I've been polishing my knob...

...making skills and here are some of the results of the experiments. I use my router mounted horizontally to my drill press with a spiral bit. Turn both of them on and just spin away! It's as addicting as a lathe. I've got dozens more not to mention the ones I'm actually using. Wait till you see what I'm doing for the walnut Fairlane!

To help ID what's there, I've keyed the photo to the list.

1. Cocobolo with ebony top – experiment with white epoxy dots
2. Amboyna burl with an ivory Corian ring under CA coating
3. Simple walnut with flame maple wedge pointer
4. White peroba topped with burl maple
5. Laminate with amboyna burl top, maple veneer, spanish cedar, and finally maple veneer with a CA clear coat. From a Roscoe body blank!
6. Aluminum topped with wenge and a brass pointer dot
7. Aluminum with thin burl walnut cap and white epoxy dot – experimental
8. Aluminum with laminate top from throat section of an old tennis racket
9. Aluminum with a thick cap and polished brass pointer
10. Aluminum with a Corian top – Blue Isle or some stupid name like that.
11. All aluminum designed to have a solid brass shaft fill the center hole to complete the look
12. A trio of laminated and polished black phenolic and ivory corian with purple heart caps.
13. Black phenolic with spalted black locust and polished CA coating
14. Black phenolic with a laminate of B/W/B pickguard material and topped with polished aluminum
15. Ivory Corian with a wenge cap
16. Black phenolic with a polished aluminum cap and raised clear epoxy star
17. Corian and clear acrylic with an embedded foil graphic experiment
18. Laminate of stained burl maple, hard maple and phenolic – all cutoff scraps from other knobs

 

The only thing is Frank that there isn't any black material to do what's needed here. Ebony is problematic. the color isn't consistent and you never know what's inside the blank before cutting and the grain will collect polishing compound. The phenolic avoids all of this. and it's more durable than say, black acrylic.

I didn't have enough time to get a pic so here's a quick illustration of the pieces and how they work together...

 

Thanx folks,
I use a variety of mounting methods with my knobs, it depends on the material. The aluminum ones are simple, just tap the a side hole and your done. Ebony, Cocobolo, the same way and even some Maples but I reinforce the threads with CA. You can put them on and take them off a dozen times before they lose grip and that's fine for good instruments that get builder attention. I also use inserts of steel, brass and aluminum from the hobby store, rubber and vinyl tubing and side tapped tubing in experiments. I'm trying to invent a magnetic attachment but I haven't gotten a handle on it yet

These are just experiments and warm-ups when I first get out into the shop. I slap them together and whip them out. If I'm stressing or just thinking about something, I'll idly turn out a knob while I'm cogitatin' It's like a cigarette or a really complex desk toy. I'm just about to conquer images under the magnifying acrylic domes. Getting a secure, optically clear, glue joint is sort of tough but not impossible. Experiments have been shown promise. That's going to make my instruments a little more special.

Next is figuring out how to get a goldfish in one.

 

I've got to thank the folks that have contacted me about making sets of knobs for them - the comparisons to the big boys in the market is flattering but way over the top. I slipped up by not making it clear that I'm not selling these knobs individually or in sets. I only make them for the basses I build and customize. It's tempting to get into making these on order but it really doesn't pay. I guess I could be persuaded to give away a bass with a set for the right price though.