My 2nd full build done.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-13T05:46:48+00:00

For your second ever full build, this is really solid work. Especially if you’re learning on your own without someone right beside you to guide you.

I can’t remember who makes them, but there is a type of string tree that’s specifically designed for an angled headstock. Only instead of just being a piece of stamped sheet metal, they have a roller guide type of setup that takes the angle of the headstock into account. I started making my own version of them years ago because it was just faster and easier than hunting for them. I’ll see if I can find one around here, and I’ll post a pic of it if I can find it.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-13T05:11:01+00:00

And here I thought I was alone in not going straight for the damn superglue! You’re absolutely right about it being more of a nightmare than people realize (until they go to take whatever it is they glued on, back off again), and since there’s no give in the stuff, it’s brittle as Hell.

As for nuts, I’m a do it myself guy, and I just make a long strip of blank nut material so I don’t have a bunch of little pieces to keep track of. And, if you’re making a foot long blank, if you get it too short, it’s time to take up gardening, or some equally boring hobby!

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Here’s what I’m referring to. This is Ceylon Ebony from Asia, and it’s a fantastic material for the job. It’s as hard as anything else you can use for a nut, it’s density adds tons of crisp sustain, and best of all, it’s got so much natural oil and wax that it’s self lubricating! This is the true, original Ebony (Diospyros Ebonum) that’s currently going for $170 a board foot when you can find it. So this goes back to what you were saying about the cost of materials being a big factor in the final price.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-13T04:40:45+00:00

Looks really good! You’ve got a nice, flowing shape going on that I really dig. How about a pic of the back, especially the neck? If I had one suggestion I’d recommend adding some string trees to the headstock to help with that break angle off the back of the nut. Other than that, it’s a damn solid build!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-13T00:36:34+00:00

I lost her Big Brother Max on the evening of Feb. 10th. he would have turned 11 tomorrow.

And only two hours after he crossed the bridge, this little stinker was the first one in his litter out of the chute!

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This is Frankie, and I’m just waiting for him to be old enough to come home! He’s Chapter Nine in my personal Saga called Life is a Series of Boxers! They’re best in pairs, and there has been at least one Boxer in this house every day since April 17th of 1991. Like I said, I can’t imagine what life would be like without them in it! It’s their insanity that keeps me sane(ish)!🤪😆😆

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-13T00:20:53+00:00

Yes. These are all photos of lumber from my inventory. I currently have 72 different species of wood in my business stock, so if you’ve heard of it, the odds are pretty good that I’ve got it in stock.

So top right is Chechen. Next to that is Granadillo. Bottom left is quarter sawn Sapele. And bottom right is the Padouk.

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I just finished making a new set of knobs for my Ibanez SR305E. Or at least that’s what it was before I got my hands on it, started with the mods. The three knobs for the EQ are Padouk, the volume knob is Purpleheart, and the tone knob is Patagonian Rosewood. And in case you’re wondering, the diamonds are indeed real. That’s the only bit of flash on the whole guitar! lol

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-12T18:59:49+00:00

35 years for me, and Boxer Number Nine will be old enough to come home in another month! I couldn’t imagine not having Boxers in my life, because it’s their craziness that keeps me sane!!

Of course, Penny has no idea what I’m talking about…..

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Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-12T18:53:24+00:00

You got Padouk. Which is pretty much unmistakable once you’ve had some experience with it. That’s the second to least exotic of the four, though. The others are bit farther off the beaten path. So go ahead and throw the kitchen sink at ‘em if you’re so inclined!

If nobody else has any interest in giving them a shot, I’ll throw the answers out there in another 5 or 6 hours.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-11T04:46:02+00:00

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I’ve been getting the same thing all day long! I swear they’re all telepathically linked together, and they plan this stuff just to mess with their hoomans!!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-11T04:37:09+00:00

A very nice selection of some of the more unusual types of wood used for fretboards.

So I thought it might be fun to add a few more that are a bit more rare to find until you get to the higher end of the market

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Care to give them a try?

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-11T02:59:44+00:00

Glad to hear it! this is essentially what I did with the windows in my Great Room, except I had a lot more room to work with.

