SO HERE WE GO...GOT A 1x2.5x27INCH PIECE OF ALUMINUM FLAT BAR. ITS PRETTY HEAVY...HOPE IT WHITTLES DOWN OK.
2. NECK...(LAYOUT DESIGN)
I TAPE UP A PRINT OUT OF THE NECK DESIGN I WANT, CUT IT OUT AND ROUGHLY TRACE IT ONTO THE ALUMINUM. THIS DESIGN IS CALLED A "SNAKEHEAD"
3. NECK...(FIRST CUT)
4. neck...(GENERAL OUTLINE CUT OUT)
NOT TOO BAD....PRETTY ROUGH
5. NECK....(THINNING DOWN THE HEAD-STOCK)
AS WITH MOST OF THE WAYS I DO THINGS, THERES PROBABLY A BETTER WAY...BUT HERES HOW I DID IT
6. NECK...(SMOOTHING HEAD-STOCK)
TRY TO EVEN IT OUT A LITTLE BIT
GOOD ENOUGH FOR NOW
7. NECK...(SMOOTHING THE TRANSITION)
WORKED PRETTY GOOD...IM HAPPY WITH IT
8. NECK....(SHAPING THE BACK)
9. neck... (shaping the back)
A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN...
10. neck....(shaping the back)
CLOSE ENOUGH FOR NOW...READY TO TRY SOMETHING NEW...
11. neck....(ready for the tuner holes)
I PUT THE TEMPLATE BACK ON AND MARK OUT WHERE THE HOLES SHOULD GO
12. NECK....(FIRST A HAIR CUT)
I'VE NEVER EVEN SEEN A REAL SNAKEHEAD GUITAR BEFORE, AND ITS NOT MY FAVORITE LOOK BUT I NEED IT FOR DESIGN PURPOSES...THERE SEEMED TO BE ENOUGH ON TOP THAT I COULD SHRINK IT DOWN A BIT. HOPE THAT DOESN'T COME BACK TO BITE ME!
13. NECK...(TUNER HOLES)
THIS IS MY HIGH DOLLAR, STATE OF THE ART, HOLE-LINER-UPPER-MAKER...WHAT COULD GO WRONG! I CAN ONLY LINE UP ONE SIDE AT A TIME HOWEVER...
14. NECK....(DRILLING TUNER HOLES)
AFTER A COUPLE DROPS OF OIL THE ALUMINUM DRILLS LIKE BUTTA....
15. NECK....(DRILLING TUNER HOLES)
NOT TO BAD...ITS DEFINITELY NOT 100% PERFECT BUT I THINK IT WILL WORK
16. NECK....(TUNER HOLES)
HERE IT IS CLEANED UP A LITTLE BIT...
17. NECK....(TUNERS)
HERE IS A TEST FIT OF THE TUNING MACHINES...JUST AN IDEA. LOOKS PRETTY SWEET!
18. NECK....(MARKING THE FRETS)
OK, READY TO MARK WHERE THE FRETS WILL GO. I TAPE THE TEMPLATE BACK ON PRECISELY WHERE I NEED IT TO GO
19. NECK....(MARKING THE FRETS)
WITH THE TEMPLATE ON I MARKED BOTH SIDES WHERE THE FRET WILL GO. THEN I TOOK A RULER AND CONNECTED THE LINES ACROSS
20. NECK....(MAKING THE FRET SLOTS)
THEN TAKE THE HACKSAW AND TRY TO CUT IN A STRAIGHT LINE
NOT TOO BAD...IF I GO SLOW THEY TURN OUT PRETTY STRAIGHT!
21. NECK....(FRET SLOTS CUT)
GOT THEM ALL DONE...SOME ARE A LITTLE SCRATCHED UP BUT I PLAN TO SMOOTH THAT UP IN THE NEXT STEP. PLUS I THINK SOME WILL NEED TO BE CUT A LITTLE DEEPER...
