# Home Depot Build Challenge (2013) - Warlute



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 1, 2013)

Greetings, folks.

What follows is my entry for the 2013 Sevenstring.org Home Depot Build Challenge. As I build guitars for money, *this will be a non-competitive build*. This is purely for enjoyment.


So...I thought I'd try something new and different for me: An acoustic. In thinking about the most ridiculous acoustic instrument I could conceive, I came up with this idea:

I am going to build a 5-course (10-string) acoustic lute, using the B.C. Rich Warlock body style.

First, the design:






Of course, it's a lute in name only. Really, it's just a 5-course guitar. But that's OK, as a lute differs from a guitar mostly in the body shape and the number of strings (and that crazy pegbox).

Specs:
24" scale with 24 frets.
Pine/fir/cedar/spruce top (basically, whatever conifer I end up with...but it must be softwood)
Red oak back and sides
Maple fretboard with red oak dot position markers
Inexpensive tuners of some variety

I may or may not install some piezoelectric soundboard transducers and make a piezo pre-amp buffer. It should be doable for $15-20 at radio shack. We'll see.

The body depth will be 4". The back will not be radiused.

The neck, back, and sides will be sprayed black. The top will be....something different. I'm not sure exactly yet.

I've never done an acoustic before, so it's entirely possible that the whole thing will implode as soon as I string it up. So that's something to look forward to. I'll do my best to brace against disaster, but one never knows.

I'll have some more pics up as soon as I get the materials.


----------



## skeels (Sep 1, 2013)

skeels likes this craziness


----------



## XxJoshxX (Sep 1, 2013)

This is awesome


----------



## Suitable (Sep 1, 2013)

Keen to see this one \m/


----------



## Just A Box (Sep 1, 2013)

I'm impressed with this one.

Thank goodness you're not in actual competition for the grand prize...

Otherwise, my initial response would have been "well, I tried, but looks like it's just for fun now"


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 2, 2013)

Did some more planning/designing...






The fretboard will now be red oak. All red oak parts (neck, back, sides, fretboard) will have a black and red ceruse finish. The top will now be poplar, and will have a dyed red finish. 

Total for parts and materials comes to $138.31. The biggest single part is the tuners, and they are pretty cheap as tuners go.

I was thinking about making compressing/friction fit tuning pegs, similar to actual lute pegs (and violin pegs). But then I'd have to buy a reamer...and those cost more than the tuning machines.


----------



## XxJoshxX (Sep 2, 2013)

Have you stained poplar before, im sure it will work good with a good technique, but unless you spray it its gonna turn out really splotchy.


----------



## Murdstone (Sep 2, 2013)

Come on, go for the right-angle headstock. You know you want to.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 2, 2013)

XxJoshxX said:


> Have you stained poplar before, im sure it will work good with a good technique, but unless you spray it its gonna turn out really splotchy.



It is easy to dye when you seal it first. If it sucks, I'll go with something else.



Murdstone said:


> Come on, go for the right-angle headstock. You know you want to.



Most historical examples I have seen have a 75 degree scarf and an open pegbox. It's tempting...but I think I'll skip it for this one.


----------



## Ironbird (Sep 3, 2013)

Holy goat balls.

This will be EPIC.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 3, 2013)

I spoke to a gentleman this weekend about salvaging some Sitka Spruce from a boat that was destroyed by the tornado a couple of months ago. If I can secure some, I'll use it for the top.


----------



## lookslikemeband (Sep 3, 2013)

Cool headstock...


----------



## Deegatron (Sep 3, 2013)

This is officially my favorite acoustic build ever.
Hat's off to you sir for the concept.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 3, 2013)

I'm 100% certain I've bitten off far more than I am capable of digesting at this point...but I suppose that was the point.

It looks like I'll have 9 side pieces and sets of kerfing.

There'll be 11 structural members on the back (heel block, neck block, center supports, etc.), along with 10 pieces of bracing.

I haven't looked into bracing the top yet. I'm sure it will be...exciting.


