The Les Paul Twins

[theFixer]

Well for north Wales the weather has been hot these last few weeks but the last two have been baking, I had the day off yesterday but decided to try working outside today and enjoy the sun. It started out lovely but eventually it got too hot and I ended up with a towel draped over my head trying to keep the sun off, I had a magnifying visor on so I couldn't wear a hat. I got some done and now I'm inside cooling off.

I set up a makeshift bench outside, literally a saw horse and a metalworking vice clamped to it to hold my saw table. then I took my designs for the headstock inlays and, well confession first, I nearly flamingo'd up with the name as my written Welsh isn't that good but basically "the dragon" is "Y Ddraig" and plain "Dragon" is "Draig" so disaster averted. So I took my design and with a sharp scalpel cut out some of the sections and glued them with Titebond to a Mother of Pearl blank then cut them out, each time I cut a piece I turned it upside down and glued it to a mirror image of the design so it can then be transferred to the headstock. I'm sure you all get the drift and after 4 hours sawing and filing I ended up with one dragon ready for inlaying into a headstock.

Not sure if I want to do the other tomorrow or do one of the Draig inlays for which I have some lovely dark green Abalone

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[Larry V]

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This is the one I bought... works great in my rather small workshop where I also have a small drill press, bench top grinder, bench top belt and disk sander and router.

 

[Christine]

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This is the one I bought... works great in my rather small workshop where I also have a small drill press, bench top grinder, bench top belt and disk sander and router.

What's the slowest speed on something like that? I think I must be around 120 strokes per minute

 

[Larry V]

What's the slowest speed on something like that? I think I must be around 120 strokes per minute

 

[theFixer]

... I think I must be around 120 strokes per minute

(giggity)

 

[Christine]

(giggity)

Behave you animal!

 

[ctmullins]

That’s impressive. No way I’d have that kind of patience...

 

[Englishman]

Way cool, makes me want to try it.

 

[Christine]

Way cool, makes me want to try it.

Go for it, it’s easier than you’d think

 

[Christine]

Another hot morning in the sun cutting Abalone today, I cut a couple of the Draig inlays. After I drilled the headstocks for the tuners and marked and routed the holes for the inlays and stuck them in, not quite as easy as the square fretboard inlays and yes a little black epoxy was needed.

Just rough sanded and wetted to give an idea

 

[ctmullins]

I’m really enjoying your Welshness!

 

[rwkeating]

All's Welsh that ends Welsh ... sorry, couldn't help myself.

 

[theFixer]

All's Welsh that ends Welsh ... sorry, couldn't help myself.

HAH!!!

 

[chinjazz]

That Dragon looks great! Nicely done!

 

[Christine]

I’m really enjoying your Welshness!

It sounds as if you suspect I am very proud of being Welsh You may well be right

This just about sums me up, a bilingual song by our very own rock chick Cerys and Catatonia

 

[Englishman]

I lived in Wolf's Castle (Casblaidd) for a year or so in the early 60s. I can still count to 100 in Welsh and I received an award for correcting other kids during the Lord's Prayer which we did in Welsh every morning. Don't remember any of that though. I was only 6 or 7 but remember it vividly, seemed very remote back then.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Amazing job on the dragon, I’m still trying to picture what a “Daft Bat” inlay would look like.

 

[Christine]

I lived in Wolf's Castle (Casblaidd) for a year or so in the early 60s. I can still count to 100 in Welsh and I received an award for correcting other kids during the Lord's Prayer which we did in Welsh every morning. Don't remember any of that though. I was only 6 or 7 but remember it vividly, seemed very remote back then.

I didn't realise until very recently that there were Welsh communities in the states, Patagonia yes they have a huge one there. Doesn't really amount to a plot to rule the world does it?

 

[Christine]

Did the second dragon today, I left a little more space between the pieces, I think it works slightly better. Will inlay it tomorrow, got a bit of a headache tonight after too much sun despite wearing an huge old floppy hat I found

 

[Englishman]

I didn't realise until very recently that there were Welsh communities in the states, Patagonia yes they have a huge one there. Doesn't really amount to a plot to rule the world does it?

Because nobody will take "Dai the dictator" seriously.