Progressive Expansion
The first week of May ended almost as planned, I sold off more stuff out of the garage, and this left me enough room to build the workbench.
With any construction project for a first time there will always be logistical errors.
I thought the glue would be enough to keep everything pinned down and with the hinges as support I thought by the next morning I'd just be able to turn it over.
Of course the legs fell right off the next morning, I ended up having to make runs to Home Depot and Ace Hardware to get screws, a drill, and drill bits.
Though delayed I finally had it standing on its 4 feet by Thursday morning.
The next project that had to be done was the stilts and that too I thought would super easy.
No such thing, the 1X4s were perfect for the stilts and I figured the easiest way to do it would be to dig in from behind the deck and then hammer and drill them in from the front.
The wood resisted the screws and even a few bricks on the back didn't do so much to add resistance.
The first 1X4 went in almost flawlessly but the others that followed angled slightly so none of them are parallel.
It annoys me to say the least to see it like that but the real test will be when rain season hits here, will the stilts hold back the mud and sand from pouring down onto the ground?
Or am I only inducing more problems later?
I figure either way it gave me more experience with wood, cutting, and knowing what to avoid.
If I can't build a couple of stilts to hold back sand and mud, or a simple workbench then I'd have no business making a guitar.
The easiest part was the cut, both the bandsaw and table saw performed great.
I do feel like the bandsaw could cover more area but it does seem stronger then the tablesaw.
That same weekend I took a day off to go climbing.
It was fun but my legs just weren't doing what I told them too.
Bouldering is much more challenging then climbing from a top rope.
Though I'd prefer that because of the view when you top a rock.
I did bring my gear but nobody else from the group did.
The car handled the winding roads pretty well though it did struggle going up hill.
On Mother's Day weekend I wanted to surprise my grandmother with a carpet and tile cleaning.
This was not easy to keep a secret and after constant verbal assaults I withdrew and gave up the surprise.
I found the guy online and wanted to work with a $100 budget, I went over budget to $200 and I don't feel he did a $200 job.
It all seemed rushed, and he didn't use grout sealant which somebody mentioned is a must whenever you're getting tiles cleaned, the other part the carpet looked good but and this is a rather big but, he didn't dry it out.
I also had to remove and return the furniture to where it was.
I found myself not so silently regretting the idea maybe I could have found somebody more equipped to handle it and they might have been more negotiable to my budget.
She was happy with the carpet but the tile was something be asked for.
On the day of Mother's Day my aunt, and two cousin's made an appearance.
It was a good family dinner, and with the TV out of commission it was pleasant.
I wish it was always like that, quiet, stress free, no chirps or beeps or buy me now ads to hear.
By Tuesday the technician came by and it was back to the same old bullshit.
Wednesday I drove down to the lumber yard. Picked up some redwood for the neck and mahogany for the soundboard, and possibly the ribs. It took longer to leave there then it did to get there. I also lucked out I heard from a local music store that there was a luthier nearby.
I trusted my instincts when nobody was sure, walked across the street, and called the music store guy to make sure I was on the right track.
I found the guy Dave in a small shop in a hole in the wall.
It was just an experience to see the equipment, and pick his brain for a bit.
Though a little bit snarky, he has the look of someone who was born to craft guitars.
In fact he almost is because hes been crafting as of 12 years old.
Some of the things he started talking about I didn't even know you can do.
I called him later that night to make an appointment for a lesson.
He even offered to get me a kit by his own dime.
But this is different, this isn't supposed to be something easy that doesn't require toiling, or some prebuilt model that wouldn't require time.
It has to come from me, this isn't just about business, I want to build this in honor of my mother.
By the 17th I actually got started on the guitar, I'd bought thin plywood for the template, and a thicker plywood for the Solera. What sucks about my current tablesaw and bandsaw is that they only cover a certain area before banging into the other component parts. It takes a little more time to saw the off cuts but at the end of the day I had the template almost exactly right. There was a slight over cut into the template at one point but it made no difference in the construction process.
On the 18th I cut out the Solera with the plywood.
Again not a perfect cut and it took longer then it should have because there is not enough coverage on the saw.
By the middle of the day I had it cut out, the next part, drilling the holes, the peep hole, and the sleeves I left for the next day.
The 19th I did exactly that and this too took time but not as much as cutting out the solera. I also went to the hardware store to buy the threaded rods I needed as clamps.
After 3 days of cutting and sawing I cleaned up the shop, I saved the sawdust and off cuts because you never know when you'll need them. The only part incomplete was the peep hole for the solera.
The 20th I started planing the neck despite not having the solera complete. I also took some time to build a few L-shaped Spool Clamps using cut offs. I wasn't sure if they would be good enough to keep the ribs clamped.
The 21st I cut out the soundboard and the back plate from the mahogany. Almost a matching pair from back to front. I planed more of the neck actually over planed is more like it. I should have just bought a spoke shave it would have made the neck more symmetrical.
