WCS Woodworking

Website update.

2009-07-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, just thought I let you know I have updated my website. All my links and pics of past and present guitars are in one convenient spot. Got a little sale running until the 30th of July. All new guitars are just $999 shipped, with case.

GuitarVideoReviews.com: WCS Custom Guitar

2009-06-28T07:39:00.001-07:00

Moving up in the world.

2009-05-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

I am very proud and happy to announce that WCS Guitars are now available, exclusively, through BirdlandMusic.net. Yes, folks, I took a chance and sent a guitar to the owner of BirdlandMusic, a fellow by the name of William Trotman. I sent him the flame maple Gates of Hell, and to put it mildly, he was very impressed.

The following are in Bill's own words:

Regarding the strip built laminate construction/sustain:

"Yes, you are on to something.....Minirak guitars...has that concept, however, I do not believe they ring anything close to yours...nor does a thin line tele...it is the first thing you notice about the guitar plugged into a tube amp...it makes me want to play some Stevie Ray blues...and really make the thing sing..!!!!!"

Regarding the action and set-up:

"frets are perfect....Action was fine for me out of the case....some players get really fussy with closer and closer action...which this guitar could handle .....[string]spacing is great....radius of fingerboard ....and feel makes you just want to play....this guitar just puts me in the comfort zone and groove after the first note."

Regarding plans to take it into the studio with his band:

"I will be interested to hear Dave(rock guitarist) play it as well....on bass, when I am singing it gives me a nice position in the band to hear all the parts and feel the guitar and its....ability....Actually, my guess is that it will out perform his Stratocaster and Dean..."

There you have it, folks. From a fellow who has been selling some of the finest guitars available for years and years. But, that's not all. WCS Guitars are now front page/top billing on BirdlandMusic.net. Really couldn't ask for anything more than that. Hope you'll swing by and check it out.

To read a review of my first sold guitar, check out Harmony Central for a full rundown on my first Eat Your Heart Out. The new owner of this guitar has been kind enough to demo it for us also: check out this vid.

The new guitars are finished!

2009-05-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

TAH DAH! The new guitars are done. For more pictures you can check out my new Fan Page on Facebook. Sign up as a fan to enter my raffle for a free WCS Stash Box.

First, we have Eat Your Heart Out, 2. The flame maple gets a nice vintage look from the amber shellac. Once again, Manlius Guitar has come through with the awesome Fat Diane pickups. Rainy Day Daisies gets it's name from the spalted beech top. Assembled thus, it always reminds me of rain running down a window pane. The Chicago Blues pickups are just what I hoped for.

The Gates Of Hell, need I say more? Amber shellac, once again gives a vintage look and the Goat's Growl p-90's take you from a country twang to a grinding metal shred.

This one is my favorite. The flame maple Gates of Hell. Goat's Growl p-90's and a nice thick neck make this baby a rock and roller's dream come true.

Finishing up the little stuff.

2009-04-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

So at this point the guitars are almost done. Lots of little tasks to take care of to get them set up.

The wiring on these four is very straight forward. I have been amazed at how the sets of pickups, bridge/neck, from ManliusGuitar have such distinctive sounds between them. Getting that neck pickup up nice and high on the body, thus the 21 frets, and the bridge one set back further increases the tonal differences between the two even more. So, for these I decided to keep it simple with just a volume and tone circuit each, with a 3 way selector switch.

Pickup cavities are lined with copper, each piece has a grounding wire. The bridge pickup shield grounding wire extends into the bridge bushing hole to ground the bridge. It is trapped by the bushing upon insertion.

I complete the wiring on a scrap of veneer with holes to match the pickguard.Pickguards get laminated on the underside with copper sheeting and the controls are transfered to it.
Pickup mounting rings get finished with height adjustment screws and springs.All the holes for the rings and pickguards are drilled very carefully with a flagged bit.Screws are dragged across a wax candle prior to driving into hardwood.Salvaged leather, from an old purse, pads the strap buttons.I turn the knobs on a midi lathe leaving a little tenon on each one.Marquetry discs are inlaid and cut to size. Note the blocks for glue up.The holes allow room for the tenon while laminating the caps in place.The tenon is then chucked in the drill press to finish sand the cap flush.I leave the tenon on for polishing as it makes a convenient handle.When they are all done it's safe to remove the tenon and drill the hole for the pot shaft.I make the nuts out of cow bone. I let Heidi's dog, Bea, clean up the bones then allow them to air dry for, well, years. When I first started building these I got a handful of leg bones and they just last forever. The dozuki makes a nice clean cut in bone and I saw the rough blanks by hand.
The blanks are cleaned up and start to take shape on the belt sander.The various grits are sprayed and stuck to a sheet of glass. This give a great polishing surface for finely shaping the nut. It must be a firm press fit in the slot.I leave the top quite high for set up, marking off the 1st fret with a half pencil ala Cumpiano.

The files for resharpening the dozuki are very fine and narrow. I use them to scratch very fine grooves for the string locations. Then I string up, check the string spacing and work the grooves down in a bit. At this point I still have enough room to make substantial lateral adjustments.
Using the 2/0 blade that I prefer for marquetry, I saw straight down for each notch.

The kerf alone is wide enough for the high E string. Various implements are used to widen and polish the notches. Feeler guages are used with sandpaper and for the bottom largest strings I use a specially shaped piece of veneer wrapped with sandpaper to get just the right sized slot.

Once it checks out with just a bit of "nut action"......the excess top material is filed off at a level that lets the base side strings sit down in about half way.

All that's left is to make notches in the saddles,

And polish them out nice and smooth.

Fretting over polish and polishing the frets

2009-04-03T14:59:00.001-07:00

Once the bodies, necks and other parts are finish sanded it is time to polish everything with shellac. I am hesitant to call my finish a French Polish, mostly because the technique did not truely arise in France (shellac is from the Far East), but also because I don't use pumice. But, here's the process I have come up with to get a nice shiny surface without the use of sprays or volatiles. Shellac, being the excretions of a beetle disolved in grain alcohol, is an organic, non-toxic and renewable resource. Applied thus it is the thinest possible finish and, if you believe the nuts, a tonaly superior finish.

A small piece of old wool sweater is dunked in the cut. I can't give you exact proportions, but the canned shellac is cut about 1-1 with alcohol to start. Along the way I add more alcohol for a thinner mix as the polish builds.

The rag is squeezed between two pieces of veneer to remove as much of the cut as possible.

The rag is then wrapped with soft cotton cloth.

This forms the rubber or tampon with which the shellac cut is applied to the wood. The object of this operation is to obtain a rubber that is almost dry. In this way only the tiniest amount of shellac is applied with each pass.
The process of polishing takes many, many hours, over several days. The shellac dries quickly, though, so by the time you make a pass over every thing, the first pieces are dry and you start all over. Rubbing, and rubbing and rubbing.

In between 'sessions' when the shellac has had a chance to cure, 1000 grit paper is used to buff out the surface. I think this is where the pumice came in for the original formula. I used to use 600; going to 1000 is new on these guitars. The upgrade is quite noticable in the finished gloss.At a point in the process things just start to shine. Towards the end you lubricate the rubber with a bit of linseed oil to keep it from sticking. There are several points at which you may stop. Satin sheen or soft gloss. These I took out all the way, high gloss. Probably the shiniest I've achieved to date, partly for the finer grit, but you get a little better every time you polish, a little stronger too.

I shellac the necks and oil the fingerboards prior to installing the frets. This provides the necks some protection against scrapes and dings during the rather violent fretting procedure. I reapply oil several times during fret up and polishing. The oil acts as a cleaner, removing debris and each application improves the finish. I use a three part oil, the same as for my furniture. It consists of one part each linseed oil, turpentine and fast drying polyurethane. It penetrates, rubs out nicely and drys in 24 hours.

The first task in fretting up is to clean out the sawdust, oil and dried glue in the fret slots. This is painstaking work, akin to a dental hygenist's trade, no doubt. I use the sharp edge of a flimsy metal rule and a straw to blow out the debris.

