mikeyswood
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Roberto-Venn: The Dream Starts...
- Thread starter Thumpin_P
- Start date
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,011
- 1
- 31,720
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Back in university mathematics class, we would have called that "the null hair". So yeah, it counts.
This thread is great! I'm learning so much just reading and looking at your pics, and I can't wait to see how that bass is gonna turn out. Subbed!
Guys... I love and truly appreciate the comments. It picks my day up even more!
Moving on, though, today was eventful, but, not as much as most...
I started the day, getting the White MOP inlay dotd for the bass fretboard. Alas, another of my typical mistakes, I forgot to photograph it. I will make it up tomorrow...sorry. I will also fill in the process tomorrow.
Moving on, I worked on laying out the control cavity. I had no idea that this could prove to be so difficult. I only have 4 pots, a preamp board, and an output jack,,,how hard can it be? Pretty difficult in a noisy classroom, I'll tell you that! I did decide, until tomorrow anyway, on this layout.
A typical, Jazz, 4 in a row...
This is the rough placement of my jack, a Neutrik locking jack.
I also worked some more on the comfort carve on the back, but I will wait until it is perfect to share some pics of that...
I did, however, promise pictures of the rosette closeup
I am still pleased with the look of that. Now I can't wait until we cut out the soundhole...oh, wait...,
We did....!
Using an add-on, from the Porter Cable company, which is normally used for cutting larger circles, You place a 1/4" pin in the center of your soundhole. The top is clamped to a board, also with a 1/4" hole in it. Without the board and the hole, when you make it all the way around, you have nothing to stabilize your router, and you get a very bad looking sound oval... There are still people using this, so I will get a picture of it, too.., for people interested. The only other big thing that we did, was to lay out the bracing on the back of the top. Mine was done, but, when they thickness sanded the top, to smooth out the rosette, the drawing went with it.
Oh! I also started working on the transverse brace and the soundboard graft; two braces for the top... I will get those pictures tomorrow. Man! I already have a full camera, and I haven't even done anything yet!
That is all, and again, I do appreciate all the support and comments! It means a great deal to me that people can learn a little from my humble contribution. And timbob, believe me, I'm waiting to see it finished, also!
Thanks to all and keep watching!
Thumpin_P
Moving on, though, today was eventful, but, not as much as most...
I started the day, getting the White MOP inlay dotd for the bass fretboard. Alas, another of my typical mistakes, I forgot to photograph it. I will make it up tomorrow...sorry. I will also fill in the process tomorrow.
Moving on, I worked on laying out the control cavity. I had no idea that this could prove to be so difficult. I only have 4 pots, a preamp board, and an output jack,,,how hard can it be? Pretty difficult in a noisy classroom, I'll tell you that! I did decide, until tomorrow anyway, on this layout.
A typical, Jazz, 4 in a row...
This is the rough placement of my jack, a Neutrik locking jack.
I also worked some more on the comfort carve on the back, but I will wait until it is perfect to share some pics of that...
I did, however, promise pictures of the rosette closeup
I am still pleased with the look of that. Now I can't wait until we cut out the soundhole...oh, wait...,
We did....!
Using an add-on, from the Porter Cable company, which is normally used for cutting larger circles, You place a 1/4" pin in the center of your soundhole. The top is clamped to a board, also with a 1/4" hole in it. Without the board and the hole, when you make it all the way around, you have nothing to stabilize your router, and you get a very bad looking sound oval... There are still people using this, so I will get a picture of it, too.., for people interested. The only other big thing that we did, was to lay out the bracing on the back of the top. Mine was done, but, when they thickness sanded the top, to smooth out the rosette, the drawing went with it.
Oh! I also started working on the transverse brace and the soundboard graft; two braces for the top... I will get those pictures tomorrow. Man! I already have a full camera, and I haven't even done anything yet!
That is all, and again, I do appreciate all the support and comments! It means a great deal to me that people can learn a little from my humble contribution. And timbob, believe me, I'm waiting to see it finished, also!
