Double Bass And now for something completely dirfferent...

[RCWilliams]

just for general interest, I needed to cut a cornerless carcassi top plate, and I dont know if I'll ever need to cut another, cutting the arch is no big deal, although the plate arrived and was less than flat on the back. Once on the machine I cut the rough arch with a toolpath which cut the rest of the plate flat, and was wondering how I could do the rough grad ( even 10 mm thick ) then it dawned on me that I could make some vacuum pods I made out of off fall from my bass stand/stool product, and was able to hold the plate from the flat spots and allow the arch to hang in between the pods. It worked great.

 

[Schoolhouse]

Hello Rick,
If I understand you, this means that the reference surface does not need to be perfect? Thanks, Tom

 

[RCWilliams]

using the pod system, I can see the possibility to hold on to an irregular plate, this one was, and cut the arch, leveling the rest of the plate outside the arch area and outline to create a reference surface, when it is flipped. then the bottom of the plate can be fly cut to make it parallel with the now established plane of the plate. the rough grad can be cut and I believe it would be possible to cut reference position markers so it could then be flipped back over and if one wanted to, then a finish arch, outline, edge, ff's and purfling channel could be cut.

I haven't carried it through to that point yet, but experience tells me I can do it with minimal problems.

also it is not inconceivable to do a mapped graduation ( within a mm or so of desired final. the big thing there is how to achieve the desired tap tones or plate flexibility or what ever a given makers method is.