The frets are then cut to size and the nippers are used to undercut the ends to seat over the bindings.A flat file is used to clean up the undercut while holding the fret upside down in a block grooved to fit the crown. You need a really strong grip for this and even my fingers get sore after the 2nd or third neck.Using a shaped caul with a groove for the tang, I hammer the fret to shape.The objective is a curvature that is a bit sharper than the fingerboard radius as this will aid in keeping the ends down. Some folks advocate bending the whole piece of fret wire to radius before cutting. It is easier to file the ends if the wire is still straight at that point, however, and there is something to be said for hammering the frets into shape. By pounding on them they give up a bit of their "spring." Thus when they are pressed into place they have less energy to pop up at the ends. At least it feels this way to me.The saw I fashioned to cut the fret slots produces a slot that is very tight. The frets will stay put without glue, but they are much easier to drive when a bit of white glue is used. It acts as a lubricant for one, and there is some talk of a better tonal connection from string to neck when the slot is well sealed with the glue. The ends are hammered down first and with small gentle blows the fret is driven into the slot. Once driven far enough to cause glue squeeze out the excess is removed with a damp rag.If you wait just a minute for the glue to take effect, the fret can then be fully seated with the use of this specially shaped caul. That and a huge amount of brute force. By pressing in the final bit and not using the hammer, I ensure against any over driven frets.The ends are trimmed flush with the nippers, and the fret is carefully inspected all around under bright lights, repressing if needed to get a perfect seat. The ends are given a few taps to just slightly bend that overhanging piece down into the binding.Dressing the fret ends requires a great deal of patience. Each fret is masked with tape and a flat file is used to start the bevel.I've ground one edge of the file smooth as a safe edge. This edge is run against the fingerboard and the end of the fret is shaped round.Since I do each fret individually, I don't see any point to taking off such a severe bevel as you see on most factory necks. Instead, I endeavour to keep the crown all the way out to the end with a rounded bullnose shape just over the binding. Somewhere I read about a guy who "dressed frets all the way out to the end, to keep from falling off," this is my take on that idea. Once the shape is filed, I buff the ends out with 400, 600 and then 1000 grit.

Up until this point I have maintained a very sharp edge on the neck at the binding. I will now go over the edge with 400 grit and up; in between and around the end of each fret to produce a chamfer on the binding. This final shaping of the neck brings the dressed fret ends right to the edge and the neck has a nice broken in feel.

Leveling the frets at this point is pretty easy. My necks are nice and flat, and the extra care in fretting pays off. Instead of just filing down all the tops of the frets in one swoop, I work up and down the neck with a straight edge looking for high spots. It takes a bit longer than leveling with a stone, but it's not so messy, and not much material needs to be removed anyway.By lining with 200 grit, the same caul that I use to press the frets in, I can remove the tiniest amount of material from a single fret while maintaining the crown. Once they all check out, I line the caul with 400, 600, and then 1000 grit paper and polish the frets one by one. All the while checking against the rule. This is, once again, painstaking and tedious work. When you find a high spot at the finer grits you have to stop and repaper the caul and take that fret all the way out again.

Once the frets are dressed completely they get a final polishing. Now you may have noticed that I do things my own way. No exception here. I've seen all kinds of gadgets and mess making devices to polish up the frets, but none of them compare to what I have come up with. Check this out.

The day before polishing I smear some white rubbing compound on a piece of wood. It is allowed to dry. Using a wooden caul, shaped with a chainsaw file, I scrape some of the now powdery compound into the groove.The groove is blackened and smooth from previous polishings and the soft cherry is worn to the shape of the fret crown. Using a flat file, I continuously maintain the edges to just touch the tape on either side of a fret.With the frets taped off the caul is vigorously rubbed back and forth, initially scraping up the powdered compound as you go. Pressing very hard the compound impregnated wood polishes the frets to a high gloss. Rounding over the edges the fret ends get polished as well. The trick is to scrape off a little fresh powder for each fret. As the polish blackens it also gets finer and looses it's 'grit.' Starting fresh each time is the most effective.

Once the fret are polished the fingerboard is oiled a final time and allowed to dry. The shellac is then buffed out with the rubber eliminating any scratches and sealing up the chamfered edge of the binding. Drilling for the screws that secure the tuning machines and truss rod covers is all that remains.

Picky about pick guards, pick up rings and truss rod covers.

2009-04-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

The pick guards and pickup rings are complete. This time around with four to do, I designed a universally shaped pick guard. This simplified the cutting of the instrument hole immensely. The new Eat Your Heart Out is getting a special pickup mounting ring, a double. The pick up rings are two layers of veneer laminated in the same direction. Marquetry is cut into the top layer.The edges are bound, bent on the hot pipe as required.Finish shaping is by hand with the riffler and sandpaper. Note the fret work hearts, pierced through to show the flame maple guitar top. The bottom layer of the mount is walnut for a contrasting edge around the cutout shapes.The pick guards are three ply, all the same direction, with a bit of marquetry in the top layer.The edges are shaped with the rasp and chisels. Again, we avoid a machine shaped edge.The different holes are drilled for the individual components, again, standardized layout makes things simple. The output jack has a lip that must be accomodated, both for a snug fit and to reach through to the nut on the front.The purfling cutter scribes the rebate, and my ground down chisel takes out the waste.Hand sanded, of course.

Truss rod covers are two ply, and sanded very thin. I went ahead and standardized these this time, as well. A little marquetry in the top layer helps keep things unique.

With everything sanded out to 1000 grit we are just about ready for shellac.

Work that body! Body routs and neck attachment

2009-04-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Before I routed the bodies, I decided to make some new jigs. I laminate the different thicknesses of plywood needed from salvaged 1/4" Baltic Birch Board.

The new jigs are sweet. The PAF's fit with a little play, and the P-90 routs are just undersized for a final hand fit of the pickups. The bottom of the jig is sprayed with adhesive and allowed to dry. This makes for a non slip surface that won't stick permanently.

Once the pickup cavities are routed the bridge and stop tail piece bushing holes are located and drilled with the aid of a thick block jig. Of course the bushings are metric and my drill index, imperial, so I make the holes undersized and rasp them to fit. This is actually a good thing, as it makes for a very snug fit. The bushing are pressed into place after shellac and must stay put without adhesive.
The two sets of cross hairs on body and jig make for some very accurate hole placement.
But then again, we perform this check on the location mark about 50 times before we drill. Very nerve racking stuff, this. It will pay off with perfect intonation later on, though. Drilling for the grounding wire is a little tricky. I use a gouge to make a starting depression and to relieve the corner into the access hole in the instrument cavity.

Then with an extra long bit and a scrap of veneer to protect the top, the hole is made very carefully into the bridge bushing hole. Later we will route the grounding wire to be held in place by the bridge post bushing.
The instrument hole is bored with another jig, but not all the way through. A thin layer is left to support the waste and the knife finishes the cut cleanly.
The inside edge is cleaned up with a chainsaw file.The cavities for the P-90's are finished by hand for a perfect fit. Slightly undercut with the gouge and worked with the chainsaw file and sandpaper...so that the covers just slip into place with the final sanding.At this point we can now veneer the back panels. These are cut to rough shape with the fret saw and scraped smooth at the seams. The bodies go back in the press for the last time as the backs are laminated in place.

The back panels are brought flush with the sides and the bodies are rounded over with the rasp.Starting with 60 grit the roundover is perfected and the edge is taken out throught the finer grits. The finish shaping of the body has to be done by hand as it is too easy to go right through the bindings with machine tools. There is something special about a hand shaped edge. To my eyes a machine shaped edge just won't do. It is, by no means, a quick and easy task, however.The holes in the neck plate are marked on the body and the holes drilled by hand. A scrap of ply is clamped in place to prevent tear out. Although most folks would expect to see a drill press here, I do not wish for the holes in the body to be at 90 degrees. In a process called draw boring, I angle the holes just slightly to direct the clamping pressure of the screws and draw the neck into the mortise.Note how the exit hole is at the top inside limit of the neck plate layout line. When screwed tight the neck will be drawn into the mortise. Not that there is slack to fill, but the whole assembly is just all that much more secure.With the neck clamped in place the screw holes are drilled. Because the drill bit for the threaded portion of the hole is smaller than the shank hole in the body there is a bit of play when starting the hole in the neck. This is put to use, positioning it at the top, to further increase the draw effect. Once started the bit is kept perpendicular to the neck line at the mortise.With the neck bolted on the contours of the join are finished carved and sanded smooth. At this point things are starting to look pretty good. If you only knew how far they yet have to go....

WCS Guitar Necks, One of a kind everytime

2009-04-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

With the fingerboard and headstock complete, the sides of the neck can be removed with the Ryoba. The neck is then ready to be carved to shape.

When I set about building my first few guitars, there was just enough life left in the old shintzel-bank to carve a neck for each one. But it was really on it's last legs, having sat outside for a while, and wasn't well suited to the necks.

This time around I decided to improve on my lot just a bit. I made myself this little shaving pony based on info provided online. It is in Ash, which is perhaps the best for this purpose, as it is very strong. Pivots are turned of White Oak.