Thanks to all and keep watching!
Thumpin_P
Thanks Michael! Yours is quite beautiful also! You are very talented and you definitely have my respect!Timbob, it already looks gorgeous in real.
Guys, I have a lot to post, but it's late and I'm tired. I'll catch you up while I am doing laundry. See you tomorrow!
Thumpin_P
Thumpin_P
Ok guys!
As I said, I have a lot to share today, even if some of this isn't mine...
First, I promised the rosette cutter, and,
Here it is! This is an add-on, which just bolts to the router base. The school cut some of the excess off of the guide, so it would be more maneuverable.
Next, before I start my stuff, I wanted to share a nifty little tidbit, from my friend and fellow student, Steven. He used a piece of ebony for his truss rod cover. He didn't want to use screws, as it would mar the appearance. He wanted to use magnets, but, didn't want to drill into the wood. His solution,
Use the truss rod for the metal, glue a piece of ebony to fit into the truss rod cavity, drill a magnet into that piece of wood. The result;
Maybe I am out of the loop, behind the times, whatever...I just loved that so much that I had to share. The look is clean and simple, and the cover stays in place well.
Oh, and I had to get Michael back....so I caught him very quickly!
Gotcha!!!
Now, on to my stuff... first, the fretboard...
I just need to a little filling on a couple of dots,
I also promised pictures of the transverse brace and the soundboard graft..
the soundboard graft is made from leftovers from the top, it is the wider of the two. There is a slight radius on the top edge. The transverse brace is made from spruce, also, and also has a radius on the top edge of it.
I did finally finish with a control cavity layout, here is the paper, before transferring to MDF for a router template.
I do hope this shows up well...
after the layout comes...drilling and routing!!!
forstner bits!!!!
and the routed cavity! Dang...it's big!!!
I did have a screw-up, the template caught the edge of the router, so every pass after that had a boo-boo.
No worries, though...I just need to redo the template and sweeten it up, like the template for the neck pocket...Oh! That's why i had that ordeal...to teach me patience!
The parting shot today will be the accumulation of the work so far. We were graded on our progress for the 5 week grade, so everything had to be laid out on our desk(s).
Thanks for being patient, waiting for the update, and again...
Thanks for watching!
Thumpin_P
As I said, I have a lot to share today, even if some of this isn't mine...
First, I promised the rosette cutter, and,
Here it is! This is an add-on, which just bolts to the router base. The school cut some of the excess off of the guide, so it would be more maneuverable.
Next, before I start my stuff, I wanted to share a nifty little tidbit, from my friend and fellow student, Steven. He used a piece of ebony for his truss rod cover. He didn't want to use screws, as it would mar the appearance. He wanted to use magnets, but, didn't want to drill into the wood. His solution,
Use the truss rod for the metal, glue a piece of ebony to fit into the truss rod cavity, drill a magnet into that piece of wood. The result;
Maybe I am out of the loop, behind the times, whatever...I just loved that so much that I had to share. The look is clean and simple, and the cover stays in place well.
Oh, and I had to get Michael back....so I caught him very quickly!
Gotcha!!!
Now, on to my stuff... first, the fretboard...
I just need to a little filling on a couple of dots,
I also promised pictures of the transverse brace and the soundboard graft..
the soundboard graft is made from leftovers from the top, it is the wider of the two. There is a slight radius on the top edge. The transverse brace is made from spruce, also, and also has a radius on the top edge of it.
I did finally finish with a control cavity layout, here is the paper, before transferring to MDF for a router template.
I do hope this shows up well...
after the layout comes...drilling and routing!!!
forstner bits!!!!
and the routed cavity! Dang...it's big!!!
I did have a screw-up, the template caught the edge of the router, so every pass after that had a boo-boo.
No worries, though...I just need to redo the template and sweeten it up, like the template for the neck pocket...Oh! That's why i had that ordeal...to teach me patience!
