Finished pics! Psilos Ultra-modern bass build

[ScottR]

30 minutes ago, Prostheta said:

This is of course when the blank is square.

Of course. 

Non- square blanks can be set up to a centerline and shimmed on both sides, but squaring up first simplifies things.

SR

[Andyjr1515]

Bit more progress with this.

I used all of the collected advice from this and other forums - then added a bit of my own initiative to get the thrill of living closer to disaster - and radiused the maple fretboard.

Just to prove that I do take notice of you all sometimes all of the time, I:

•  Sorted a straight edge to keep the block true:

• Drew a centre line and generally scribbled childishly with a soft pencil

• Then, when sanding checked the sanding widths on the block and the progression of the disappearance of the scribbles to see if I was biasing the pressure on the block to one side or another:

...which I was.  So adjusted my pressure to get more like this:

..and this

 

• Then sanded towards insanity until the centreline was only just visible:

• Then changed to finer sandpaper on the block and scribbled childishly with chalk:
• 
• Then sanded the chalk away and the final faint centre line ending up with:

[Andyjr1515]

There is then many days planing scraping and sanding to go, but to illustrate broadly what I'm trying to achieve, started the rough sanding to eventually get the body too at a 20" radius and flush with the fretboard:

 

Long way to go before getting to the 20" radius, but this gives maybe a hint of the final shape of the top:

 

...and once the top is sorted, I will cut the controls chamber at the back and then scoop out the back to head towards the contact lens shape 

[Prostheta]

Wow, well everything is as it should be. These different build aspects clearly don't phase you at all. I take weeks of mental fumbling and rethinking to get anything done. I do however, get it done. Sometimes.

[Prostheta]

2 hours ago, ScottR said:

Of course. 

Non- square blanks can be set up to a centerline and shimmed on both sides, but squaring up first simplifies things.

SR

 

This is entirely why I set my mitre box into its own jig along with a set of alignment marks. It gets me within the tolerances I accept and doesn't require much work. I do like Andy's clamping though. Mine ends up being one clamp only at the extremities, in which case I need to bring in one of @curtisa's favourite Irwin quick clamps to eliminate pivoting.

[ScottR]

Wow Andy. The originality of this design is really starting to shine through! I'm becoming a bit more impressed by the day. It looks like the bass side bout might create more uncharted territory in regards to fretting and fret dressing in particular.

SR

[Andyjr1515]

7 minutes ago, ScottR said:

Wow Andy. The originality of this design is really starting to shine through! I'm becoming a bit more impressed by the day. It looks like the bass side bout might create more uncharted territory in regards to fretting and fret dressing in particular.

SR

Thanks, Scott

I haven't decided yet whether to fret up before I fix the fretboard or pre-roundover those particular frets on the bass side and just tidy up the treble in the normal way.  It's one of many decisions still to make before the fretboard goes on.

[psikoT]

On 2017-5-12 at 11:15 PM, Andyjr1515 said:

I haven't decided yet whether to fret up before I fix the fretboard or pre-roundover those particular frets on the bass side and just tidy up the treble in the normal way.  It's one of many decisions still to make before the fretboard goes on.

You can also round the fret ends before installing them... that's something I want to do some day.

This is awesome concept, looking forward to see all flushed... not easy though.  

[Andyjr1515]

On 14 May 2017 at 7:37 AM, psikoT said:

You can also round the fret ends before installing them... that's something I want to do some day.

This is awesome concept, looking forward to see all flushed... not easy though.  

Yes - that's also an option.  We've taken a few days away but should be back shortly sending sawdust flying.  I'm hoping to get the top carve finished this week.  I'm also looking forward to seeing what it's going to look like 

[Andyjr1515]

OK - tomorrow is going to be 'top carve' day 

I've cut the cardboard visual guide template at the 20" radius to match the fretboard:

Now you may think the top has already been carved a reasonable amount - this is it at present (on Saturday) hanging on @Norris's rack next to Norris's beautiful tele-build:

End on, this is the carve above:

 

...and this is where we're heading:

...and that's just the top carve! 

[ScottR]

Whoa, the two outermost edges could end up on the sharp side if you get carried away even a little.

SR

[Andyjr1515]

I'll be keeping my eye on those, Scott.  I'm aiming for c 12mm roundover on the edges at their tightest...

[ScottR]

16 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

I'll be keeping my eye on those, Scott.  I'm aiming for c 12mm roundover on the edges at their tightest...

That ought to work splendidly. My "not your momma's strat" was roughly that at its narrowest edge--where the forearm rests--and it is mighty comfy.