The 22nd I took time to cut out the headstock. I heard from Dave the Luthier and he suggested not using the redwood at all. I tested out the electric router and its terrible for circular cutting...It has no view finder so I couldn't accurately cut a circle. All its good for is straight holes and I already had a hand drill for that.
The 23rd one of the legs on the bench nearly came right off. It was my own doing, the wood underneath meant to bind the two sides of the table was parallel when it should have been across. Going across it provided more support. I had to build two new hinges to make sure the leg wouldn't fly off this time.
Two friends stopped by and we drove out to Big Sur. It was a happy time and it was good to see my other friend make the move out to California too. "Fuck you California!"..."Cause you're so beautiful!"
The 24th I turned the table back over and it was back to work. I needed to figure out a way to either build a jig for the router or buy one from a shop. A few calls later a hardware guy lent me a tip, and it made circular cutting almost flawless! Still I wish I knew the trick earlier and I still had to hack it out with a saw in the end.
With the peek hole for the solera cut out, the Solera was 95% finished.
The next day all I did was saw out two X braces for the Soundboard, I also cut out a small block for the endblock. The rest of the day was devoted to cleaning the house here.
The 26th we had another family get together and I showed my uncle and cousin the progress on the guitar and they were impressed. But theres still so much to be done and I am still only a step in the door really.
The 27th another unanticipated family get together that took time away from the guitar.
The 28th I got the neck itself down to required width, height, but damn does it leaves a mess. I must have planed a few feet worth of redwood because the flakes got into everything including the bathroom inside the house. I heard from Dave again and its was getting more awkward with each following phone call. I know the guy has years of experience, and his time is valuable but I can't argue on time and its value with him.
I didn't want to even go into whose time is worth more discussion, so I just said I was scared away. In waiting for advice I could actually be working on the guitar and making my own decisions.
If something breaks its a lesson on my own time anyway, you live, you learn.
I met up with him anyway the next day, and it wasn't so much.as getting help, but as knowing what I don't have. I ended up buying a couple of bone nuts for the bridge, and the top nut from him. So as of now I have everything I need to build one guitar.
I hate to say it but I've really been slacking on my yoga, and exercise. I did pull off a 40 minute run which I thought I'd never be able to do again in my life time. Climbing was okay but I don't think I really gave it my all. I've been less consistent with all of it, and this definitely can be accounted to the guitar construction its almost all I think about right now. Its effected the draft too and I've come to a screeching halt on the novel.
Otherwise despite some setbacks it was a pretty good month. Nothing I didn't anticipate ended up blowing up into something too hard to handle. The month ends loudly, with my bandsaw on one side, and the hard yawn of wood on the other.
Keepin' it |_quare
-Astral Samurai
With any construction project for a first time there will always be logistical errors.
I thought the glue would be enough to keep everything pinned down and with the hinges as support I thought by the next morning I'd just be able to turn it over.
Of course the legs fell right off the next morning, I ended up having to make runs to Home Depot and Ace Hardware to get screws, a drill, and drill bits.
Though delayed I finally had it standing on its 4 feet by Thursday morning.
The next project that had to be done was the stilts and that too I thought would super easy.
No such thing, the 1X4s were perfect for the stilts and I figured the easiest way to do it would be to dig in from behind the deck and then hammer and drill them in from the front.
The wood resisted the screws and even a few bricks on the back didn't do so much to add resistance.
The first 1X4 went in almost flawlessly but the others that followed angled slightly so none of them are parallel.
It annoys me to say the least to see it like that but the real test will be when rain season hits here, will the stilts hold back the mud and sand from pouring down onto the ground?
Or am I only inducing more problems later?
I figure either way it gave me more experience with wood, cutting, and knowing what to avoid.
If I can't build a couple of stilts to hold back sand and mud, or a simple workbench then I'd have no business making a guitar.
The easiest part was the cut, both the bandsaw and table saw performed great.
I do feel like the bandsaw could cover more area but it does seem stronger then the tablesaw.
That same weekend I took a day off to go climbing.
It was fun but my legs just weren't doing what I told them too.
Bouldering is much more challenging then climbing from a top rope.
Though I'd prefer that because of the view when you top a rock.
I did bring my gear but nobody else from the group did.
The car handled the winding roads pretty well though it did struggle going up hill.
On Mother's Day weekend I wanted to surprise my grandmother with a carpet and tile cleaning.
This was not easy to keep a secret and after constant verbal assaults I withdrew and gave up the surprise.
I found the guy online and wanted to work with a $100 budget, I went over budget to $200 and I don't feel he did a $200 job.
It all seemed rushed, and he didn't use grout sealant which somebody mentioned is a must whenever you're getting tiles cleaned, the other part the carpet looked good but and this is a rather big but, he didn't dry it out.
I also had to remove and return the furniture to where it was.
I found myself not so silently regretting the idea maybe I could have found somebody more equipped to handle it and they might have been more negotiable to my budget.
She was happy with the carpet but the tile was something be asked for.
On the day of Mother's Day my aunt, and two cousin's made an appearance.
It was a good family dinner, and with the TV out of commission it was pleasant.