Having sized it to the bench, the long legs provide incredible clamping strength with the slightest foot pressure. I also purchased a carvers drawknife. The combination makes for some very easy carving.

I start carefully, and only gradually bring out the shape I am looking for.

I check against the straight edge almost obsessively throughout.
The neck is taken down as far as possible with the knife,

and then I clean things up with the rasp.At the sanding table the neck is worked with the successive grits, at 150 the rasp comes back into play. Note how the nut end is still thicker here as the taper is fine tuned.

The contour is checked against itself by flipping the guage and leveling the high spots.At the nut, great care is taken to bring the neck down as slim as possible. The calipers tell you when to stop, then you go just a bit more. It's knuckle biting, but I want these babys fine.After countless hours I have four necks. All with their own feel, each one unique, yet all born of the same eye. To be honest, my neck is still evolving in terms of the shape and feel that I am looking for. I have handled relatively few actual necks at this point, but I am intimately familiar with dimensions of the most popular necks as published by their manufacturers, as well as published contour shapes. Having been playing for a couple of years, now, I also have more of an idea where I want things to go from a players feel. The three necks on the left are mostly influenced by the dimensions and contours for an Ibanez Wizard neck. Slim, flat and with a shallow arc. The 3 piece maple neck on the right I have left more full round, aproaching that of a classic Les Paul style neck, but a bit slimmer overall. The headstock is cleaned up with sanding blocks, note the wood nut to protect the fingerboard end from damage.Then it's time to radius the fingerboards. I use a 12" radius block that I made over circular forms. It is faced with paper and each neck is taken down carefully against the straight edge. Neck relief is let in, but almost immeasurably. I am looking for the thinnest possible line of light along the straight edge. With the shop darkened it is like an eclipse along the dark surface of the fingerboard.At some point in the sanding process I remember the holes for the tuning machines.At this point we can install the side dots. I wait until after radiusing the fingerboards so that the dots may be centered accurately in the finished binding. Thin strips of walnut and flame maple are drawn through a metal plate. Successively smaller holes produce a smooth wood wire of 5/64" diameter. This is a very tedious process.Holes are drilled at the appropriate frets and the plugs are glued in place. Once the glue cures they are sheared off and sanded flush.The finished neck is clamped to the body. Red cotton thread makes for a very precise alignment along the center line of the guitar. The mortise is marked out with a knife edge.This jig is used to cut the neck mortise. It is slightly under sized to allow for hand fitting of the neck tenon. It produces a very accurate neck angle of about 2 1/2 degrees. For the first cut I plunge about a 1/32" shy of the finished depth. Once the neck is fitted I go back and shave off a bit more with the same jig. This allows me to bring the neck down carefully, checking against bridge height and exposed binding as I go.The body end of the mortise is under cut slightly to accomodate the angled tenon. The sides are pared with care just to the line.The resulting mortise and tenon joint is exceptionally tight and devoid of any play.

The guitar case

2009-03-03T08:10:00.001-08:00

Update April 09: Shipped my first guitar in the case below. Arrived in perfect condition. I will be using this case for my guitars from now on.

The new case I ordered has arrived. It is much nicer than I expected. Aluminum reinforced, ABS panels. Very sturdy and with the guitar only about 21lbs.
And the guitar fits! Just barely, too, but that's a good thing no? It came in a nice box with foam corner inserts that I can reuse to ship a guitar out. I think I will also wrap the guitar in padding inside the case and then some extra padding around the case in the box. I think that there is nothing that can happen to my baby in this package.

Binding the Bodies

2009-02-20T15:07:00.001-08:00

The bodies are bound. Let me show you what that entails.

A bit of patience is required as I do everything the hard way.

The purfling cutter is again used to score for the rebate.To keep the purfling cutter blade sharp it is honed repeatedly throughout the scoring process. I use polishing compound on window glass. This is also how I keep my chisels razor sharp. What am I talking about? Razors aren't that sharp.The waste is carefully pared away in specific stages. At all times the chisel is never allowed to face good wood. First I shave off the corner.Then I create a new rebate with the chisel, just within the scored lines. This is carved deeper and wider until a paper thin layer is left against each scored edge. This is carefully pared away with the chisel starting in the scored line.I use a little trick to carve the point on the cutaway. Prior to carving the rebate and several times during, I saturate the fibers with superglue. Just a drop or two will soak in right at the tip and you will never loose any cross grain. But you still have to be careful.You get into a rhythm with the carving of the rebate. It is pretty intense work, since you can't make any mistakes, but it is very satisfying.The body bindings are made just like my veneer, ripped on the table saw with a 1 1/4" sawmill blade and a guide fence.Then thicknessed in the sander. I make the bindings slightly thicker than my standard 3/32" veneer so there is a bit more left to work with in final contouring.Sawn into strips that will fit just proud of the rebate, they are allowed to soak in water for a couple of days. This set up with the bottom of a torn dust collector bag works well.The wet strips are run quickly over the hot pipe and when flexible they are tacked down to a tracing of the actual rebate. As they cool and dry the brads are added and the curves are faired with hand pressure.The whole board is then propped up in front of the wood stove to bake for 2 or 3 days.The bindings are an almost perfect fit when they come off the board. Any small flat spots are trued up on the hot pipe and the cutaway is glued in first. Each successive piece overlaps the previous one. A shaped caul faced with sandpaper is used to true up minor discrepancies that show up when the actual binding is offered up to the rebate. Working around the body each piece is laminated in place. Stategicly located clamps allow for continuous clamping pressure all around the curved edge. The glue will scrape very easily off the polished edge of the body, so I don't worry if it drips all over. With this set up I have plenty of time and can saturate both the binding and the rebate with glue.By shaving the first strips back at a very shallow angle a perfect scarf joint is formed. Once pared back and rasped flush the seam is very difficult to locate. This binding is on for good.

Lots of work for one little piece of wood, no? I think it's worth it.

New guitar update, Neck build up

2009-02-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

I think more work goes into the neck than any other aspect of the guitar. Especially on an electric.

For truss rod installation I can but follow the manufacturer's instructions. I use the Allied Luthier's Supply, stainless steel, two way adjustable, low torque rod. It is roughed up with a file.The neck is dadoed for a very snug fit. And a hardwood spline is fitted over the top.

The filler strip is epoxied in place with light pressure. The strip sinks in more at the center as the rod is compressed against the adjusting screw. During clamping I check the action of the nut to get it tight, but still free.

Once the epoxy has cured the strip is pared and scraped flush. Note the walnut plug that fills the end of the dado at the body end and acts as a stop for the truss rod end.
The fingerboard marquetry is fully cured prior to laminating the boards. The three layers of veneer are pinned to mdf cauls and clamped up. The laminations are left under pressure for about 2 days. It is very important to keep the boards flat until they are fully cured.

This process produces a very flat and stiff finger board. The edges are cleaned up on the edge sander and the nut end is checked for square.

Fret positions are then marked off on the board. This clamping arrangement of the scale allows for hands free marking. I made my fret slotting saw from an old back saw. By carefully filing and sanding the blade along just the bottom 1/2" I achieved a very stiff blade with the perfect sized kerf. I filed a dozuki style tooth and it cuts on the pull stroke. Even so, it requires great care and concentration as no mistakes can be made. Note the pine strips that act as a depth stop. When the blade just scores these carefully thicknessed strips the slot is the correct depth. The actual kerf stops just past halfway through the middle layer of veneer. This leaves a lamination below the kerfs, running the full length of the board.
Once the boards are slotted, they are tapered on the edge sander to their final dimensions. Both the finger board and the neck are left long at the body end to accommodate veneer pins. These are just #19 1/2" brads with the heads snipped off. Note the stack of three finger boards in the back. Nice and flat, no?
A carefully shaped Ash caul is used to laminate the fingerboard to the neck. Precision is of the utmost importance. The center is checked and rechecked, then checked again. But the pins prevent most movement and lots of glue can be used. Once the board is fully cured it is cut through at the 22nd fret. The waste is carefully pared away, and the pins removed.
This gives me a first hand look at the laminate bond of the fingerboard. My process results in one of great strength, I think.In the rebate that is formed by the fingerboard the neck bindings are laminated with the use of a tapered and waxed spline.The ends are mitered and the mitered end cap is glued in place with this little set up. Nice, no? The maple binding is very springy and there is clamping pressure to spare. When the glue is cured the bindings are rasped flush with the board.Headstock veneers are precut for the truss rod nut and carefully scraped smooth on the back.
The headstock wood and veneer are oversized to allow the placement of more veneer pins. A temporary waxed wood nut is used for alignment. The nut end of the veneer is also pre shaped to the correct angle. This is done by hand on the edge sander. It is offered up to the wooden nut for a perfect fit.

