Melted tops?

[scott plummer]

I am considering doing a "melted top" for my next project. I am wondering if anyone has any experience, knowledge, or technique ideas. I dont expect to match conklins expertise right of the bat. I guess what I am saying is

This is conklins
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[scarekrow]

Good Luck.
Got cnc?

 

[Musiclogic]

yep, most of these are done by CNC, not any technical woodworking expertise. You can do something to this effect by making templates for each piece.

 

[Phil Mailloux]

I did a melted fretboard a couple of years ago but it was only straight lines. So it was no big deal really.

I did think of doing something more complicated but chose the easy way out instead If I had done something with curves I definitely would have done it with templates and follower bits like Musiclogic mentioned.

 

[iamlowsound]

Those melted basses are simply amazing. Have fun.

lowsound

 

[Triad]

I think that you could do it by hand but it would be very time consuming. You should trace the line on one of the parts of wood you want to use for the top. Then you cut it following that line. After you've made the line perfectly squared (90' with the surface) and it's ready to glue you can put the other wood piece under it and follow the line with a thinnest pencil. Then you cut. After you removed all the defects you should have two pieces of wood that can be combined together but they'll not be perfect, of course. After that I think you'll have to work very slowly with sanding paper to make a perfect match. This is, at least, how I'd do it.

 

[Mark Wilson]

This is a melted top.

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The one you posted it more...art. haha

 

[Mr. Majestic]

Seems like templates would work fine, also if you were to cut a pattern through two tops at the same time you, with a small router bit, you should be able to match them back up. I know that's what we used to do in the laminate business.

Phil that bass just rocks. Also I might check with Larry, that's a good idea.

 

[iamlowsound]

There is a great article in this magazine about doing something very similar with turning pens. The article is call "yikes! its stripes!" by barry gross. I am sure that it could be translated to basses quite easily.
http://www.woodturningdesign.com/issues/fall07.shtml

I couldn't find the actual article, but here is the guys website, so you can get into contact with him for some ideas.
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Hope this helps.

lowsound

 

[stpvoodoo1]

not a melted top per se

 

[budman]

You can do stuff like that with the inlay router bit kits I use for my inlayed pickguards.

 

[scott plummer]

Sorry I havent responded sooner. Thank you everyone for the advice and comments.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sa]

my english is little bit broken. i read budman post and looked to stewmac catalog. there are dremel rotary tools. i m living in istanbul and here ,there is bosch rotary tools like dremel not for routing but opening a hole at the ferrocement wall. can i use them ? can bosch accept such a cutter tools ? i m talking about 15 dollars rotary. what is the lowest possible required power and turn count for this tool for extreme carving of wood ?
may be i use plastic or liquid wood but let me learn .

 

[PaleMelanesian]

The dremel runs at about 30,000 rpm. It uses a 1/8" collet and bit shank. Any other tool with similar specs will work. You will need some kind of a base for it, so look for that, or some way you can create your own.

 

[Eric Perry]

I don't think Bill Conklin uses a CNC at all, does he???

 

[DanielM]

I still love that May custom 6-stringer with the Palemoon Ebony...

 

[73jbass]

Paging Mr. Turner!!!