Building Bealtine
Apologies for the long silence here, two things happened. Firstly in my paranoia and enthusiasm to ensure that nothing in the adjustable neck-joint could move, I was over enthusiatic in inseting the brass rod pieces in the heel block and cracked it in 3 places!!! This required a new neck build. I had enough Kingwood for the peghead overlays but I had to carefully salvage the Kingwood fingerboard as this was the only one I have. Plus I had a recurrence of kidney stone problems which laid me low for a time. However, here is the story of the last part of the build during July to the end of August, concluding with Gavin collecting Bealtine on the 4th September 2006.

	So here is the new neck completed after lots of swearing.
	Complete with the modification of using brass strips epoxied into the heel rather than brass rod cut-offs.
	The rough position of the bridge is determined and some 120 grit sandpaper attached using double-sided tape. The bottom of the bridge is marked with chalk and sanded on the top until the chalk marks have dissapeared all over. This means that the bottom of the bridge profile matches the top. The sandpaper is then carefully removed from the top avoiding any grain tearout.
	Now it's onto the finishing process. I didn't take too many pictures of this I'm afraid. The body is first carefully scraped an sanded down to 400 grit sandpaper, looking for any defects, particulartly around the binding, and correcting. The back and sides are then coated with Z-poxy epoxy resin to pore fill and lift the wood grain - it gives a slightly amber tint. This is applied very thinly and needs to cure for a day before being lightly sanded back. If any pores are unfilled then more light coats are applied - the final one being a light wash of Z-poxy and methylated spirit mixed and rubbed on with kitchen towel. Here's the back after this process has been completed.
	The guitar body is then sprayed with a couple of shellac sealer coats. The pre-catalysed lacquer is then sprayed on building a thin film which is rubbed out between coats and finally rubbed to a nice luster when fully cured. Here is the body after this process has been completed with the neck attached and adjusted so that the bridge position can be determined. Low tack masking tape is placed on the guitar and the correct bridge position found. The outer pair of bridge pin holes are then marked on the tape.
	2 holes are drilled through the top and bridgeplate in the marked positions using a suitable caul under the bridgeplate. Then using 2 plastic pins through these holes the bridge is held in plice and the outline carefully scribed in the lacquer with a fine bladed scalpel.
	The lacquer is then carefully removed in the bridge area.
	The bridge is glued on using hot hide glue and clamped. You can see the glue-squeezout in the picture.
	After a few minutes when the glue has gelled, the squeeze-out is carefully removed and cleaned up. The clamp is left on overnight.
	The inner bridgepin holes are drilled and then it is time to ream and slot the bridge for the bridgepins. These are the tools I use. From left to right: reamer with 5 degree taper to match the bridgepins, pinhole saw, jig-saw blade and needle files.
	Each pair of strings share one hole. The hole has been reamed so that the pins just fall out when the guitar is turned upside down. The string slots are then cut in the bridge so that the string winding sits snugly inside and the edge is against the pin when it is pushed in with the ball-end of the string resting on the bridgeplate. The saddles have also been fitted into the bridge.
	The Gotoh tuners are then fitted onto the neck. Later the buttons will be replaced with ebony ones to minimise the headstock weight.
	Then comes the fun part - stringing up. No matter how many instruments you have made, nothing compares with the moment when you put the strings on and play for the first time. You are pretty sure what you will hear but never take things for granted. But first the nut slots must be cut - with 10 strings this takes a while.The good news is Bealtine sounded very sweet and I love the effect of the soundport.
	Then it's the finishing touches. First making the clear mylar pickguard and attaching it. The white is the backing paper that is removed to expose the adhesive on the back of the clear pickguard.
	Then the K&K Pure Wetern Mini pickup.
	Finally the label is signed and glued in.
	Bealtine complete and sounding sweet.
	And a back view.
	And here's Gavin collecting Bealtine on Moday 4th September 2006. He has promised a review and some recording soon.