what do you guys think, made it with about 4 pieces of sand paper, a chunk of cherry wood and a sharp knife in 4 hours
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Double Bass my handmade brazilian cherry frog
- Thread starter jimmyduded
- Start date
what do you guys think, made it with about 4 pieces of sand paper, a chunk of cherry wood and a sharp knife in 4 hours
Matthew Tucker
Commercial User
- Aug 21, 2002
- 2,686
- 387
- Disclosures
- Owner: Bresque Basses, Sydney Basses and Cellos
Matthew Tucker
Commercial User
- Aug 21, 2002
- 2,686
- 387
- Disclosures
- Owner: Bresque Basses, Sydney Basses and Cellos
Those things bite, too, I am told-- very aggressive.
The cherry frog is headed in the right direction-- the Brazilian one looks as though he could croak...
The cherry frog is headed in the right direction-- the Brazilian one looks as though he could croak...
- Nov 6, 2007
- 152
- 0
- 55
- Disclosures
- humble instrument maker
Congrats on you're first try, Jimmy.
My first bit of advice, regarding the "chunk of cherry".
Even if you are making something that ends up with a lot of curves in it, and requires a lot of carving, you have to start by making you're chunks square. That is, all sides must be parallel to each other, and all sides must be square to each other.
Precision is a must. Looking at the top and botom lines of you're frog, they don't look parallel to each other, or straight. And the back doesen't look square to either of those lines.
So that would be where I would start. Think precise. think straight. Think parallel. think square. Think sharp. When you're making a frog, 95% of you're time is spent doing those things, the final carving and sanding and shaping, is only the final 5% of you're time.
And don't be discouraged. You have to make the first one, to see where to start improving.
Why not start another one today, and when it's done, put them both side by side in a picture so we can see the progress?
My first bit of advice, regarding the "chunk of cherry".
Even if you are making something that ends up with a lot of curves in it, and requires a lot of carving, you have to start by making you're chunks square. That is, all sides must be parallel to each other, and all sides must be square to each other.
Precision is a must. Looking at the top and botom lines of you're frog, they don't look parallel to each other, or straight. And the back doesen't look square to either of those lines.
So that would be where I would start. Think precise. think straight. Think parallel. think square. Think sharp. When you're making a frog, 95% of you're time is spent doing those things, the final carving and sanding and shaping, is only the final 5% of you're time.
And don't be discouraged. You have to make the first one, to see where to start improving.
Why not start another one today, and when it's done, put them both side by side in a picture so we can see the progress?
well I dont have a jigsaw, so I have to cut the cherry by hand, Im not sure if youve ever cut cherry but by the time your done a nap is in order, not making a frog haha
Matthew Tucker
Commercial User
- Aug 21, 2002
- 2,686
- 387
- Disclosures
- Owner: Bresque Basses, Sydney Basses and Cellos
A jigsaw probably wouldn't have helped.
What Darren says is good advice and you don't have to have power tools.
If you start out with a rough cherry stick and carefully plane all four sides flat and square until they are almost exactly the final size, you'll be able to cut off a couple of inches for your frog. Use a fretsaw to rough out the cutout and you'll have a "blank". You could get a few blanks out of the one stick.
Then your carving is minimised and you have a nice straight piece of work.
A bit of googling helps too:
Look here: http://www.altmanbows.com/frog_making.html
Try making some cherry thumb planes along the lines of the ones I showed before. Good practice in small hardwood carving and you end up with really useful tools. Same principle; get your stick straight first.
What Darren says is good advice and you don't have to have power tools.
If you start out with a rough cherry stick and carefully plane all four sides flat and square until they are almost exactly the final size, you'll be able to cut off a couple of inches for your frog. Use a fretsaw to rough out the cutout and you'll have a "blank". You could get a few blanks out of the one stick.
Then your carving is minimised and you have a nice straight piece of work.
A bit of googling helps too:
Look here: http://www.altmanbows.com/frog_making.html
Try making some cherry thumb planes along the lines of the ones I showed before. Good practice in small hardwood carving and you end up with really useful tools. Same principle; get your stick straight first.
well its in a 3 foot by 6 inch form, so it has to be cut, ill think about investing in some power tools
