Practice build: 5-string multi-scale, HD woods - Page 4

pilotjones · #61 07-25-2010, 09:44 AM

Also, a few more woodworking learning observations.

1. Forstner bits kick ass.

2. I really love doing this!

Ruckus_Instrmts · #62 07-25-2010, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotjones

2. I really love doing this!

Thats the kind of attitude that makes for great instruments.

Also are you pin routing with a drill press? What rpm is the bit turning at?

Andyman001 · #63 07-25-2010, 11:06 AM

Are you going to rough cut with the band saw and then use the pin router template thingie?

vbasscustom · #64 07-25-2010, 11:13 AM

got it, i think i could use one of those. is the bit just in a highspeed drill press?

pilotjones · #65 07-25-2010, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andyman001

Are you going to rough cut with the band saw and then use the pin router template thingie?

Exactly. I clamped together the template and the board to be cut, and drilled registration holes through both. Then removed clamps, put pins in the holes, traced the template onto the board, separated them, bandsawed close to the line, put them back together, and pin routed.

pilotjones · #66 07-25-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruckus_Instrmts

Thats the kind of attitude that makes for great instruments.

I can only hope!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruckus_Instrmts

Also are you pin routing with a drill press? What rpm is the bit turning at?

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbasscustom

got it, i think i could use one of those. is the bit just in a highspeed drill press?

That's a ShopSmith. In this configuration it operates most like a drill press, but it is built for the side loading.

It gets up to somewhere between 7000 and 8000 rpm. This is the low end of the range for a handheld router. I don't know what speeds a pin router is normally run at.

It had no problem with the (easy) MDF. I realize the speed is slow, so when I get to cutting real wood with it, I'll practice on a bunch of scrap and see what happens. Need be I can do this with a handheld or a table router setup and bearing bits, but I hope this works. It seems like there is less opportunity for those accidents I see due to tool mishandling and bearing slippage. People who have pin routers swear by them.

pilotjones · #67 07-31-2010, 12:34 AM

This being a multiscale instrument, and with the intention of having a tiltback headstock, a compound angle is required for the scarf joint.

I am going about this by putting the "neck" (in this case just a test board) with its side to the table saw surface, using a taper jig to hold it, and tilting the saw blade.

I could figure the angles out analytically in CAD, but I hate having to boot to Windows to do it, and I figured I could zero in on the proper taper and miter angles to produce the intended resultant tiltback and nut angles. Plus, I need the practice cutting the joint.

What I found was that as I did this, I was ending up with my desired tiltback (13°), but that the nut angle was not behaving rationally, varying on each try, with consecutive cuts varying up to 3° and and non-consecutive cuts with the same settings (with me making adjustments to compensate in between) having a 6° range!

My brother, who's done professional carpentry (trim work mostly), suggested that I make a proper taper/clamping jig, to eliminate variability from the clamps, taper jig, and sacrificial board.

While making it, I found the source of what is hopefully most of the problem. The miter tilt mechanism in the saw was binding, at the rear of the saw, so that the plate carrying the motor was twisting, and displaced various ways depending on which was my direction of motion before locking in. After a fair amount of fixing and cleaning out stone dust, it is now pretty smooth. And I know what to look for as far as it sticking.

Here's the new taper jig, partially done. Tomorrow it gets finished, and tried out.

BassCycle · #68 07-31-2010, 12:41 AM

That is fascinating. It's gotta be juuuust right. I think I'll stick with straight frets.

pilotjones · #69 07-31-2010, 07:52 AM

Well, it probably doesn't have to be dead perfect, because you can probably do some compensation when mounting the nut and/or finishing the fretboard beyond the zero fret. But, not having done it before, I'm trying for as close as possible.

You could also do a Fender-style flat headstock, and avoid the issue entirely.

pilotjones · #70 08-01-2010, 12:34 PM

Yesterday I finished the taper jig. enlarged the holes for clamps, and sanded necessary surfaces.

I also spent more time getting the saw working properly.

Here it is in use, with the test board, cut on both ends. (That's the first two cuts; by the end, I wasn't burning the cut surface.)

