1. HAND POLISH
HAVING NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE I BEGIN WITH SOME RUBBING COMPOUND AND CLOTH AND START WIPING ON AND WIPING OFF.....IT WORKED OK, BUT NOT THE FINISH I WAS LOOKING FOR.........
2. THE BIG GUNS..........(OR A BUFFING WHEEL)
AFTER A FUN FILLED TRIP TO HARBOUR FREIGHT, I PUT ON A NEW BUFFING PAD AND GET A TUBE OF THIS SPECIAL WHITE POLISHING STICK THING........
3. THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH THIS MACHINE
NOW THATS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT...........SWEET!!!!!!!
4. HOOOORAY!!!!!!!!!!
I DIDNT GET A LOT OF USEFUL PICS HERE...THIS PROCESS IS KIND OF MESSY, BUT I AM SUPER EXCITED HOW ITS TURNING OUT....
5. LIQUID FORCE IN A JAR
NO REALLY THIS STUFF IS AWESOME
I UNDERSTAND THE ABOVE PICTURE TO THE RIGHT IS A BIT TACKY....BUT I WANTED TO SHOW JUST HOW SHINY THIS THING IS GETTING......
6. I CANT GET ENOUGH
I'M HAVING A LOT OF FUN WITH THIS.....AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL. ON THE LEFT YOU HAVE MY UGLY MUG AGAIN.....THE SECOND PIC IS TO SHOW HOW IT ALMOST CAMOFLAGES INTO THE CARPET......COOL!!
7. A QUICK LOOK INTO WHAT IS TO COME........
MANY MOONS PASS.....
8. BACK TO WORK ON THE NECK...(FRETTING)
HOME MADE FRET WIRE BENDER...A LITTLE MORE INFO ON IT IF INTERESTED...
9.
FIRST THING I DO IS CUT THE FRET CLOSE TO ITS FINAL LENGTH.....THEN DEEPEN THE SLOT SO THE WIRE SITS DOWN NICE AND CLOSE......
10.
SINCE THE POLISHED UP ALUMINUM IS SO SLICK AND SHINY....I HAVE TO ROUGH IT UP A LITTLE SO THE GLUE HAS SOMETHING TO HOLD ON TO.....THEN I TRY AND TAKE A PICTURE OF PUTTING THE GLUE IN THE SLOT.......
11.
THEN I CLAMP IT DOWN....WAIT A BIT.....HAMMER DOWN THE OUTSIDE.....UN-CLAMP... RE-CLAMP FACING THE OTHER WAY AND HAMMER IT DOWN AS WELL. THIS IS NORMALLY DONE INTO WOOD, (THE FRET WIRE HAS LITTLE TANGS THAT BITE INTO THE WOOD)....SO I HOPE IT WORKS.....
12.
AFTER GETTING ABOUT 3 IN I CAN START THE CLEAN UP PROCESS WHILE CLAMPING AND WAITING FOR GLUE TO DRY....
13.
MAKING GOOD PROGRESS....NOT IN A BIG HURRY....HOPING THE GLUE IS GETTING A GOOD BIND TO THE ALUMINUM.....
14. ALL FRETS GLUED IN....
GOT ALL THE FRETS GLUED IN....NOW I HAVE TO SMOOTH THEM UP TO THE REST OF THE NECK....
15.
GOT THAT CLOSE....SOME FINE SANDING IS IN ORDER BUT GETTING CLOSER
YOU CAN SEE I WAS NOT WORRIED ABOUT CONSERVING GLUE IN THIS APPLICATION PROCESS....THIS WILL SERVE AS SOMEWHAT OF A PROBLEM IN THAT I DON'T LIKE HOW IT LOOKS AND I WANT THE EXCESS REMOVED!!!!
16.
SO I START WITH SOME ACETONE....AND SWAB IT ON WITH A Q-TIP THINKING IT WILL MAGICALLY DISSOLVE AND DISAPPEAR AT THE SAME TIME......
THEN I SCRAPE A LITTLE MORE OF WITH A BLADE AND SOME FINE SAND PAPER....
17.
THEN FINISH IT OFF WITH SOME STEEL WOOL.....READY TO GO TRY TO GET THAT SHINE BACK!!!
