Ep 3 - BoB1 - It's a learning curve. - Ben Crowe Builds an Insane Guitar

#guitardesign #guitarbuilder #guitarbuilding #guitar #luthier

In this episode, Ben reduces the size of the neck blank and finalises the neck. Experiments with the slices of wood that will make up the body - unsuccessfully.

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:05 Marking out and cutting the neck and headstock
5:15 Slicing the offcuts - do they bend?
6:42 It works.
11:22 Well, not quite. The alternative idea also a dud. Oh, dear!
17:53 Conclusion
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Thank you again for all your support, we really appreciate it! – Ben
Stay tuned and stay awesome!

[guillaumefrery]

Hi Ben! I am watching your videos and I am a huge fan of your work and builds. You give me the want to try to build a guitar myself. Knowing I have never work the wood, and I have 2 left hands, it is just incredible for me. But what you do seems so easy and fun that I want to try too.
However, thank your for your videos from France! You'r amazing!!

[dalgguitars]

Your creativity is enviable! And inspirational. Keep it up. You rock.

[SymetryofOne]

Ben. I work in the aviation industry. We use this method to stop cracks propergating in the airframe. We don't insert anything in the hole though, some of your other followers have mentioned this aswell. However due to the grain structure in the wood you may have trouble getting around the weakness of the joint. Love the chanel Ben really inspired me to make my next instrument rather than buy one.

[guyrandom]

This is so much better than the 90 hr build. More passion, more progress... More insane 😎

[Ray_Morris]

I’ll add my idea to the mix. If you steam the wood after you make the cut and make sure that it is as flexible as possible, it will make it much much easier. As you expand the slats, use a small spring clamp on the ends to lessen the possibility of splitting. Once it is dried, it SHOULD hold its shape even without any spacers. At least, that’s how it works in my mind. Anyway, thanks for the entertaining, interesting, and informative videos, and good luck with the build.

[keithwallis]

Ben, one idea that occurs to me is to make thin curved wood pieces between each end. Not only will this shape the guitar exactly as you want it, but it should also support each slice while also helping prevent Bob from being destroyed by a bump from either end. I don't know if this takes away too much from the aesthetic you're after though.

[heathbarnhart]

Two ideas for strength/style. 1) Fill the negative space with resin, could make for a cool marble effect. 2) Fill the negative space with a lighter color wood. This option is kind've the opposite of the complication and could look amazing.

[christopherenright]

Great videos. Kudos to Talitha on fine editing (love the protractor toss into the drawer). Ben, your bandsaw should sing with 3 minutes of attention. Blade sharpness aside, I can see from Sacramento that the upper guide bearing is set too far back. The blade shouldn't deflect when you push the piece through. Lower bearings too. Thanks for sharing the adventure.

[gpurkeljc]

I see that look which says I don't know how this will work yet, I just know it will. The end result should be exciting.

[johanandersson]

Make a steam box! Remember "An hour, an inch". So if the material is a quarter of an inch you need to steam it for an quarter of an hour.

[mykhough]

I was at Crimson today, picking up my order, and it took all my self-control not to sneak a peek into Ben's workshop or at Talitha's editing screen. All I know is that he is still working on it. I just want the excitement of seeing how Ben solves the problems as they occur.

[grunions]

Ben I don't mean to tell you how to woodwork, but is it possible that those glued-in tubes just moved the stress point? Would it actually be better to just have the drilled holes so the stress point becomes perpendicular? I've not explained myself very well there....

[nobilismaximus]

Another thought, at the root of the cut cross drill and insert dowels, this should prevent the cracking from propagating better than drilling the root in the same plane.

[kokobily]

It is definitely going to work due to the lattice that will transfer forces more evenly across the body. Thought about using bone? Also check out the corrugated paper strat- also same principle - i guess this also leads back to the 90-hour build..!

[ConstrutorMusical]

Nice ideas.... Just love to see you working and to follow your mid, Ben! Thanks for sharing this!!!!

[ironbreacker]

when you made your initial cut you created whats know as a stress concentration point. A point of localised, concentrated stress that essential amplifies the effects of the applied load to the design. Meaning that the design will break under a load condition well bellow the materials ultimate tensile strength. By drilling a hole you moved the Stress concentration point to where the cut met the circumference of the drilled hole. Ideally you want to avoid sharp corners and edges. By rounding the edges you will distribute the stress more evenly in that critical area, reducing the risk of failure.

I would also suggest removing material at the belly of the wooden strip to allow it flex more easily, similar to how a long bow is crafted. This would greatly improve the stress distribution across the design as a whole and reduce the level of stress felt at that critical point.

Another idea would be to remove the concentration point entirely by just cutting the off-cut blanks into even planks and riveting them with copper/ brass pins.

[dsnyder]

Saw the blank into slats and then pin every other slat together to keep away from short grain problems.

[shoffman]

@crimsonguitars Hey Ben, I haven't seen this suggestion yet, but try using a thicker blade for the cuts. This should result in the cut terminating at more of a square than a fine point which in turn distributes the load better. Notice the difference between the end of a cut from a thick table saw blade vs from a thin scroll or bandsaw blade at the termination point. Excited to see what you come up with and good luck!

[HockeyPop]

using that accordian style fanning lends itself perfectly to be shaped like Bo Diddley's guitar!

[Slikx]

Ben Crowe, proof that there's a fine line between madness and genius!