Maple Thinline Telecaster

[Mark Crenshaw]

With the holes I drilled from the front registered on the lower pin, the drill bit in the drill press completes the string holes 100% dead on.



Then using the same setup I widened the holes for the ferrules...couldn't have been easier. I'll use this method from now on.

[Mark Crenshaw]

Time for some more work on the neck...I actually did this before the body work but I got my posts out of order.

I put a little more detail in the headstock and heel. I still need to do final sanding on them.





Then I put a 12" radius on the fretboard. It only takes about 10 mins and a bit of effort. And as I found on this one, it had a low spot that needed some attention. I'm not sure how router jigs handle that. I guess some hand blocking is always a possibility.

[Mark Crenshaw]

I've found that a piece of card stock does a nice job of cleaning out the fret slots. I used a fret saw before and even though it only cuts on the back stroke, the forward motion from cleaning caused issues with slots that were too wide. The card stock is safer.



Ready for frets!



This build is really coming along. I'll finish up the bending this evening and hopefully glue up the sides tomorrow.



Peace,
Mark

[Jim Becker]

I love that "socket-clamp" idea! That was just the ticked for that narrow rounded space!

[Mark Crenshaw]

I love that "socket-clamp" idea! That was just the ticked for that narrow rounded space!

HI Jim. Then you're gonna love the next post!

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

The gluing of the sides has begun this morning. I came up with the idea of starting with the smallest radius first, That way, if something is off, I can ease slack around a larger curve much easier than trying to get it to tuck into a tiny notch where the wood isn't bent properly.

Anyway. Here's a picture of the clamping rig I came up with. The clamp on the left in this pic is really just there to add counter pressure on the back caul and to give the body a second pipe to rest on instead of balancing on one.



You can't tell from the pics but the body is resting on 2 pieces of rubber matt. It protects the body and it keeps the body up off the clamp bar to allow the 1/2" socket to slide down past the back of the guitar allowing the clamp to pull from slightly below the body. The top clamp counters this pressure. So, rather than having flat pressure against the body side, I have pressure top and bottom, really pulling the side into place. That socket isn't gonna flex, so I know I have firm pressure across the side.



Whew! You can see the bent side is pulled tightly against the body. Except for the tight radius on the other side, I plan to use tire inner tube strips for the rest of the glue up...I saw a guy do this on an acoustic and it worked great. Good thing I kept that old pair of tubes thinking I would patch them some day.



Peace,
Mark

[Jim Kountz]

Man its killing me watching this one, I cant wait to see it done!! Really really nice job so far. I have wanted to build my own tele for so long and just never have. My old sunburst standard will have to do until then!! So I dont see any provisions for a B-Bender in there, seems like the icing on the cake for such a nice guitar!!

[Matt Walton]

This looks so great! where would I find resources on doing one myself?

[Mark Crenshaw]

Out of the clamps with an anchor point in the smallest radius on the body.



The inner tube idea was a bust...not enough pressure. So, I worked my way around the body with the rig I started with. Using various cauls.

[Mark Crenshaw]

Just working my way around...

[Mark Crenshaw]

A few minutes of scraping and the results are in. I had planned a .090" binding and with the sides being .080" thick, I should be able to scrape out any ridges from the bending process and still be comfortably within my .010" buffer. A .090" binding channel will take care of any difference.



Only one side left...the tough one!

Peace,
Mark

[Keith Christopher]

Mark,

Absolutely amazing work ! A suggestion if I may, when I glue up on curves I always put a layer of cork inside my cauls and it seems to even up the pressure quite well and consistently. Just a thought. But this is an OUTSTANDING piece of work. VERY motivating.

Keith

[Mark Crenshaw]

Mark,

Absolutely amazing work ! A suggestion if I may, when I glue up on curves I always put a layer of cork inside my cauls and it seems to even up the pressure quite well and consistently. Just a thought. But this is an OUTSTANDING piece of work. VERY motivating.

Keith

Thanks Keith! Cork would have come in real handy. I made a couple of clamping cauls but I couldn't get them to settle properly. I bet some cork would have solved it...they were only off by fractions. I may try that on the other side.

Peace,
Mark

[Mark Crenshaw]

I trimmed out the neck pocket before moving on. I didn't want any unsupported wood during the next clamping phase that could snap and crack the side.



With the last side being the toughest...tight bends...I traced the body onto mdf a couple of times so if something goes wrong, I can cut one out and use it as a template to route off any unwanted wood from the side.


The first side after scraping and sanding the edges level.



The glue up begins.

[Mark Crenshaw]

Gluing and clamping shots...