Simo
Commercial User
- May 26, 2006
- 289
- 461
- Disclosures
- Luthier/Owner at Simnett Guitars
My latest build.. 33'' scale, 5 string fretless (tuned E-C), with spalted Hornbeam top.
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What's On Your Workbench?
- Thread starter HaMMerHeD
- Start date
- Dec 20, 2004
- 4,267
- 2,481
- Disclosures
- Player-Builder-Founder: Honey Badger Pickups & Regenerate Guitar Works
last of a batch of bodies had its cnc work completed today. as you can see, there's still a ton of hand work remaining to be completed before these will be ready for finishing.
next up: a large batch of necks
next up: a large batch of necks
- Jul 1, 2005
- 4,291
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- 79
- Disclosures
- CataldoBasses: Designer/Builder ThunderBuckerPickups:Consultant
Wavy Wally, preliminary setup. Next is drilling for string thru, neck bushings, side jack, and pickup wiring channels. Then final finishing which will consist of sanding from 100 grit up to 1500. Strings are DR Legends. The combination of Walnut, Wenge and Ebony is very resonant. Weight is under 9 lbs.
Manton Customs
UK Luthier
My latest build.. 33'' scale, 5 string fretless (tuned E-C), with spalted Hornbeam top.
So you're the ba***** who outbid me on EBay for that top (I think)!
. Jk... Looks great 
.
About six months ago a friend sent an email saying he was having a portable sawmill brought to his property to cut up some logs, offering custom cuts off the logs for whatever you might want. He had red oak, white oak, maple and ash. To be honest there was a bit of a miscommunication on email about exactly what I wanted him to cut, but I ended up with 4 ash body blanks and 4 planks of maple that were natural edge on both sides and about 14"x2"x6'. My plan was to use them for bass bodies.
I put them in the furnace room in the rental house we're in to dry and as I started looking at them I was thinking I could make a cool studio desk out of them. Since they are cut consecutively out of the log, they kind of look bookmatched. After finishing the stubby, I figured this was my next project. I looked at them this weekend and after drying they cupped a bit. I had plans to make a router sled and plane them down, but as I was thinking about being on my aching knees for the amount of time it would take to do this, I just couldn't see it happening. I took them down to the local hardwood place today and they planed two sides on four planks for $60, money well spent in my opinion. The finish is super smooth too. Before putting them through the planer they measured the moisture level and it was under 10% - good to go!
They put them through a huge planer, and wow is there some nice figuring on this stuff!
I am a bit hesitant to make it into a desk, but I will. I took them over my dad's, cut them on the table saw and glued them together. I can't wait to get some finish on them.
I've got 2 more 6' planks, I'll have to see how this goes before deciding what to do. The other pieces have some pretty cool ambrosia on them as well, I think it will be even harder to make those into a desk.
I put them in the furnace room in the rental house we're in to dry and as I started looking at them I was thinking I could make a cool studio desk out of them. Since they are cut consecutively out of the log, they kind of look bookmatched. After finishing the stubby, I figured this was my next project. I looked at them this weekend and after drying they cupped a bit. I had plans to make a router sled and plane them down, but as I was thinking about being on my aching knees for the amount of time it would take to do this, I just couldn't see it happening. I took them down to the local hardwood place today and they planed two sides on four planks for $60, money well spent in my opinion. The finish is super smooth too. Before putting them through the planer they measured the moisture level and it was under 10% - good to go!
They put them through a huge planer, and wow is there some nice figuring on this stuff!
I am a bit hesitant to make it into a desk, but I will. I took them over my dad's, cut them on the table saw and glued them together. I can't wait to get some finish on them.
I've got 2 more 6' planks, I'll have to see how this goes before deciding what to do. The other pieces have some pretty cool ambrosia on them as well, I think it will be even harder to make those into a desk.
