A EIR Dred in the D45 tradition

[Kevin in California]

Thanks guys,
Since last time I routed the tenon on the neck, installed the threaded bolt inserts and mounted the neck to the body for the first time. It fits real good and will not take much finessing. With the fretboard laying on the neck, I have 3/8" clearance at the saddle location...perfect!
I need to take a notch out of the top for the truss rod nut to extend, then I'll start to do some carving on the heel, profile the headstock and start playing around with my headstock inlay. My plan is to start inlaying a contrasting colored wood of a "brush script" style "S" and try and get away from the premade abalone and MOP circle with an "S" that I have been using. I like it, but they are now $25 a piece. Easy to install though, just cut a hole with a 1 1/16" forstner bit and glue it in....hmm, it is easy, perhaps I should just stick with it.....I think I will try and inlay a wood "S" and see if I can do it.
On this guitar I am also going to glue the fretboard onto the neck, tweak the truss rod a touch to create a very slight rise, sand it flat, fret it, and then relax the truss rod to give a little bit of relief. I've not done this before and I want to give it a try.
Okay, a few pic with the neck bolted on for the first time.

Kevin

[Dave Bagwill]

Very nice, instructive to watch this build.

[Dennis in Anola]

Kevin, you have some primo abalone on that guitar. I'm jealous.
Here's a picture of an abalone shell I have, which I picked up during a California vacation about 40 years ago. I also had an abalone meal is a seafood restaurant during that trip and it was delicious.

[Kevin in California]

You can imagine the work it takes to get strips of pufling from an abalone shell. Good thing the labor is in Asia, or we'd be paying $10 an inch for the stuff.

I Glued the fretboard to the neck today. Did it inside at the kitchen table as it is about 106 outside today, and at least 100 in my shop. I unclamped after about 3 hours dry time, and I have a back bow in my board. It was flat, and the neck surface was flat when I started. I am hoping it is moisture from the glue, and it will tame down a bit when it is fully cured and has sat a day or two. Never had this happen before. Is it common?
I can still re-sand the surface flat before getting to the fretting process later. First I'll carve the neck.

Kevin

[Kevin in California]

The fretboard looks better today, almost flat. I'll put some relief into it before fretting.

106 degrees outside today so no shop time today.

Kevin

[Kevin in California]

So after a couple of days at the lake cabin and a 10 degree cool down, I got back in the shop Saturday and got the neck carved. The heel looks a bit too clunky, so I'm going to shave it down a bit. It looked fine until I put in back on the guitar. I don't like the real skinny, narrow heels either so I won't take it down more than about 1/8." How do you guys think it looks?

I sharpened my chisels up to "scary sharp" and boy did they carve the mahogany. This was the easiest time I've have getting the heel down to basic shape. It took me all day, but hey, no problem, I had all day to do it!!

I tried using my bridge sanding jig with my 4" belt sander to thickness the back of the headstock, and that didn't go too well, but only because it was not set up to do the job, my bad. I should have taken the time to make a new jig, which I will for next time. So I'm alright thickness wise but I still have some clean up to do so the thickness is even, right now it is over by as much as .020" at the top end of the headstock. It is hard to get a plane on this surface to get it flat, one of my frustrations that a proper set up with my belt sander should rectify next time.

So this is where I am. I am working on putting a curly Koa "S" inlay for the headstock, which I think will be Madagascar Rosewood, same as the fretboard and bridge. If it doesn't turn out then I may just go back to the premade abalone inlay I've been using.

Kevin

[Tim Benware]

The heel is shaped nicely. Did you wick in some thin CA around your inserts in the tenon? I've never done that but seems like it might be a good idea.