To make laminating the headstock easier the caul is glued together and faced with wax paper to be applied as a single unit. Using 4 veneer pins ensures a precise placement.
Binding the headstock is a bit more tricky. Once the headstock is sanded to shape, a purfling cutter is used to score for the rebate.

Great care is taken to ensure that no tearout occurs at the corners.
The waste is then chiseled out. Very carefully, as no mistakes can be made.

The rebate is made perfectly square and smooth with a paring stroke. Headstock veneers such as this cherry burl, would be shattered by a router. Note the cross grain at the corner. I think maybe this is only possible by hand.

Bindings for the headstock have to be bent. I use this little set up. The pipe has an old chore boy stuffed in the end for a difuser.

It works well though, and it dosn't take long to shape the bindings.

The bindings are glued on in stages. I use a soft nylon cordage, wrapped tight for excellent clamping pressure.
Having lived on a sailboat, I know not to ever cut a line in two. But with this clamping set up the extra length can be put to use on the end bindings.
The successive stages are trimmed back with the dozuki saw.
Then the ends are pared back and filed flush in preparation for the next set.

The side bindings go on last.
Note the awesome squeezeout. This binding is on for good. The precision is such that there will be no need for even the tiniest amount of filler.
Glue won't stick to the nylon cordage either, just unwrap it and there it is.Once things are cleaned up with the rasp and riffler, things are starting to look very good, I think. Note how I leave the neck square for most of it's length. This makes clamping in the vice for bindings very easy.
That's all for now. Next time we should see some carved necks and maybe something that even resembles a guitar.

New guitar update, Body Construction

2009-02-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

The new guitars are moving right along. I'll bring you up to date.

The top layer of each core is screwed in place and the body is rough cut to shape on the bandsaw. I use a 1/4" blade to cut right to the line. Screws are 3/4" and positioned at the neck mortise and bridge pickup locations, where the holes will later be routed away. Note that the cutaway is left uncut at this time.The bodies are then separated and the lower two thirds routed for the cavities and wiring. On the first two guitars I installed the shielding through the control cavity after glue up and it was tedious. This time I put it in first. I laminate it with contact adhesive, and "iron" it into place with a soft wood caul.Then the top layer is laminated in place. Precision line up is greatly facilitated by the two positioning screws. By leaving the cutaway filled in, pressure is evenly distributed in this area for a superb lamination.

Routing the maple bodies results in the removal of approximately 1 1/2 lbs from the core (from 8lbs to 6 1/2lbs). The reduction in weight is only partly responsible for the routing of the cavities. I also think it sounds really cool to say my guitars are "semi-hollow body." Ha!Meanwhile the backs of the finish veneer panels are carefully scraped smooth. The steel punch is used to hone the scraper.Then it is back in the press, with everthing carefully lined up. Note that the cutaway has been cut away (he he) prior to laminating. After the glue has cured the panel is trimmed back with the fret saw.In order to reduce the chance of tearout the veneer is brought flush with the rasp before proceeding. A router or laminate trimmer here, with all the grain changes, would be too risky.My first electrics were shaped by hand. Since I built them one at a time it was no big deal. This time around I have a new toy for the drill press. I'll admit it, there is no way I can beat the prescision of this tool. Not if I was there all day with the rasp. So I cheat a little on the handwork.

And it is very precise indeed. The bodies are shown here ready for binding. I make sure the edge is perfect prior to cutting the binding rebate, and take it to 400 grit. Note that the back veneer panel is not yet in place. This allows me to not worry about scratching the back as I work the bindings, etc. The back veneer will go on at the last possible moment.

The WCS Stash Box, All you ever need to know!

2009-02-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

"Isaac's beautiful marquetry makes WCS stash boxes the best deal on etsy." -Lynette N., Etsy Shopper
The West Corinth Studio Stash Box, is one of my favorite things to build. I've made perhaps a hundred or more now and no two are alike. Even so, they are all the same size and shape. The reason for their individuality is expressed in the quote above from one of our clients.

But there is a lot more to this little box than meets the eye. Each one is hand crafted with great precision and care. The flexibility to customize the piece with marquetry can, however result in a truely unique gift. In fact, that is how I started making these in the first place.

Heidi came to me one day a few years ago wanting a little box to put some catnip in. She had a very special client who had been quite generous over the years, and Heidi wanted to send her some of Charlie's Blend for her critters. The WCS stash box was born.`

Most of you know that I am in the middle of a batch of electric guitars. Circumstances dictated that I put them aside for the moment as I found myself in need of some gifts. You know what they say, "the best gifts are those you make yourself." I, being loathe to part with any cash, wholeheartedly agree. In any case, there is a bit of a story to tell.

Heidi and I live way out. There aren't many people out here, and everybody knows everybody else. Now, we like to think that in an emergency, Heidi and I would be the first to offer help. More often than not, however, we're on the receiving end of the aid. Over the last few months, with my oldest son's broken leg and most recently with some car trouble, I've racked up a bit of debt to some very kind folks in our town. Rides to and from school and jump starts add up after awhile, and I decided to make some stash boxes for three of the people who have repeatedly come to my aid. Sort of catch up a bit, if you know what I mean.

It just so happens that they are all three women, and with Valentine's Day around the corner I thought I'd put my little "curly hearts" motif around their names on the lids; Bonnie, Erica and Michelle. I don't really know either of the three that well, other than to thank them for bailing me out on occasion, but designing the indiviual boxes gave me pause to think about what I did know.

Erica is petite and bubbly, so I chose birds eye maple for her's.

I think of Michelle as contemporary and refined, so I thought AAA flame maple would be a good match. I also put her name is cursive, just to show how sophisticated I am, no doubt.

Bonnie, the wife of a dairy farmer and mother of seven is always being pulled in five directions so naturally, for her stash box I used cherry burl. See why I love this stuff? What fun!

Since I build the stash boxes in batches of five, I went ahead and did a couple for the Etsy store as well, with my "tumbling guitars" motif.

I figured this would also be a good opportunity to document the process so, what follows is probably way too much information about the WCS Stash Box.

Every box consists of two parts, an inner softwood core with a floating hardwood bottom and a structural veneer shell. The cores are made in batches of about 40 boxes, with interchangeable sides, backs and bottoms. To date, every stash box bottom has been of salvaged wood. At that size, the supply is virtually endless.

Prior to assembling the core, the hardwood bottom is waxed along it's edges to prevent binding in it's groove during glue up. The base is shaped so as to just slightly raise the finished box.
The parts are carefully machined and fit perfectly. Salvaged Baltic birch board (5 ply) is used for the core of the top, which becomes the lid. Sides are of softwood, cedar most often, pine and fir occasionally.Once a trial assembly is complete the core is glued up, clamped and checked for square. The hardwood base is not glued into it's groove to allow for seasonal movement.

The outer shell of the stash box is made of hand sawn 3/32" hardwood veneer. Templates for the sides and top greatly simplify layout.

