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The Hossenfeffer Bass Build

#121
Now that I have all the templates, I may build another Hossenfeffer for my son, this time a 4003w with walnut body and headstock wings. If so, strategies for avoiding tearout of any kind will be mandatory. Clearly some learning left to do on router techniques!

Maple,
The robosander is a pretty good alternative to pattern bits, the problem is they only have a couple sanding grits available. It's very slow, tedious process, but as you say, no tearout.
 
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#126
Finally got back to the shop for a little Mental Health break, glued on the headstock wings:
IMG_2523_zpshaaizhj2.jpg


Question:
Is there any reason not to continue the truss rod adjustment slot, cut with a 3/8" round bit, until it exits out the headstock angle top face? Ric TRC's extend most of the headstock length, so it would still be covered. In theory, this would allow me to remove the doube-action trussrod in future if I ever break it by pulling it out through the headstock. I don't know if this will work in practical terms, but nothing else holds the trussrod in, except may a dab of silicone to stop it rattling? Advice appreciated.
 
#127
TALK ME DOWN FROM THE MADNESS!
Experiencing a little "mission creep", reading and thinking too much, building too little. The latest obsession: Crushed MOP inlay like this:
Rickenbacker-Resto055_zps0v4pwxkl.jpg

And here's a link to how it's done:
Rickenbacker International Corporation - Forum • View topic - LOTS OF NEW PROJECTS FROM PAUL W!
Basically MOP veneer cut to full width triangles and submerged in clear epoxy, which gets sanded flush to radius. The problem is, this stuff costs $252 for a small sheet of the original material, or around $100 for something similar but very thin' like 1/16". Nobody sells a convincing match for the Mother of Plastic full width inlays used on current production basses. I found some of these at Grizzly.com:
Shop our T23658 - Position Marks - Shark Fin at Grizzly.com
They look great in the photo, in real life not so much, like congealed tapioca pudding with odd blobs and bubbles in the mix, not sure I want to use them.

An alternative would be full width inlays, but cut from pearloid sheet stock. The concern there is that most of the available pearloid sheet stock is around 1/16" thick, so I worry I'd sand through it on the edges, same problem with genuine MOP block inlay stock, not to mention the prices! Stewmac carries 4-ply pickguard sheet, but it's pearloid over black, so if I sand through the edges, I'll hit black.
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Making the fingerboard and setting inlays is my next step, kind of dead in the water with indecision. Hopefully some of you TB Ric builders can help get me thinking straight about this. Advice appreciated!
 
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#128
It's hard to tell exactly how it looks from their photos, but some of thepearloid inlay materials from Shellex have that sort of crushed (rather than swirled) figure to them, and they're 2mm thick plates so should be easier to work with. The white or ivory MOP, or even the more colourful "Pearlflitterplate" might get somewhere close to that look.
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#131
I believe this qualifies as "tail wagging the dog", my mild case of OCD is showing for sure. Having sprung for absurdly overpriced checker binding stock, the desire to keep tricking the bass out to "deluxe" status (with no experience doing any of this , of course) rears its ugly head. Ron has the right idea, in that any damage he might inflict on his Rickenbarner will actually increase its already significant mojo. Cigarette burns! Check! Spilled beer. Check!
 
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#137
#138
Martin Beer said:
It's hard to tell exactly how it looks from their photos, but some of thepearloid inlay materials from Shellex have that sort of crushed (rather than swirled) figure to them, and they're 2mm thick plates so should be easier to work with. The white or ivory MOP, or even the more colourful "Pearlflitterplate" might get somewhere close to that look.
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martin,
That might work if I go to full-width inlays, though at 2mm (5/64") it still worries me that I'd sand through the edges radiusing the board.
 
#140
ctmullins said:
Radius first, then inlay. Problem solved. :)
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The fingerboard will be bound with full width inlays, not sure how it makes sense to radius first, since binding and inlay have to be in place to receive radius? If I go with poured crushed pearl inlay, the inlay recesses can be about 1/8" deep or more, with crushed MOP "submerged" in epoxy. the binding already in place would act as dams along the sides, I'd use the foam double stick tape method to make dams for the edges. Am I missing something in the process?
 

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