Question for Gard

Carltone · #1 07-24-2006, 03:36 PM

Hi Gard,
I have been lurking here for a while but now I need to post a question for you..

I have a LG 5 String fretless with a beautiful burled myrtle top. This top also has two really neat knot-holes incorporated into it. They are filled with acrylic(I'm guessing) to even out the body shape.

One of the knot-holes is below the strings between the pickups and the neck and I guess during the curing stage a small air bubble became trapped and is suspended in the knot-hole... Is there anything I can have done to get rid of or conceal the air bubble?

It appears on my attachment as a small white dot... it's more irritating than a real problem...

Thanks
Carl

Gard · #2 07-24-2006, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carltone

Hi Gard,
I have been lurking here for a while but now I need to post a question for you..

I have a LG 5 String fretless with a beautiful burled myrtle top. This top also has two really neat knot-holes incorporated into it. They are filled with acrylic(I'm guessing) to even out the body shape.

One of the knot-holes is below the strings between the pickups and the neck and I guess during the curing stage a small air bubble became trapped and is suspended in the knot-hole... Is there anything I can have done to get rid of or conceal the air bubble?

It appears on my attachment as a small white dot... it's more irritating than a real problem...

Thanks
Carl

Carl -

I can't see anything in the photo, if you have a better "closeup" shot of the area in question, it would help me to answer your question. However, I can tell you that if there is a small air bubble in the epoxy (which is actually what we use), there really isn't anything that can be done about it, sorry.

Carltone · #3 07-25-2006, 12:32 PM

see if this is better... it's between the E and A towards the top of the knot hole...

I thought maybe there might be some new procedure or lazer etching, etc... you could do to cover it up...

no biggie, thanks for the reply!

Carl

Gard · #4 07-25-2006, 02:38 PM

Yup, an air bubble, happens with the epoxy sometimes, and once it's hard, it's there.

We try to be VERY particular with epoxy fills for that reason, but it's basically impossible not to have one or two small air bubbles pop up. When the epoxy is setting up, it out gasses, the guys do very thin pours to accomodate this (so the gas bubble will rise out of the epoxy before the epoxy sets), but there is no way to be 100% perfect with these.

**Ryan L.** · #5 07-27-2006, 03:27 PM

So that's what you use to fill in the voids.

EDIT: Mine is pretty close to being perfect. Whoever did that one did a hell of a job on it.

Gard · #6 07-27-2006, 07:54 PM

Ryan, the fills in "The Brain" were a LOT smaller than the one on Carl's bass, that does make a difference. Also, it is a newer top, and just like anyone else, people get better at a thing after practicing it a bit.

**Ryan L.** · #7 07-28-2006, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

Ryan, the fills in "The Brain" were a LOT smaller than the one on Carl's bass, that does make a difference. Also, it is a newer top, and just like anyone else, people get better at a thing after practicing it a bit.

Yeah, going back and looking at his pics I noticed that I can't really compare the two--his would have required MUCH more epoxy than any of them on mine.