Lessons Learned
Ok, so every project ends with lessons learned. If it doesn't, you aren't working hard enough or you have been doing it too long and need to move on to something else. Me, on the other hand, I end most projects with plenty of lessons; though I try not to, I make mistakes! And while not always sure that I will try again and benefit from the experience, there is no point in repeating what is avoidable. I often try new things and move on to the next project, so mistakes are common along the way. Here's how you can benefit from mine.
Hard woods are tough on blades and bits; do not alter angle of drill while in hard wood as the bit will snap easily. Drilling holes straight is not always easy to do by hand (without a drill press). Especially through wood 2" thick. And it is further complicated by hard wood, where a small change in angle can snap a drill bit with no warning. Um, then what? Oh, yes, it happened to me. Twice. In 5 minutes!! After a few creative ideas and some extra tools from my neighbor, one bit came out and pieces of the other. There is still a small (few mm) section of broken drill bit in one string hole of my finished guitar (shhhh, don't tell anybody).
As with most wood projects, measure 10 times to cut once. Two is good, Ten is a charm.
Use the right tools; it's always possible to do it the hard way but a band saw, jigsaw, belt sander and router are really beneficial on a woodworking project such as this. Not to mention the proper specialty bits and blades.
Know what wood you are using and the pros and cons of your choice beyond how you think it will sustain (or whatever; heavy or dense, hard or soft, pores or not, color and how it will take dye are important too.
Two flat, planed surfaces are extremely important for a solid, reliable bond using wood glue. I used the razor blade trick to slightly (very) concave the two surfaces to allow a thin layer of glue to remain and not all get squished out.
A flat, planed surface front and back is very important also, as any problem with level pieces or irregularity in the surface will show up eventually.
Avoid blemishes; they will haunt you. Whether a nick filled in with wood filler or a scuff or a low spot, you will see them again when it comes time to finish the guitar.
Careful router work; it can get away from you in a flash. Spinning at thousands of rpm and very sharp, a router bit will bite before you know it's happened. Follow proper cutting direction and technique, and stabilize both the surface to be routed as well as the router. And practice on scrap!
Good templates are very important; take your time here. Errors on template transfer to body, and they are much harder to fix on the body. And, obviously, if you have a good template it can be used many times over.
Grain fill is harder than you might think. It Will show up to haunt your project if not done right. Even if it is done right and looks right, subsequent steps can strip out filler and leave open grain pores (I believe this is what happened in my case). It may take days or weeks to show up, but paint and lacquer will eventually sink into open pores.
Mixing dye is not as easy as it seems; actually mixing (oh, and dying your fingers) is easy, but getting the right color is trial and error. Fortunately, you can always sand it out and try again (seriously).
Hard woods are tough on blades and bits; do not alter angle of drill while in hard wood as the bit will snap easily. Drilling holes straight is not always easy to do by hand (without a drill press). Especially through wood 2" thick. And it is further complicated by hard wood, where a small change in angle can snap a drill bit with no warning. Um, then what? Oh, yes, it happened to me. Twice. In 5 minutes!! After a few creative ideas and some extra tools from my neighbor, one bit came out and pieces of the other. There is still a small (few mm) section of broken drill bit in one string hole of my finished guitar (shhhh, don't tell anybody).
As with most wood projects, measure 10 times to cut once. Two is good, Ten is a charm.
Use the right tools; it's always possible to do it the hard way but a band saw, jigsaw, belt sander and router are really beneficial on a woodworking project such as this. Not to mention the proper specialty bits and blades.
Know what wood you are using and the pros and cons of your choice beyond how you think it will sustain (or whatever; heavy or dense, hard or soft, pores or not, color and how it will take dye are important too.
Two flat, planed surfaces are extremely important for a solid, reliable bond using wood glue. I used the razor blade trick to slightly (very) concave the two surfaces to allow a thin layer of glue to remain and not all get squished out.
A flat, planed surface front and back is very important also, as any problem with level pieces or irregularity in the surface will show up eventually.
Avoid blemishes; they will haunt you. Whether a nick filled in with wood filler or a scuff or a low spot, you will see them again when it comes time to finish the guitar.
Careful router work; it can get away from you in a flash. Spinning at thousands of rpm and very sharp, a router bit will bite before you know it's happened. Follow proper cutting direction and technique, and stabilize both the surface to be routed as well as the router. And practice on scrap!
Good templates are very important; take your time here. Errors on template transfer to body, and they are much harder to fix on the body. And, obviously, if you have a good template it can be used many times over.
Grain fill is harder than you might think. It Will show up to haunt your project if not done right. Even if it is done right and looks right, subsequent steps can strip out filler and leave open grain pores (I believe this is what happened in my case). It may take days or weeks to show up, but paint and lacquer will eventually sink into open pores.
Mixing dye is not as easy as it seems; actually mixing (oh, and dying your fingers) is easy, but getting the right color is trial and error. Fortunately, you can always sand it out and try again (seriously).
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