Laguna burger build

[RichterScale]

Was digging through the garage and found my old router. It was in pieces, in a box. I thought I threw it out years ago and didn't even remember what was wrong with it. I put it back together and everything was there except one of the brushes. Gonna order a set and see if that was the problem. Cool, I don't have to buy a router now. I have the battery router but that's for light stuff and the one I've been using at work, well, it's not mine.
I also found (3) 4' LED shop lights that I completely forgot about. I remember finding them on clearance at Wally world a few years ago for like $15 ea.
so I grabbed them and stashed them. Cool. Having a terrible memory is nice sometimes. Once in a while I find little surprises and treasures. Now I just have to buy some plastic and section off a little spot in the basement for finish work.

 

[RichterScale]

I also found some stain I bought last year that I forgot about. So I was playing around with scrap, in case I can't get the maple to look good and I have to attempt blending/hiding with stain.
I was also goofin around and experimenting with homemade dye. I had a half bottle of iso alcohol and 2 blue sharpie markers. I took the cartridges out and threw 'em in the alcohol for an hour. Not sure I would actually use it on something I wanted to turn out nice, but I was a little surprised that it actually worked at all. Could be a handy trick at some point.
Still undecided on whether I like the stain. I definitely like the walnut dark. But this piece of mahogany doesn't seem to like the stain. In the pic with all the scrap pieces, the big piece of walnut has 2 coats of Kona brown, the mahogany next to it just has clear (bottom half), the curved piece in the middle with both glued together is one coat of Kona and wiped back lightly, the tiny piece of walnut in the front is just clear and the pieces in the bottom corners are 2 coats of ebony, sanded back, one coat of Kona and wiped back.

 

[Beej]

Science!

 

[RichterScale]

Yep. I'm basically a scientist/inventor.

 

[BBassBassington]

I love that colour of teal, wow. Not for a build where the point is to show off all the different woods like this but for something more simple that's a great colour. I'm kinda blown away by how it was produced.

 

[RichterScale]

I'm kinda blown away by how it was produced

I was pleasantly surprised too. Most of the time these are ADHD, spur of the moment ideas and they rarely work. At first I tried soaking the sharpie cartridges in mineral spirits, but the dye just floated around in little globs, like a lava lamp. I was ready to say it didn't work at that point. Then I remembered I had some rubbing alcohol. That worked, but I still didn't expect it to work on the wood (before that, I was experimenting with pen ink and it didn't go well).
Even after pouring it on the wood, it didn't look like it would work. So, when it dried and was actually blue, I got a kick out of it.
Who knows, maybe with a 99% alcohol and testing different application methods, it might actually work for something like a guitar. It's certainly cheaper for a bottle of iso alcohol and a few sharpies than actual dye.
I'll probably experiment with a few colors on more scrap and might attempt it on the cigar box guitar I'm making......(after the bass is done...)

 

[RichterScale]

Ha!
The sharpie trick actually worked better. But you know I had to try it.
Ok, enough screwin around. I have to get some actual work done today.

 

[RichterScale]

A little closer to being a bass again.

 

[RichterScale]

This is another reason I like the belt sander belts on a block.
You can slide the belt up a hair and not scratch up the other surface on a 90.
Just has to be a snug fit on the block.

 

[Reedt2000]

Heck yeah! That's looking great

 

[RichterScale]

Thanks. Still have a ton of fussy work to do. I was jumping around to different tasks and rushing a little on the heavy material removal and ended up with a chisel scratch on the neck and a little chip out on a tuner hole.
So, I quit and packed it up for the night.
Tomorrow I'll take a deep breath, maybe an Adderall and go slow with nothing heavier than 220 grit and do one task at a time.

 

[RichterScale]

I'm down to 2 options for inlays/markers.
I've never played without them on the face of the board. Not that I know what I'm doing anyway. I'm musically illiterate and couldn't tell you what note I'm playing on 86% of the board. But the markers definitely help as a reference to help keep track of where I am.
So, it's either going to be just side dots and try playing with nothing on the face, or small rectangles that cover the side and into the front.
I picked up a small stick of maple with almost no figure in it. I'm thinking something similar to this. 1/4" wide but (maybe) not as long on the face.
Thoughts? (I want to do something, but I want to keep it super simple. I'm not equipped to do anything beyond drill bits and a 1/4" chisel. Maybe on the next one).

 

[Rôckhewer]

Kinda an out of order procedure for where you're at.
I personally would not want to attempt that type of inlay, on a board that's already radiused and glued on the neck.... AND the wings are glued on and sorta in the way.

Thoughts? (I want to do something, but I want to keep it super simple

Side dots.
And... you're going to need a very long drill bit to get the ones up past the 12th...with the wing in the way. That's another order of operations thing I personally messed up on a couple times.
It's easier to drill for dots before the wings go on.
Or... even before the board is glued on.
You can make a bit extension with a piece of brass or aluminum hobby tubing.

 

[RichterScale]

Yep, I have a "hey stupid, don't do it like that next time" list.

 

[Beej]

Looking really good! Those “hey stupid” lists are worth their weight in gold to a guy with a terrible memory like me

 

[RichterScale]

My excuse is that I already had the neck, so the whole process was outta whack from the start. It could be a slight loss of focus/excitement/ADHD,...but I'm going with the neck story.
When I do a scratch build, I will absolutely make sure I do everything in order.

 

[RichterScale]

There's still something "off" about the shape of the body that's just not sitting right with me.
I'm having trouble pinpointing exactly what it is. All I know is that it didn't really hit the mark as far as what I had pictured in my head. Luckily I left everything a little chunky.
I kept staring at the upper horn (which I think is a hair too long), but I think the lower horn and knee cut out is what's throwing it off.
Thoughts?

 

[ctmullins]

I see what you mean. It's just a bit "thick" right now. I like what you've done in that photo sequence, that helps a lot. I think I would make the upper horn a bit thinner as well.

 

[Jimbob Jones]

I think it's a beautiful body shape, and really well executed. To my eye, the two horns are in good proportion - I love the angle it creates and how that flows through the rest of the instrument. Aesthetically I don't see anything 'off' about it, although I've certainly spent a lot less time staring at it than you have!

I agree you could thin out that lower horn just a touch from the knee cut, but what you have looks fab and changing it risks throwing out the great balance you have right now.

But hey, feel free to ignore me; this is just the £0.02 of someone who hasn't actually built anything yet!

 

[RichterScale]

time staring at it

I think that's what it comes down to. I'm always looking at it and every once in a while, I see at a certain angle and get that,...hmmm, something seems just a little off.
That's why I ask for opinions on aesthetics too. Everyone's taste is different, but a fresh set of eyes may see or suggest something that I may not have thought of or was just missing.
Grain patterns play tricks on the eyes too. If it were a solid color, I might be seeing the shape differently.