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What's On Your Workbench?

#3,861
Gary Sutter said:
Still got all of these Guitars to fix.. No Basses..

Can't leave this world till they are ALL Fixed up SO..

Parker Fly is Hanging Out waiting on parts & for me to go thru the electronics
Going to assume the output jack & possibly one or more of the switches +?
Fluke Meter will tell Me & will progress from there..

Found a Use for that Silly Hercules Guitar Stand..
NOTE: 20lb Weight on the rear leg + LH Strat Body
Fly weighs under 5 lbs.

My Bench is a total mess, Parts laying everywhere..
Son just asked me to put a DiMarzio Strap Lock strap on His Steinberger XP-2 :D
Which one?? Black or White? OK Black Bass w/ Black Strap.. Got It!!

Need to put some strap buttons on the Parker Fly = I have one extra Black Schaller button & keeper for the strap & several Black Jim Dunlop Strap Lock assemblies + Parts..
Will have to make sure to cut a screw down for the Fly's upper horn, It's only 3/4" thick..
View attachment 4409787
I did make up a Tension Wheel for the Parker Fly & scored the threaded adjustment bolt with the keyway slot cut in it.. Progress.. Used a 1/2 x 20 Lug Nut & the Lower half of a Basses Concentric knob.
It looks almost 100% Factory after I drilled & tapped it 1/2x20, Note: Nylon Spacer & Bigsby Spring.
View attachment 4409844


Thanks SlingBlader, I don't have any scrap poplar, PM Inbound Hoosier Brother..
Will get you a good measurement, Haven't thought about routing the body till the other issues are fixed & then on to bodywork etc.:meh: I Calls it a Keiser Blade..

It's been six months as of Noon Today I had to remove my Twin Brother's Life Support..
Still Can't Wrap my Head Around That..:rollno:
See You on the Other Side Bro..
Gary
Click to expand...

Cool, doesn't need to be exact, just need to be sure I send you a big enough chunk. :) Sorry to hear about your brother!
 
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#3,862
Gary_M said:
Cool, doesn't need to be exact, just need to be sure I send you a big enough chunk.
Click to expand...

SlingBlader the size would be 3"x 4"x 1/2" of Poplar, That would give me a smidge extra, See Photos.
The wood appears to be mahogany by it's light brownish red tone but I am assured by the Gurus @ The Fly Clone that BP before the Serial # means Basswood Neck & Poplar Body = Parker Fly Deluxe.
Most Poplar I have seen has a Yellowish Green appearance..

Any of you all out there make stuff from Carbon Fiber for Race Cars??

If I was to totally go back factory it would need a piece of that Carbon Fiber over the patch + some fiberglass kitty hair.. I was an Autobody repairman in the Late 80s/Early 90s JFYI & have fixed several fiberglass cars in my time but never nothing with a Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Skin..

The factory process for the Parker Flies was a carbon fiber skin that was kept in a freezer & applied with an Epoxy Resin & then baked @ 350 Degrees for two hours in a vacuum bag to achieve the hard outer exoskeleton.. In a Pizza Oven..
I watched an old video from the early 90s about the making of The Parker Fly.. Very Interesting..

Been fixing & upgrading guitars & basses for 43 years now. This Guitar is something NEW to Me..
Here's a few pictures of my ongoing work to fix the Parker Fly..
Just shot some penetrant in the bottom bridge parts after removing the two Circlips..
Haven't even tried to turn those allen screws YET! There's a Piezo attached to this bridge + a ground..
Was guessing I would have to detune & remove the bridge assembly & put it in a sock & then put some blue painters tape as a base on the body & make a riser from scrap wood & then rout down to the problem making a patch with rounded corners with a small fostner bit. Will have to remove the wiring from the body & put it in a zip lock sandwich bag out of the way while doing the wood work & body work.

Was just looking thru my stash of strap buttons & screws & am about to go get my Sons Steinberger & put the DiMarzio Strap He wants on it, He's at work now on 3rd Shift BTW..
Going to attach a few to the Parker as well.. JFYI the factory Parker Fly strap buttons are polymer to reduce weight. Will add a little weight with the Schaller & Jim Dunlop Metal parts..
Gary Sutter

Parker Fly The Hole.JPG

NOTE: The Color of the Poplar Bodies Wood..
3 Inch.JPG

1st Measurement for the Poplar Patch 3"
4 Inch.JPG

2nd Measurement 4" NOTE: Grain Orientation
Penetrant Oil Bridge Adjustments.JPG

Oiling Up The Bridge Inserts from the Bottom
Strap Buttons.JPG

Strap Button Stash, Need to Buy Some More!
Gary @ 55.JPG

Angry Gary & The Pissed Soaked Socks
It's 2:00am Need to get some sleep BUT!!
 
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#3,864
The one I have has the carbon glass material on the top as well as the back & the neck
Others do not get that on the tops, You can see it with the naked eye
Here's that video that shows & tells about the making of the Parker Fly..
Video is from 2005 & my guitar is from 2007

@14:56 the tour inside the factory begins, You see the fiber weave sheets & neck strip..
@20:17 the process of applying the fiber begins, Have a look at that neck joint & the angle the truss rod is set at.. It does appear to be black fiberglass sheeting..
And yeah the bake temp is 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours while wrapped in the cotton & vacuum sealed in the vacuum bag..
In the video they show one being made that has the carbon glass material on the back only + the neck.
I'm pretty sure I could get some fiberglass sheeting & auto body fiberglass resin & recreate it for the patch or just leave it be AS IS or use kitty hair fiberglass body filler..
 
