Dom in Somerset Posted January 6, 2021 Posted January 6, 2021 (edited) I put the blank together last year and intended to start work on it properly today but my sander needs a new belt. At least by posting it here I'm committed to it! Rough cut body blank, it's made from 7/8 bits of piano and will have an interesting finish applied to it eventually. 7/8 bits of piano in three layers, I'm trying to stay close to the original Gibson body thickness. But why has he titled this thread "TT" Flying V? Edited February 10, 2021 by Dom in Somerset 2 Quote
Si600 Posted January 16, 2021 Posted January 16, 2021 It's made from 7/8ths of a piano, or the bits are 7/8ths" thick? Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted January 22, 2021 Author Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) On 16/01/2021 at 13:01, Si600 said: It's made from 7/8ths of a piano, or the bits are 7/8ths" thick? 7 or 8 individual bits of piano stuck together. It's hard to count them now I've glued and trimmed it. I've spent the day working on templates and cutting up wood for the neck , more pics soon and hopefully I'll have a trial run of the finish I'm planning. Edited January 22, 2021 by Dom in Somerset Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted January 27, 2021 Author Posted January 27, 2021 I've been working on the neck today. It's made from oak (100 year old ex piano) I glued the angled headstock on last week and did some shaping today. A jig I made to hold the neck while I rout the channel for the truss rod. The two bits of wood allow me to use the outside edge as a guide and keep the routing central regardless of the shape of the neck or headstock. Truss rod in situ: This is where it get's weird....I'm going to cover the body and headstock with tartan encased in resin. These are for testing purposes. I'm planning on using green poplar to make the fretboard with yellow shell dots. TT stands for "Tartan Terror" 1 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted January 29, 2021 Author Posted January 29, 2021 I've removed the veneer from the front face of the body. It's stuck on with hide glue (made from hooves , horns, hide etc). Even though the glue is 100 years old it melts when heated with an iron. It smells like a wet dog in a pet food plant. Body minus veneer: Slotting the fretboard, it's made from green poplar, it will be treated with cellulose hardener and possibly stained. Wooden blocks with fabric stuck on , surrounded with card and filled with resin as test pieces. 1 Quote
Kiwi Posted January 30, 2021 Posted January 30, 2021 Hide glue is fabulous stuff - nothing else out there beats it but it's not as convenient to use as gorilla glue. For things that need long term maintenance like fingerboards, I'd still use it if I had it. Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 3, 2021 Author Posted February 3, 2021 On 30/01/2021 at 23:54, Kiwi said: Hide glue is fabulous stuff - nothing else out there beats it but it's not as convenient to use as gorilla glue. For things that need long term maintenance like fingerboards, I'd still use it if I had it. I am using Gorilla glue but it's the PVA type. I don't like the way the brown stuff expands as it cures. Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 3, 2021 Author Posted February 3, 2021 (edited) The resin leaked out from the cardboard dam around the test blocks so first job of the day was to remove them from the workbench with a hammer and chisel. One of the reasons for the test piece was to try out the router template. Note the extra bit of plywood the angle the cut . It's the wrong way round in this picture. You can rout through epoxy and cloth. This is a trial for the neck joint , it slopes to give the correct neck angle. Edited February 4, 2021 by Dom in Somerset 2 Quote
EdwardMarlowe Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 Your tartan is MCLeod of Lewis, I believe... I rather like it. Also known in some corners of Edinburgh's Royal Mile as "McLeod of Loud". Considering a kilt to match? Used to be a young shredder type that got a lot of coverage in the US guitar mags around the turn of the 90s, Blues something - Blues Saccercho, something like that? Had blue tartan guitars as he wanted a visual signifier people would associate with him. He kept insisting on calling it "plaid", though - Yanks, eh? Looking forward to seeing the rest of this build. Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 4, 2021 Author Posted February 4, 2021 44 minutes ago, EdwardMarlowe said: Your tartan is MCLeod of Lewis, I believe... I rather like it. Also known in some corners of Edinburgh's Royal Mile as "McLeod of Loud". Considering a kilt to match? Used to be a young shredder type that got a lot of coverage in the US guitar mags around the turn of the 90s, Blues something - Blues Saccercho, something like that? Had blue tartan guitars as he wanted a visual signifier people would associate with him. He kept insisting on calling it "plaid", though - Yanks, eh? Looking forward to seeing the rest of this build. Well spotted! I already have the kilt! I play in a glam punk band , my profile pic shows my usual stage gear, the tartan V will clash horribly (I hope). 1 Quote
