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People don’t realize what dangerous work this can sometime be! :) |
Headstock Overlay
Here is a picture of the headstock overlay:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4861/...8ae8e4b0_b.jpg It has a swipe of shellac on it to show color and figure. Thanks for viewing! Mark |
Interesting. Are you going to fill the carved out area with epoxy or keep it like that?
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Thanks for commenting! Mark |
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I'm in the market for really old Spanish Cedar. Maybe I can find an old boat up for salvage. Mark |
Love this thread ... the story about the redwood ... and that peghead overlay ... wow!
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Just read through this entire thread......amazing wood......the Redwood is sublime! Love it! Your entire approach is so professional, knowledgeable and beautiful, Mark. Congrats on a fabulous build and thanks for taking us along!!
Regards, Fred |
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Thanks again Mark |
Neck Assembly
I have the neck fitted to the body and am now gluing on the fretboard and head plate. As I am building this guitar I think about the traditional methods and the tools that were used. Building a vintage style guitar sets the stage for seeing my usual building methods from a different perspective. I'm saying this because when I look at the picture here I'm thinking maybe I should have used wooden cam clamps or spindle clamps like they used to use. But then I think if they had these lightweight clamps that are so easy to adjust the clamping strength with and can be used with only one hand, I'm sure that's what they would have used. Traditional woodworking has always valued using the best tool for the job and these little plastic clamps are just better for this job:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/...1cd046bd_b.jpg |
This is all coming together beautifully.
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Thanks again! Mark |
First glimpse
I roughed out the neck today. I love the smell of Spanish Cedar so carving and sanding is a pleasure. Actually, doing necks is a pleasure anyway. Out of all the steps involved in making guitar shaping the neck is my favorite:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4820/...2fa40fb1_c.jpg We're getting a lot closer to how this guitar is going to look in the end: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4870/...f7c01f5c_c.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4820/...e96f75a3_c.jpg So this is what it looks like when you reach the halfway mark. Thanks for following! Mark |
Love it - it's very beautiful at this stage. I was wondering if you have decided on the finish you are going to use for this one. Varnish? French polish? Nitro-cellulose finishes go pretty far back into the 20th century, I think, but I think this guitar would look great with a softer, less glassy finish. Just my two cents.
Stan |
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Thanks for following along and for you thoughts. Mark |
Love the new headstock.
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Thanks for commenting! Mark |
The Begining of the Finish
I am putting a very thin finish on this guitar. Lot's of things you do to improve the sound of a guitar have very minimal effects. The strategy is that many small things add up. That is not the case with finish. A super lightweight thin finish makes a noticeable difference all by itself. If it's the difference you want, a properly applied finish will get you there.
I'm doing a French Polish finish and I am doing it a lot more like they did in the 1800s. Back then they weren't trying to make a finish look like today's thicker perfect glass finish. The goal was to make a strong beautiful finish that protected the wood and showed it beautifully. A sealer is used to start the process. This keeps the finish from soaking in too much and prepares a surface the shellac will adhere well to. Like many things in life this all starts with: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4851/...7dcea181_b.jpg An Egg! There are a number of parts to an egg. What we're probably most familiar with would be the yoke, which contains a lot of fat and protein, and the protective albumin layers around the yoke which we know as the egg white. The albumin has a thick layer and a thin layer which are both mostly protein and water. The thick layer has some other stuff but, we don't care because it's the thin layer we're after. Here's a picture of an egg in a familiar setting so you can see the yoke, the thick albumin layer, and then the more watery thin albumin layer which I'll be using as the sealer: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4876/...64baf3fb_c.jpg I have mentioned several times in this thread how there is usually something lost whenever a new technology takes over. When newer chemical sealers became commonly used what was given up in many cases was how well the shellac adheres to it. The newer sealers are heavier and another more subtle difference is the egg sealer does better at keeping end grain from discoloring by making the end grain look overly dark or saturated looking. Here is a test piece of the Spanish Cedar I am using for the neck with finish on it. The end grain becomes exposed as it makes that curve, Not unlike what happens at the heel of the neck: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4897/...95c187cd_c.jpg It isn't perfect. If you look straight on at the end grain it does look a little darker because you are looking right down the throat of the hollow wood fibers but, it is overall lighter and the chatoyance of the wood is much stronger on those curves that expose the end grain. French Polishers took great pride in how much they could control the evenness of color on their finished work. |
Tuners
I've been searching for the best tuners to go with this guitar. I was looking for an older style to go with the vintage look as opposed to the more modern Schertlers and Gotohs I usually use. I decided to go with Waverly tuners. They have a relic finish that would look quite comfortable here but, I am trying to stay away from using anything relic. As I keep saying; "if it looks old it's because it is old." That it should be a matter of design, materials, or technique to achieve a vintage look. I've landed on the nickel finish because that is what you would get if you were buying a guitar in 1855. Waverly has old style little oval Black Ebony buttons and I was able to get the old style tuner bushings to help complete the look:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4826/...8cd09459_c.jpg Thanks for viewing! Mark |
Sealer
I have the sealer on the guitar body now and can show how the colors are working out. Old Redwood and old Black Walnut really come to life when the finish starts going on and I think they go together wonderfully!
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/...fc473c73_c.jpg Thanks for viewing! Mark |
It all looks awesome!
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Mark |
French Polish
The best finish for a vintage influenced instrument seems to me to be French Polish. It is the traditional finish for guitars because it is hard, nontoxic, and can be applied very thin. This reduces weight and allows for a very responsive guitar. It doesn't blush or break down from UV exposure. It has a reputation for not wearing well and becoming sticky under various conditions. In my view this reputation for poor wear and stickiness comes from attempts to make French Polish look like a contemporary synthetic finish. Since we're going with a more traditional look we don't need to be burdened with compromises made to look synthetic.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4847/...a4ab41fb_c.jpg This picture shows the flakes of shellac that are dissolved in alcohol. On the left is what we commonly see today which is a heavily processed flake that has been bleached to a "very light blond" so that it looks more contemporary. Problem is this weakens the finish and makes it softer and more likely to go sticky under a sweaty hand. I'm using unbleached shellac flake that you see on the right which was commonly in the 1800's. As I said earlier the finish is going on thin so that dark look will be minimized and any darker cast it might add will look great on an old looking instrument. I use grain alcohol because it works great and is far less toxic than denatured alcohol. This is what the shellac is dissolved in for application (no I don't drink that stuff!) The little jar is where I keep the cotton and wool applicator I use for application. |
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This is looking great Mark. |
Well if it doesn't work out it kinda looks like a great party could be had??? Glitter and Everclear.
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New 00 Woodsman model Hatcher Guitars
This is all very interesting Mark. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
From now on, I’ll forever think about guitars when frying eggs. Thanks!!! |
Thanks for sharing, Mark. Your work is beautiful, and your threads are very informative.
Everclear and glitter, indeed! :roll: |
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Yeah, I can keep my base price. Actually, I am spending a lot more time researching, practicing, testing and doing set up than I am actually building this guitar. Quote:
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Very INTERESTING
This axe will be UBER COOL
Very informative thread, Mark! Thanks!!! Cheers Paul |
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