Prostheta Posted April 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2016 Additionally, I'd been mulling over the idea of the B-style bridge. They're very tight to the body which means zero neck angle and invariably the pickups are sat lower in the body also. Not ideal when the body itself is only 32mm/1,25" thick. I like a bit of dig under my strings so I'm going to consider using the Hipshot D-Style bridge again. It's a spectacular piece of hardware which I think will work perfectly here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted April 3, 2016 Report Share Posted April 3, 2016 Also, the D-style does have a rough intonation point indicated on Hipshot's dimensions page, which is helpful for those of us (like you and I!) who like to get everything worked out in CAD before committing to purchasing parts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 On 4/2/2016 at 10:12 AM, Prostheta said: The Linseed is catching my eye more. It has more body and warmth to it. IÂ really like the warmth that amber oils add to wood. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Linseed ambers more with time also. Better than wood trapped under plastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 The veneer I used on the Westone was described as simply 'Birch Burl' and was from a German supplier Designholz here This particular range are set on tissue, which make it a lot easier to handle but they also have some really good standard veneers in their range. Â The delivery (I bought a few types from them at the time) was fantastic - tightly rolled in an impossibly small box and no damage whatsoever! Â It's a good web site too.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Probably plasticised! That's fantastic if they are. Look what I spotted in their inventory, @KnightroExpress! http://www.designholz.com/product/Design-Veneers-A-Z/Birch-burl/Birch-burl-veneer-burr-radica-di-betulla-X-148x30-31cm-2-sheets.html?XTCsid=6gjhekb4sbdis426jl3jteou20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 "Do you have a trash compactor?" - Han Solo  Collecting laminates. Two vertically-grained pieces of flamed Birch. Obviously haven't shaped the templates as of yet.  I need to check out the rest of my stock, however this looks like a promising choice. I will likely flip them back to front because I think the figure lays too much where strings and pickups do their thing. There are a few small knots in this stock, so it might not work out how I intend it to. Still plenty more wood in the sea, that sea being a couple of feet up from there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 That's some beautiful figuring, @Prostheta  Much more elegant than my birch burl, which now looks vulgar in comparison    Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Thanks Andy. It's trash wood really. Karelian Birch is usually a heavier more consistent figure, plus this is spalted. I do prefer the wilder look of it though. Your veneer was otherworldly....I have to admit that I've never seen anything quite like it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 In hindsight, I think that this is as good as those pieces can be positioned really. The black "ink" line (it's actually a colony boundary) that crosses the waists bugs me a little. The clearer edges do make me think that the Oak leaf pyrography idea around the edges would sit better rather than being masked by the crazier stuff, plus it would happily break up those lines. I'd edging towards Bartolinis or something soapbar-ish pickupwise. Not harsh blocky EMGs though. Nordstrand Jazz bars or Aguilar DCBs in a P2 package are contenders. Time to sell my kidneys then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 Just sell one, you were born with a spare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 That's what they said last time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 A few coats of shellac and we've got a reasonable level of finish over the oil. The shellac roped a bit so it's far from perfect, but good enough for this purpose. Very difficult to show the effect of the oil and shellac in a photo. The Linseed is far better than the Liberon oil in person. It's got that softer ambering that I wanted from the get-go. Also, the Liberon is awful to clean up and stinks out the washing machine if you clean your rags that way....oops.... So, the finish will be a flood coat of cold-pressed Linseed oil (rather than boiled/polymerised/blown) and a few film coats after that has cured. Then, a build of shellac which will be finished with a 2k clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2016 The chatoyance/movement of the figuring is very very deep and rewarding. This is totally the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Daylight is always better for shooting photos of finishes, since I am still working on the workshop video lighting rig.... I can't say that I'm not tempted just to go for a simpler French polished finish on this bass. It's certainly more repairable than catalysed finishes. These are the test pieces with about 3 sessions of bodying and polishing over the oil. They could do with maybe double that on a real workpiece. Contrast is perhaps a little strong from post in a couple of these images, however it does illustrate the depth a little better, if not completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Ignore the roping and edge pooling from the initial "cheat" bodying, which I simply brushed on. They're test pieces after all....this is totally not what a workpiece would have done as the initial bodying session....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 They're nice finishes, samples or not. Â Really brings out the beauty in the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 Thanks Andy. It genuinely does. When I get to do final photography, that is a definite focal point. Talking of which.... The body wood and top have been laminated up. I got a bit mischievous and decided to leave the remnants of a knot in the rear of the body. I could have hidden it under the top, but I figured that the wild nature of Birch begs to be paid attention to. I even caught a cluster birdseye in one of the neck lams. Ever seen a Birch birdseye? They're like little island burls. Funny stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted April 12, 2016 Report Share Posted April 12, 2016 2 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said: They're nice finishes, samples or not. Â Really brings out the beauty in the wood. I'll say. These look like bar tops under a quarter inch of acrylic. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 "The first cut is the deepest" sang Cat Stevens. Clearly he has absolutely no clue, since several shallow controlled passes allow you to selectively climb cut where appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Wings thicknessed down to 31mm. I know this big machine is totally cheating, but you would though wouldn't you? Not doing so would be just rude. Â Wings shaped, ready for binding/purfling channels to be cut. Time to have another look at the wood I cut up for the neck laminates. If they've decided to move around on me (likely) then I'll take a view on whether to just true them back up or select other stock. I like wood that is lazy and stays where you left it after milling. The same happened with these body wings after lamination; a little bit of cupping was left after the water from the glue had left. I factored this in from the outset and took the wings down to the final thickness after the wood had decided what it had wanted to do. The wood knows best. Â I wiped the top down with some alcohol to bring out the contrast in the figuring. Looking good.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 Oh man, that's sweet. I'd totally use a burly wide belt sander if I had one! Shoot, I'd even use a little one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 It's not without its own problems. You've often got to follow up pieces with a smaller footprint with a sheet of plywood or MDF to ensure it doesn't hang up and cause a dip across the piece. Things that size are actually less appropriate for guitar work, believe it or not. The smaller drum sanders are better, but underpowered and underbuilt. Given the materials and money, I would happily design and build a DIY drum sander for luthiers that is a better value proposition than the commercial equivalents. Plenty of people out there have made their own, and there's definitely room for reinforcing them for the purposes of guitar making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 That said, it does work very very well for surfacing blank-size workpieces and the long bed means it can taper laminates. Something the DIY designs or even smaller commercial equivalents struggle with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIMpleONe89 Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Wow that's a huge cool machine I wish I had! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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