SR

[Andyjr1515]

I'm taking this top carve nice and slowly

First I gave myself two reference points - a 12mm roundover on the back edge:

...and a soft pencil line along the fingerboard join line to make sure I didn't start carving that inadvertently:

 

Then I set-to initially with my block plane and jointer plane - both with freshly sharpened blades.

The figuring doesn't half show up well when it's planed:

 

After a day's effort off and on, I'm starting to creep up on the final shape to the point where I can move to sanding.  Again, I've popped the roundover more as a reference guide that getting close the the actual edge finish.  As you can see, the profile is still in need of its final smoothing at the edges anyway:

The large lower bout is pretty much getting there.  With this view, you can see a hump still on the upper section that needs to be planed down before I start rough-sanding to finished shape.

What I can now start getting my head around is the control chamber and hidden controls, which I will be routing before I start the carve of the back.

Also today, spoke to the guy who is building the custom individual magnetic coils to confirm power and sizes.  They will basically fit here, underneath the fretboard:

It's getting exciting  

[Andyjr1515]

The controls will be hidden from the front and accessible at the back.  I will have a powered piezo/mag pre-amp cum mixer and then, as a minimum, a blend and master volume.  I might be able to incorporate a tone too if I can find a suitably small stacked pot.

This is where they are supposed to fit:

Bearing in mind that I still have to scoop 5mm or so from the back, it doesn't leave a lot of depth.

Because I'm working towards the top - probably a thickness of 7mm max, I've gone for Forstner and chisels again.  I've done the knobs chamber - now you see them:

...and now you don't:

 

Then started on the main chamber.  I reckon I've got another 3mm to go, with a lot of tidying of the carve too!  Mind you - at least I got the cable channel in the right place

With apologies to Scott for the poor carving so far:

 

Talking of carving, you will have deduced, no doubt, that once the back is scooped and shaped, the control chamber cover will need to be carved too!!

 

[Andyjr1515]

Well, this looks almost artistic...

...which is probably more than the carve itself is 

 

The carved chamber's essential kit:

• Thickness gauge
• Chisel
• Deepest item you're going to need to fit under a flush cover

I'm at another "Sit and THINK, Andyjr1515, before even touching anything that is going to remove wood".

It is a great temptation to get out the pullshave and start the back curved carve - but I mustn't...yet

Factors include:

• I need to preserve the present flat surfaces until I'm sure all and any routing has been completed. It is extremely difficult to rout on a scooped surface - ask me how I know! The one thing that probably will be routed is the covered shallow chamber the pickup coils will sit under
• I probably should finish the reference point roundover along the back edge
• I need to add the two small sycamore fillets at either side of the tuner block support
• I need to work out just how much depth will be lost from the control chamber when I scoop - and where. Almost certainly I will need to go deeper (and therefore thinner) with the control chamber carve if I want to have a flush cover

So I'm going to spend much of the day just sitting on my hands, just looking at it 

[ScottR]

I typically deeply countersink the screw holes to attached the control cavity cover and do the back carve with it in place to insure the contours match. It looks like you are going to use another method of attaching the cover, but is that the general way you plan to carve it?

SR

[Andyjr1515]

13 minutes ago, ScottR said:

I typically deeply countersink the screw holes to attached the control cavity cover and do the back carve with it in place to insure the contours match. It looks like you are going to use another method of attaching the cover, but is that the general way you plan to carve it?

SR

To be honest, I haven't worked that out yet.  If possible, it will be held with magnets - but that may not be possible.  Whatever, the principle will probably be the same - set it into the rebate with double sided tape or maybe a couple of spots of cyano and then carve / sand flush with the body carve.  

The bigger challenge will be probably sorting the rebate itself...

[ScottR]

You will figure out something exceptionally clever, I'm sure. You've made believers out of all of us.

SR

[Andyjr1515]

12 minutes ago, ScottR said:

You will figure out something exceptionally clever, I'm sure. You've made believers out of all of us.

SR

Ah, but there's a very fine line between exceptionally clever and exceptionally stupid...  Let's hope it's the former

[Andyjr1515]

And the back carve begins 

 

[Prostheta]

Ah, you're making a chair!

[Andyjr1515]

7 minutes ago, Prostheta said:

Ah, you're making a chair!

Blast!  Rumbled...

[ScottR]

Couldn't stare at it any longer could you? That wood was just calling to you and begging to be carved. the stuff can be quite insistent at times.

SR

[Andyjr1515]

2 hours ago, ScottR said:

Couldn't stare at it any longer could you? That wood was just calling to you and begging to be carved. the stuff can be quite insistent at times.

SR

It sure can be.

 I was tempted just now to get the scrapers out again -and then realised that all the family had gone to bed.  Probably not a good idea