Good save, the final shape looks good. I’ve gotten that “deck of cards” look a few times myself. I currently have one of those Infinity compression bits. It worked well in the one time I tried it.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
WBO 2023 - Bateries not included
- Thread starter postalflunkie
- Start date
I really like it, that shape benefits (at least visually) from the offset.I spent the last two days waiting for glue to dry on the body wing cores, maple vaneer on both sides of the purpleheart.
View attachment 4923892
This was the first side, basically I do the top and botom at the same time and use the bulk of the purpleheart to ensure even clamping and no glue bubbles in the maple. I use wax paper to keep them from gluing to each other on the ends.
So I thought I'd take advantage of having a day off to clean up the body blanks and cut out the wing cores, no problem so far...
Then I got impatient and decided to use a pattern bit in the router table to clean up the edgesand reminded myself why I bought a robosander.
View attachment 4923896
That's UGLY!
Time for a new plan, preferably one that doesn't involve starting over. I looked at all the damage and decided that a simple readjustment of the body lines could do the trick.
Back to the bandsaw, then some creative use of the belt sander and I think this will work ok.
View attachment 4923897
The more I look at it now, the more I like it, I'm calling it an "offset Victory body"
Crisis adverted.
I like the word swoopy. Let's retain it.Ooof! I know this feeling. Nice save though. Makes the Victory look more swoopy, if you know what I mean
Wow! Great recovery, but sorry to see this happen. PM me your address and I'll have my friends at Amazon deliver some clean drawers to you pronto.
After a short lunch break, and an opportunity to calm down and appreciate that things could have much worse, it's back to the garage.
Thought I'd move on to the neck blank. Cut the headstock angle to around 13° and cleaned up the cut with a hand plane
Then set up the router table for the truss rod channel
still nervous about this thing
That went absolutely perfect, nice snug fit and got the depth perfect on the first try
Now to finish things off for the day. I cut down the fretboard and sanded the edges smooth.
Looking good so far. I could go ahead and glue the fretboard on, but I'm done for now.
Time for a frosty beverage
Thought I'd move on to the neck blank. Cut the headstock angle to around 13° and cleaned up the cut with a hand plane
Then set up the router table for the truss rod channel
still nervous about this thingThat went absolutely perfect, nice snug fit and got the depth perfect on the first try
Now to finish things off for the day. I cut down the fretboard and sanded the edges smooth.
Looking good so far. I could go ahead and glue the fretboard on, but I'm done for now.
Time for a frosty beverage
Weight loss time. A little chambering on the top wing. This old dremel scroll saw takes forever to cut through an inch of purpleheart, but it gets the job done.
I'll work on the bottom wing once I've figured out all the controls. The majority will be for the controll cavity, then another little chamber in front of the pickup.
Now to glue the padauk caps on
I'll work on the bottom wing once I've figured out all the controls. The majority will be for the controll cavity, then another little chamber in front of the pickup.
Now to glue the padauk caps on
Fretboard gue-up. Nothing fancy about how I do it, some silicone under the trusrod, spread glue on both surfaces, lightly clamp both ends and check to make sure it's centered on the neck blank before clamping it down tight.
So with the top wing done I needed to work on the bottom wing. First order was to lay out the locations for the pots and switch, then cut the control cavity out of the body core. Then a small amount was chambered out of the rest of the body wing.
The back padauk cap was placed against the core and the control cavity was traced so I could cut out the cavity cover. My archaic scroll saw really struggles to cut anything over an eighth of an inch so I apologize for the lines not being very straight...
Then I lined up the back and glued it to the core first, let it set up, then glued on the front.
I trimmed off the excess padauk and had to do a mock up of the body against the neck blank.
So far, so good
Next order is to route a round over on the body wings, but that's for the weekend.
The back padauk cap was placed against the core and the control cavity was traced so I could cut out the cavity cover. My archaic scroll saw really struggles to cut anything over an eighth of an inch so I apologize for the lines not being very straight...
Then I lined up the back and glued it to the core first, let it set up, then glued on the front.
I trimmed off the excess padauk and had to do a mock up of the body against the neck blank.
So far, so good
Next order is to route a round over on the body wings, but that's for the weekend.
I love the colors on this build. I never would've thought that purpleheart and padauk could look good together, but this build is proving me wrong. Maybe it's becuase of the maple veneer strips...
Whatever it is, it just works.
Whatever it is, it just works.
Have to agree 100%
And as the wood ages and darkens it should look even better (I hope)
Sunday morning and the house is all to myself, time to go make more sawdust.
Used a drum sander in the drill press to get the padauk almost even with the purpleheart core then put the big 3/4 inch round over bit in the router table. I do this with the bit just starting to touch the edge of the wood and make several passes slightly moving the bit up on each pass. That makes for a clean burn free edge and the chance for tear out is about nill.
End result looks pretty good, with just enough of the maple strip showing from the front.
And then to clean up the aftermath before my wife gets home.
That's just the router table.... the whole corner of the garage had a nice orange tint to it.
After all was cleaned up and blown out the door I just had to do another mock-up, I wiped it all down with naphtha first to bring out the colors.
Used a drum sander in the drill press to get the padauk almost even with the purpleheart core then put the big 3/4 inch round over bit in the router table. I do this with the bit just starting to touch the edge of the wood and make several passes slightly moving the bit up on each pass. That makes for a clean burn free edge and the chance for tear out is about nill.
End result looks pretty good, with just enough of the maple strip showing from the front.
And then to clean up the aftermath before my wife gets home.
That's just the router table.... the whole corner of the garage had a nice orange tint to it.
After all was cleaned up and blown out the door I just had to do another mock-up, I wiped it all down with naphtha first to bring out the colors.
Hammering in some frets
And nipping the excess and beveling the ends with a file. Also cut a slot for the string guide.
And nipping the excess and beveling the ends with a file. Also cut a slot for the string guide.
Time to start getting the neck in order. I measured out from the zero fret and set the bridge for the 32 inch scale, then set steel rods along the string path to make sure everything aligns correctly.
Then it's on to marking where the body wings will sit against the neck blank and sketching where to cut off all the excess.
I changed the blade on my bandsaw to a 1/2 inch blade so I could get nice straight cuts and started cutting.
Starting to look like a neck
Then it's on to marking where the body wings will sit against the neck blank and sketching where to cut off all the excess.
I changed the blade on my bandsaw to a 1/2 inch blade so I could get nice straight cuts and started cutting.
Starting to look like a neck
After some lunch it's back to work. Drilled a recess for the peizo pickup.
Then glued on some more maple for the headstock "wings"
And then I needed something to do while the glue sets up, so I cut out some picks from the cut-offs
Then glued on some more maple for the headstock "wings"
And then I needed something to do while the glue sets up, so I cut out some picks from the cut-offs
The build is looking great. Really digging the color combo of the wood selection and nice auxiliary light on the band saw!
Thanks
I think I've done this with just about every build
Busy day here in Central Ohio.
Started of with cussing like a sailor while I figured out how to remove the faucet from my kitchen sink and put in a brand new one
Then I needed a sanity break, so I roughed in the headstock and trimmed down the sides of the neck
Now I need to go out and shovel off the rest of my driveway.
Glad I waited on the driveway, most of it has melted off already
Started of with cussing like a sailor while I figured out how to remove the faucet from my kitchen sink and put in a brand new one
Then I needed a sanity break, so I roughed in the headstock and trimmed down the sides of the neck
Now I need to go out and shovel off the rest of my driveway.
Glad I waited on the driveway, most of it has melted off already