- Jul 1, 2005
- 4,291
- 21,932
- 79
- Disclosures
- CataldoBasses: Designer/Builder ThunderBuckerPickups:Consultant
Big Bottom BB52DP ready for final setup. Crotch Black Walnut sanded to 1000 grit, no additional finish. Ditto the wenge neck.
Trying Varathane 3x on this table, if it doesn't work here, it won't work on a body. This is the bottom:
- Dec 20, 2004
- 4,267
- 2,481
- Disclosures
- Player-Builder-Founder: Honey Badger Pickups & Regenerate Guitar Works
pickup flatwork that's been freshly laser cut and washed, as well as several bobbins that have already been wound - it's what's on the bench this week and next. the 10 sets of dual-coils (flatwork in upper left) will be enclosed in Bart BC sized Birdseye Maple covers. there's also multiple sets of J4 singles, J4 splits, and J5 splits ready to assemble into bobbins and wind.
Apparently I bought 42" legs. oops. Although thinking about it, that might be good for recording while playing. I'll try it out and cut the legs down if I need to. I'm going to make some stringers tomorrow to tie the legs together (obviously needed).
Looks like a good stand up desk height. I switched to a stand up desk about 4yrs ago.Apparently I bought 42" legs. oops. Although thinking about it, that might be good for recording while playing. I'll try it out and cut the legs down if I need to. I'm going to make some stringers tomorrow to tie the legs together (obviously needed).
How'd you like the 3x then? Good enough for a bass? Desk looks greatApparently I bought 42" legs. oops. Although thinking about it, that might be good for recording while playing. I'll try it out and cut the legs down if I need to. I'm going to make some stringers tomorrow to tie the legs together (obviously needed).
- Jul 1, 2005
- 4,291
- 21,932
- 79
- Disclosures
- CataldoBasses: Designer/Builder ThunderBuckerPickups:Consultant
Sitting is the new smoking!
Not a fan of the 3x. It's really thick, as the name and marketing imply. The first coat I put on (the bottom) I did a relatively light coat, but the brush marks never settled out. I figured that meant I needed to do a much heavier coat so there was enough for it to settle out, and with a heavy coat most of the brush marks did settle out, but not all of them. I was really careful with a relatively expensive brush. Perhaps with more practice I could do a better job. It's not bad, but it's not perfectly smooth either.
I also don't like what it did to the figuring, you can still see it, but it doesn't pop like with an oil finish. If I was to use this again I'd definitely do an oil underneath it.
It's fine for the table - a nice thick coat without too much effort, but I wouldn't put it on a bass - again it could be my inexperience talking.
I also don't like what it did to the figuring, you can still see it, but it doesn't pop like with an oil finish. If I was to use this again I'd definitely do an oil underneath it.
It's fine for the table - a nice thick coat without too much effort, but I wouldn't put it on a bass - again it could be my inexperience talking.
I like the idea of a waterbased finish and have been looking to buy one of the varathane alternatives but I was wondering what one could do to pop the grain. I was thinking there might be a compatibility issue using waterbased over oil? I dont have any spraying equipment so it would have to be a wipe on kind of thing which is why the 3x caught my eye.
There is a huge thead/discussion about water based finishes in the luthiers corner go here. Bruce, who has been using WB finishes and perfecting the application of the product says that tinting the finish with a little amber color will make the figure in the wood pop as if you used oil. The thread is getting long but it is worth the read if you are interested in getting away from solvent based finishes!
I will say that not having fumes is extremely nice. I guess I just got used to the fact that finishing means smelly stuff. I need to go back to that thread now and find a good alternative - there were a few suggestions, but I've kind of lost track of that thread.
I finished the table, I put walnut stringers on the short side and a piece of maple across the back (the guy threw in some thin pieces of maple with the wood).
It's super stable now:
I can't wait to get it set up in the studio - just 2-3 more weeks now!
It's super stable now:
I can't wait to get it set up in the studio - just 2-3 more weeks now!
