Sexauer/'15

[Bruce Sexauer]

I stopped post pics mostly because I thought no one really cared . . . it IS a guitar forum, after all. But this IS what I'm up to at the moment. And yes, Tom's L00 pernambuco guitar should ship by the end of next week.
Here are a series of pictures of recent progress. Frankly, it seems a good deal more dramatic than most of my guitars over a similar period of time!

The first strip:


The third strip:






Today:







I mixed up an oil stain that works for me:

[iim7V7IM7]

Careful with your newly found, cement induced muscles when bottoming out the finish of Tom's L00...

[frquent flyer]

Thanks for including my guitar in current events. frankly I was feeling neglected. Tom

[dcn]

That is an interesting bracing pattern you're using on the cement floor there, Bruce.

: )

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by frquent flyer

Thanks for including my guitar in current events. frankly I was feeling neglected. Tom

That is understandable, Tom, but it is not the case. Three is a three week period of time in each of my guitars construction process where absolutely nothing whatsoever happens. I have found that if I don't put it entirely out of my mind I have a tendency to rush things, to get to work on the guitar too soon. I do try to be clear about this with each of my customers, but it can feel a bit anti-climactic. Don't worry, it should be done by the end of the week.

[frquent flyer]

Bruce, I should know these things second time around ,and yes it would be horrid to rush. To be patient is divine,of a sort. Tom

[Howard Klepper]

Hey, nice finishing work on that concrete, Bruce. And on the walls! An upgrade for the Lotus's home, but with vintage charm.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Hey, nice finishing work on that concrete, Bruce. And on the walls! An upgrade for the Lotus's home, but with vintage charm.

Doing the floor in 6 strips gives me a chance to hone the finishing skill that I am developing. Two weeks ago I didn't have a clue that there was such a thing, but YouTube set me straight. The last strip will be the first seen when approaching the garage, it's fairly dark in the garage, and I am hoping casual observers will assume it's all at the same "high" level.

Today I will put in the last one, which is actually the entrance ramp. Yesterday, after putting in the fifth strip, I put on the rolled roofing. I had to throw away the clothes I was wearing. I hope to never get good enough at that to do it without making a mess.

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Doing the floor in 6 strips gives me a chance to hone the finishing skill that I am developing. Two weeks ago I didn't have a clue that there was such a thing, but YouTube set me straight. The last strip will be the first seen when approaching the garage, it's fairly dark in the garage, and I am hoping casual observers will assume it's all at the same "high" level.

Today I will put in the last one, which is actually the entrance ramp. Yesterday, after putting in the fifth strip, I put on the rolled roofing. I had to throw away the clothes I was wearing. I hope to never get good enough at that to do it without making a mess.

Please don't tell me that your concrete floor has "runout"...

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Please don't tell me that your concrete floor has "runout"...

Well, it literally does! I sloped the entire floor 1/8" in 4' so that any liquid that gets loose in there will head for the door. I also sloped the "wings" next to the entrance doors so that pools cannot form there.

Today, after making the final small (22 bag) pour that is the entry ramp, I sheet-rocked the walls and then I built shelves on one side and a cabinet/workbench on the other (using the old 1 1/8" plywood that had been the on the floor for a couple of years and which you can see piled on my lawn last week). To celebrate, I put the lawn mower and my welder in their new place, pending editing. People tell me that if I'm smart, I'll wait a couple of days before I put my car in there, even though it weighs only 1150 lb, no more than 300 lb a wheel! People say a lot of stuff.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I made a post on Friday that I failed to put up, but I will tell you a little late then that I put my car away in the garage on Thursday, and got on with the guitar project. Then on Saturday, yesterday, I took my "Lotus" 7 to the track, getting home with only enough time to actually glue the neck to the body. This morning I took the guitar out of the clamps and snapped some over lit pictures of it for the customer, which I will also share with you folks.

The evidence:





The guitar after buffing:




And today's beautiful, but bright, sunny morning:

[TomB'sox]

I guess there was a guitar in that post somewhere, but that Lotus, how awesome is that. That is vintage and oh so cool. Do you care to tell us a little more about that and your day at the track????

[iim7V7IM7]

Tom is in for a real treat with that L00!

[Bruce Sexauer]

I suspect that there are those who will judge me a bit harshly for my motor toy penchant, but it is something I have played at since I was about 14. About 6 years ago I got back into it after a 25 year layoff, and I not entirely jokingly refer to this as a "maturity lapse".

For those who care slightly, but do not know, AutoCross is a timed event where cars are driven one at a time around a course laid out in cones. Each AutoX produced by my club, Empire Sports Car Association (ESCA), is unique and the game is to learn a course never before seen and then post one's fastest possible time in just 3 attempts. This is extremely challenging, and there is some advantage in a youthful mind, perhaps. And yet a few of us old dogs do pretty well at it.

Here are a couple of pictures of me in my car taken at yesterday's event:

[TomB'sox]

Great pictures, how fun is that. Looks like you are really on it in that last turn. Anyone who may judge a man harshly for working his whole life to allow himself some pleasures when the opportunity arises needs to mind their own business and perhaps work harder themselves....IMO.

Great day and what a nice release from the daily grind...