The parting shot today will be the accumulation of the work so far. We were graded on our progress for the 5 week grade, so everything had to be laid out on our desk(s).
Thanks for being patient, waiting for the update, and again...
Thanks for watching!
Thumpin_P
Well,
Today was a kind of frustrating day, but not bad...
As you might have seen Friday, the router was not kind to me. (not really the router, but the operator) i got some guidance and decided to enlarge the template, make it sweet and smooth.
So,
sweet and smooth, with a little bit of naptha.
I then lined everything up, taped the newly sweetened template onto the body. began to rout, and...
it happened on the other side! Plus, the first one did not get toally cleaned up! FRUSTRATION!!!!
I did not get as frustrated as I used to, this is truly teaching me to be patient with myself ( I can be patient all day long with other people, but, when I make a mistake...I am my worst critic)
I stepped back, sought guidance, I was told to finish routing all the way down, then we would go from there. (edit...the picture shown is all the way down. When the mistake happened, I REALLY didn't feel like taking a picture) Once I had finished, I was told to make a putty of alder (the core wood) and Titebond. Make a patch and fill in those holes. If everything works out as it should, you will never see the effect. I asked about routing a couple of uneven spots, and I was told that every time a router was used, you risk taking more wood than you need to...and I was rapidly running out of wood!
So I made my putty, applied it on the areas which needed filling,
and I will sand it smooth tomorrow.
It's days like this that I really feel that I am meant to build acoustics....(just venting)
Now, the mistake-free progress...
Today, I glued the soundboard graft into place (actually, Matt B did, as a demo for the class...maybe that's why I have fewer mistakes on the acoustic...
)
and I was able to catch Josiah (another of our many instructors) demonstrating with another group.
Here you can actually see the go-bar setup in action.
I also sanded a radius on the transverse brace, but, it is a 50' radius, which really doesn't show up on camera. I also did some sanding on the inside of my acoustic body sides, but, again, you wouldn't really see a difference.
That is all for today. Wednesday, the Fender-style, bolt-on people will begin neck carving. The scarf joint, bolt-on people did today, but, we were told to leave them alone, so, no pictures. I will have more adventures tomorrow, so...,
Stay tuned and thanks again for watching!
Thumpin_P
Today was a kind of frustrating day, but not bad...
As you might have seen Friday, the router was not kind to me. (not really the router, but the operator) i got some guidance and decided to enlarge the template, make it sweet and smooth.
So,
sweet and smooth, with a little bit of naptha.
I then lined everything up, taped the newly sweetened template onto the body. began to rout, and...
it happened on the other side! Plus, the first one did not get toally cleaned up! FRUSTRATION!!!!
I did not get as frustrated as I used to, this is truly teaching me to be patient with myself ( I can be patient all day long with other people, but, when I make a mistake...I am my worst critic)
I stepped back, sought guidance, I was told to finish routing all the way down, then we would go from there. (edit...the picture shown is all the way down. When the mistake happened, I REALLY didn't feel like taking a picture) Once I had finished, I was told to make a putty of alder (the core wood) and Titebond. Make a patch and fill in those holes. If everything works out as it should, you will never see the effect. I asked about routing a couple of uneven spots, and I was told that every time a router was used, you risk taking more wood than you need to...and I was rapidly running out of wood!
So I made my putty, applied it on the areas which needed filling,
and I will sand it smooth tomorrow.
It's days like this that I really feel that I am meant to build acoustics....(just venting)
Now, the mistake-free progress...
Today, I glued the soundboard graft into place (actually, Matt B did, as a demo for the class...maybe that's why I have fewer mistakes on the acoustic...
)and I was able to catch Josiah (another of our many instructors) demonstrating with another group.
Here you can actually see the go-bar setup in action.
I also sanded a radius on the transverse brace, but, it is a 50' radius, which really doesn't show up on camera. I also did some sanding on the inside of my acoustic body sides, but, again, you wouldn't really see a difference.
