• 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.

Winter Build Off 2020 - Malefactor 5

#91
Beej said:
You can't just change the rules like that! How are little people supposed to follow along and understand? It's bad enough we have to filter this through all those weird accents in the British Isles... :roflmao:
Click to expand...

Weird accents?.......Ahhh....you must mean the Welsh.....:roflmao:.....

I didn't change the rules...you just don't understand them....:rolleyes:.....

Now get back to thrilling us all with some cool and groovy build pics.....:D:thumbsup:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beej, ctmullins and Reedt2000
#93
I had a to make a new slightly smaller soapbar pickup routing template to make my new covers.
pickup template

pickup template

pickup template

And special for @JIO here are some pics of the inserts I used. They are glued in with epoxy glue. :) The toothed ones on the left side are the ones I like to use, but could not do so here as the aluminum stiffening rods are in the way of the holes I'd have to drill.
inserts

inserts

inserts
inserts

inserts

inserts
inserts

inserts

inserts
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dark Horse, TerribleTim68, Matt Liebenau and 3 others
#94
Beej said:
I had a to make a new slightly smaller soapbar pickup routing template to make my new covers.
pickup template

pickup template

pickup template

And special for @JIO here are some pics of the inserts I used. They are glued in with epoxy glue. :) The toothed ones on the left side are the ones I like to use, but could not do so here as the aluminum stiffening rods are in the way of the holes I'd have to drill.
inserts

inserts

inserts
inserts

inserts

inserts
inserts

inserts

inserts
Click to expand...

Thanks for the pics - I've not seen ones like that. (the non-flanged/toothed ones) I'm assuming you being in BC that they are metric threading.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Beej
#95
JIO said:
Thanks for the pics - I've not seen ones like that. (the non-flanged/toothed ones) I'm assuming you being in BC that they are metric threading.
Click to expand...
Most of our hardware up here comes from the same suppliers as the US, so typically things are sae or imperial at the big box. These ones aren't metric, and came from home depot, so may be available down there too?
 
  • Like
Reactions: JIO
#96
I'm making a new neck for a friend's strat, and in the meantime, I roughed out the pickup covers.

No pics, but I first routed the pickup cavities into the blanks that would be used to make the covers. The cavities are routed deep, leaving only 2mm at the tops of the covers over the pickups. Then I bandsawed them out within 1/8" of the line. I then carefully measured and drilled the mounting holes through the ends of the oval covers from both sides so they would be spot on. Then I screwed the cover onto the cover routing template and mounted that to a sheet of MDF that I clamped to the workbench. Then I used a pattern bit and routed around the perimeter of each one.
Here is a shot mid-routing.
pickup cover on routing jig

pickup cover on routing jig

pickup covers
This process gives me something that is dimensionally accurate and repeatable without sanding.
pickup covers tops

pickup covers tops

pickup covers
pickup covers pickup cavity

pickup covers pickup cavity

pickup covers
pickup covers with pickups

pickup covers with pickups

pickup covers
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gilmourisgod, funkinbottom, BishopJP and 9 others
#97
Last night I worked on the top plate a bit. I joined the top pieces a little while ago and "something" happened, so I set them aside for later. Normally I join tops by laying down wax paper on a flat MDF board in my clamping jig, clamp one side flat on the edge and then fit the other side to the clamped side, and clamp that one in place tightly. I'm describing it terribly and will have to take a pic of it in action.

Anyway, because this top has already been fine sanded to 320, and the bleaching is sensitive to sanding, I wanted to be very careful about extra glue left on the top of the join. So, I applied masking tape all along the edge of both boards where they would be joined with clear epoxy. Again, pics would have helped. :D Anyway, the thickness of the masking tape seems to have affected how flat the boards became when clamped in the jig, and as a result, one side of the top was about 0.3 mm higher than the other. Doesn't sound like much, but you could see it clearly from all angles. I set it aside to think about it.

Normally, I'd just sand back a boo boo like that and be done with it, but I didn't want to have to re-bleach the board several times in case it cupped. So last night, I ultra-carefully block planed that high side, and then scraped it down as much as I dared before running over it with more 320 on a flat block. In the shot below, you can see that a little maple colour has come back into the top along the join for a few inches of width. I'm hoping one bleach treatment will take care of it, plus along that section it will mostly be hidden by fingerboard, pickup covers and bridge. You can still see the seam from this angle - this angle is the worst. From the other side, and from the top and bottom, you can't see it at all. Unfortunately, this is the player's angle. :D
bleached maple top

bleached maple top

maple top
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gilmourisgod, Matt Liebenau, kittywithabanjo and 3 others
#98
I did a bit more fussy work. I'm mounting the bridge to a block of walnut the same shape as the pickup covers, and will be mounting the walnut bridge block into a routed pocket, much like the pickups, except with more screws and some glue for good measure. I also wanted to have the bridge inset into the walnut block.

First I made a template that fit the base of the bridge nicely. I mentioned earlier that this bass has many recycled components, and this bridge is one of them. It will be painted.
test fitting bridge in template

test fitting bridge in template

Bridge Block
Then I made a second template and stacked the two together to allow me to rout out the shallow pool for the bridge; 3mm deep.
bridge footprint routing template

bridge footprint routing template

Bridge Block
Here is the cavity post-routing. I also pre-drilled those little holes with a forstner before routing it out. They are to provide clearance for the ball ends of the strings, since the bridge will now be countersunk.
inset cavity for bridge

inset cavity for bridge

Bridge Block
Bridge just sitting on there to help figure out where to trim the edges so it falls in flush.
inset cavity for bridge

inset cavity for bridge

Bridge Block
Trimmed and flush-mounted. The small holes worked.
Bridge fitted on block

Bridge fitted on block

Bridge Block
I then routed out the bridge block into an oval using the same templates and method as the pickup covers. The two holes in the walnut block are only to mount the block to the jig. The walnut block itself will be glued in place, and screwed with four screws. Then there are the six mounting screws that the bridge already has, and two more that I'll be adding to it shortly. :)
pickup covers and bridge block

pickup covers and bridge block

walnut
Here's another shot. In both this pic and the one above, the pickup covers have been sanded to 220 and then pore-filled before being sanded to 220 again. The bridge block is right off the jig.
pickup covers and bridge block

pickup covers and bridge block

walnut

I've done some more things, but no time to share them right yet... :D
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dark Horse, BishopJP, Haroldo and 13 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back