----------



## CaptainLuckeyBeard (Sep 4, 2013)

I love it hahah good luck to your sir, that looks like a hassle...but if you can pull it off (which I'm sure you can) then that'll easily be the most epic acoustic anything I've ever seen lol


----------



## Carnage (Sep 4, 2013)

Looking forward to seeing how this plays out, good luck sir


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 5, 2013)

Thanks, everyone.

So here's my plan for bracing:






(The actual braces and blocks won't be colored accordingly...it's just for the illustration.)

I feel like I'm probably way overdoing it....but I'm pretty paranoid about the thing collapsing under string tension.

The blue color coded blocks will be full-height, meaning they will glue to the top AND the back, spanning the full height of the soundbox. The full-height blocks are limited to the neck block and the heel block.

There will also be kerfing, of course. I'm planning on making the kerfing out of poplar. I'm not 100% sure how yet, but it doesn't look terribly difficult.


----------



## iRaiseTheDead (Sep 5, 2013)

This is one of the most creative ideas I've seen in a while, I'll be watching this!


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 5, 2013)

I've been thinking about the carved...thing...that is in the soundhole of most lutes...it's usually some kind of weave design, like this:






But I'm thinking this project needs something a bit more...deliberate...like this:


----------



## AndrewG716 (Sep 5, 2013)

If you pull off something like that, you are the man!

And my mind can't comprehend the precision and delicacy that must have gone into the carve on top. Holy crap. Carving details is one thing, but on a thin soundboard, wow.


----------



## MikeyLawless (Sep 6, 2013)

Me likey. Most metal lute ever.


----------



## Deegatron (Sep 6, 2013)

I pee my pants a little bit with excitement every time i see an update on this thread.
EPIC win.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 6, 2013)

Shit...just realized I have a really nice piece of rosewood scrap from a neck blank...hm...I wonder if it's wide enough.


----------



## Suitable (Sep 6, 2013)

This is going to be sick!!! \M/


----------



## ZXIIIT (Sep 6, 2013)

Approved.


----------



## Bodes (Sep 6, 2013)




----------



## Cloudy (Sep 7, 2013)

This is actually hilariously amazing I can't wait to see this finalized.


----------



## Slunk Dragon (Sep 7, 2013)

This has all the potential to be amazing. Subbed, and super excited!


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 7, 2013)

I decided to go a different route with the soundhole carving:






A buddy of mine with a 3D printer is making it for me.

Also, I got all the wood yesterday.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 7, 2013)

String/Tuning notes for my own reference:

Course tuning Gg(2/3), Cc(3/4), Ee(3/4), aa(3/3), dd(4/4)

Gg course strings: 0.039, 0.021

Cc course strings: 0.029, 0.015

Ee course strings: 0.022, 0.010

aa course strings: 0.017, 0.017

dd course strings: 0.012, 0.012

Circle K, two sets:

2x 0.010 GKS-G010S
4x 0.012 GKS-G012S
2x 0.015 GKS-G015S
4x 0.017 GKS-G017S
2x 0.021 GKS-G021H
2x 0.022 GKS-G022H
2x 0.029 GKS-G029H
2x 0.039 GKS-G039H

$26.40


----------



## jonajon91 (Sep 7, 2013)

Awesome! When are we going to see some wood?


----------



## 9voltchicken (Sep 7, 2013)

Saw this thread and definitely had a chuckle. I love it. So far your bracing looks good on the top except for the bridge. Do you plan on squaring the bracing under the bridge with the diagonal bracing directly next to it? Also, I would use poplar under the bridge since it's a lighter material. A lighter top means more potential volume.

Also, the back doesn't need to be that heavily braced since most of your tension is going to be on the soundboard. I think you can get away with just using poplar. 

I'm actually building an acoustic as well as a couple electrics right now. I'd be more than willing to share what limited knowledge I have about bracing and such.