Throughout the process of marquetry, the waste often produces a stencil. I save these to use again and again. Sometimes I create new motifs with the repeated patterns. Just that happened with the "tumbling guitars" design.The back surface of each panel is carefully scraped smooth after marquetry is completed. The back edge of the band saw blade is my high tech scraper. I challenge you to find a better tool for the job. I do all of the marquetry first. This gives the panels a chance to cure prior to lamination.Cold press lamination with plenty of waterproof glue ensures a powerful bond. By carefully overlapping each corner the outer shell provides incredible strength and stiffness without much additional weight. The backs go on first.The panel is allowed to "swim" in the glue and clamping pressure is applied slowly while maintaining alignment with the registration marks. Good squeeze out is the result. Note the softening on the table. This is a fiberboard sheathing that is used primarily for walls and ceilings. I salvaged a couple of 4x8 sheets at one point and save it exclusively for this purpose. It is ideal.After each pressing the veneer is trimmed back with the Ryoba saw. Note the clamped stop on the bench with a sacrificial underlay; this is a bench hook for the pull stroke of the saw. The Ryoba is also a flush cut saw which is ideal for this purpose.The stiff back of the Dozuki saw is preferred for cutting the veneer prior to laminating. In case you are wondering, I grew up on a little island called Okinawa, in Japan. Sometimes people tell me they see an eastern influence in my work. I definitely see one in my choice of tools, no? But, seriously, these two saws will outperform any of their western equivalents. The shell's sides most often go on second, with the front panels being veneered last. This produces the finest front edge, with the end grain of the back edges completely covered. Sometimes, I will do the sides last with a contrasting wood, for a different effect. Or if I screw up and accidentally laminate the front first. Not supposed to admit that kind of stuff, though, no?Once the tops are laminated, the boxes are cleaned up on the sander. Then the binding rebate is cut on the table saw. I make the rebate in two passes for a perfectly square seat.The bindings are cut from strips of the same structural veneer as the shell. I use a Freud thin kerf 7 1/4" blade in a zero clearance insert. Prior to each cut, the veneer is trued on either the jointer or the edge sander, depending on the species. The trued edge will seat in the rebate.Bindings are carefully marked and mitered on the trimmer.Using plenty of glue and specially shaped cauls, the bindings go on two at a time in opposing pairs. The cauls are heavily waxed to prevent sticking. The opposite pairs of bindings are glued in place once the first set has dried and fully cured.The binding and rebate are sized so that the offered up binding is just proud of the box's edges. This allows positive contact from the caul to the binding, from both the top and side, for a perfectly tight glue joint with no seam. Once the binding is fully cured it is brought down flush with the rasp. This process also allows me to create a very thin binding on the finished box by under sizing the rebate and rasping away the extra binding material. The most refined line is always the objective, but one must be careful to leave enough for final finishing. Re-cutting the binding is real "cussin' and throwin' stuff" kind of work.At this point the stash box is pre-sanded to 150 grit on my jazzy homemade downdraft table. See the grooves in the plywood bench top? That's recycled exterior sheathing. (Picture me just shaking my head.)The top is then sawn free. I use the same thin kerf blade on the table saw and it is raised so as not to cut all the way through the box. This keeps the lid from flopping around for the final cut. A sharp knife finishes the job.

Any good veneer job is always stabilized from underneath. This prevents warping due to uneven seasonal movement.

The inside of the lid, thus receives a cedar lining. I make this the same thickness as the hardwood veneer, 3/32", and it effectively stabilizes the lid as a counter veneer. I cut it so that the grain direction matches that of the exterior finish veneer. It is pressed in place with a carefully sized caul and just enough glue. Note the large cover of sheathing for softening on my press. Lack of uprights in the press design allow great flexibility in the use of the press surface. (disclaimer: I designed and built the press)The bottom of the stash box receives a cedar lining, also. Mitered at the corners, it protrudes to trap the lid in place. Once cut to fit it is glued in place.

After the boxes have been carefully sanded to 600 grit, the outsides are given a thorough rubbing down with my blended oil. This oil is equal parts linseed oil, turpentine and fast drying polyurethane. The interior is left bare wood and is thus a suitable surface for edible herbs, etc.The oil is rubbed out with a rag several times over two days, then the box is waxed on the outside and around the lid. The second coat of wax is burnished with a hard wax pad to give a soft sheen. Then the box is buffed out with a soft cloth, and it is ready to sell or give away! The hardwood base, combined with the very lightweight softwood/veneer construction of the top, effectively weights the stash box.

The cedar lining is fitted to allow for seasonal wood movement without sacrificing a tight fit. The great strength derived from the laminate construction makes for a very sturdy little box.I hope the ladies will like their gifts, because it probably won't be the last time I'll need them to come bail me out.

Heidi's new studio, pt 2, The Timber Frame

2009-01-24T13:11:00.000-08:00

Like I said, the foundation went fairly quickly. Using no mortar I managed to get the walls about a foot above grade. Once the frame was up, and the sills secure, I went back and filled the gaps between the stones and sill. This was done with shards of shattered stone. Some areas have been pointed, more remains to be done.

I managed to get my logs sawn into timbers in trade for some picture frames, and I went to work on the frame. Lacking electrical power and with somewhat inferior tools I set about building the frame. The progress was slow, using a bit and brace, but by the end of the season I had the floor and walls up, and had begun on the trusses. But then the snow came and I had to stop. The frame at that point looked like this.
A great deal happened, and a year and a half went by in the blink of an eye, before I returned to the frame.

Over this period I lost my horse. It turned out that Pinnochio had a brain tumor, and his feet started to go. There was quite a spectacular reunion when he was first returned to the herd. And he spent his last days in the warm barn back at the riding school.

When I returned to the frame in June of 08, it was with an entirely different approach. What I have come to think of as Phase 2.

After several years of sporadic efforts, Heidi was still painting in what we had started to call her "closet." I had long wanted to expand my shop into the other half of my building and get some new tools and machines. We looked at the situation and figured it was now or never. So we swallowed our pride and went about begging for a small business loan. When Opportunities Credit Union, Burlington, VT decided to back us, the whole project got a much needed boost. Mad props to their board! No longer dependent on found materials, I ordered timbers and 1" boards from a local sawyer. And I was off.

While I was waiting for the new timbers to arrive, I dismantled what I had up of the trusses. I was never satisfied with them, they were way too skinny, and I had 6"x7" ties coming.

I used these pieces and some left over timbers to fill in the walls. Meanwhile, my son, Orion, dug a trench from my shop for the electrical installation.He finished up right about the time copper doubled in price. Thanks George!But finally, I had power for my new Milluakee, heavy duty drill. No more bit and brace. Since the new timbers hadn't yet arrived, and I still had some wood, I went ahead and built the mudroom.

The mudroom foundation is made from 2 pieces of old electrical pole. They sit on cinderblocks 3' deep, each in a bed of gravel. A tenon is shaped, with sloping shoulders, on the top of each pole. Mortises in the sill timber fit over these tenons. This should prevent rot in this prone area. Or maybe it will increase it. Who knows when you try something new, no?Building the mudroom first afforded me an opportunity to build two small trusses as a practice run. I also got the raising sequence down a bit before tackling the main rafters. But perhaps two king post trusses for a 4'x3' space is a bit over built.

The protruding plates are left long for a very strong, cog lapped corner. Boxed in, they form a nice little overhang. I shaped a 2" cedar cap with a drip edge for the top.Working the timbers for the roof was a thrill. The new drill and onsite power really sped up mortising. With three new Robert Sorby's, I was in heaven.

I already had good saws, having reconditioned a rip and crosscut several years back. My cross cut looks horrible, but the steel is awesome, and I have a large set on it, just under 1/8” kerf in the green softwood. It's a real hog.Rain days were spent in the shop building windows and doors. I got a great deal on some clear white pine from NH. Kiln dried but stained black from being cut in the summer. I was staining all my windows black anyway so it was a good match. All the glass in the studio comes from windows that I salvaged locally. The blind motise and tenon fixed sash is all coped and sticked by hand. This is made much easier by the use of a simple 30 degree chamfer moulding.
I used an English tying joint. By leaving the ties long, they cantilever out for a substantial 16” overhang. Load from the rafter is transfered to the tie outboard of the post. I am not an engineer, but this configuration looked very strong to me. I got the idea from medieval frames with a jettied second floor. Also, I needed a large overhang on the south side to keep from overheating in the early summer and late fall. The pitch of the roof was determined by the largest 6”x7” timber I felt I could raise above my head and manipulate. This turned out to be about a 10 foot piece in green pine, so that’s where I cut them off. With 16’ ties this ended up giving me a 9 in 12 pitch or a little better. Good enough for wood shingles. Raising the trusses was scary stuff. I did it alone, one piece at a time. To aid in this I did several things which I would recommend. First I was very careful not to make loose joints. If the tenons go in and stick a little, everything can be assembled slowly. Loose tenons that drive home too quickly can also be dangerous. Secondly I cut in queen posts, which were unnecessary, structurally, but formed built in props for each rafter. These could then just be left in place.

Even so, getting those things up took everything I had. It is a good thing that by this point the work had me looking pretty buff! Ha! Also, I fully assembled each truss on the ground and had every piece well marked and labeled.

Purlins were cut with dovetails to lock the whole thing together. And the trusses are well braced to the ridge. Note the intermediate ties to support loft floor.To facilitate an assembly raising, I formed the ridge in two pieces with a stopped, mortised scarf, centered over the middle post. In an unconventional manner, I left the tops of the king posts long and squared; lots of relish is good. I also left the ridge beam square in section and cog lapped it over the tops of the outboard posts. I did this to avoid carving it and the king posts, since I only had a drawknife, and I am very lazy.

I had logged quite a bit of the local white cedar with the horse, and my sawyer had turned some of this into boards. The longest cedar logs were used for the sill. The boards had been stickered and drying for almost 2 years. When sheathing the roof and the rest of the frame, I used the cedar boards in areas that might benefit from extra rot resistance. The rest was done in local white pine.

