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Permalink Reply by RUSTY SKILLET on June 28, 2016 at 5:14pm

Hope no one minds me up loading my project as I go.  I managed a few more build sequences this evening. I cut and shaped the fret board out of a piece of Oak, belt sanded the headstock to the right thickness, sanded all of the neck and fret b. with 220 grit.  Also, playing with my headstock logo design (more modifications needed in this area but I think I am close.)

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• 20160628_203051_resized.jpg, 1.8 MB
• 20160628_203115_resized.jpg, 1.9 MB
• 20160628_225157_resized.jpg, 2.1 MB

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on June 29, 2016 at 3:13am

Nice work, Skillet.

I really like the neck work.

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Permalink Reply by JL on June 29, 2016 at 3:21am

looks great, and the pics will make it easier to understand any questions you post

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Permalink Reply by Blues Frog on June 29, 2016 at 2:52pm

Nice looking neck. Gonna be a fine Git!

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Permalink Reply by RUSTY SKILLET on July 5, 2016 at 4:04pm

Build got a little delayed by 4th of July celebration and visiting with Family and friends. Back at it now and managed to get my frets installed. After doing this for the first time I learned a few good lessons. I added a slight taper so the neck is little wider at the body of guitar and little more narrow at the nut. I should have cut the taper in the fret board after the fret grooves were cut. This made it a really painfully slow process to keep lined up during cutting. Also, I will cut my fret wire more tight next time to avoid excess grinding. Few more pics of the progress.

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• image.jpg, 1.9 MB

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Permalink Reply by RUSTY SKILLET on July 5, 2016 at 4:07pm

Another shot of the fret board

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• image.jpg, 2.7 MB

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Permalink Reply by RUSTY SKILLET on July 11, 2016 at 6:22am

Wanting to stain the fret board and curious if I should try to cover the fret wire?  I have never tried staining around metal not sure the effects!

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Permalink Reply by RUSTY SKILLET on July 12, 2016 at 4:30pm

Thanks Wayfinder!! Staining the fret board worked perfectly.  I finished up the humbucker plate and test fitted all my pickup components. Getting closer, here are a few pics of the pickup install.

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• 20160712_231837_resized.jpg, 2.5 MB
• 20160712_232244.jpg, 4.8 MB

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Permalink Reply by Blues Frog on July 13, 2016 at 10:57pm

lookin really good. 

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Permalink Reply by RUSTY SKILLET on July 15, 2016 at 2:48am

Thanks for the complements!   

What is the best product for finishing out the neck - varnish, polyurethane, lacquer or shellac?  

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Permalink Reply by Blues Frog on July 15, 2016 at 10:13am

I don't think I've finished a neck in the same manner twice, so I can't really say. I'm trying to answer that same question on my latest build..

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Permalink Reply by Tom T on July 15, 2016 at 10:47am

Tough question. In many respects, it doesn't matter. All of the modern finishes are good products that work well.

That being said, I think shellac is seriously underrated and generally ignored. I use it regularly and just love the stuff. Here are some things I like about shellac:

1. It cures in minutes (I mean minutes). You can apply additional coats within about 5~10 minutes.

2. No Runs! The best way to apply shellac is with a "rubbing pad". That is a cotton ball wrapped in a piece of cotton cloth. An old tee shirt and rubber bands handle this. You then dampen the rubber with alcohol then put some shellac on it. Rub it into the wood until it is smoothed out, then apply some more. If the rubber begins to stick, just rub a tiny amount of olive oil on it and you're back in business.

3. You can keep rubbing shellac into the wood until you are satisfied with the finish. You can achieve a velvety smooth finish in a very short time.

4. If you need to take a break, just wrap the rubber in a baggie to keep air out and you can reuse it.

Because of the ease of application and the quality of finish, I'm quickly drifting away from other finishes.

You can get the original "orange" shellac or "clear" at the local HD, so it's not hard to come by. A quart will last you about 100 years if used only for guitars.

There are plenty of good How-to web sites for shellac and French polish. Picking up the needed skills take very little time.

Give it a try.

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