Alder Warmoth Blank Project

[rapfohl09]

Hey everyone. I am just a few weeks from graduating from college, and as things wind down I decided I wanted a little project. Rather than bust out all my tools and templates and all that, I just had Warmoth do most of the work and got myself a routed body blank. The goal of this build is just to relax and have some fun doing some woodworking. As such, I will be doing nothing high stress, which to me is routing and all the finicky aligning of templates. I had Warmoth do all the hard stuff, I get to do the fun stuff.


Here is what we started with, a 2 piece alder blank.




Nothing happens without a good centerline, fortunately a 2-piece body makes this easy.


Here is the outline we are going for. It is the design from the plans by Martin Koch. A pretty cool little shape.


How I went about plotting the outline. I cut it down the centerline, then cut a little viewing space right were the neck pocket starts and lined it up.


After doing both sides you get a little something like this, sorry the picture is screwy, the pencil was pretty light as it is really just a guide.


I go over it again and make any adjustments I want. In reality, when I sand the outline to shape will be when I actually finalize the shape, this is more of a guide.


Probably the first thing I should have checked, but I also threw the outline on the back to make sure the control cavity was going to fit. I was also surprised to see that the screw holes for the cavity cover were drilled already. Is this something new Warmoth does? My old bodies never had them drilled.

Updates when I get this guy cut out.

 

[Cagey]

Interesting project, and a great body shape. I really wanted to do something like that before Warmoth stopped making the Bodies That Must Not Be Named.

I'm also curious about those cover mounting holes. I just snapped a drill bit off yesterday making those bloody things. My fault, of course, but it would be nice if they started covering that bit of business for us.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I think they're doing more and more drilling for the customer.  I've had 2 rear routes, and they've never been predrilled.  The four bass bodies I've ordered, the 2 older ones had no pickup mounting holes drilled, but the latest 2 have.

Cool project.

 

[DangerousR6]

Very cool, I really like the shape...I'd like to try my hand at a body blank and my own design some day when my honey dew list has dwindled.. :icon_biggrin:

 

[rapfohl09]

Ok I forged ahead with some progress...

For the past couple days everyime I walked by it or saw it I changed a few things here and there.


This is what I ended with. It is very much inspired by the Schecter tempest. I think it looks preeeeettty darn cool. Those are carve lines, I have never really done any carving before so it should be fun.


I finally got into the woodshop, and took it over to the bandsaw. I went back after this picture and took a little more off too, I was lazy the first time.


Most of the perimeter is do-able on a big belt sander, this is the easiest part.


Then I take it over to the spindle sander to get inside and around the cutaways, as well as the neck pocket area roughly. This is the medium part.

I didn't get any good pictures of it, but then you have to keep chugging away at the neck pocket area. I haven't done this before without just routing the shape, so getting this to match up with a pre-cut neck pocket, and still have it look good, is very much the hardest part of this  :laughing7:.

Even when you rout the perimeter, you often get these chatter marks...

My next few hours in the shop will be sanding the hell out of the edges to make sure they are nice and smooth. I have cut this corner once before, and it looks like hell when you try to finish over it. It takes a long time, but its seriously such a huge difference. Smooth edges also mean smooth roundovers.

Until next time :icon_thumright:

 

[Nando Vallart]

Very cool!

 

[bagman67]

Do you have access to a spindle sander?  I hear that makes short work of those saw marks on the side of the body.

 

[DangerousR6]

If not, these in a drill work wonders. Mandrel type drum sanders...

 

[Cederick]

I think they're doing more and more drilling for the customer.  I've had 2 rear routes, and they've never been predrilled.  The four bass bodies I've ordered, the 2 older ones had no pickup mounting holes drilled, but the latest 2 have.

Cool project.

Yeah that wouldn't be a bad idea... I drilled my Soloist properly for everything except when it came to the trem cavity cover, I really screwed up and I could only fit two screws  :toothy12: hahaha. But it's not a big deal really  :glasses9:



On topic!!! Great body shape and look much forward to the bevels  :headbang:

 

[greywolf]

Nice Work  , are you going to cap the top with something exotic? 

 

[CrazyGrain]

Then I take it over to the spindle sander...

Do you have access to a spindle sander?  I hear that makes short work of those saw marks on the side of the body.

Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine when people post and don't read the thread. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you just missed it.  :toothy11:

 

[Updown]

:blob7:

... Oh f(bleep)ing yes !!  :icon_thumright:

 

[rapfohl09]

Do you have access to a spindle sander?  I hear that makes short work of those saw marks on the side of the body.

I got all of those chatter marks from using a spindle sander. I can't ever seem to make it as smooth as I have seen some other people, but its whatever.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone, more updates soon!

 

[rapfohl09]

I have been sanding my life away for the past couple of days. It is at the point where I think it is good, so I will keep going for a little while longer then move up through the grades. My red strat was up for a string change, so I pulled the neck off and set it onto this guy.


I don't really think the strat headstock is the right look, but damn that wenge/wenge looks good on there.


I really did this so I could get a better look at what I need to do to finish shaping the heel. Only a little bit more and its all set.


Just a little glamour shot. I am excited about this one.

 

[Cagey]

I have been sanding my life away for the past couple of days.

I don't really think the strat headstock is the right look, but damn that wenge/wenge looks good on there.

I hate sanding. I get too impatient, and then get drawn into mistakes due to haste.

I agree the Strat headstock isn't right, but the Wenge looks good.

I'm interested in seeing how the chamfering/relief cuts turn out.

 

[Nando Vallart]