I wish it was always like that, quiet, stress free, no chirps or beeps or buy me now ads to hear.
By Tuesday the technician came by and it was back to the same old bullshit.
Wednesday I drove down to the lumber yard. Picked up some redwood for the neck and mahogany for the soundboard, and possibly the ribs. It took longer to leave there then it did to get there. I also lucked out I heard from a local music store that there was a luthier nearby.
I trusted my instincts when nobody was sure, walked across the street, and called the music store guy to make sure I was on the right track.
I found the guy Dave in a small shop in a hole in the wall.
It was just an experience to see the equipment, and pick his brain for a bit.
Though a little bit snarky, he has the look of someone who was born to craft guitars.
In fact he almost is because hes been crafting as of 12 years old.
Some of the things he started talking about I didn't even know you can do.
I called him later that night to make an appointment for a lesson.
He even offered to get me a kit by his own dime.
But this is different, this isn't supposed to be something easy that doesn't require toiling, or some prebuilt model that wouldn't require time.
It has to come from me, this isn't just about business, I want to build this in honor of my mother.
By the 17th I actually got started on the guitar, I'd bought thin plywood for the template, and a thicker plywood for the Solera. What sucks about my current tablesaw and bandsaw is that they only cover a certain area before banging into the other component parts. It takes a little more time to saw the off cuts but at the end of the day I had the template almost exactly right. There was a slight over cut into the template at one point but it made no difference in the construction process.
On the 18th I cut out the Solera with the plywood.
Again not a perfect cut and it took longer then it should have because there is not enough coverage on the saw.
By the middle of the day I had it cut out, the next part, drilling the holes, the peep hole, and the sleeves I left for the next day.
The 19th I did exactly that and this too took time but not as much as cutting out the solera. I also went to the hardware store to buy the threaded rods I needed as clamps.
After 3 days of cutting and sawing I cleaned up the shop, I saved the sawdust and off cuts because you never know when you'll need them. The only part incomplete was the peep hole for the solera.
The 20th I started planing the neck despite not having the solera complete. I also took some time to build a few L-shaped Spool Clamps using cut offs. I wasn't sure if they would be good enough to keep the ribs clamped.
The 21st I cut out the soundboard and the back plate from the mahogany. Almost a matching pair from back to front. I planed more of the neck actually over planed is more like it. I should have just bought a spoke shave it would have made the neck more symmetrical.
The 22nd I took time to cut out the headstock. I heard from Dave the Luthier and he suggested not using the redwood at all. I tested out the electric router and its terrible for circular cutting...It has no view finder so I couldn't accurately cut a circle. All its good for is straight holes and I already had a hand drill for that.
The 23rd one of the legs on the bench nearly came right off. It was my own doing, the wood underneath meant to bind the two sides of the table was parallel when it should have been across. Going across it provided more support. I had to build two new hinges to make sure the leg wouldn't fly off this time.
Two friends stopped by and we drove out to Big Sur. It was a happy time and it was good to see my other friend make the move out to California too. "Fuck you California!"..."Cause you're so beautiful!"
The 24th I turned the table back over and it was back to work. I needed to figure out a way to either build a jig for the router or buy one from a shop. A few calls later a hardware guy lent me a tip, and it made circular cutting almost flawless! Still I wish I knew the trick earlier and I still had to hack it out with a saw in the end.
With the peek hole for the solera cut out, the Solera was 95% finished.
The next day all I did was saw out two X braces for the Soundboard, I also cut out a small block for the endblock. The rest of the day was devoted to cleaning the house here.
The 26th we had another family get together and I showed my uncle and cousin the progress on the guitar and they were impressed. But theres still so much to be done and I am still only a step in the door really.
The 27th another unanticipated family get together that took time away from the guitar.
The 28th I got the neck itself down to required width, height, but damn does it leaves a mess. I must have planed a few feet worth of redwood because the flakes got into everything including the bathroom inside the house. I heard from Dave again and its was getting more awkward with each following phone call. I know the guy has years of experience, and his time is valuable but I can't argue on time and its value with him.
I didn't want to even go into whose time is worth more discussion, so I just said I was scared away. In waiting for advice I could actually be working on the guitar and making my own decisions.
If something breaks its a lesson on my own time anyway, you live, you learn.
I met up with him anyway the next day, and it wasn't so much.as getting help, but as knowing what I don't have. I ended up buying a couple of bone nuts for the bridge, and the top nut from him. So as of now I have everything I need to build one guitar.
I hate to say it but I've really been slacking on my yoga, and exercise. I did pull off a 40 minute run which I thought I'd never be able to do again in my life time. Climbing was okay but I don't think I really gave it my all. I've been less consistent with all of it, and this definitely can be accounted to the guitar construction its almost all I think about right now. Its effected the draft too and I've come to a screeching halt on the novel.
Otherwise despite some setbacks it was a pretty good month. Nothing I didn't anticipate ended up blowing up into something too hard to handle. The month ends loudly, with my bandsaw on one side, and the hard yawn of wood on the other.
Keepin' it |_quare
-Astral Samurai
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