Plan, Budget, Order... Build!... an Electric!

SvR65

Hey guys,

I've started the long and tedious process of building an electric guitar. Now as I'm planning I'm also realising that there are a whole bunch of things one need to consider.

For now most things are taken care off, but my main concern is this:

I've got some nice Kiaat lying in the garage. Now I'd really like to make a body (own design) out of it. But I'm a man of VERY limited tools! Haha. Can anyone offer me advice as to what tools are really necessary for the job (routing, cutting etc etc)...

Can anyone help me out in building the body perhaps?

Any help/ info much appreciated! ?

Ray

There's an oke out Delmas way who reckons he builds bodies hey. Someone started a lsit in contacts and he posted there.

SvR65

Cool, I'll try find out more about "the oke who reckons he builds bodies"... ?

Thanks!

Ray

This is his info:

Jeremy Budgen

jmb9@vodamail.co.za 084 509 3032 in Delmas

Brastep

Go for it!

Start with a good solid workbench and vise... sharp pencil and steel ruler.

For the body, I got by with a coping saw to cut the curves, but a access to a bandsaw will save time and muscles. Assorted files and rasps to finish off. A router is pretty essential for the neck pocket and pickup cavities, but i borrowed one. An elec sander is useful, but you can do a lot by hand if you have the patience.

The neck and peghead need a few more specialised tools. A good plane (and whetstone to keep the blade razor sharp), a fine handsaw to cut the fret slots, 1m steel straight-edge, drill press is useful but not essential... plus loads of clamps of all shapes and sizes.

Don't let the lack of powertools put you off... it takes longer, but is all the more rewarding.

Stretch

I'd say go for it!

I'm keen to build my own body sometime, my woodworking skills are lacking, but the determination will get me through ?

Gearhead

Brastep wrote: An elec sander is useful

For which job, if I may ask?

Brastep

Gearhead wrote:
Brastep wrote: An elec sander is useful
For which job, if I may ask?

Here's one job for an electric sander - If you build your body from two pieces glued together down the centreline, you may end up with the two halves not quite aligned, and maybe some glue mess... and the whole thing needs to be sanded nice and level. But as i said, its not essential, but it spares a bit of elbow grease.

Good luck

Gearhead

Sorry, must disagree here. Almost all electric sanding tools are going to be too hard to control, so you involuntarily create new dents as you work. Exception would be the thickness sander. The drum sander is also not easy to control, but almost indispensable for contouring.

Personally, I rout the center glue line with a straightedge - perfect results. The non-rout way of getting things square and straight I'd say is a shooting plane and sandpaper clamped on a long flat. You mark the wood with a square, a straightedge and a pencil and depending on the depth/height you sand or plane.