That is all for today. Wednesday, the Fender-style, bolt-on people will begin neck carving. The scarf joint, bolt-on people did today, but, we were told to leave them alone, so, no pictures. I will have more adventures tomorrow, so...,
Stay tuned and thanks again for watching!
Thumpin_P
Try not to get too frustrated, Paul. We all make mistakes (and seriously, I've made half a dozen already, and I know others around me are in the same boat). For instance, I sanded my headstock down to .500" instead of .600" like a complete idiot RIGHT after the demo was given. I'd like to blame the calipers, but it was just a serious mental error.... However, I'll glue a veneer on the back and life will go on. So don't sweat the small stuff.
I appreciate it, J. I suppose I need some perspective on the whole thing, I am just sick of making a mistake every time I pick up a part of my bass, yet, nothing on my acoustic ( not really anyway...) But, again, thank you. I think the veneer will be a nice addition, anyway. You have a very contemporary build, and very nice.
My perspective on it is that it is much easier in general to recover from errors on electric instruments than on delicate acoustic instruments, so be very glad it is the way it is, and not the other way around.
On an electric instrument, you can almost always find a way to add wood to fix your screw-up, and often in a way that looks even better than your original plan if you are creative about it.
On the other hand, when you make a major error on an acoustic instrument's top, back, or sides, you often have to discard that piece and start over, or risk sub-optimal tone or structural instability down the road if you fix it instead.
So, I say be glad it is the way it is for you right now. I would be curious to hear what your instructors have to say about this issue....
I also should add that by making errors, you are learning some valuable lessons, especially about using routers. They are powerful and ravenous beasts, and it won't take you long to figure out how to anticipate and thus avoid routing problems.
Learn your lesson from each error! Analyze why it happened, how your setup and technique allowed it to happen, and how to preclude it from happening next time.
And remember, routers would be just as happy to take off a part of your anatomy as a part of a piece of mahogany or maple, so be careful.
It might also be helpful to remind yourself that you are paying to go to school in large part so that you can make errors in the presence of professionals who can show you how to fix them when they happen and how to avoid them next time.
My apologies if that comes off as too preachy; just sharing my perspective.
And, thanks for documenting your experience!
Learn your lesson from each error! Analyze why it happened, how your setup and technique allowed it to happen, and how to preclude it from happening next time.
And remember, routers would be just as happy to take off a part of your anatomy as a part of a piece of mahogany or maple, so be careful.
It might also be helpful to remind yourself that you are paying to go to school in large part so that you can make errors in the presence of professionals who can show you how to fix them when they happen and how to avoid them next time.
My apologies if that comes off as too preachy; just sharing my perspective.
And, thanks for documenting your experience!
Joe... thank you. I do mean that sincerely. You are 100% correct, in both posts. I needed that. Thank you sir, for adding a wonderful perspective, not only for me, but for those reading now, and in the future. Thank you again, and I look forward to hearing more from you.
Paul
Paul
May I ask how this happened? I route a lot using templates, not only basses but other woodworking projects as well and I do understand how your router could slip past your template? No offense, just to learn from it..
Robert, I believe that the large part of the cavity was too large for the base of the router to have something stable to rest on, causing the right (my right) side to dip down below the template, and caused the bit to snag the template on the left side. When I first tried on Friday, the same happened, only on the left side. It might be a simple matter of my technique, but, it seemed to happen in the same place, where the cavity was at its widest.I will say that at the time of the occurrence, I was watching the bit more than the base, so I cannot be sure...any tips?
Okay I see. I use the router too to clean up the edges of body and neck, but it indeed needs some getting used to doing so. The best tip I can give is to put pressure on the router where it rests on the wood and trust your templatr (you do not need to follow the bit by eye, rather concentrate on feeling the router is still stable.
Thank you, Robert! Hopefully, I will not run into this particular problem anytime soon, and I will have learned my lesson.
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