Hand Tool Build #3 - "Shredder" for my cousin

[poro78]

I was planning to build an LP for me next, but at the moment it seems that it'll be build #6...

My teenage cousin asked if I could build a guitar for him and I couldn't say no.
So we have talked about all kinds of stuff and he wants a Superstratish guitar, basically a noise stick that looks like it has something to do with Ibanez.
Couple of new challenges ahead - this will be a neck-through guitar with a black burst finish and body binding.

So.... let's see how this will end.

Some wenge for the neck.

Ebony for fingerboard. No inlays, only side dots this time.

Some maple for top.

And swamp ash for the "wings".
(As you can see on the background, my previous project is almost done. )

First blood drawn.

Still lot of thickness to remove, but a start is a start.

 

[mux164]

lucky bugger,looks like its going to be a beauty and if it turns out like barbie's strat he will be happy

 

[poro78]

That kid has had his share of all kinds of crap, so I really hope this goes well.

And speaking of Barbie's Strat - I'm still wondering how to make the pickups

 

[Barnaby]

Doctor! Doctor!!! He's out again!!!!!

...speaking of Barbie's Strat - I'm still wondering how to make the pickups

Why, lipsticks, of course!

 

[poro78]

First bites of the wenge.
Really scary wood. When I bought it, I carried the blanks from the seller's warehouse to my car and from my car to my apartment without gloves.
Got about dozen splinters and half of them caused inflammation.
And those tiny bastards also hurt like hell!

But it looks so nice.
From a splintery, dusty, crappy black chunk...

...to quite nice dark, striped chocolatey wood.

And it's rough on my tools, after about 20 minutes it seems to be the time to turn to the sharpening station.

 

[Scrogg]

Love watching your hand tool builds. There is something almost zen-like listening to a well tuned #5 work it's magic.

Of course, having said that, you can have my 20" spiral head planer when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

Will be following this one!

 

[emoney]

I used just a smidgeon of Wenge for a headstock veneer. One of the coolest woods in
the world, imho, but man.......

Get ready when it comes time to levelling that stuff for finish, lol.
Still, an awesome combination you got there. Keep those pics a comin'.

 

[randyripoff]

I really enjoyed your first two builds, so I'm definitely in for this one.

 

[KnightroExpress]

Yeah dude! Wenge is gorgeous, but I really don't like handling it when rough. Glad to see you're at it again

 

[poro78]

Love watching your hand tool builds. There is something almost zen-like listening to a well tuned #5 work it's magic.

Yeah, something zen-like... but if you can hear #5 working it's magic, you're not swearing loud enough.

I used just a smidgeon of Wenge for a headstock veneer. One of the coolest woods in
the world, imho, but man.......

Get ready when it comes time to levelling that stuff for finish, lol.
Still, an awesome combination you got there. Keep those pics a comin'.

Well, beauty has its price. The initial feeling is that this wood won't be a walk in a park, it already got me using gloves when working and I have a bad feeling that it isn't only thing this horrible wood will offer.
(Was the wenge dust toxic also?)
And luckily this is "only" neck.

I really enjoyed your first two builds, so I'm definitely in for this one.

Hopefully this one will be as enjoyable as the first two!

Yeah dude! Wenge is gorgeous, but I really don't like handling it when rough. Glad to see you're at it again

Gorgeous indeed! I was a bit surprised how it looks under that rough surface. And as you can see in the upper corner of that last picture - Yeah, sissy boy uses gloves. What a pansy!

 

[poro78]

Doctor! Doctor!!! He's out again!!!!!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyXCkjMBK70"]NAPOLEON XIV THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY HA-HAAA - YouTube[/ame]

 

[VictOr358]

Yks - Congratulations, you hammer your steel while it's still hot, as we Russians say!
Kaks - Check PM

 

[DariusOliver]

Finally another hand tools build! This one looks to be brutally cool, let's see how you f**k it up and repair it this time (in a positive sense, of course, I just like see how people get back on their feet after mistakes )

Anyway a big from me on this one.

 

[VictOr358]

Of course, having said that, you can have my 20" spiral head planer when you pry it from my cold dead hands.

Will be following this one!

20" planer? Expect some invasion!

Finally another hand tools build! This one looks to be brutally cool, let's see how you f**k it up and repair it this time (in a positive sense, of course, I just like see how people get back on their feet after mistakes )

Anyway a big from me on this one.

You're a very brutally-brutally-brutal dude. I mean - build repairs are natural! In fact, quite organic for us, no-pro's (so far)

 

[poro78]

Yeah, it's not about avoiding mistakes, it's about making all the mistakes as invisible and harmless as possible.
I'm sure there will be lots of f**k ups, hopefully I find a way to fix them all.

 

[poro78]

This will take ages.
Two sessions and most of the rough spots are gone.

"Yeah, wenge is ok for a neck."

 

[emoney]

I didn't experience toxicity with the Wenge, but again, I've built a headstock veneer
and an Acoustic bridge out of it. Your results may vary, of course.

 

[poro78]

Well, my snot is black but there seems to be no other ill effects.
After session number 3 I'm still not ready with the wenge.

 

[VictOr358]

This Wenge thing is splintery indeed. I had some thick...ish (1.5 mm) veneer to laminate one of my sandwich beams, and this little narttu 'been fighting back as well.
Now, I can not recommend you the thing I did, but I took out the splinters and washed my hands with acetone. Wounds were painful, but I didn't get any inflammation. Once again, proceed at your own risk here, it was outdoors and I didn't have anything better to rinse the perforations.

 

[poro78]

I've been now wearing gloves every time I go to the room where the nasty, biting devil wood lies.