Andyjr1515 Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 8 minutes ago, ScottR said: FWIW, I did a finishing experiment several years back, finishing one side of a spalted pecan board with Zpoxy and the other with Tru oil. I wanted to see how each pore filled and then polished up. (Very nicely). Then a couple of years later one of the guys here, Demonx- stated that he had done some filling with Zpoxy and it ended up sinking in the pores. So I dug out my experimental board and sure enough, mine had too. Granted it was two or three years later that I checked and it was not so much that it couldn't be re-leveled safely, but it did indeed shrink......eventually. SR Oooh - that's interesting, Scott. If that's the case, I may stick with the tru-oil or varnish slurry approach - even though that sinks, at least you're expecting it! Ref the top - yes, it's an optical illusion. The neck is notched by around o.4 inch, the thickness of the top & wenge, so when joined the top of the neck is flush with the top of the top This shot from when I was trial-fitting the joint probably illustrates better: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) ...so, yes - the neck has been curved the same shape as the top ( in the shot above, I was just starting to 'floss' fit the two using some abrasive cloth to even up the join before gluing. There was, of course, no need to actually fit it - the top could have been cut straight except at the two sides -because the rest of it would be under the fretboard, but this is easy enough...and nicer Edited December 9, 2015 by Andyjr1515 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Ref Scott's experience with shrinking z-poxy (or maybe it's the flexing of the wood around it?), I've plumped for the slurry method of tru-oil for filling - particularly for the camphor that has the quite severe end-grain in places. I'm quite a way from the finishing process, so have started early on the camphor to allow the slurry plenty of time to fill and harden. I did the first slurry coat this morning...couldn't resist posting this. It is one very special piece of wood and I'm delighted it's going on this project... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Oooooweeee, how can you not love what happens to wood porn when you oil it. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 I cut out my moniker 'swifts' and routed the ebony headstock plate, then fitted them with epoxy mixed with ebony dust. Couple of small gaps to retro-fill but it's come out OK: I also like to pop in just the routing of a swift into the truss rod cover: Last thing I did today was to finish sand, then tru-oil slurry the rest of the body...not only does it help seal it, I find it easier to spot the odd sandpaper marks and bobbles. It's also a good way of seeing what the final colour will be (haven't decided on the finish yet). I'm really liking the colour the alder has turned and how it contrasts / compliments with the camphor: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Quote I'm really liking the colour the alder has turned and how it contrasts / compliments with the camphor: Me too. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Locally-sourced Alder goes like that under oil and also when coated with shellac. I did the latter as a sealer and it looked great in its simplicity and warmth. Just like this does. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 I had a discussion with Kert, the future owner of this, in terms of figuring vs number of frets. Based on a 'normal' PJ being 20 frets, the fretboard would actually have allowed 24! Trouble is, one of the nicer figurings would then be fully covered up. As Kert wasn't needing many more frets, we have gone for 20 on the bass side and 21 on the treble: This bit of figuring will look lovely once the final finishing is on: I've got a bit more planing to do to narrow down to the nut, but the fretboard and headstock plate should be on in the next few days which means I can get on with the neck carving : As always - thanks for the feedback and encouraging comments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Good decision-making there. At least you had the option tabled rather than it being one of those unfortunate things you can't foresee and simply have to suck up. Too much good-looking wood ends up falling under a bridge or in a necessary rout whether you like it or not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 On 12/12/2015 at 3:35 PM, Prostheta said: Good decision-making there. At least you had the option tabled rather than it being one of those unfortunate things you can't foresee and simply have to suck up. Too much good-looking wood ends up falling under a bridge or in a necessary rout whether you like it or not! A bit of judgement and a bit of luck. When I positioned the wood, I was hoping that I could keep this one and I have a customer who is broadly on the same wavelength as me which helps things along enormously Today, got the fretboard slimmed to final width and glued and clamped. The incessant rain has meant bringing everything indoors (plus the gig stuff from last night still not put away ) Note the pack of printing paper preventing the cheapo indoor 'workmate' from tipping over and ruining everybody's day. Note also the stain from dropping a full bottle of threadlock on the rug that pleased MrsAndyjr1515 enormously at the time. The little Vox practice amp is hiding an even bigger and much brighter stain from dropping permanent red ink on it also, that actually didn't spoil MrsAndyjr1515's day, mainly because I haven't told her... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 Red is the best thread locker though. I hope she understands the difference. I get paint all over new clothes, the usual stuff you know? Nice set of violin clamps. Reminds me that I need to write up a quick tutorial on them. Did you make them yourself? If not, why not? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 21 minutes ago, Prostheta said: Nice set of violin clamps. Reminds me that I need to write up a quick tutorial on them. Did you make them yourself? If not, why not? I think you can probably tell by their evenness that the answer is 'no' If I ever need any more, I promise I'll make them myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2015 It was a bit drier outside this afternoon so I did the first carve on the neck profile. I had got the guy I'm building the bass for to take the profiles and depths of his favourite bass using a carpenters profile gauge. From these drawings, I cut some plasticard templates of the 1st, 7th and 12th fret positions: I then used a microplane rasp to file down to those shapes: Ditto for the 7th fret position: Then spoke-shaved between the two: The same again from the heel to the 7th position and a bit of sanding to get rid of the facets and I now have the rough shape: I will now take my time with cabinet scrapers to get it feeling 'just right' and finish the heel before a finish sand. Thanks for looking, folks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Bloody hell. You're truly a PG wet dream working out on the patio. This will just make us miss @Drak so much more, except you don't have a WOD. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: Bloody hell. You're truly a PG wet dream working out on the patio. This will just make us miss @Drak so much more, except you don't have a WOD. Mind you, there's a bit of a difference in temperature of a patio in UK in a most unseasonably mild December, to one in Finland, I suspect! WOD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Yes, WOD. Search is your friend....I just hope you have a strong stomach for the things Drak trashed out of perfectionism.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: Yes, WOD. Search is your friend....I just hope you have a strong stomach for the things Drak trashed out of perfectionism.... I've already seen some of them...stunning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Rough-cut the headstock shape with a coping saw (back indoors because of the returning rain): Then did a trial fit of the plate, including confirming enough space for the truss rod allen key: Then back to the 'you can never have have too many clamps....' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Interesting order of construction you've got for your headstock. That certainly adds to the unconventional build style you mentioned. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Actually, I normally do the headstock's a little more conventionally. I've done it this way round for the simply reason that my coping saw is rubbish and the MoP swifts are so close to the sides of the cutaway and machine heads, I was less likely to screw something up this way round by getting the faceplate accurate, using a jewellers saw and then filing the mahogany up to it. On a bigger headstock where the inlays were not so close to the edge, and a better blade choice on my coping saw I would normally glue the plate, coping-saw the whole assembly to shape, file to finish and the cutaway then do the inlay. Bit unadventurous, though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Talking of unconventional - anyone notice that the volute isn't actually anywhere near the neck angle break? Been racking my brains for some credible sounding reason for doing that but I think it's a bit simpler than that...just plain got it in the wrong place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Now that you mention it........ SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Yeah, it's a bit...off.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted December 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 20 hours ago, Prostheta said: Yeah, it's a bit...off.... It is indeed Still, it does actually a couple of mm for the really sensitive spot and feels quite comfortable now I've rough-carved it: Progress will slow down dramatically now for a couple of weeks. We have the first pre-Christmas visitors arriving tomorrow, followed by Christmas visitors followed by post-Christmas visitors.. Don't they know there's a bass to be finished????? In case I don't post for a while, have a Very Happy Christmas y'all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Yeah, well. We're battening down the hatches and breaking out the whisky till it all blows over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.