22. NECK....(RADIUS THE FRET BOARD)
THE IDEA IS THAT THIS SMALL ARC BE PUT ONTO THE FINGER BOARD. I'LL USE SOME SPRAY ADHESIVE AND 220 GRIT SANDPAPER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS...
23. NECK....(RADIUS THE FRET BOARD)
YOU CAN SEE IT START TO TAKE AWAY AND ROUND/ SMOOTH UP THE SIDES...
24. NECK....(FRET BOARD RADIUS)
MORE PICS....COMES OFF VERY SLOW...PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE USED A MORE AGGRESSIVE GRIT OF SANDPAPER TO BEGIN WITH...BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE THE SIDES CLEANING UP NICELY!
25. NECK....(FRET BOARD RADIUS)
SO I WENT AHEAD AND SWITCHED TO A 100 GRIT SANDPAPER....STILL TAKING A LONG TIME BUT GETTING CLOSER....YOU CAN SEE THE OUTER EDGES ARE MORE SMOOTH AND STARTING TO ROUND OVER....
26. HEEL END
THIS IS THE PART THAT WILL SIT ON TOP OF THE GUITAR AND GIVE IT A NICE SNUG FIT
27.
SQUARING AND CLEANING IT UP A LITTLE BIT....
28. FRET DOTS...(MARKING)
OK, READY FOR THE FRET DOTS, PRETTY EXCITED FOR THIS STEP IN THAT I HAVE BEEN SANDING THIS THING FOR A LOOOOOOOOONG TIME...READY TO MOVE ON!
29. FRET DOTS....(DRILLING HOLES)
DO OR DIE TIME....CANT REALLY START OVER IF I MAKE A BIG MISTAKE...FINGERS CROSSED
SO FAR PRETTY GOOD....
DONE...THE LAST ONE IS A LITTLE OFF BUT OVERALL I'M PRETTY PLEASED!
30. FRET DOTS....(DONE DRILLING)
31. FRET DOTS....(MATERIAL)
I TRIED TO HACK UP A CLOTHES HANGER FOR THE BLACK DOTS....BUT ANY I HAVE TRIED HAVE A LITTLE CANAL INSIDE OF THEM....SO I ORDERED A BLACK PLASTIC ROD ONLINE
I CUT A FEW PIECES....DAB A LITTLE GLUE ON THEM AND IN THE HOLE....THEN GIVE THEM A LITTLE TAP WITH A HAMMER FOR GOOD MEASURE.....
ALL IN AND CUT OFF PRETTY CLOSE TO THE FRETBOARD.....SWEET
32. FRET DOTS....(BACK TO SANDING)
WITH 120 GRIT SANDPAPER ON I WILL CONTINUE SANDING UNTIL ITS ALL SMOOTH...
33. SANDING.......(AND MORE SANDING)
HERE IS THE NECK WITH EVERYTHING SANDED TO 400 GRIT....LOOKING PRETTY GOOD!
34. HEADSTOCK BEVEL
I WANTED TO TRY TO MAKE THE HEAD LOOK A LITTLE BETTER..HERES THE WORKSTATION
TURNED OUT OK....I'M HAPPY WITH IT
35. NUT SLOT
DIDNT REALLY MEASURE OR PLAN THIS OUT REAL WELL........
SO HERE ARE THE INITIAL MARKINGS WITH THE HACKSAW....BUT I USE A FILE TO REMOVE THE MATERIAL......
36. NUT SLOT
LITTLE DID I THINK THAT THE FILE WOULD WIDEN THE SLOT.....HINDSIGHT!
SO MY NUT SLOT IS A LITTLE WIDE....NO BIG DEAL...I'M HAPPY WITH IT
37. FINISH SANDING....(800 GRIT)
BEEN SANDING ON THIS THING FOR A LOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME. EVERYTHING I READ TELLS ME THE FINISH WILL ALL DEPEND ON THE PREP WORK.........
38. FINISHED SANDING....
LOOKS GOOD TO ME....I'M READY TO TRY SOMETHING NEW!