18.
LOOKING PROMISING....SWEET...(BTW, THATS NOT A FAT CIGAR IN THE FIRST PIC...ITS THAT MAGIC WHITE POLISH STICK THINGY!!)
19.
SOME BUFFING IN ACTION
20.
AND IT TURNED OUT......MEH.......NEEDS SOME MORE GLUE REMOVAL. I'LL HAVE TO RETHINK MY PROCESS AND SPEND SOME GOOD QUALITY TIME WITH THIS THING.
(PS...THAT NOT A BAD FRET JOB IN THE FIRST PIC...ITS JUST MY HAND MAKING IT LOOK WAVY...COOL!)
(PS...THAT NOT A BAD FRET JOB IN THE FIRST PIC...ITS JUST MY HAND MAKING IT LOOK WAVY...COOL!)
21.
THE TOP, (WHERE I STARTED) DID NOT LOOK NEARLY THIS BAD, (WHERE I ENDED AND WAS TIRED OF SCRAPING GLUE)....THIS IS AFTER THE BUFFING AND IS UNACCEPTABLE!
22.
HERE IS SOME OF THE QUALITY TIME....SCRAPING, WET SANDING, SINGING, DANCING....WHATEVER I CAN DO TO TRY TO GET THE GLUE OFF. ITS TEDIOUS...AND I MIGHT HAVE TO GIVE IN A LITTLE BIT....BUT I'LL KEEP AT IT FOR A COUPLE MORE DAYS!
23.
OK...SPENT A COUPLE DAYS SANDING AND SMOOTHING.....LETS SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT
24.
THATS BETTER.....I THINK I CAN LIVE WITH IT NOW!!!!
25. TUNING MACHINES
READY TO PUT THESE THINGS ON.....HERE IS THE TEST FIT AND SET UP
26.
I NEEDED TO PUT A LITTLE SPACER ON THE BACK....THE HEAD STOCK IS A LITTLE THIN. I FOUND THESE BLACK WASHERS THAT WERE CLOSE IN SIZE, JUST NEEDED A LITTLE WIDENING AND THEY FIT PRETTY GOOD...
27.
LINING UP GOOD, NEED TO GET A DRILL BIT FOR THE TINY HOLES TO SCREW THESE THINGS IN.....COMING SOON
28.
THE BACK HAD GOTTEN A LITTLE SCRATCHY...SO I GAVE IT A GOOD CLEAN UP....
29.
NOW I LINE THEM UP AS CLOSE TO THE SAME AS I CAN...
30.
ONCE I HAVE THEM IN PLACE I PENCIL IN WHERE I WILL NEED TO DRILL. THEN I DO MY CENTER PUNCH WITH A SMALLER SIZED DRILL BIT....
31.
32.
33.
NEXT I THREAD EACH HOLE WITH THE CORRECT SIZED TAP....
34.
THEN I TRY TO DECIDE HOW LONG THE SCREWS NEED TO BE
35.
MY SOLUTION FOR THIS WAS TO DRILL A HOLE IN SOME SCRAP WOOD, STICK THE LENGTH OUT THAT I DIDN'T NEED, THEN USE MY NEW TOOL (JEWELERS SAW) AND CUT IT OFF. IT WORKED VERY NICELY!!!
36.
HAD TO SNEAK THAT LAST PIC IN OF THE NECK SHINE...YOU CAN SEE ME PEEK-A-BOOING AROUND THE PHONE CHECKING IT OUT!!!!
37.
GOT ANOTHER NEW TOY (FISH WEIGHING SCALE) AND GOT THE WONDERFUL IDEA TO WEIGH THIS THING TO SEE WHAT IT WAS. I WAS EXPECTING IT TO READ ABOUT 25 POUNDS, (NOT REALLY BUT THATS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE). 3.55 LBS. IT SEEMS WAAAAY HEAVIER THAN THAT...SO I WASNT SURE IF I WAS DOING THIS CORRECTLY. I GOT A REGULAR GUITAR NECK OUT AND WEIGHED IT...1.34 LBS. SO MINE IS JUST ABOUT 3 TIMES AS HEAVY AS A NORMAL NECK. WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID....IT HEAVY!!!