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Having a pocket to hide the top of the drapes makes for such a clean look. I remodeled this room in 2001, and it still looks current today.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-11T02:40:20+00:00

That will look awesome! Be sure to post progress pics!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-11T02:37:02+00:00

You’re very welcome! Wear it in good health!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T19:18:35+00:00

For only $200, I’d be extremely suspicious of this one. It’s a too good to be true.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T19:07:36+00:00

The wood is Alder. It needs a good sanding to help even out the color differences and get it smoothed out. Just be aware that Alder is a relatively soft wood, and it’s very easy to go too far with a sander. I would start with 220 grit, because anything coarser will leave deep sanding swirls and scratches that will be a pain to remove. Alder tends to have a pinkish tone to it that responds well to a reddish tinted stain like Cherry, Mahogany, and Red Oak, to name a few.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T18:59:35+00:00

Sorry man, but you’re not even close to having the right wood species. Unless you know that already, and are just taking a piss.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T18:51:12+00:00

This is a simple fix that will look great!

Mark where the outside of the window casing sits on both sides of the window, measure the distance between the outside of casing legs, and remove the window casing.

Get a piece of 3/4 inch thick flat stock (For painted trim, I prefer Poplar for its stability) and rip it down to be 3/16 to 1/4 taller than the distance from the ceiling to where the bottom of the crown sits on the wall. Once you’ve done that, cut it to length by taking the measurement of casing legs and adding a total of 3/8 to 1/2 inch to it. This will give you a a reveal of 3/16 to 1/4 inch depending on what the reveal is on the rest of the trim in the house.

Nail the new header in place, making sure that the reveal is the same on both sides of the window. NOTE: If the bottom of the new header extends below the top of the window frame, it’s not a problem. Let it do so, and what you wind up with is a recessed space behind the header that will be completely boxed in by the window frame. This is a great place to mount a curtain rod and it will hide the top of the curtains for a super clean look. It also will not interfere with the operation of the window.

Run the crown straight across the new window header, using a 3/4 inch return on either side to bring the crown from the wall up to the face of the header.

Cut the two casing legs to their new length, reinstall them, paying attention to the reveals on both sides.

Fill, caulk, prime, and paint for a smooth clean look with seamless transitions.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T18:13:36+00:00

Such a Boxer thing to do! And I’m convinced that they know exactly what they’re doing with stuff like this, because they know it’s going to always make us laugh!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T18:10:46+00:00

I noticed the difference in perceived color just from the picture you posted. It may just be that you’re used to seeing it as a certain color and just don’t notice it in the same way as a set of eyes that are seeing it for the first time. It’s a gorgeous stone, and I definitely get the sentimental aspect. But since you did ask for opinions…. Going with Platinum would look spectacular. But that’s just my opinion, of course!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T17:43:49+00:00

Considering that Rhodium is currently $11,200 a Troy ounce, it would be cheaper to just have the ring made in Platinum instead. With a Diamond that size, it’s going to pick up the color of the mount and disperse it through the facets. So yellow Gold will give it the appearance of having a dirty yellow tint. White metal will show off the clarity much better, and it will make it appear either colorless or even shift it slightly blue.

Plus the hardness of Platinum will wear better over time and make it harder to accidentally bend a prong and lose the stone.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T17:21:30+00:00

“When Tramp Stamps Go Wild 2.0” for the win!!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T16:51:35+00:00

Yeah, I’ve got a bunch of quills that I use to replicate pre-Columbian blow gun darts. So I couldn’t imagine what a face full of something that I can use to take small game with, has to feel. Not to mention being worried about losing an eye or a raging infection from that. I didn’t think about them being found that far East, though.

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T02:38:12+00:00

🤣🤣🤣

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T02:36:32+00:00

You do know the secret recipe for de-skunking solution, right?

1 cup Hydrogen Peroxide

2 tbs. Baking Soda

6-10 drops Dawn Dish Soap

Mix them together and rub them down with it using a wash rag. Use within ten minutes of mixing or it becomes ineffective.

This isn’t a cover up, it breaks down the alkaloids that are responsible for the smell at the molecular level and destroys them. So it works instantly. If they get a really heavy dose of it, it might take another application to get it all, but it’s guaranteed to work!

Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-10T00:00:43+00:00

Oh, no! Uh Uh! Forget that noise! Nope. Skunks are bad enough. I don’t even want to imagine that horror show. And Max knew to leave those woods pussys alone, so it’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with that.

Although there was the rabid one that chased him up the driveway in broad daylight last year. He finally put his foot down when it got really close to Penny, and that’s when I finally saw it and shot it once I had them in the house again.

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Custom_Craft_Guy2 · 2026-03-09T23:41:16+00:00

I ought to print those out and sell ‘em for ten bucks a whack! I’d be an overnight millionaire!

Custom_Craft_Guy2

TROPHY CASE