Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Talk about modding or building your own guitar from scratch.
User avatar
Deed_Poll
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3209
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
Location: Brighton, UK

Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Deed_Poll » Sat Jun 24, 2017 5:42 pm

Hi guys!

More to come on this, but long story short I just took J's Jag Bass body off the CNC and it's the first one I've machined with this timber.

It machined well initially, but was very particular with feeds and speeds and has a tendency to get dusty if the feed speed is too low. Once I got the feed speed up where it needed to be and slowed the RPM a little, it cut beautifully and made perfect chips, leaving a super smooth surface. It reminded me a lot of the black Korina I cut a few months back, which is definitely a good thing!

Compared to non heat treated ash, it is surprisingly different. The surface is a good bit harder and it's a bit tougher to sand. I imagine it will resist dents a bit easier, it was more like working with alder but less stringy. I haven't gone through the motions yet with the sanding, just got rid of a few machining marks with some 220.

The amazing thing about it is that its walnut-like appearance when dry goes to a real deep rosewood colour after a rub with some IPA. I'd be happy with this wood if I was making a George Harrison style rosewood telecaster replica but didn't have the funds or the patience to find RW in suitable dimensions... Here's a pic to show what I mean.

Image

More to come! I will be making a bunch of my offset Tele styles in this wood soon :)

Cheers!

Dan
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form

User avatar
kdanie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4412
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:07 am
Location: On the road

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by kdanie » Sat Jun 24, 2017 6:09 pm

Looks GREAT, how's the weight?

ken
Life is an adventure, not something to be suffered through. Don't like your life? FIX it!

User avatar
StevenO
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 17768
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:06 pm

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by StevenO » Sat Jun 24, 2017 6:16 pm

Wow, that's beautiful.

User avatar
saxjag
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2124
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:11 pm
Location: Portland/or, USA

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by saxjag » Sat Jun 24, 2017 7:46 pm

Deed_Poll wrote:its walnut-like appearance when dry goes to a real deep rosewood colour after a rub with some IPA.
India Pale Ale??? :wtf:

User avatar
Shadoweclipse13
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 12435
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm
Location: Stuck in the dimension of imagination

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Sat Jun 24, 2017 7:53 pm

Ohh yeah 8)
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

User avatar
Deed_Poll
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3209
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Deed_Poll » Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:43 pm

Weight isn't bad Ken, I'd say roughly on the spectrum from moderate to slightly hefty alder. Some boards I have are lighter than others, and I was very surprised that the pieces with the tightest grain aren't necessarily the heaviest! I think I'll make some thinlines with the heavier pieces, I already have a toolpath lined up for that which should work really nicely.

Cheers Steven, yeah it's amazing what a finish will do! The pictures really don't do the dry wood justice at all, in reality it's kind of a beautiful chocolate / wenge type colour that is very nice in its own right.

Saxjag, haha indeed! But it's gotta be craft brewed for the boutique tonz!! Isopropyl alcohol :)

I think you're gonna like this one J! 8)
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form

User avatar
PixMix
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1687
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 6:04 pm

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by PixMix » Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:46 pm

That grain and color looks really great. Rosewood-like enough to get you in trouble while crossing borders with it.

User avatar
Deed_Poll
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3209
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Deed_Poll » Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:16 pm

I did the edge radius today, I got a little chunk of tear out on the end grain so I sped up the tool and it worked great after that. Its quite brittle and the window seems pretty narrow, but when you've got it set just right it machines really nicely and leaves a very smooth finish.

More pics coated in India Pale Ale for that lovely colour!

Image

Image

Image
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form

Con-Tiki!
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3112
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Pgh, where the zombies come from

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Con-Tiki! » Sun Jun 25, 2017 3:35 pm

man, that's pretty.
(Christopher, also)
I've been to one World's Fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing i ever heard come out a pair of headphones.

User avatar
maxbra
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 57
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2016 7:01 am
Contact:

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by maxbra » Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:08 am

Very Nice!

User avatar
Deed_Poll
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3209
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Deed_Poll » Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:43 am

Cheers guys!

Ken, an update on the weight.

There seems to be a really big variance between the heaviest and lightest pieces.

The bass body is 4lb 12oz, of course it does have fairly extensive routing and contours plus a 1/2" radius, and is a tiny bit thinner (1-5/8" instead of 1-3/4").

Still I think that's pretty manageable considering that it is pretty large with the long horn and all. Jaguars are not known for being lightweights!

However I just cut an offset Tele style body (4% larger than a normal Tele) in full thickness, with vintage style routes and that weighs a hair over 6lbs... Which I would say is a bit of a bruiser!

I can always use the denser pieces to make thinlines or weight relieved bodies with tops, or just more routing under the pickguard to get the weight down a bit.

I've had terrible trouble with tear out around the neck pocket on this offset Tele body, good practice for me fixing it up I guess! It's a bit strange though considering the Jag Bass body didn't have any problems with tear out around the neck pocket. I think I'll try filling it in with dust and supergluing it. It won't be too pretty but it should be workablr after that! It will be a blue light special for sure! Haha
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form

User avatar
Deed_Poll
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3209
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Deed_Poll » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:01 am

Here are some pics of the offset Tele body with all the tearout... I just discovered all my old superglue has perished so I had to buy some new ones, I plan to just fill it up with dust and put my faith in the capillary action. I'll do this multiple times until it's slightly proud of the surface then sand it back.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Ouch!
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form

User avatar
Shadoweclipse13
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 12435
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm
Location: Stuck in the dimension of imagination

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:07 am

Ouch indeed, but that's lovely on the offset Tele shape with the roasted ash!!
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

User avatar
Deed_Poll
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3209
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:24 am
Location: Brighton, UK

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by Deed_Poll » Tue Jun 27, 2017 12:55 pm

Cheers, J!

Good news - I think I might just about have saved it :)
Image
Image
Image
Owner Operator of GuitarForm - Custom Offset Guitar Bodies
www.guitarform.com ◈ @guitar_form

User avatar
kdanie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4412
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:07 am
Location: On the road

Re: Roasted ash fresh off the CNC!

Post by kdanie » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:08 pm

I've used superglue/sawdust on those type tearouts in the past, works well but not for clear finish. The tele looks great!

ken
Life is an adventure, not something to be suffered through. Don't like your life? FIX it!

Post Reply