Formica?!!?

[DaveT]

Over on tdpri.com there is a post about using formica.
What? I thought. What???
The Warmoth 'unfinished' body prices have me thinking I should buy one. The 'finished' prices are too expensive for me.
I don't buy 'unfinished' because I know my finishing skills are poor.
Buuuuttt. I am fairly certain I could manage to glue some formica to a nice unfinished Tele body.
I particularly like the idea of a granite formica pattern on a guitar.
Would it be easy to glue the formica edges on the side of the body or do I just use is on the front of the guitar?

 

[Steve_Karl]

I finished my first guitar body in the late 70's with a 2" paint brush and a quart can of bowling alley finish.
At that time the only thing I knew about sand paper was that it came in rough, medium and fine.

No clue or skills at all.

It turned out fine.

 

[fdesalvo]

You could use your guitar to serve pasta and other hot dishes.  I like the direction this is going.

 

[DaveT]

You could use your guitar to serve pasta and other hot dishes.  I like the direction this is going.

A multi-porpoise guitar is fine by me!
But seriously, perhaps the formica is strong enough to use as a pickguard?
Just shoving interesting ideas around.

The body I want is not available in the Screamin Deals or in-stock sections.
On a cheap body my poor finishing skills are fine.
On a really nice 'yes that is exactly what I want' body my poor finishing skills would be a bit sad. The wood would be fully lathered in varnish or whatever, it wouldn't be anywhere near as pretty as it deserved though.

 

[DangerousR6]

I love this formica...

 

[rgand]

I love this formica...

Rather than try to fit the Formica to a compound curve, just make the sides with no roundover and wrap that table edging around it. Then you'd have a 50's diner special.

 

[Fat Pete]

I love this formica...

Rather than try to fit the Formica to a compound curve, just make the sides with no roundover and wrap that table edging around it. Then you'd have a 50's diner special.

Now you're talking. If you're going to do formica, do formica.

I'd love to build a guitar inspired by the crazy atomic era stuff. I know what my 'drawing board' time is going to be spent doing for the next little while...

 

[mayfly]

I'm assuming you folks have seen these:

http://www.guitarfetish.com/BEST-VALUE-Guitarfetish-Necks-and-Bodies-at-WHOLESALE_c_518.html

 

[mayfly]

Gentlemen,

I have bowed to temptation.  I just bought one of those GF bodies. 

Will post pictures...

 

[rgand]

Gentlemen,

I have bowed to temptation.  I just bought one of those GF bodies. 

Will post pictures...

This will be interesting. Did you get one of the glitz models?

 

[mayfly]

This is a formica thread is it not? 

 

[rgand]

This is a formica thread is it not? 

:icon_thumright:

 

[rgand]

I love this formica...

Rather than try to fit the Formica to a compound curve, just make the sides with no roundover and wrap that table edging around it. Then you'd have a 50's diner special.

Now you're talking. If you're going to do formica, do formica.

I'd love to build a guitar inspired by the crazy atomic era stuff. I know what my 'drawing board' time is going to be spent doing for the next little while...

Feel free to share something you come up with.

 

[Fat Pete]

Gentlemen,

I have bowed to temptation.  I just bought one of those GF bodies. 

Will post pictures...

Excellent! I think you're in good company - didn't DMRACO have one of these?

 

[bbl4ck]

Gentlemen,

I have bowed to temptation.  I just bought one of those GF bodies. 

Will post pictures...

This will be interesting. Did you get one of the glitz models?

Yea, I would be interested to know which one you purchased as well...
I have wanted one of these ever since I first came across it.  I almost had a guy ready to attempt to make a similar custom body, but he had never done it before and I was not ready to pay for the several attempts it might take to get it right.  The swirled Comic Book body is the closest I have seen and for the price you can't hardly go wrong  :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

I could see a formica (or similiar) top easy. Doesn't need a pickguard, and could have a satin finish that would be very difficult to mar. Wouldn't even have to have some kitchen table pattern - they have the stuff in numerous solid colors. You could still have a slight roundover like a Tele's got; the stuff machines easily. Otherwise, that sharp edge might be more than a little uncomfortable.

I'd be cautious about using these "value" bodies from Gordon Food Service, though. Their XGP bodies meet Fender spec, but the other stuff doesn't. If you already have a Fender spec neck you wanna use, you may have fitting problems. Also, there may be trem fitting issues.

On the plus side, the XGP series bodies are only about $10 more than the generics. Unfortunately, if you wanna do formica on one of those, you'd have to do it yourself.

 

[DangerousR6]

I love this formica...

Rather than try to fit the Formica to a compound curve, just make the sides with no roundover and wrap that table edging around it. Then you'd have a 50's diner special.

Exactly what I had in mind...

 

[Cagey]

Is that yours? If so, do you know what it weighs? Looks like it weighs 1.2 tons  :laughing7:

 

[rgand]

I love this formica...

Rather than try to fit the Formica to a compound curve, just make the sides with no roundover and wrap that table edging around it. Then you'd have a 50's diner special.

Exactly what I had in mind...

Now THAT's cool. I was thinking that you could even take a heat gun and shape Formica over a forearm comfort cut.

 

[Cagey]

Now THAT's cool. I was thinking that you could even take a heat gun and shape Formica over a forearm comfort cut.

I don't know... I've worked with Formica and it's pretty brittle stuff. It chips, and if you try to bend it cold, it doesn't want to bend - it tends to crack/snap into pieces. I've never tried heating it up, but I've seen what hot pots do to it on countertops, and it ain't pretty.

On the other hand, I've also seen it where it wraps around an edge...

...so, obviously it's possible.