Build II - Paradox MJ5 - New design!

[Dave Higham]

I heard from a friend that if you try to do it like that, and you accidentally hit a protruding edge with your bevel block file, you'll easily bend it over the binding, because it isn't anchored in the fingerboard at the ends. So wouldn't it be better to first file them of with a regular file first? I also see you have a very small board with tiny frets as an example / a reference. With Dunlop 6105, would your statement still apply?

When I've done it I looked for the fret which stuck out the most by rocking the file and then started filing gently until more of the frets came into contact with the file.
That's actually an ukulele fret board but it was the only photo I could find quickly.

 

[RedMoses]

Awesome build!

Sub'd.

 

[roberthabraken]

When I've done it I looked for the fret which stuck out the most by rocking the file and then started filing gently until more of the frets came into contact with the file.
That's actually an ukulele fret board but it was the only photo I could find quickly.

That's a good tip too, thanks!

Awesome build!

Sub'd.

Thanks! And welcome, join the club of patient subscribers

 

[roberthabraken]

For my first build I bought a real fret cutter at a guitar parts supplier (Vox Humana) and paid over 20 dollars for it. They are supposed to cut the frets flush to the fingerboard, like the one from Stew-Mac does. But it didn't, at all... more than two millimeters of fretwire proudly protruding the fingerboard. So I actually never used it... Yesterday, I bought a tiny end cutting plier from the hardware store, a little over five dollars.. and it's great! Cuts the fretwire almost flush, leaving so little to file off, I could start using my fret beveling file right away!

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Using these pliers it took me no more than a few minutes to cut away all the fret ends on both sides:

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Here you can see my fret beveling file 'in action'. Another relaxing task that doesn't take long:

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I filed the ends right to the point were the binding started to appear:

Here's a close up showing the result. A little more sanding and filing and I'm ready to start carving a neck

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[Prostheta]

How much of a bevel did you add to the binding? Is that about half a mm or so?

 

[roberthabraken]

How much of a bevel did you add to the binding? Is that about half a mm or so?

More around 1 mm.

 

[roberthabraken]

Finally finished my new blog / website, including both bass builds and subscription possibility. And more to come!

It's usually one post behind TalkBass, because I convert my TalkBass posts to WordPress blog posts .
But as a build log or archive, it's more easy to browse; and it'll contain other things than bass building in the future too, but I guess that's not of your interest anyway.

Take a look at Invalid Link Removed

 

[Prostheta]

More around 1 mm.

Sounds like it should be very comfortable and smooth feeling Rob. I only discovered how much of a difference this part makes only recently when I refretted a guitar (actually, new fretboard) and forgot to put a bevel on the binding.

I noticed a bit of a gap underneath the binding in places in this photo. Is this anything to be concerned about? I guess it is feasible to make a putty of acetone and binding scraps to make a filler but I've never been 100% happy with the cleanliness of the results.

Nice to see your new site up. I do kind of miss the old horizontal scrolling site though. For one, I really like ideas that break out of that whole indoctrinated vertical scrolling rectangles theme.

 

[roberthabraken]

(..) I noticed a bit of a gap underneath the binding in places in this photo. Is this anything to be concerned about? I guess it is feasible to make a putty of acetone and binding scraps to make a filler but I've never been 100% happy with the cleanliness of the results.(..)

You're right about the gap. For some reason I did not get a 100% consistent routing depth when routing the binding channel. It's off by 0.1 mm only, but the binding makes it show up again. It's not as visible in real life as it is on this sharp focused close up, so I'm not sure if I'll bother to fix it. The putty making with acetone and binding was my first option, but as you say, I am not sure about the result it'll produce. Maybe I will wait until I shaped the neck, because the inner half of the slot does fit actually, it's only the outer 0.5 mm that is deeper (don't ask me how I did that, I don't know). It might as well disappear while shaping the neck.

(..)Nice to see your new site up. I do kind of miss the old horizontal scrolling site though. For one, I really like ideas that break out of that whole indoctrinated vertical scrolling rectangles theme.

Yeah the horizontal scrolling was cool, I liked that alot too, but I had usability issues, mostly cross-device. Browsing that site with an iPhone was rather difficult. Right now, I have a more sober website, but functional, and easy to maintain .

 

[Prostheta]

Yeah, I've had those depth issues with binding before also. Whether it is down to an unstable reference surface making the router tilt (flex is a likely suspect) or play in the router depth I am not sure. In future I intend on routing binding purely on an overhead or a table router unless I can factor out this variance myself. The other option I guess is binding the fingerboard before mounting to the neck, but I personally dislike doing necks this way.

Hopefully that gap will shape out. Scraping the neck might "mash" the edge of the plastic down slightly, or at least that is how I see this in my head. I tend to do a lot of scraping using a "Stanley" blade with a burr turned. I actually use Irwin blades because they seem to hold a nice burr for small scraping work.

In other news, we are still planning on our Chimay Blue homebrew clone for the end of the year. Any recommendations on essential "post work" beers from this list? The list is incomplete unfortunately, and we've managed to do a reasonable job of "removing" all their Chimay Blue/Red and Duvel, except for a Magnum which is sat in their fridge. I tried convincing Nina to acquire it but was told off. Bleh.
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[roberthabraken]

(...) In other news, we are still planning on our Chimay Blue homebrew clone for the end of the year. Any recommendations on essential "post work" beers from this list? The list is incomplete unfortunately, and we've managed to do a reasonable job of "removing" all their Chimay Blue/Red and Duvel, except for a Magnum which is sat in their fridge. I tried convincing Nina to acquire it but was told off. Bleh.
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I'm afraid I can't contribute to the list, as my knowledge of beer isn't that extensive.