I did three cuts on each end. The resultant nut angle fell within a .5° range for each end, so I'm happy.

________________________________________

Today I set up a practice scarf joint.

I ripped down the test board to make pieces of the right thickness for neck shaft and fretboard. I also cut a piece of MDF to use as the headstock plate. Here are the neck shaft and head plate glued up.

I had cut off the spare scarf-cut end from the board, in a shape to use as a spacer block for clamping the scarf joint when gluing. This is something I have not noticed anyone else doing before. (Maybe it's common practice, and I just missed it.) What it does for you is to make it so that the clamps have zero force trying to spread the glue joint apart - the clamps bear on are on parallel surfaces, and the glue surface is parallel also. The only thing they try to force to slip is the unglued "joint" between the block and the neck shaft, but the angle is low enough that it doesn't slip.

_________________________________________________

Another small observation. Pin nailers also kick ass.

pilotjones · #71 08-02-2010, 07:34 PM

Scarf joint feels solid.

Trimmed the the face of the "headstock" flush to the front face of the neck shaft. Trimmed the sides a bit, to aid in doing the truss rod rout.

First time using a plane. Very nice experience.

As far as the routing, I think I'll do it differently on the real thing. Jig time!

pilotjones · #72 08-12-2010, 09:40 PM

Very small update: New Tool Day:

Tried out my new Wagner Safe-T-Planer, that I picked up from a fellow TBer. Very easy to use. Once I got my table leveled and mostly de-warped by shimming, I got some nice flat faces and even thicknesses on some scrap tryout wood.

Beginner Bass · #73 08-13-2010, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruckus_Instrmts

I don't know what that other guy is talking about, but one trick I use is to wrap rubber bands around the handle. Really made a difference on the handle that tensions my bandsaw blades.

Better yet, just wear gloves. Any will do.

Musiclogic · #74 08-13-2010, 10:13 AM

I am disappointed....I have not heard a single Pilot/ wing and a prayer reference, or Pilot/flying by the seat of his pants reference, or Pilot/drilling his own holes reference, but I digress...LMAO

Nice work Pete, looks like you have a feet firmly planted on the ground, your head isn't in the clouds, and judging by the pics you have a firm grasp on what you are attempting...LMAO

It's looking very cool Pete, nice job so far.

tZer · #75 08-13-2010, 03:48 PM

Watching... Taking notes... Drooling...

Beej · #76 08-13-2010, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beginner Bass

Better yet, just wear gloves. Any will do.

NOOO! Never wear gloves, jewelry or long loose clothing around power tools. Never never never.

Gloves are okay when you're using hand tools, depending on the tool, but you're just asking for brutal mangling dismemberment with gloves + power tools. I have personally witnessed this more than once and I will never again wear gloves around a tool that might cut out a chunk, but would rip the whole limb off if it caught some fabric/leather/etc.

Why the hell am I suddenly the voice of reason around here?

mikeyswood · #77 08-13-2010, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beej

Why the hell am I suddenly the voice of reason around here?

It happens to even the best of us.

pilotjones · #78 08-14-2010, 06:42 AM

Beej - point well taken. However, Beginner Bass was talking about wearing gloves to tighten clamps, which I think is a low risk activity!

To the other posters, thanks for the appreciative comments. No work this weekend, though, as today is a craft brew festival and tomorrow is the TB NYC GTG.

vbasscustom · #79 08-14-2010, 08:10 PM

NO! clamps are vicious beasts that will kill, and clamp... and stuff.

tZer · #80 08-15-2010, 11:04 AM

While Beej's attempt at being the 'voice of reason' was a little off base, his point is an important one to make and it doesn't hurt to toss in those little wise bits every so often - even if the reason their tossed in may not be on target.

Especially for those of us who end up in our garages in winter both trying to work with power tools and keep warm. Scarfs, gloves, layers of loose fitting clothes - all very much a part of the picture and it's very easy to get lost in your work and forget that you need to lose the scarf before firing up the router or remove the glove before playing with the drill press.

Good advice, Beej.