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59 LP Build
http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10123&t=33201		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  jeremy budgen [ Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:11 am ]
Post subject:  59 LP Build
Well i finally gotten around to starting a build this year.

Back in January i found a sapele board at my local wood supplier it measured 3070mm long 450mm wide and 52mm thick, that would yield at least 6 guitars. here it is cut in half for ease of working

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and here they are after thickness sanding

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I wiped them down with lacquer thinners to get a feel of the grain.

Then i put them in a room upstairs which has a ceiling that is at the same angle as the tiles outside so it would get a little warmth and away from sunlight to acclimatize to the area where i live for 6 and a half months and that is where i started at the beginning of this week.
Author:  Robbie_McD [ Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
Nice score on the sapele!
Coincidentally, I just picked up a similar piece - good for 5 bodies.
This stuff is wonderfully dense.
Are you going to chamber the '59?
I recently built an LP to '59 spec - ton-o-fun!
What are you using for a top?
Author:  jeremy budgen [ Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
Well last month i was at the same wood supplier getting some oak and maranti for a housing project that i needed to start, and i just happen to go through one of the garage doors that i would not normally use as the other woods are stored in a different place there, and would`nt you know there were two very small bundles of curly maple that had just arrived the day before they had yet to be passed by there inspectors, so i asked if i could go through the bundles as i could see that there were some really nice wide pieces in the middle, and as i use them regularly they helped me out, i found 4 boards that were very wide and one of them was wide enough and long enough to yield 4 solid tops with no center join, at the time i could`nt really afford the wood, but i know i wont get another chance like that so i bought them as well as the other wood i needed.

I got a little ticking off from the wife when i got home but what the hell.

That`s why i decided to continue and build something at last.

@ Robbie i will be putting in some routing to lighten them.
Author:  Robbie_McD [ Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
One-piece curly tops? Sweet!
Post a few pics of your progress.

Rob

http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b33/robmcdougall/Les%20Paul%20Build%201/
Author:  jeremy budgen [ Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
So what i did next was to cut off one of the sides of both boards enough to make the necks from, and then cut one of the remaining boards into three...

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Before i could do any more work on the three i made up my jigs..

First one for the outside shape plus a little on the outside so i could do a final trim all round once i had done everything else..

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Then i proceeded to make up the vacuum jig to go onto the machine...

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Note the indexing pins to locate the body on to the jig also in the outside profile jig..

Then i took the three blanks and did a rear routing 50% through the thickness, so that i could do the other side after band sawing the shape out.

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Then i cut out the final shape using the index holes as a guild to position the outside jig, clearly you can see the holes in the rear routing inside the control and switch cavities.

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and until next time....
Author:  Chris Pile [ Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
Looking good~!
Author:  Mike Dotson [ Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
Does the title mean '1959 Les Paul' or are you making 59 of 'em? :mrgreen:
Author:  alan stassforth [ Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
Looks like you know what you are doing!
Author:  jeremy budgen [ Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
@ mike

I wish i had that amount of wood then i could sell a few as well as make them for my kids 11,9 and 5.

Thanks Alan i hope so otherwise i`m so up the creak without a paddle
Author:  jeremy budgen [ Mon Aug 22, 2011 10:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
Well i got around at the weekend to some more machining, but first here are a few shots of my cnc

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As you can see from the last two photo`s what i did on Friday, all the routes were done in one file.

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And here is one of them off the machine.

Then on Friday afternoon i sanded and glued the one piece tops onto the bodies...

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Then on Saturday i did the re-curving on all three..

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I took about an hour to do each one..

Next weekend i will get to the pups and neck routes as well as the selector switch and tone and volume control holes, and as i only have one set of tune o matic bridge setup i will only drill and interpolate the holes for the bridge and tail piece studs in one of the three, then onto the neck afterwards....
Author:  jeremy budgen [ Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 59 LP Build
Well i finally had a hour this afternoon that was without work, so got to do the neck and pup routes and all the holes for the controls and switch.

Will take a picture tomorrow of the one that i have the bridge and tail piece for.

I am hoping to start on the necks tomorrow as well, let hope i get time...
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