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#3,866
Gary Sutter said:
The one I have has the carbon glass material on the top as well as the back & the neck
Others do not get that on the tops, You can see it with the naked eye
Here's that video that shows & tells about the making of the Parker Fly..
Video is from 2005 & my guitar is from 2007

@14:56 the tour inside the factory begins, You see the fiber weave sheets & neck strip..
@20:17 the process of applying the fiber begins, Have a look at that neck joint & the angle the truss rod is set at.. It does appear to be black fiberglass sheeting..
And yeah the bake temp is 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours while wrapped in the cotton & vacuum sealed in the vacuum bag..
In the video they show one being made that has the carbon glass material on the back only + the neck.
I'm pretty sure I could get some fiberglass sheeting & auto body fiberglass resin & recreate it for the patch or just leave it be AS IS or use kitty hair fiberglass body filler..
Click to expand...

Please forget the glass fiber putty. I'm sure some RC hobby store has small quantities of glass fiber cloth and laminating epoxy. Do it right and forget those cheap fixes with putty and polyester resins. You can use the same epoxy for glueing the poplar patch.
 
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#3,868
I hadn't even thought about a Hobby Store but there are a few in our town & Louisville Kentucky is two miles across the Ohio River.. I was thinking Race Car Stuff..
IIRC there is a Slot Car Track in KY & there are guys there who make their own little cars.
Also there is an Auto Body Supply store that I used to go too 30 years ago that's 2 miles away.

Thanks for the possible leads on the items in need..

@SlingBlader I believe has me setup on the 4"x 3"x 1/2" Poplar Patch..

Need to start thinking about how I want to rout the body for the patch.
I have a huge Craftsman Router & a Dremel based unit but really need a Bosch/Colt small hand held Router.. That's a Pawn Shop Item.. + The bits..?? Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware etc.
Or order from the Internet..

And Dadagoboi Kitty Hair is what We called that blue Fiberglass Filler with strands of Glass in it.. Meow!
 
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#3,870
Gary Sutter said:
The one I have has the carbon glass material on the top as well as the back & the neck
Others do not get that on the tops, You can see it with the naked eye
Here's that video that shows & tells about the making of the Parker Fly..
Video is from 2005 & my guitar is from 2007

@14:56 the tour inside the factory begins, You see the fiber weave sheets & neck strip..
@20:17 the process of applying the fiber begins, Have a look at that neck joint & the angle the truss rod is set at.. It does appear to be black fiberglass sheeting..
And yeah the bake temp is 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours while wrapped in the cotton & vacuum sealed in the vacuum bag..
In the video they show one being made that has the carbon glass material on the back only + the neck.
I'm pretty sure I could get some fiberglass sheeting & auto body fiberglass resin & recreate it for the patch or just leave it be AS IS or use kitty hair fiberglass body filler..
Click to expand...


pretty cool - a very sophisticated product ... thanks for posting :thumbsup:
 
#3,871
RichterScale said:
In the vid, it looks like they only use the composite on the back?
Isn't the repair on the front?
Click to expand...

Yes the repair is on the front

I saw that in the video too BTW..
Going to try an get a better picture out in the sun
Maybe it's an optical illusion
From looking with the camera there doesn't appear to be fiber on the front
It checking from the thick paint from where the guitar took a nice WHACK!!
Bet the sound of the tremolo spring breaking was like a KaPow!! My $3000 Guitar is now worth $30
That's a Good Thing as the paint should feather out & make for an easier repair..
You should see how the pickups mount on these flies, Under two of the A & B pole pieces are screws right into the body with threaded anchors, The bridge adjusts from the bottom via two threaded hex shafts & the tremolo rocks on two sealed roller bearings..
Parker Fly Body.JPG
 
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#3,875
Looks like this apple tree had an interesting life.
Doesn't look like I can use it for much.
I'll grab the bigger log this weekend and see what that looks like. But I'm cutting that one with the chainsaw.
You'd have to be an idiot to cut through an 8" apple log with a hand saw, let alone a 10-12" log. :confused:
KIMG2222.JPG
KIMG2223.JPG
KIMG2225.JPG
 
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#3,876
I'll give you a little tip about fruit woods. Seal that thing up with some sort of end grain sealer (anchorseal or the like). It'll check like crazy as it dries and you'll be left with a bunch of apple slabs that have massive cracks in them if you don't. Even with end grain sealer, it'll still check, but at least you won't just want to set it all on fire.
 
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#3,877
When I cut it down, I had no idea what I could use it for. I just piled it up outside and that's where it sat for a year. It's probably all shot.
There's 2 more bigger apple trees that don't bear fruit and are in a crappy spot. I'll do it right if I take them down.
There's also 2 very large, overgrown pear trees that I'd like to take down, but they still produce and the deer like them. And I think at least one has barb wire right through the middle of the best part of the lower trunk.

Hopefully the bigger apple log dried slower and isn't a mess.
 
#3,880

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