Winter Build Off 2022 - Explorer Bass

[Flamingo21]

Drilled a channel from the bridge to the control cavity.

I got some tear out, but it's invisible. That's why you keep a safe distance. Anything on the pencil line is still a few mm away from visibility.

Next up was a channel from the pickup cavity to the control cavity. I decided to drill this from the neck pocket.

My 1 foot drill bit, which I bought for this purpose, turned out just long enough. I like how easy this bit is to work with.

Now I need to find a way to pull a 5mm EMG connector through a 6mm hole.

 

[Reedt2000]

Now I need to find a way to pull a 5mm EMG connector through a 6mm hole.

You could try a little soap on the connector to lube it up a little and make pulling through the hole easier. I'd fish a string in and use it to pull the connector through. Or the connector could be cut off and spliced back on if you really have a hard time of it.

 

[Bent77]

Sometimes they will push straight through. I have also made a loop with a smaller wire and pulled them through

 

[Flamingo21]

Working on the pickup cavity. I started with a Forstner bit:

Then the router. This is how I do it:

The strip of wood you see at the bottom of the picture, is what I slide the foot of the router along, from right to left. The red pad of the clamp on the left is what stops me at the corner.

A similar setup is made for each of the four sides of the cavity.

And I end up with this. The corners need to be squared, which I'll do with chisels.

 

[Bent77]

Working on the pickup cavity. I started with a Forstner bit:
View attachment 4578754

Then the router. This is how I do it:
View attachment 4578767
The strip of wood you see at the bottom of the picture, is what I slide the foot of the router along, from right to left. The red pad of the clamp on the left is what stops me at the corner.

A similar setup is made for each of the four sides of the cavity.
View attachment 4578771

And I end up with this. The corners need to be squared, which I'll do with chisels.
View attachment 4578785

Looking good!

 

[Flamingo21]

Elbow grease time. I'm giving the body a small roundover, using a hand file. Larger roundovers often don't do it for me esthetically, so just a bit of softening the edge so it feels nicer to the touch.

After that, more elbow grease coming up. Sanding!

 

[AudioTaper]

You could try a little soap on the connector to lube it up a little and make pulling through the hole easier. I'd fish a string in and use it to pull the connector through. Or the connector could be cut off and spliced back on if you really have a hard time of it.

You would want to make sure nothing gets into the electrical connection.

Is it a 35HZ? Does that have the 3-pin connector that looks like this? Super easy.

Take a photo of what it looks like before for reference.

Take something pointy (x-acto blade for example) and gently press in on this little metal tab so that its lower than the hole in the plastic.

Gently pull the wire so the crimp contact slides free of the plastic connector housing. You may need to do all 3 at the same time, little by little.

Tightly wrap them in masking tape so it makes a roundish bundle, the blue painter's tape is good since the adhesive is weaker. Pull the wire through the body hole. Remove masking tape.

Use your x-acto again to gently straighten out that metal tab (you can do this before the tape if you want)

Reinsert into the connector housing, you should be able to hear a faint *click" and see the tab in the square hole again. You can use small tweezers or something pointy to help press it in, be gentle.

Sorry to clog up your thread, I felt photos were going to be the most helpful.

 

[Flamingo21]

Is it a 35HZ? Does that have the 3-pin connector that looks like this?

Yes and yes. And thank you for your explanation, I may try it another time, but today I did something else: I pulled the connector through the hole with an iron wire.

 

[Flamingo21]

Two old clamps rigging the control cavity cover for painting black.

 

[RichterScale]

That's clamptastic.

 

[postalflunkie]

That's clamptastic.

 

[Flamingo21]

More clamps! I'm laminating the back of the headstock. This shot contains literally every clamp I have.

 

[Beej]

Newbie woodworker: How many clamps do I need for my workshop?

Experienced woodworker: All of them.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Newbie woodworker: How many clamps do I need for my workshop?

Experienced woodworker: All of them.

At least one more anyway.

 

[Videojunkie]

At least one more anyway.

This is why I buy clamps in pairs.

 

[Flamingo21]

 

[Flamingo21]

 

[Flamingo21]

To make sure I drilled the attachment holes in the neck heel in the correct places, I removed part of the top of the dining table.

I used two rulers to align the neck, then from under the table I stuck a drill bit into each hole to mark the location on the neck heel.

And then I started to contemplate how this is done by builders who don't have such a practical dining table at hand.

It took me less than a minute to figure out that a template would be an ideal way to get these holes aligned.

I'll use one next time.

 

[Bent77]

To make sure I drilled the attachment holes in the neck heel in the correct places, I removed part of the top of the dining table.
View attachment 4589887
I used two rulers to align the neck, then from under the table I stuck a drill bit into each hole to mark the location on the neck heel.

And then I started to contemplate how this is done by builders who don't have such a practical dining table at hand.

It took me less than a minute to figure out that a template would be an ideal way to get these holes aligned.

I'll use one next time.

I too learned how helpful a template would be. But also, only after I didn’t have it

 

[Flamingo21]

Really thin veneers, like commercially available ones, I've found will usually just conform to the bend and can be clamped down with a caul.

Can this work regardless of grain orientation, or do you need to orient the grain perpendicular to the bend?