----------



## jonajon91 (Sep 7, 2013)

Please say this is going to be a dark red.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 7, 2013)

I've got the wood ripped and planed to thickness. I'll have some pics up later this afternoon. I settled on poplar for bracing and kerfing, red oak for sides, back, neck, and fretboard, and "select" yellow pine for the top.



jonajon91 said:


> Awesome! When are we going to see some wood?



Soon....see above.



9voltchicken said:


> Saw this thread and definitely had a chuckle. I love it. So far your bracing looks good on the top except for the bridge. Do you plan on squaring the bracing under the bridge with the diagonal bracing directly next to it? Also, I would use poplar under the bridge since it's a lighter material. A lighter top means more potential volume.
> 
> Also, the back doesn't need to be that heavily braced since most of your tension is going to be on the soundboard. I think you can get away with just using poplar.
> 
> I'm actually building an acoustic as well as a couple electrics right now. I'd be more than willing to share what limited knowledge I have about bracing and such.



Thanks! I've modified the bracing a bit...removed some of the heft from the back, and changed the bridge bracing up a bit. I'll probably use red oak, but definitely not more than 1/4" thick...

I found some nice straight grained oak and poplar with which I'll make this stuff.



jonajon91 said:


> Please say this is going to be a dark red.



Red and black ceruse, mostly.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 7, 2013)

OK. Here's some shit.

First, some wood (giggity):

This is side stock. It's red oak, planed to 0.13" (3.3mm) thick:




Yeah, there's a lot more there than I'll actually use. I'm anticipating a lot of screwing up and redoing work.

This is the fretboard:




It's unslotted as yet.

This is kerfing and brace stock:




The broader stuff is for braces, and is 1/4" (6.35mm) thick and 1.5" (38mm) wide. The narrower stuff is for kerfing strips, and is 1/2" thick 3/4" tall (19mm). I will probably plane those down to about 3/8"x1/2". Again, there's way more than I'll need.

This is the back set:




It's 1/8" thick red oak.

This is the top:




It is 1/8" thick "select" yellow pine.

I haven't cut the neck stock yet. Still thinking about how best to do it.

Also, I've worked on the bracing design:


----------



## 9voltchicken (Sep 7, 2013)

Nice work, the bracing looks much better. A rule of thumb as far as acoustics go: the stiffer/thicker your top and back are, the more treble response you will have at the cost of bass. What's the size of your sound hole?


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 7, 2013)

It is a 3.5" hole. I would make the top thinner, but my planer won't do it. I could tape it to a thicker board, I suppose.


----------



## 9voltchicken (Sep 7, 2013)

Sounds about right given you are going guitar-lute hybrid. Keep it up broseph!


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 7, 2013)

I chose a higher-than-normal tuning, so I guess I'm not super concerned about low-frequency response.


----------



## Just A Box (Sep 7, 2013)

That's going to be killer...


----------



## Deegatron (Sep 7, 2013)

aaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww GIGITY!!!!!!!!


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 8, 2013)

I attempted to slot the fretboard today...and I promptly shagged the job. I'm not so great with the fiddly little saws. So I need to make a new fretboard blank. Le-sigh.

Actually...I simply forgot to cut the nut slot, and promptly sawed the end of the board off at the 1st fret. So...I can either roll with a slightly shorter scaled (~23.9") 23 fret board...or make a new board. So I'm going to make a new one.

(Knowing I am not so great with the fretsaw, I usually buy my fretboards pre-slotted. I'm using this build as an opportunity to get better at manual fret slot cutting.)


----------



## MicrobeSS (Sep 8, 2013)

So this is going into production right?


----------



## Hollowway (Sep 8, 2013)

HaMMerHeD said:


> Once this is complete I will be taking orders for a production version of this. If you're interested, list your name. First one gets 50% off and a free T shirt.



1) Hollowway.

lol

Edit:  by Microbe!!


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm going to cheat and add a 1/2" wide walnut stringer into the neck. I just don't trust home depot read oak to be rigid enough for 10 strings.



Hollowway said:


> 1) Hollowway.
> 
> lol
> 
> Edit:  by Microbe!!



Well OK, but the cost is $7,000 and the included T-shirt is the one I will wear (without washing) through the entire build cycle.


