



When I started heating the glue, I got a little concerned because the glue starting melting at around 110*F. I was expecting it to take longer. My target temp was 145*. When I got to 145*, it was pretty thin. Kind of like syrup out of the microwave.

I quickly used the brush to add the glue to the body and then place on the top. I was really surprised how thin the glue was. I guess I was expecting normal wood glue. I clamped everything down and waited about 20 hours before touching it.



I'll admit I didn't sleep well that night. Having never used hide glue I really didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if I unclamped it, the body would simply fall off. Turns out it came out perfect. Really pleased with it. Very solid.

I then trimmed the top flush with the body using a patter bit.

I'll post more on tomorrow as my battery is running low tonight.

Happy New Year!!!!!

[kfowler8]

Carving!!!!!

I used Ex Nihilo's templates to cut my "terraces". Cutting down 7/16" on the initial layer left me with a little less maple on the top than expected. About 4mm vs. 5.5. Should be fine though. Again my biggest issue here was not having a short router trim bit. So what I did was take the next cut out level and place it beneath the template I was using. This gave me another 1/2". This worked our really well since all the templates were aligned.

Overall I think this went well. Defintely would have been easier with a overhang router. I used the router plate from my table to give me more area to keep the router level. I still have a couple errors which you can see. These ended up getting sanded out. Nice part about this process is the lines are just giving you a reference line to sand. So it doesn't have to be perfect.

More to come...

[kfowler8]

Next on the agenda was one the critical pieces, neck and pickup planes.

First I made a angle jig based off some of the ones I've seen here. I used a 2'x2'x3/4" plywood as a base. I then took some nice straight 1x4 pine to make a frame. Actual dimensions were 3/4"x3 1/2". My dimensions ended up being about 16"x20". Looking back I wish I had made it a bit larger. I added some scrap pieces of wood as rails on the side and then took a 1"x6" piece of pine board and cut a center groove in it for the router to sit in. You can see a pic of it here.





This jig really turned out well. It sits very flat. I should have used this when I cut the contour lines. It would have been easier to keep the router level. I thinking I may use it for cutting the channel. Another piece that turned out really well was these little rubber stoppers. They went to the bottom of my router table. They work really well for holding the body in place without damaging the wood. One down side was the height of the sides at 3.5". This caused me to use a really long straight bit. 2.5" long. I could take some MDF board and raise the body up though. It does give me more flexibility.

With my new jog, I set the level to 4.4 and set the depth of the router to start the cut in line with the binding. I thought it turned out really well as the plane finished just past the neck pickup.

I then hit an issue. If I used the 1.21 angle from the plans, the cut would go well past the bridge and even the tailstop. I needed to use a steeper angle to make it end where the bridge would be. Based on some older threads, I increased my angle to 1.7 to get the plane right.

Here's the threads for reference and special thanks to TKOjams, emoney, and Ole'Lefty for walking me through this. All measurements turned out pretty spot on.

Need Pickup Plane Advice

Pickup Plane?

Neck Angle Routing Jig

[kfowler8]

Ready for sanding, I purchased a Dewalt variable speed orital sander. Really like it and seems to work well. I started off with 60 grit and then down to 100 grit by hand. I still plan on painting the top with flat back to check for any imperfections and then sand again.

One thing I'm a little disappointed in with the top. I seemed to have lost a fair amount of the flame in the middle of each side. You can see it in the pic. I believe the top is flat sawn. I thought it may pop a little more. The flame is there, you just can't see it well. These pics were taken with a hit of Naphtha and I thought that may bring out the flame a little more. Still I do like the top. I may try double staining when I get to that point. I'd appreciate any thought anyone may have on this.

Here's pic of the raw top to compare to.


Before:



After:

[emoney]

I wouldn't get too disappointed yet as the flame will start to pop when you start finishing.
You're doing an awesome job so far so keep it up!