Building a Telecaster styled guitar: Fret Press

Fret Press

Hot off the bench, a Fret Press. The 7 1/4" radiused maple block has a piece of aluminum (soffit) attached (with two sided tape) to the bearing surface. The opposing concave surface is lined with a piece of leather to avoid marring the back of the neck. The two 4" pressure-wheels are made from 3/4" baltic birch plywood. The two 3/8" nuts are pressed and glued (gorilla glue) into recessed holes in the top surface of the pressure-wheels.

Building a Telecaster styled guitar: getting closer to the finishing shop

 . . . . and Roger, what have you been doing to keep out of trouble this lovely New Brunswick winter. Well . . . .

Quad Tele's

Quad Tele's again

My two are on the right (top pic) or at the top (lower pic). The other two are Paul's. Notice the reversed neck on the bottom one (lower pic). Jimi would be proud of us. All are top notch! Things have gone well (so far). Some fretting to do, then out to the finishing shop. Getting anxious.
ps - Not that I am bragging, but the necks fit so precisely in the neck pockets on all four that we can (carefully) pick them up relying only on the friction of the fit to hold them together.

Building a Telecaster styled guitar neck: Completed Yellow Birch Neck

Yellow Birch Telecaster neck complete with frets and dots

Building a Telecaster styled guitar: Progress Report

So . . . things have been progressing nicely. No major problems as such, but many opportunities to learn. We have given a lot of attention to specs and detail which is paying off in the quality of the product. Interestingly, we had a plan to build at least two necks and two bodies each, thinking that we would each have one that would evolve as the keeper, and one would become the also ran. To date (and I repeat "to date"), all four are keepers.This project has gone well!
I have started to fret my yellow birch neck. Yellow birch is not a traditional neck-wood for fender, but none the less, I used it for one, and it is working out extremely well. As near as I been able to glean from the fonte of all knowledge (Google) it is tradition, and not characteristics that have led Fender to use maple over yellow birch. Until I discover a reason to rate yellow birch as inferior for this purpose, I will give it equal footing with maple.

My Twin Teles - ready for frets and finish

The Dots

Fret Wire Bending Jig ver 2 - fully adjustable

This fret wire bending jig will uniformly bend fret wire through any desired radius.

Use two or three successive passes to achieve the desired radius.

Youtube of Fret Wire Bending Jig ver 2

Fret Wire Bending Jig ver 2 unassembled

Fret Wire Bending Jig ver 2

Fret Wire Bending Jig ver 2 - side view