How to make a steampunk sword which is also an electric lap steel guitar

Tools and materials:

Block plane

Soldering iron kit

Cutting mat (board)

Chisel set

Sanding Drum Kit

Plunge router

Lip stick tele pickup

Jointer planer

Table saw

Bandsaw

Cordless drill

Rotary tool

Output jack

Electric guitar strings

Mandolin tuning pegs

Belt sander

Wood burner

Flat rasp

Round rasp

Flat file

Round file

Spoke shave

Solder and flux kit

Propane torch

I made this experimental musical instrument out of wood, brass and copper. So I think it looks pretty steampunky. It has three strings and it can be played with a slide, just like a lap steel.

I begun by squaring a spruce piece on my jointer/planer machine. I also cleaned the edges on the table saw. 

Then I created a template and used it to mark my basic shape on the wood.

I then cut the basic sword shape on the bandsaw. 

I used rasps and files to clean the saw marks. I also used a drum sanding bit on my drill and my belt sander. 

I used a straight bit on my plunge router to route the pocket for the pickup. I completed this job gradually with three passes. 

I then drilled the hole that connects the pocket with the output jack’s chamber. I used a chisel and a mallet to make the mortise for the output jack. 

I marked the holes for the tuning pegs on the headstock. I first drilled small guide holes with my rotary tool. I then drilled from both sides to get a nice clean hole without tear out. 

Using my rotary tool and a cutting disc I cut a piece of copper to act as pickup holder. I used double sided tape to fish the pickup out. This way I could mark the hole for the pickup. 

I created the hole with the rotary tool. I then fine tuned it with files. 

I shaped the bridge out of a scrap brass piece. I then soldered the bridge on the copper with solder and a blow torch. The heat and the flux drives the solder in place.

I then filed the copper flush with the wood.

I screwed the string holder in place. This is the kind of string holder we use on bouzouki. 

I shaped and soldered the nut piece. 

I soldered the pickup with the output jack. I also added a wire that connected the jack with the pickup’s plate. This is my ground.

I added the strings and filed the grooves for the strings on the nut and bridge.

The scale of my instrument is 31cm from nut to bridge. I marked the fret positions with a pencil and then I used my wood burner to draw on them. This way I have a reference of where my intervals are located. 

And my little sword guitar was ready. I hope you’ve enjoyed this one, because that was it. See you soon with a new project video.

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