I don’t own a circular saw, they are way too unsafe, noisy, and in my opinion a little bit lazy.

So I trimmed the sheathing by hand, just like everything else.

But, I’ll be honest and admit to contemplating a complete abandonment of my principles at times.But before you feel too sorry for me, lets put the whole thing into perspective...With horizontal purlins I was able to run the roof sheathing boards vertically. In my view, these boards are really also the bottom layer of shingles. I think a drop of water has a lot better chance of making it’s way to the eaves on boards laid this way. Also the gaps between the boards are effectively vents all up and down the roof, under the shingles.

I built the roof structure nice and strong, so that I could use cedar shingles. Wood shingles hold the snow, which is heavy, but really helps insulate the roof. Besides, when I need to reshingle in 20 years I will have some awesome kindling instead of a disposal problem. Such would be the case with asphalt shingles. Besides all that, cedar shingles are not all that much more expensive than a high end three tab. But the labor, now that's another story isn't it? I used clear seconds. You have to be very fussy with these because of the knots in the top. I would discard heavily on site and then take the discard pile into the shop. Using the table saw I would rip clear shingles from the waste. I used a 5” exposure and stainless steel nails. I used no underlayment but I debated it for weeks. In the end I could forsee no benefits and only trapped moisture, so the shingle went right over the boards.

After the roofing was on, along the top of the squared ridge beam, I ran a one inch board cap. Down the center of the wood cap, I ran a sharply chamfered spline. This raises a shaped metal cap at its center for runoff. Flashing runs up the side of the ridge beam(painted white and scalloped), and I have “wrapped” the tops of the posts with this metal flashing. All the flashing is heavy guage salvaged roofing, shaped and cut by hand then painted. In reality, the cap’s substantial overhang, with it’s metal drip edge, is sufficiently protective for cobwebs to form underneath. I am very happy with this roof, even if it looks a bit unconventional. I stained the underside of the wood cap red. It is very subtle, but quite a strong statement. Christian Louboutin's red-soled shoes were directly responsible for this idea. Why not a sexy roof?
Before I could shingle the mudroom, the bargeboards had to go up. Might as well try to make them pretty. The red flower petals are relief carved in the cedar.

So the frame was up. The roof was on and nice and tight, and the whole thing mostly buttoned up. A good thing, because the leaves were starting to change.

New guitar update, headstock veneers

2009-01-18T15:55:00.001-08:00

Headstock veneers are finished. Back before I built my first guitar, I knew nothing and everything about headstock veneer.

When my boys first started playing a few years back, I took my first real look at an acoustic guitar. Discovering that they are in fact, largely made from the same 3/32” hardwood veneer, with which I have an intimate relationship, was very cool. I instantly saw the potential for my marquetry. I came up with my headstock shape when I was building my first commercial piece, Stars & Stripes. I was initially resigned to using a “classic” shape, as I assumed that every possibility had surely been tried. I mean, how many luthiers out there are trying hard to be original? I'd just gone ahead and used the Rickenbacker shape on my sons ¾ size electric, my 3rd build. Can you tell the tuners are on backwards? I learn all my lessons the hard way.

As you might be starting to realize, I don’t really know what the final guitar is going to look like right from the start. The design sort of evolves during the process of building. This is what keeps it fresh, and makes my work so much fun.

I was well into the flag motif before I’d settled on a headstock shape, and I was looking through my books on federal style furniture. This and the French empire stuff is some of my favorite. American craftsmen of this period used flags, eagles, shields galore. When I’m feeling patriotic I often turn to the finest pieces for inspiration. I was staring at a picture of a folk art gate in the shape of federal shield, with the scalloped top, when it hit me. How about a shield? I spent the next week or two searching for this headstock. Had it already been used? To this day I haven’t seen one like it, and definitely not on an electric, so maybe I just got lucky. Once I had it on the Stars and Stripes, I was struck by the resemblance to a “W”. It also seemed to work with my curly hearts, so I had my headstock and oh so original. Note the bookmatched walnut ground perfectly centered on the point. How many of you can do that?

Marquetry allows me to inlay the headstock veneer from underneath, prior to laminating the headstock. (just like with the finger boards and bodies.) The inlays are the full thickness of the veneer and a perfect fit. Below is the process of design in photos.

The foliage is drawn in. I am more precise in my artwork here due to the proximity of hardware. Note that final placement of the flowers will eliminate many intricate foliage details. The key to a successful panel is to cut the foliage in without regard to what will be lost. Then, the details that remain in the gaps between petals are more fluid. Coins are great for layout. Although , if things keep up, I might have to switch to little wooden circles.
Petals are cut in opposing pairs. Because the entire process is done by hand, it is no problem to switch the grain on each pair, around the center. This way the spalting radiates outward on each petal. Do you think anybody will notice this stuff on the finished guitar?

The walnut centers are cut with the grain at 90 degrees to the ground. And the logo, in flame maple, right over the top. Once sanded out and polished the shimmer of the curly maple should “push” the flower back and create depth. We’ll see. Note the piece of broken band saw blade. The back edge of this has been my scraper for about 8 years. You can see the shavings in the photo.

This one is my favorite. Flames are the same wood as the ground, curly maple, only with the grain of the wood at sharply contrasting angles. I've scraped it smooth and brushed on a little shellac for the photo, but it won't come into it's own until we get it past 600 grit. Note the cherry burl flames within the walnut lettering. Do you think anybody will notice this stuff on the finished guitar?

As an artist, I can envision the finished work and draw it in place, a layer at a time. The majority of inlay work is done from tracings that include all details on the same layer. My ability to produce the design in situ, a layer at a time is perhaps more similar to pencil and ink on paper.
When Heidi paints she uses a palette with a dab of each of her colors. My palette is made up of local hardwoods and when I’m cutting marquetry I end up with quite a pile. I am always searching for the perfect grain and color for each detail of a panel. It is from this chaos that my artwork emerges.

I’ve also got the back panels fitted up.

These are jointed on the edge sander, but without it being turned on. The belt is turned slowly by hand, and the pieces are offered up to the straight edge for a perfect fit.

These edges have to be airtight, for the joint is formed by hand, holding the pieces together for a couple of minutes with the assistance of a few pieces of tape. Finish seams must pass candling and the floppy test. After glue is fully cured I hold one edge parallel to the seam and flop the sheet to ensure a good bond.

Heidi's New Studio, pt 1 or, A story about a horse

2009-01-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

Heidi has a new painting studio. It is far from completed, but we managed to put it together enough for her to move in and start painting. Lacking siding and interior finish work, it is a bit on the homely side. Heidi seems to dig it though, and she has asked me to put together a posting on its somewhat unusual construction.

Considering that I have been working on the place for over 4 years, there is quite a bit to tell. So, I thought I’d go back to the beginning and tell the whole story. And the story of Heidi‘s studio starts with a story about a horse. This little guy.

A pony really. Pinnochio was his name. He had had a career of jumping over barrels and hedges at a riding school in Vershire, VT. Everybody called him Noki. He’d been a bit of a trouble maker at the school and had never worked in harness before. I’d not seen a horse since I was a kid and had never driven so much as a goat. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, I know. But we managed. Using a restored leather harness with wooden (of course!) hames we started dragging stuff around. We had a few hair raising events here and there; he never really settled down, but he really took to the pulling.

I built this little stable for him. I hewed the timbers with an adze that I bought on E-bay. Most of the rest is salvaged material. The whole thing cost about $600, mostly for the cedar roof.

To augment his paddocks I made him this portable one. He loved being on fresh grass everyday, and mowed the lawn at the same time.

It was clear from the start that he had some draft genes in him. But it was really cool to see him get excited when it was time to get into harness. I made him this little sled and we spent his first winter dragging it and some short logs around the corral. My boys were still little, and thus still mildly curious about what I do, and they were there to provide a bit of ballast on occasion.

And who wouldn’t take a free ride back to the top of the hill.

Once Noki had the hang of it he could begin to earn his keep.

I put sides on the little sled to gather up the hay. Mowed with a scythe and tedded with a rake it was really cheap hay. You'd probably call it organic.

And this is where the story of Heidi’s studio begins. But perhaps a bit of back ground on the author would be in order here.

I have a bit of a “thing” for wood. The raw material. The first material worked by man was most likely wood and this natural substance is still the backbone of all building and industry. Even the steelworker makes patterns of wood, and stone arches are built over removable wood forms.

