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Currently on the bench
I recently completed a black walnut, no-scratchplate Telecaster-style guitar, and I am in the early stages of work on a Thinline Tele built from mahogany and soft maple. For something different, and to keep my housemates happy, I also recently built a Noguchi coffee table.

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Slow luthiery — handcrafted guitars and accessories

The wholesome and the loathsome: filling the endle The wholesome and the loathsome: filling the endless pores in the mahogany with epoxy, and the tedious task of sanding it all back to wood.
Drilling the jack hole (not exactly a Zen activity Drilling the jack hole (not exactly a Zen activity 😐) and wiring channels through the body.
Tidying up some binding on a very slow build. Tidying up some binding on a very slow build.
Slotting and radiusing a rosewood fretboard. Slotting and radiusing a rosewood fretboard.
Cutting and planing some mahogany boards for two f Cutting and planing some mahogany boards for two future guitar necks and possibly a body.
Routing headstock down to the correct thickness. Routing headstock down to the correct thickness.
Shaping the blank into a neck: rough sawing, getti Shaping the blank into a neck: rough sawing, getting closer to the outline with a Shinto rasp then a belt sander, and finally routing against a template.
Routing a channel for the truss rod, and test fitt Routing a channel for the truss rod, and test fitting it.
Laminating a maple veneer to the neck blank. I’d l Laminating a maple veneer to the neck blank. I’d like to say this is a design choice but I’m in fact adding 0.55 mm thickness to a neck blank I made a hair too thin. A bit of an experiment but if it works it will end up adding a nice feature to the neck.
Instagram post 17903103648017522 Instagram post 17903103648017522
Starting work on a neck for the Thinline Telecaste Starting work on a neck for the Thinline Telecaster, beginning with a mahogany billet, discussing an Indian Rosewood fingerboard with a mate, sawing and planing the wood into three pieces that will be laminated with some maple veneer to make the neck.
Wonderful surprise came in the post today from @wa Wonderful surprise came in the post today from @watersandacland, an amazing fine furniture workshop and school in Cumbria (if you want to see how amazing, check out the incredible output of their students on their feed). It’s a trough plane from @workshopheaven (another great woodworking resource) that I’m going to have to learn how to use 😀. Thanks @watersandacland and @workshopheaven!
First steps towards a Stratocaster-style electric First steps towards a Stratocaster-style electric guitar: sawing blanks of beech, gluing up the body, flattening with a router planer, and making a Strat body router template.
Done Done
Fine sanding, testing tung oil on a walnut sample, Fine sanding, testing tung oil on a walnut sample, sanding over oil to seal the wood — first coat done.
It’s getting there. Drilled holes for the alignmen It’s getting there. Drilled holes for the alignment rod, cut off a bolt head to make the rod, and did some final cutting and shaping of the horn ends. I’ll sand and finish the two pieces in a few days, and hope I manage to source a good glass top.
Some more router work, this time with a round-over Some more router work, this time with a round-over bit to shape the edges; also cut the ‘horns’ to an equal height.
Cleaning up the edge after rough sawing with a ban Cleaning up the edge after rough sawing with a band saw.
Glueing up the boards and rough-sanding the joint Glueing up the boards and  rough-sanding the joints.
Making a router template. Making a router template.
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