 

[Markpotato]

I'm afraid I can't contribute to the list, as my knowledge of beer isn't that extensive.

I'll contribute: Saison Foret

So far, my favorite.
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[Prostheta]

I think Rob's bass will stagger across the finish line at this rate :-D
All good things, etc.

 

[roberthabraken]

Not much of an update, but I drilled for the side dots:

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I planned to glue them in too tonight, but my tube of CA was toasted, almost empty and what was left came out on all sides but out of the nozzle.

I took my time marking the positions and drilling the holes. It's hard to line them up perfectly centered on the slightly tapered binding (due to the radius) and if they're not aligned, it shows rather well . But my patience paid off and I got them lined up pretty nice. The first fret mark isn't perfect, a bit shallow and a bit wider due to movement of the drill press head when reaching the depth stop, but the rest is just fine. I hope I'm able to camouflage this small imperfection when gluing in the black dots.

I really want to start carving the neck, but I first have to finish these dots and the fret ends. But I'm a bit in doubt about my approach. What do you think? Shall I carve the complete neck by hand using a rasp and a spokeshave? Or do you think it would produce a more consistant result if I'd route the neck in a taper before carving the neck by hand? I'm somewhat reluctant to use the router at this stage of building.

 

[Hopkins]

Do yourself a favor and get one of these. Mine is my favorite hand tool, I use only the rasp and an orbital sander when carving a neck.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2082430/36868/Shinto-Saw-Rasp-11.aspx

 

[NelsonNelson]

This build is driving me insane waiting to see the final outcome!

 

[miziomix]

...Shall I carve the complete neck by hand using a rasp and a spokeshave? Or do you think it would produce a more consistant result if I'd route the neck in a taper before carving the neck by hand? I'm somewhat reluctant to use the router at this stage of building.

Rob, the build is looking very nice indeed.

Re. the neck, I would look for a Wagner safe T planer. Unfortunately it's discontinued but there might be one somewhere on ebay, you never know.

I find it easier, faster and ultimately better to get rid of the excess wood first. Then I use a rasp - Hopkins has got himself a nice one and scraper blades.

I prefer to do the fretting after this stage - shaping a neck is a crude business But many do it the other way around so I guess it's fine.

cheers!

Maurizio

 

[Prostheta]

Good advice. I would certainly rout the taper with either a Safe-T-Planer as suggested, or failing that a router sled setup despite your reluctance to do so. What are your overriding concerns with the router? I would have no hesitation in using it to achieve this step, and since you are organised and have a check-twice-or-more attitude I can't see you screwing it up. The last time I did this I nailed the taper to 1mm from target despite having a hasty clamped-together setup in the shower room of our last house. (heh heh heh)

I can't stress the usefulness and efficiency I have seen from these "Dragon" or "Shinto" rasps (name depending on who is supplying them) and they are easily available Invalid Link Removed if not The Netherlands. Alternatively if you are in the market for feeling smug after a high-quality handmade rasp purchase, check out Auriou rasps. I feel a 12" G7 cabinet maker's rasp will be in my future when I start making necks again. A night and day difference comparing machine struck teeth to hand stitched and worth their weight in gold. Or Euros.

edit: I can understand that stabilising the neck in a router sled jig now the fingerboard on is not completely satisfactory. I forgot this when I wrote that as mine was still flat and unfretted at this stage. My apologies.

 

[Meatrus]

I really want to start carving the neck, but I first have to finish these dots and the fret ends. But I'm a bit in doubt about my approach. What do you think? Shall I carve the complete neck by hand using a rasp and a spokeshave? Or do you think it would produce a more consistant result if I'd route the neck in a taper before carving the neck by hand? I'm somewhat reluctant to use the router at this stage of building.

I guess it depends on how comfortable you are working with hand tools. In the right hands you could get a very consistent result carving the taper with handtools. Just mark your taper on both sides of the neck and work down to the lines with whatever tool your comfortable with that will take off a fair bit of material. Then work on getting it flat (as in a flat slope!) with a straight edge and again whatever tool you want, a scraper or block plane would be good for this last bit.

I have done it like this and with a safe t planer and router, while the others all work great I enjoy carving it by hand. As you have already radiused it I would probably do it by hand in this case too.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Do yourself a favor and get one of these. Mine is my favorite hand tool, I use only the rasp and an orbital sander when carving a neck.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2082430/36868/Shinto-Saw-Rasp-11.aspx

Have one. Hate it.

Rob, the build is looking very nice indeed.

Re. the neck, I would look for a Wagner safe T planer. Unfortunately it's discontinued but there might be one somewhere on ebay, you never know.

I find it easier, faster and ultimately better to get rid of the excess wood first. Then I use a rasp - Hopkins has got himself a nice one and scraper blades.

I prefer to do the fretting after this stage - shaping a neck is a crude business But many do it the other way around so I guess it's fine.

cheers!

Maurizio

I have done the same thing. I shim the nut side of the neck up about 1/8 (3.175mm) and run the whole thing under the safe-t-planer to get rid of the excess wood. Now I have my 18" bandsaw running, I might try that for my current build.

After the safe-t-planer, I use a 17" horse rasp...

...to rough out the profile. Then I use a 4x36" 80-grit cloth-backed sanding belt that I have cut and turned into two 4x18" sanding strips in a shoe-shine type motion to knock off the corners and sand the whole thing smooth. Takes me about an hour or so, and has become my favorite part of the build.