----------



## Danukenator (Sep 8, 2013)

HaMMerHeD said:


> Well OK, but the cost is $7,000 and the included T-shirt is the one I will wear (without washing) through the entire build cycle.



Shit, that's cheap for a relic'd T-shirt! Think of the mojo!


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 8, 2013)

Danukenator said:


> Shit, that's cheap for a relic'd T-shirt! Think of the mojo!



I would be more concerned about the stank than the mojo.


----------



## MicrobeSS (Sep 8, 2013)

HaMMerHeD said:


> I would be more concerned about the stank than the mojo.



There's a difference?


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 8, 2013)

MicrobeSS said:


> There's a difference?



Oh that's right....you guys are guitarists...


----------



## Pikka Bird (Sep 9, 2013)

A tip: Glue a piece of something to the side of your saw blade to act as a depth stop. I CA glued a jigsaw blade to my Japanese-style saw so the teeth jutted out just a hair more than the tang depth.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 9, 2013)

I have the stewmac fret saw with with the depth stop. I sawed the end off on purpose. I thought it was the nut slot...but I was wrong.


----------



## Pikka Bird (Sep 9, 2013)

^Oh, ouch...


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah. Luckily, it's just oak.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Sep 21, 2013)

So...i've been working on a heat bending iron.

I got the overall design from this thread on LuthierTalk.com: DIY: bending iron - LuthierTalk.com

I started with a big piece of galvanized pipe and an electric charcoal starter.

I heated and compressed the charcoal starter heating element until it fit into the pipe and then welded (poorly  )the angle iron feet on.







It's in there:






I also used a Leviton dimmer switch/knob/thing as a temperature control:






But it is one wire nut short...bastards.






When working, it will be mounted to a plank of plywood, with wood standoffs to keep the hot pipe off the wooden base, and silicon gaskets to isolate heat.


----------



## 9voltchicken (Sep 21, 2013)

I salute you sir for using a bending iron. That looks like it should work quite nicely. I tried one out on my acoustic build the other day just to sharpen the inner waist so it would fit in the mold a bit better. It was quite a pain in the ass.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Oct 13, 2013)

So I glued the top together and transferred the drawing:






I used the plate gluing method that Sully shows here:



About 1 minute of sanding was required to level the joint after gluing. Pretty pleased.


----------



## Deegatron (Oct 13, 2013)

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO [email protected]$#@$#^ WAR LUTE!!! get some!!!!!! %@$#@ yeah!!!! woooooooooooo!


----------



## pondman (Oct 13, 2013)

Blimey I missed this one  This has the potential for a wondrous thing.


----------



## The Hiryuu (Nov 29, 2013)

I can't wait to see the end result.


----------



## skeels (Nov 29, 2013)

Yup. Also, +1 for the Tzeentch Chaos Wheel.


----------



## Prophetable (Nov 29, 2013)

Looking forward to some updates on this.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Dec 1, 2013)

skeels said:


> Yup. Also, +1 for the Tzeentch Chaos Wheel.


I forgot about the Chaos wheel on this one. Now I want more!


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Dec 2, 2013)

Sorry I missed the deadline. I just overestimated the amount of time I had to be able to put into this. I do plan on finishing it anyway, though.


----------



## UnderTheSign (Dec 3, 2013)

HaMMerHeD said:


> It is a 3.5" hole. I would make the top thinner, but my planer won't do it. I could tape it to a thicker board, I suppose.


I'm probably a tad late and I don't know what your planer looks like, but this is something I've seen a lot of guys over here do. Don't need to tape anything to your board, just make a board out of plywood or MDF (preferably MDF or HPL coated plywood as those tend to have the smoothest surface) and screw a small ledge to the edge. You can slide it into your planer and it'll serve as a thicker bottom, allowing you to plane thinner. Easier to work with and calculate compared to working with boards and tape.
Board input from right to left in this image, obviously.


----------



## ridner (Dec 12, 2013)

this will rule!


----------