I have always looked for alternative sources of wood. By alternative I mean cheap, preferably free. Very early on I found that wood in log form, or “in the bole” can be had for free almost everywhere. First with a froe, and then with a big 18” resaw, I started getting boards out of logs and stickering them to dry. Initially there is a lot to learn, and much waste. There are the heartaches associated with moisture content before one breaks down and spends $200 on a moisture meter. But after a while you have lots of wonderful wood.

When you are just one person, though. Just a single man with some tools. There is a limit to how large a log you can handle. Really big stuff can be split before you move it but this wastes a lot of wood. I made a harness for myself to skid logs but no matter what, I always had to pass on the really big logs. And they have the best boards. I got to thinking, if only I had a horse. Why, then I could get the really big stuff and build Heidi a studio.

So, like I said that’s where Noki comes in. We went to work.

The woods behind us is all conserved. Owned by a rich banker from Boston, so I’m told. I’ve never met the fellow, but indirectly I obtained permission to take some trees off his land. The area had been savagely logged by a previous owner and there was a great deal of damage and erosion. Many trees were compromised and either blown down or dying. Working with a forester to decide what to take, and “releasing” apple trees as I went, Noki and I spent the winter logging.

Like, I said he really loved to pull. He’d give it everything he had, every time.

The firewood really started to pile up. Which is good because it was cold. Really cold. And way out in the woods, in the depths of an icy winter, a man can get a little edgy.

The work pays off, though. The big logs are no longer out of reach. Heidi’s studio was born.

The next spring I turned to the backbreaking work of building a foundation.
Skidding a boat load of stone with an energetic pony is dramatic, dangerous work. I never allowed anyone around so have no photos of the event. I’ll try to describe it as best I can.

Our five acres is a big square field. The overgrown hedgerow has an accumulation of junk and debris going back 150 years. Most numerous are the large and small stones that have been pried loose from the field during plowing and dumped around the perimeter. Using pry bars, levers and wooden rollers, I reclaimed theses stones one by one. Noki would drop off our little sled and go have a snack. It took some time to load the stones I'd most recently pried loose from the tangle of roots and old farm machinery. After that I’d most likely need a break.

Hitching a hyped up pony to a loaded stone boat is one of the most difficult tasks I have ever had to accomplish over on over for weeks on end. I’m behind him, tight on the lines walking up through the field. He’s trying to get the tops of timothy, just out of reach of his check reign. Flies are buzzing and his gorgeous black tail is never still.

He sees the sled, loaded with stone. His ears go back, listening to my every move and sound. He is tight now, tense, trotting in place as we come up on the sled from the rear. I’m talking to him softly, telling him how handsome he is.

We pass the sled on the right and I tell him “Gee over,” but he’s already shifting to the right. I give him a sharp “Whoa” but it takes a heavy pull on the lines to stop him, and then he’s pulling on the bit and it’s all I can do to get him to stand.

You, have to get right up under him to hitch up. On these heavy pulls everything needs to be short and tight. He knows what’s coming and it takes all my strength on the lines to keep him still. I say softly “Stand,” over and over. The hook on the single tree has to fall into a ring on the sled. It has to go in loose, any strain on the traces will instantly cause Noki to pull, with me still between him and the boat. He is just too excited by the heavy pull that he knows is next. I carefully pull back on the single tree, a massive piece of ash with heavy iron strapping that I’d made in the shop the previous winter. It misses the hook by 6 inches. I need Noki to back up.

“Back! Noki, Come on Back,” I say, releasing tension on the lines just enough to give a little jerk. He searches with a hind foot. Making sure it’s clear. He knows; fouling on a chain is no fun. The little give from backing is all I need. Noki is still putting his foot down as the hook clinks down into the ring.

Noki hears the iron on iron “clang“. I know it’s all he needs. Instantly I’m on my feet, a greasy black leather line in each gloved hand. I give Noki the click click to start him off but he’s already into his collar. The sled is sticking in the mud a little and he feels the full weight of the stone. I growl, “Get Up!” His hind hoofs dig in as he drops into a crouch. Noki launches himself forward, in a leap that would propel him and a rider over a 5foot wall. The horsehair and leather collar takes the full force of the explosion and with a jerk the sled breaks free from the mud.

Noki is low all the way down the hill. He is working hard, His glistening muscular form is in spasms. It takes everything he’s got. Once on the load he wants it done quickly. Coming in on the pile of stones that’s been forming, I have to keep him lined up. If I stop him just right, I can just roll the stones off. I bring him to a stop and have him take a step back to slacken the chains. Noki is breathing hard, his sides are heaving. I’m excited and relieved, another run down, with no broken bones.

At this end of the run he is docile and his stand is perfect while I unload the stones. All that’s necessary is to loop off the lines on a cleat attached to the shed. Once unloaded I can hitch a ride back to the hedgerow on the sled. Noki will go back to his stable for some hay or maybe go out on a little grass for a while. I collapse for a break before I go pry loose the next load of stones.

And so it went for a time. Grueling, back breaking work of the most mundane sort interspersed with hair raising adventure. Slowly, one load at a time my pile of stones grew. Until I had deemed it sufficient. Then I went and got a shovel.

The foundation progressed quickly. I cut a drain under the first course of stones and filled it with crushed rock. The same material from the hedgerow, pounded into rubble with my grandfather’s old sledge hammer. Yes, you end up singing Peter Gabriel over and over. You just can’t help it. Two or three swings against a nice piece of granite and at the top of my lungs, it’s “I wanna be… YOUR SLEDGEHAMMER!” Kaboom, more rubble.

After extending the drain forty feet down slope to daylight, (more crushed rock in a trench, covered with layers of old hay), I started building the foundation walls. I was digging in heavy clay, so was able to use the sides of the 3 foot deep trench as an in situ form. Only time will tell if I did a good job, but early indications are that drainage is excellent and the whole thing is sound. I haven’t pointed the whole of the exposed surfaces yet, but once that’s finished it should last as long as we need it to.

I do know that it is a very inexpensive foundation. Both in terms of cash outlay and also our carbon footprint here at WCS. Of course, my priority is always to keep costs down, but this brings us back to what I mentioned previously. Everybody knows that eco friendly is where it’s at. People want to do the right thing, but they’ve got you all in such a rush. Most folks wouldn’t hesitate to call in a backhoe and pour some concrete should they need a new foundation. And I see structures, billed as eco friendly, sitting on huge concrete slabs all the time.

I’m not delusional, though. Don’t worry. I don’t think that my stone foundation is going to save the world. I do think my stone foundation is going to make for one very eco friendly studio, however. Way more eco friendly than Brad Pitt’s silly resort. And way more real. Just like everything I build here at WCS. Whether it's a stash box or an electric guitar.

Tune in next time, I’ll show you what some simple, but very nice, hand tools can do with those logs, after my sawyer does his thing, that is. No more adze for me.

New Guitars, Update

2009-01-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

I finally have my last two tops finished. I can't get enough of the Gates of Hell design, so I did another one. For this motif, I keep the pencil lines to a minimum, just sketching where I want a flame. The fun is letting the curls and whisps just flow with the steady rythm of the fret saw. Where the walnut and cherry "Gates" is raw and edgy, this one in maple is more refined. The other top is bookmatched hand spalted beech. I'll tell you more about this wood later. Know, for now, that I have been working with this wood for almost five years. It is quite simply the finest spalted wood that I have ever produced. For you woodworkers out there, you may truely eat your heart out, for I have this material stacked to the rafters and coming out my ears.

Finger board art is progressing nicely. You can see the Eat Your Heart Out one is not quite done. The curly hearts motif requires more precise layout. Just to make sure that folks know that it is hand made, though, I do pencil everything in by eye. Each design takes place right on the wood, with no advance artwork. I just put things in where it looks like they should go.

Note: my finger board construction is completely unique. It is the result of my self taught approach to woodworking and produces a very stiff, flat and strong fingerboard.

Most finger boards are a solid piece of wood. Even if you work from a quartered, split bolt, once you have a quarter inch thick, perfectly flat board, there will be some grain runout. You are also at the mercy of wood movement across the fingerboard, which can not be good for frets in the long term. Cutting slots for the frets causes great weakening to a solid board.

My finger boards consist of three pieces of 3/32" veneer. The grain is all running the same direction, but the minute diferences are enough to produce a very stiff laminte. Fret slots are cut to about the middle of the center layer, leaving two plys beneath for stiffness and strength. Wood movement is greatly curtailed across the grain so pressed in frets stay put. Inlays and bindings stay tight.

Most inlays for fingerboard are store bought and very thin. About half as thick as my veneer. They are usually epoxied into routed out areas and then the whole thing is given some putty aroung the edges. There is a reason you see inlays missing on old guitars. All that flexing and seasonal wood movement will test the strongest glue bond. With nothing mechanical to hold them in they fall out.