ezbass Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, EdwardMarlowe said: Your tartan is MCLeod of Lewis, I believe... I rather like it. Also known in some corners of Edinburgh's Royal Mile as "McLeod of Loud". Considering a kilt to match? Used to be a young shredder type that got a lot of coverage in the US guitar mags around the turn of the 90s, Blues something - Blues Saccercho, something like that? Had blue tartan guitars as he wanted a visual signifier people would associate with him. He kept insisting on calling it "plaid", though - Yanks, eh? Looking forward to seeing the rest of this build. Blues Saraceno, I remember him and the guitar. Edited February 4, 2021 by ezbass 2 Quote
EdwardMarlowe Posted February 5, 2021 Posted February 5, 2021 That was it, yeah! Big fan of kilts. Just have to remember to shift yer sporran to the side so as not to get in the way of the guitar... 2 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 5, 2021 Author Posted February 5, 2021 Tartan glued on and held down at the edges with masking tape. Making ure it's level before pouring the resin. The dam in place , the masking tape over the top is to stop the sides from bowing out. Note that I've put it on a bin liner so if it leaks I won't have to chisel it of the workbench Resin poured...now we wait... 3 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 6, 2021 Author Posted February 6, 2021 This is why I need a tartan flying V: 1 1 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 10, 2021 Author Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) The resin isn't perfect , there is a blemish where some of the tape touched the surface but that's right where the bridge pickup will go. Another thin layer in the fork of the V ,some sanding back and it should be done. I couldn't resist seeing how the gold hardware will look. Headstock prior to coating. Edited February 10, 2021 by Dom in Somerset 1 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 12, 2021 Author Posted February 12, 2021 There's been a bit of a lull while resin sets and things arrive in the post. I couldn't resist another sneaky peek at it now all of the bits are here. For those of you that care about that sort of thing ...Seymour Duncan Distortion bridge pickup , Warman P90 in the neck position. 3 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 26, 2021 Author Posted February 26, 2021 Calmer voices have prevailed, I'm spraying it white: Only kidding , that's primer on the back , it will be yellow eventually. The front is looking good now but I may have to go back to square one with the headstock though. I tried applying layers rather than casting a solid section. A word of warning if you are thinking of trying this the dust that comes off when you scrape or sand the epoxy is nasty stuff. I gets into my sinuses and gave me a week long headache even though I wore a mask. The back before spraying. 2 1 Quote
ezbass Posted February 26, 2021 Posted February 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Dom in Somerset said: Calmer voices have prevailed, I'm spraying it white: Ah, fished me in. I was just about to post, “Boo!” 1 2 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 27, 2021 Author Posted February 27, 2021 Yellow, seriously yellow. Monochrome cat included for comparison. 2 Quote
ezbass Posted February 27, 2021 Posted February 27, 2021 I think, that is what Billy Connolly would describe as, “Füc£in’ YELLOW!” It’s going to be awesome; I like it. 1 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 27, 2021 Author Posted February 27, 2021 1 minute ago, ezbass said: I think, that is what Billy Connolly would describe as, “Füc£in’ YELLOW!” It’s going to be awesome; I like it. That may be what Billy Connolly would call it but Halfords call it "Fiat Broom Yellow" 1 Quote
Dom in Somerset Posted February 27, 2021 Author Posted February 27, 2021 25 minutes ago, ezbass said: Fiat make brooms now? Apparently so. I actually prefer Füc£in’ YELLOW! 1 Quote
Dad3353 Posted February 27, 2021 Posted February 27, 2021 6 hours ago, ezbass said: Fiat make brooms now? Fiat make cars, and paint them. One colour they use is called Giallo Ginestra, Once translated, this Fiat colour becomes Fiat Broom Yellow. Why broom..? Ginestra is a common enough plant in Europe; it's UK name is 'broom', and it's a strikingly bold yellow. This is a photo of ginestra, or broom... There; that's the origin of Fiat Broom Yellow. 1 Quote
