drop tops

[Rodent]

I've been wanting to add a drop top option to several of my offerings for a while now, but never seemed to have the time to get around to it. with the rights tools, mouse clicking, and elbow grease ... it's a rather simple, although time consuming, feature to craft

after the body blank is glued and trued, I cnc the forearm contour using a 'developable' surface

next up is utilizing vacuum clamping to glue down the accent laminate. once that's fully cured, repeat the same process to attach the top

from here I have a subtle cnc cutting strategy workflow modification to achieve the roughed out body. hand detailing, edge rounding, and detail sanding is identical to any other body I make.

 

[Rodent]

here's a peek at a top being vacuum clamped. the top wood is thin enough that I haven't had need for a caul (to assist in forming the roll over and keeping the top flat), but I'm sure it would be most helpful if I had a stronger pump that allowed me to glue down multiple laminate layers at once

 

[Basshappi]

Very cool Rod!
Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

 

[PDX Rich]

Nice figure, there. I have been intrigued by the vacu-clamp approach for some time now.

 

[Thumpin_P]

I will be using that very technique for a Les-Paul style guitar soon. I have used it on a bass, at Roberto-Venn. Great way to glue! I only need to make a melamine board, with routed channels, to make sure that the pieces do not stick to the bag.

 

[Rodent]

use a breather mesh to ensure you get the best evacuation all across your work piece. it's nice as it also support contoured surfaces

here's one place to get it: Vacuum Breather Mesh/Net - VeneerSupplies.com

 

[Thumpin_P]

Wow Rodent!!! Thanks for the tip! I want to use that bag for a possible build, with a chambered P Bass, as well! This will really help!

 

[Basshappi]

Thumpin p, I don't want to run off topic on Rod's thread but I would like to hear about your experience at Roberto-Venn. Perhaps you could start a thread on it as it might bring other TB members to comment of their experiences as well. Way back when I was in high school I built a bass in woodshop and even made my living as a woodworker (non-luthier) for a couple of years afterwards. I sent away for their program info but ended up not going. It's one of my few regrets.

 

[Hopkins]

Man, I need a vacuum bag setup. I have done this process a few times by steaming the top to bend the contour and gluing at the same time, but the vacuum bag looks so much easier.

 

[Thumpin_P]

Thumpin p, I don't want to run off topic on Rod's thread but I would like to hear about your experience at Roberto-Venn. Perhaps you could start a thread on it as it might bring other TB members to comment of their experiences as well. Way back when I was in high school I built a bass in woodshop and even made my living as a woodworker (non-luthier) for a couple of years afterwards. I sent away for their program info but ended up not going. It's one of my few regrets.

Basshappi, I documented every day. For just such an occasion...

Roberto-Venn: The Dream Starts...

Enjoy! Be sure to PM me and tell me what you think!!!

 

[Rodent]

here's that drop-top blank that was in the bag in my earlier post

unless I mess something up, this will be one of the basses we'll have on display in our booth at NAMM this coming Jan.

I have a couple others in process right now, and will post a couple additional images to really get you thinking thru how you can adapt this process into your own building projects.

 

[Rodent]

and a bit of a side note ... the contour I applied to the body core for the forearm drop-top glue-up also works great on a regular body as the final arm contour. it's a 2-fer all the way!

several additional body cores prepped for cutting the drop-top contour tonight. more still left to do, so back to work I go ....

 

[Larry Davis]

Incredible quilt, Rod.

 

[Rodent]

Incredible quilt, Rod.

Thanks Larry! I've had this one so long I lost records of where I got it ... you maybe, before you relocated back East?

 

[Rodent]

here's a Hog body core with the forearm contour cut and detailed, and ready to have the first accent laminate glued.

depending on the laminate hues, the top surface must be detailed as if it was going to the finish surface - and waviness has potential to show a glue line gap if the woods are light hued

 

[Rodent]

Here's a body blank, fresh out of the bag, with only the accent veneer layer formed and glued.

I use the blue tape to hold the position of this thin layer. the vacuum bag does the actual clamping, so the need is only to hold the accent veneer in position while the atmosphere is being vacated from the bag. once the bag is in vacuum, nothing shifts around like often happens when using conventional clamps and cauls

 

[Larry Davis]

That would be 5 years ago at least, Rod. North GA did not work out and moved back to Springfield and bought a house 3 years ago. Come down and visit sometime and check out all the black and white ebony top sets and FB's I have. Came out of retirement for it Still have the same shop.

 

[Rodent]

That would be 5 years ago at least, Rod. North GA did not work out and moved back to Springfield and bought a house 3 years ago.

I'm guessing I may have had that top since around 2008/9 ... could even be from 2007.

Bummer GA didn't work out - that was a LOT of work spent getting everything there.

Come down and visit sometime and check out all the black and white ebony top sets and FB's I have. Came out of retirement for it Still have the same shop.

absolutely will do! I'm NAMM focused thru end of Jan, but a trip your way once that's in the rear view mirror would be super. looking forward to catching up and coming home with a load of wood

 

[Rodent]

fresh of the press - the body blank shown earlier in this thread in its newly cut goodness. there's still a LOT of hand-work remaining, but you can clearly see how the drop-top add is nice touch when utilizing a nicely figured top

glue joints are all perfect, and the gentle roll off the top place is really going to stand out when the edge rounding is completed

 

[Rodent]

it twins! both of these were cut from their drop-top body blank since my last posting, and both are ready for detail sanding in prep for finish application

both of these will be making an appearance at the upcoming NAMM Show in Jan

the drop-tops really allow for maximized use of a superbly figured top set