With marquetry, the top layer of veneer is inlaid from the underside. Wedgeshaped inlays, picture little mountains, fit into wedge shaped holes and are glued in place with wood glue. When the 3 ply laminate,(Titebond3 coldpress) of the finger board is formed the inlays are thus prevented from falling through the front by virtue of their shape, this and the incredibly precise cutting achieved with the hand fret saw. The thickness of the inlay is the same as the top layer of veneer 3/32", so there is plenty of wood to wear. Fingerboard veneers are selected carefully and must survive a fingernail test for hardness to be used for grounds or marquetry.

Of course, you are thinking that this must require some very precise work. You are correct. Few have the skills for this demanding, detailed work. I have been precision cold laminating drawerfronts, table tops and picture frames with fancy marquetry for many, many years. My entire process is self learned and self taught. I have revived an essentially dead art. What I have come to think of as true marquetry. There are perhaps few who can do what I do with a fret saw. Most books on the subject dismiss it as too difficult. What I bring to my electric guitars is truely a unique skill. And the end result is a truely unique guitar. And, oh so original.

Keepin' it way green.

2009-01-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

I doubt it’d be possible for me to build enough trinkets from salvaged wood to compensate for the carbon footprint of the burl wood paneling on the interior of Bill Gate’s jet . That my compost pile is going to somehow save the world is idealism of the most absurd variety.

So, lets get something straight. When I say my stuff is eco friendly or green, it’s simply because I’m down with all the latest slang. All of a sudden it’s cool to make stuff out of recycled materials, and there are a bunch of slick new words to go along with the rage. But, we at WCS have known about this new fad since the beginning. We just haven’t come up with a fancy name for it. We simply call it “making do.”

I’ve been a woodworker since I could hold a stick. I’ve built everything from boxes to boats. Even when I was traveling the country with just a pack, I had carving tools to whittle trinkets to trade with the folks who would help me on my way. Up until a couple of years ago, I’d never spent a dime on wood. Just couldn’t. Besides, if there is one thing I’ve learned about the US, you don’t have to look far to find copious waste. No matter where you go in this country you’ll find all kinds of perfectly wonderful materials being discarded as waste.

It is upon this waste stream that my skills as a woodworker have been honed. I’ve stripped mahogany boards off the wheelhouse of a wreck in the marshes of Charleston, SC. I built a small skiff entirely from shipping crates. I’ve built with wood from salvaged stairs, sheds, flooring, you name it. For a time I carved pipes from beech armrests pulled off aluminum lawn furniture in oppressively hot FL. Since I learned how to make larger boards out of small strips, I’ve made countless pieces from furniture factory trimmings.

Don’t for a second think I haven’t eyed the boards in the mill yards with envy. There’s no lofty purpose here. But, come on, be real. Woodworking was a hobby, at least at first, and by the time I was any good, I had a real job with taxes to pay. You know what that means if you aren’t from landed gentry in the US, broke. We still needed a baby changing table though, so I made one out of pallets. Had some of that mahogany from the marsh left over, it became a bread box. Next thing I know I’m building kitchen cabinets out of salvaged two by fours and old window sash and calling it home restoration. And that’s how we made ends meet.

Since I started trying to live on woodworking alone, things haven’t gotten any easier. And wouldn’t you know it, just about the time I start getting really good, they go and have a war. Next, everyone decided that the world was ending, for real this time. Since then, things haven’t gotten any easier. But at least folks aren’t making such a fuss about stuff being made out of salvaged wood. No, these days it’s all the rage. Let me tell you, that hasn’t always been the case. Not too long ago you had to keep that kind of thing to yourself. I wonder how many jewelry boxes I’d have sold from that gallery in Wellesley Hills if they’d known all the mahogany came from a dumpster? (picture me chuckling)

To this day my wood supply is as cheap (insert more favorable marketing term here) as ever. Has to be. Seen the cost of groceries? My wood comes from the forests around me and the scrap bins from the local factory. And, every now and then I get a board or two from a local mill. But even then, I have to look for the deals. Warped boards that I can re-saw, flip and join. Thin deal that might only get two sheets of veneer but will mean AAA flame maple at $3.50 bdft. And always picking through the short boards.

Now that recycling is so hip, everybody and their mother has an eco-friendly this and a green that. Brad Pitt would have you believe that in his spare time he is an architect designing an “eco friendly luxury resort in Dubai.” I’ve got news for you, there is no such thing as an eco friendly luxury resort. Show me the compost pile.

I’ll show you mine. In fact, I’ll show you my whole operation. Stay tuned. I’ll show you the hand tools and the hand made tools. I’ll show you a shop evolved not around time saving gadgets and power tools jigs, but a love of wood and the pursuit of excellence. And I’ll show you a finished piece that’s as green or eco friendly as it gets. Not because it’s the rage, or because it’s hip. Because its real. Way real. As real as it gets. And oh so original. (imagine heavy gangsta base line here.)
IW

Off to a great start

2009-01-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

So, like I said, I have started 4 more electric guitars. I'll bring you up to date:

The bodies are each laminated, with a total of 5 layers. A core with a hand made veneer top and bottom. The core consists of 3 layers. A central panel of 3/4" thickness and a top and bottom panel of about 3/8"+. These individual layers, or leaves, are assembled from strips of clear cherry and maple. The jointing is done with great precision. Note how the boards stay together prior to glue up with no glue or clamping pressure. It's all in the hand work.

The strips of maple and cherry are carefully recovered from salvaged wood. Cutoff and trim pieces gleaned from the scrap bins behind a furniture factory. Here I have all the leaves for 4 bodies. The thicker centers are sanded and trimmed to size in the front.

The cores are then laminated in this press of my own design. Only the bottom two leaves are being glued in this photo with the rest of the stack used to keep things flat, and for lack of room elsewhere to store the stack. The center is laminated first to just the bottom, recieving it's top leaf after the cavities are routed.

The 4th and fifth layers, top and bottom, consist of 3/32" hand sawn veneer and will go on later.

Some folks would say that the hand sawn veneer is what makes my work so special. To this I would reply, "You ain't seen nothing yet!" Here is a sneak peak at what is in store. The Eat Your Heart Out top on the left is in some spectacular flame maple. Curly cherry and heavily figured walunut make the ground for my first Gates of Hell axe on the right.

These get laminated to the top with a compensatory veneer panel laminated to the bottom or back of the guitar. This all makes for one incredibly strong an stable guitar.

I have also started the necks. I'm making 6 of all colors to keep my design options open.

These are two and 3 piece neck blanks gluing up.

Gluing on the headstock can be tricky.

So I will show you how a country woodworker makes it easy. With angled cauls, faced with 120 grit paper. Waxed paper keeps squeeze out from fouling cauls for many uses. My cauls are of white cedar, I recommend a softwood for no marring of head stock.
All by hand, but as you can see, my process is very precise. All of my necks come within about a half a degree of the 14 degree angle I shoot for. Note heavy squeeze out at joint indicating plenty of titebond 3 water proof wood glue. This is a very strong joint and can take all of my weight when clamped to the bench and tested. Even prior to reinforcement with headstock veneer.
Incidently, I am making these necks with a slightly thicker headstock. The Grover locking tuners I have been using are sublime, and require just one wrap, so I want their string holes slightly lower. Building by hand allows for great flexiblity this way, and I am always looking to make things even better.

All in all, I'm off to a great start. Mick at Manlius Guitar is working on my new pickups as we speak. Two more sets of Goats Growl p-90's, a set of Fat Dianes, and his very own Chicago Blues humbuckers for a taste of something new. Still not sure what is going where, though for that matter I don't even know what the finger boards are going to look like yet. To many cool ideas for just four guitars...

Thanks Etsy!

2009-01-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Gates of Hell stash box, from WCS. Were it not for Etsy, I'd never have built this little stash box.

When a gallery owner insists on "flowers and butterflies" it dosn't exactly encourage exploring motifs such as The Gates of Hell, no? But, along comes Etsy, and now I can build whatever I want. I put it in our little store and maybe someone in Ireland, or California will have to have it. Beautiful. A perfect match. Many thanks to the fellow who came up with Etsy and the folks who got it where it is today!

With this new freedom, I asked myself, what is it that I must build? I am feeling patriotic, and Etsy has set me free. Thus was born my first Stars & Stripes.

Romance abounds in my life. Heidi, my love, inspires my art.

But, without Etsy, there would be no Eat Your Heart Out.

Now I have started four more WCS semi hollow electrics. Wait till you see what I have in store.