What's On Your Workbench?

[RichterScale]

I didn't do any work on an instrument today. I laid around, feeling sorry for myself yesterday (that took all day) and spent a portion of today putting tools away, organizing the wood pile a bit, throwing out trash, etc.
I just want to say this out loud so I have to do it: ....the CBG tribute will be done, the hoggin' press will be set up and functional and a pup mule will be made by Dec 21, 2021.
I doubt I will know how to play it right away, but maybe while I'm doing the WBO I can noodle on it and when the WBO bass is done, I can attempt a sound clip of both instruments.

 

[Max Bogosity]

I want to cut a big slot in the table, under the drill, like a big coin slot. That way I can hold a body or body wing vertically for drilling jack holes/recesses. I'll have to devise some type of clamp system under the table. But, not sure I wanna do it to that table.

Move the cross rails from the middle to the end of the big angles and hang the drill right over the edge of the table? Then you can add an extension on hinges so it can be either a horizontal support for normal work or tilt down for jack holes.

 

[Gary_M]

Work in progress in my shop, three metal flake Telecasters.

One of those is for my brother, who stopped by this weekend to check the progress.

 

[dwizum]

My latest pair of guitars are at about the same stage, hanging to dry with a couple coats of finish. These have really dragged out and were sidelined a couple times by other projects so I'm happy to have them almost done.

 

[Flamingo21]

@dwizum
What is the function of the piece of metal visible in each control cavity? Is it part of the shielding?

 

[dwizum]

@dwizum
What is the function of the piece of metal visible in each control cavity? Is it part of the shielding?

Reinforcement since the maple top gets thin right around the holes. There are little recesses cut in the front for the knobs to sit down into so the maple is a hair less than 1/8" thick. When wood is that thin it's very easy for a hard bump against the knob to punch a hole in the top. These metal plates are cut from 1/16" sheet stock and epoxied into the cavity to add reinforcement so that can't happen. I normally cut them from aluminum but I ran out so one of these is steel.

And it definitely helps with shielding as well although that's secondary for me! The cavities will get copper tape once the finish is on.

 

[TerribleTim68]

Work in progress in my shop, three metal flake Telecasters.
View attachment 4472919

One of those is for my brother, who stopped by this weekend to check the progress.
View attachment 4472920

METAL FLAKE FTW!!!!

 

[dwizum]

Here's a closeup of another guitar of this same design showing the recess for the knobs. The top is about 3/8" and the recesses are about 1/4" deep. Cut with a tray bit with a template and bushing on the router.

 

[Flamingo21]

So, the recesses in the front are purely cosmetic?

As for epoxying the metal plates into the cavities: is this strong enough that the hard bump against the knob won't just knock the plate loose?

(I'm inexperienced on these matters. My Buildoff project gets a control cavity from the back that leaves 3/8" thickness in places, and I'm already worried.)

 

[Jon Clegg]

So, the recesses in the front are purely cosmetic?

As for epoxying the metal plates into the cavities: is this strong enough that the hard bump against the knob won't just knock the plate loose?

(I'm inexperienced on these matters. My Buildoff project gets a control cavity from the back that leaves 3/8" thickness in places, and I'm already worried.)

3/8" should be plenty thick. I nominally use 1/4" on builds and occasionally 1/8" with an 1/16" aluminum backer epoxied in.

 

[dwizum]

Recesses are purely cosmetic.

I use a quality laminating epoxy (totalboat's product which is more or less equivalent to west 105). Scuff up the metal. Waaaay more than strong enough. You'd snap the shaft off the pot before you broke the epoxy bond.

I agree that 3/8" is fine without reinforcement if you're using a typical hardwood. I like to use 1/4" thickness by default since that allows a typical short shaft pot to work. Short shaft pots have 3/8" of threads on the bushing, if you leave your thickness at 3/8" you'll need long shaft pots.

 

[tubedude]

I like to dish out the recesses for smoother feel, access, and avoiding edges that can collect wax. As seen here on a Betterbacker

 

[Flamingo21]

Betterbacker

 

[MPU]

Sterling Stingray 4, bridge block and bridge ferrules epoxied on, threaded inserts for neck machine screws epoxied as well, string thru ferrules, eight coil MPU pickup, Lusithand NFP Special preamp. Tested today at rehearsals. Sounds fantastic, thick but clear, great sustain and pretty lightweight due to basswood body.

 

[RichterScale]

Wow, I'll bet that thing sounds amazing.

 

[RichterScale]

Wanna see something funny?
I bought some shutters for the greenhouse at work. They have no opening mechanism and I'm making screens to cover them, so you won't be able to get your hand in there to open the flaps and there would be nothing to hold them open anyway. I needed a way to open the flaps from the outside of the frame.
And it works!

 

[ctmullins]

 

[dwizum]

Jaco only needed four shutters.

 

[dwizum]

Here's a tiny little pickup in progress!

 

[RichterScale]

That's the coolest pickup I've ever seen!