Watching someone else use a flap wheel on a grinder is also satisfying, because I feel less like a hillbilly
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Winter Build off 2022 - Sardonyx F
- Thread starter postalflunkie
- Start date
I've used an an angle grinder to put in arm and belly contours. With a regular pad though. It works well. It's messy.
Just a note, I'm from Central Ohio, not the hills of Southern Ohio... so only part hillbilly 
And yes, the dust (man glitter) is now everywhere.
Anyway, I got out this morning and cleaned up the bumps and evened the heel all out. Feels pretty good now
I'll set that aside for now, it's time to glue up the top. I wrapped some 3/4 mdf with wax paper then glued the two pieces of maple, sandwiched it betwen the mdf and clamped everythig up nice and tight.
I'll let that dry for a bit then unclamp it and clean up the excess glue before it gets too hard.
And yes, the dust (man glitter) is now everywhere.
Anyway, I got out this morning and cleaned up the bumps and evened the heel all out. Feels pretty good now
I'll set that aside for now, it's time to glue up the top. I wrapped some 3/4 mdf with wax paper then glued the two pieces of maple, sandwiched it betwen the mdf and clamped everythig up nice and tight.
I'll let that dry for a bit then unclamp it and clean up the excess glue before it gets too hard.
Super-clean work! That heel looks fantasticJust a note, I'm from Central Ohio, not the hills of Southern Ohio... so only part hillbilly
And yes, the dust (man glitter) is now everywhere.
Anyway, I got out this morning and cleaned up the bumps and evened the heel all out. Feels pretty good now
View attachment 4549027
I'll set that aside for now, it's time to glue up the top. I wrapped some 3/4 mdf with wax paper then glued the two pieces of maple, sandwiched it betwen the mdf and clamped everythig up nice and tight.
View attachment 4549028
I'll let that dry for a bit then unclamp it and clean up the excess glue before it gets too hard.
I'm with @Reedt2000 that's looking really good. This is making me want to rebuild my very first guitar build. As a bass. 
Pulled off the clamps, cleaned up the (very little) glue squeeze out, gave it a quick pass with the sander and wiped it down with some naphtha to see the flame a little better.
Top piece cut oversized so it can be sanded flush after glue up.
And another quick mock-up...
So now I need to route access channels for the wires and add some chambering.
And another quick mock-up...
So now I need to route access channels for the wires and add some chambering.
Now if only there were a weird symbol you could hide in there as wiring channels plus chambering...
Ok, this is for @instrumentalist
This is how I do my chambering using my special pointless forstner bit. I drew out where I'll be chambering, in this case I'm only doing the upper wing and into the neck pickup area. The bass gets clamped down to my drill press table so it doesn't move around any, I go around the perimeter of the cavity first then clear out the center.
I'm not putting a "F" hole or anything that will show the chambering so there's no need to clean up the edges. As you can see the pointless forstner leaves a nice clean surface, but not as nice as a router.
With that done I routed a channel for the pickup wires and the ground wire to the bridge. Now it's time to glue the top on.
This is how I do my chambering using my special pointless forstner bit. I drew out where I'll be chambering, in this case I'm only doing the upper wing and into the neck pickup area. The bass gets clamped down to my drill press table so it doesn't move around any, I go around the perimeter of the cavity first then clear out the center.
I'm not putting a "F" hole or anything that will show the chambering so there's no need to clean up the edges. As you can see the pointless forstner leaves a nice clean surface, but not as nice as a router.
With that done I routed a channel for the pickup wires and the ground wire to the bridge. Now it's time to glue the top on.
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Hey flunkie, thanks for turning my attention to this thread, which so far I'd completely overlooked. This is certainly a fascinating build. What a deliciously absurd design it is!
Now I have a question for you:
Since I started bass building (i.e. a month ago) I have found I use my body offcuts for all kinds of stuff. So I'll probably use this trick some day too. That's why I ask.
Now I have a question for you:
I don't understand. What went wrong here?One, if you're using the cut-offs to help with clamping attach the foam with double stick tape first
Since I started bass building (i.e. a month ago) I have found I use my body offcuts for all kinds of stuff. So I'll probably use this trick some day too. That's why I ask.
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I had already sanded the edge of the body smooth, but not the cut-offs. So my intent was to put some of that old yoga mat in-between the two pieces so the rough cut didn't leave an imprint on the Bass body. Here I was trying to clamp this thing and the foam kept dropping out. So yea, stick the foam to the caul first... save yourself a headache.
Oh yea, about the "deliciously absurd design".... that's what I love most about it
Wow, it's been a while since I've been able to work on this 
two days before a planed vacation I blew out my knee, and I was just standing still when it happened, just twisted the wrong way 
Good thing vacation was just a casual visit with family.
So back to work!
First up was cleaning out the slot for the string guide (graphtec nut). I didn't have a chisel or file the right size so I improvised. I bolted together five hack saw blades... worked great
Then I drilled piolet holes and mounted up the bridge, and marked out the placement of bide pickup. Threw together a template then remembered that I need a new router bit for this job. So, hog it out with a forestner bit and clean it up with a chisel.
All good
Put the bridge back on, set on some steel rods (instead of strings) and marked the string paths so I can get the neck pickup marked and cut.
Cut the round ends with a 3/4 inch foresrner bit, then cut the rest out by hand with an exacto saw
Not the best fit, but ood enough
Then drilled holes for the mounting screws. Everyone and their egg-beater drills are cool and all, this is what I use for precisely marking holes before going to the drill press
two days before a planed vacation I blew out my knee, and I was just standing still when it happened, just twisted the wrong way Good thing vacation was just a casual visit with family.
So back to work!
First up was cleaning out the slot for the string guide (graphtec nut). I didn't have a chisel or file the right size so I improvised. I bolted together five hack saw blades... worked great
Then I drilled piolet holes and mounted up the bridge, and marked out the placement of bide pickup. Threw together a template then remembered that I need a new router bit for this job. So, hog it out with a forestner bit and clean it up with a chisel.
All good
Put the bridge back on, set on some steel rods (instead of strings) and marked the string paths so I can get the neck pickup marked and cut.
Cut the round ends with a 3/4 inch foresrner bit, then cut the rest out by hand with an exacto saw
Not the best fit, but ood enough
Then drilled holes for the mounting screws. Everyone and their egg-beater drills are cool and all, this is what I use for precisely marking holes before going to the drill press
It's called "getting old" my friend.
"Man, my back is a mess."
"What'd you do?"
"I slept wrong...."
I know, right...
Like I just shifted my weight from one side to the other, my feet never even left the ground. My knee just went "pop!"
Like I just shifted my weight from one side to the other, my feet never even left the ground. My knee just went "pop!"
Egg beater drills are the "rescue dog" of the luthier world...I have three, I think...
I don't know what the ones I have are called (I have two of them), you push them into the work and it spins the drill bit. They even have bit storage in the handle.
