demonx

I tend to disagree with the random orbital leaves scratches comment. (I'm talking in wood at the moment, not paint) It's all about finding the right one and changing the grades of paper. The guitar I made that is currently on the front page of this forum for winning guitar of the month was sanded with a random orbital. I have 3 random orbitals. I only use one if them. The most expensive of the three is a makita and I just dont like it. Then I have two cheapo ozito's. One of them spins so fast it's basically a grinder, the other seems to have more control. I'll use this to carve with 40 grit, then 120, then when I'm ready to paint I'll use it on flat surfaces to 320 which gives me a scratch free finish similar to if I hand sanded to 600. I use it for sanding the neck also. I DO NOT use it for sanding paint. I only hand sand paint. Ie: different sanders will give different results. When it comes to paint, I use 600 on all primer and then on the clear I start around 1000 if it looks like crap, or if I've done a good job of the clear I'll start at 2000 then 3000 before a buff.

Agreed. Try what RAD said above and see how you go after that.

Is it pretty much the same internal design as a Kahler?

Fingers crossed. Thats a true prick of a thing to happen. I wonder if it would have still happened had the guitar been sealed with 2k? Still - that'd be truely shattering to walk out and see that.

Looks nice Paulie. Looks very nice! Having a hard time getting excited about the middle pickup and being a lefty, but overall it's a beauty. I also like the headstock timber contrast!

I tried your nail through the fret slot idea when I glued down a board the other day - worked a treat. Another trick added to my bag.

I'm glad this guitar is finished - I'm sure you are too. Looks great all up. You should be proud.

That'll truely "pop" once the 2k clear hits it. Great work!

Got an email today saying they'll send me a new one. I replied back asking if they had a half inch bit and I pay the difference.

The ash mixed with that fingerboard does look rather fancy! Nice grain on both accounts.

You're looking at it all backward... the "chatter" you're seeing is burn marks from where I ripped it really quickly with a bandsaw. There is no "chatter" from the router bit. The router bit was a non inverted bit, following the already routed area as a template, which was done as server passes using a flush trim bit. So I was only routing the thin 7-8mm approx area of maple you see sitting against the router table. The bearing on a non inverted bit is at the end of the router bit, hense its missing somewhere in my workshop and I cannot find it.

I went the way of the spiral it as they are meat to eliminate tearout all together. The angled bit you suggested is only meant to reduce it. I called the campnay that sells them and this is what I was advised.

Looking great!

After this discussion I went and bought a $69.00 + $10.00 post Solid Carbide Spiral flush trim bit thinking it was going to be the ducks nuts... I figured I'd test it out trimming a quilted maple cap back to a body. Nope. Lasted about thirty damn seconds. I hadn't even got half way round the body and it snapped, I nearly **** myself when it happened and I cannot even find where the hell it went to. I've emailed them about warranty, it better bloody have warranty after spending $80... But the problem is, I can't find it! The thing seems to have vaporised into thin air. My workshops not humungous, but its big enough for a little thing like this to fly into never te be seen again land, which it has.

Thanks Maiden. I posted pics of this guitar the night I finished it and I'm happy report I've already taken a deposit on it. So it's sold Payment Pending. Don't wanna count my chickens but the guy seems pretty keen.

HAS to be variable speed. HAS to be. I only have two buffers here and I don't recommend either of them as they are both makeshift for guitar purposes. I use an electric car buffer, the grinder style. Gets the job done but it's too big and awkward for cutaways etc I also have a random orbital air buffer here (its actually my brothers but lives here unused!) which I don't like. I much prefer the electric.

Nearly everything I've bought from ebay/china I end out regretting. It's simply not worth stooging a few dollars when it ends out reducing the quality of your end product. Just my 2c.

You might want to be a bit more specific as to what you're wanting... and how much you're prepared to spend!

Just finished wiring and setting up this beast today. In all honesty it's the smoothest/fastest neck I've ever made. Super low action, maybe a little too low, super thin neck, maybe a little too thin! But it plays so damn well that it is just awesome. I hate the gfx, there's elements of it I like, but as a whole it looks bloody terrible. In all fairness to myself I'm not an airbrush artist by any stretch of the word but I gave it a bash... If it doesn't sell after a while (I'm actually reducing the price due to the gfx, not adding to the price) I'll sand it back and repaint it solid black. The transparent cavity cover turned out to look great. It's dark enough that at a glance looks solid, but if you look at it you can see the wires and capacitor etc. Made me concious to solder neatly and position the wires in an orderly fashion!

@Boggs: the shape is fairly specific and it's not to everybody's taste. I wouldn't take it personally. Even my builds are out of the general populations tastes most of the time and dont get many votes, being that I usually built heavy metal guitars. But that's what I like. Thing is we have to build what we like or else we won't enjoy what we do. If we tried to please everyone it's a sure method to failure.

You're right, I just looked through a few of the last polls and there's generally around 70-80 votes cast, whereas this month is about 20-30 short of that. Maybe they just don't like our guitars!

It's possible the urethane is simply eating your decal. Do some tests to see if the test pieces react I use vinyl decals. You can either get someone with a plotter/cutter to make them or you can buy a cheap nod off eBay and make them yourself. I still don't have one so I rely on getting someone to do it for me - for now

Your question has already been answered above: refer quote below:

Did you prime the headstock with something or try to stick the dacal to the raw wood? I use decals but I never try sticking them to Raw wood. Even if its a transparent guitar, I clear them first, sand it all back then stick on the decal before clearing again. I'm not saying that you can't stick one to raw wood, I'm just suggesting that it may have been your problem. If you've screwed it up, simply sand it back and try again but a different way. You won't be the first person on this forum to have to sand back a guitar after a screw up. Be grateful it's only the headstock not the whole thing!

Thanks muzz. I only have enough of that sassafras for one or two more headstocks. Will be using it on a neckthru build I'm starting this week.