The Black Queen

[ZekeB]

On 11/4/2019 at 3:11 PM, komodo said:

 

I've been thinking about this all day and its driving me crazy.  Where in the world are the tail wires from the pickups?  Were they cut to length?  Also is this called something?  I've seen pickup cavities laid out like this before but how do they come up with the layout?  

[mistermikev]

build is looking great. 

[komodo]

11 minutes ago, ZekeB said:

I've been thinking about this all day and its driving me crazy.  Where in the world are the tail wires from the pickups?  Were they cut to length?  Also is this called something?  I've seen pickup cavities laid out like this before but how do they come up with the layout?  

@ZekeB The pups come in from the right side in the black sheath, it’s coiled vertically just to the left of the volume and soldered RIGHT there. It’s called insanely OCD UltraClean Ridiculous wiring. 
My usual cavities and pedal builds look like a rats nest, so for me this will be a new bar to hit. A kind of masochistic act of penance for my previous wiring sins.

[ZekeB]

2 minutes ago, komodo said:

@ZekeB The pups come in from the right side in the black sheath, it’s coiled vertically just to the left of the volume and soldered RIGHT there. It’s called insanely OCD UltraClean Ridiculous wiring. 
My usual cavities and pedal builds look like a rats nest, so for me this will be a new bar to hit. A kind of masochistic act of penance for my previous wiring sins.

Yeah I'm definitely a rats nest type of guy.  I use to be an electrician and we always left plenty of tail slack for future work.  I guess if you hide it somewhere you can do anything you want.  Please post some pictures of you doing it!  I'd love to see what you do.  

[Prostheta]

I assemble electronics as an external loom on acrylic or plywood. Usually these are made as part of a laser cut set; I make the cavity negative from the waste. It isn't a big deal just to copy a layout into 4mm ply or whatever. 

[Norris]

On 11/14/2019 at 4:44 AM, Prostheta said:

I assemble electronics as an external loom on acrylic or plywood. Usually these are made as part of a laser cut set; I make the cavity negative from the waste. It isn't a big deal just to copy a layout into 4mm ply or whatever. 

I went the slightly lower tech route of using the routing template to cut a piece of card out of an old cereal box, then marking where the holes are so I could then fit the pots and switch. I also marked on the card where the cable entry points were within the cavity

[Prostheta]

That's perfect. Once the grounding is in (does anybody else use heavy single solid core?) it's join the dots with metal!

[komodo]

Beginning of the madness. Haha! Easier said than done!

For the body I’m debating abalone purfling with some binding. That may screw any chance for spraying. Also have to route a deeper area in the cavity for the switches. Tomorrow.

[ScottR]

Did you polish those pots?

SR

[komodo]

Filed down to remove stampings, then chucked lightly and spun and hit with 180 paper. It’s ridiculous, I know. Just going for it.

[ADFinlayson]

On 11/18/2019 at 12:14 AM, komodo said:

It’s ridiculous, I know. Just going for it.

Helps the solder stick though!

[ZekeB]

go for it!

[komodo]

Operation: Ramp It Up is in full swing.

- Got abalone purfling with a couple B/W/B pieces to flank. -  

-Built a purfling cutting tool for the Dremel. It’s ugly but serviceable. 

-Studied the geometry of some Ferrari air intakes and grew the cajones to pierce the ebony tailpiece. You can’t really see in there but it still looks cool. It’s begging for some LEDs inside. Ahahaha.

Have a full week off, so let’s see what happens.

(beer is my ‘Cask of Cthulhu’ imperial porter 14.5%)

[Andyjr1515]

Hmmm...that Dremel mod you've done has got me thinking.  I made a similar but more basic mod to the Stewmac adapter for the binding slot in my acoustics but, seeing yours, it's probably worth me getting my thinking cap out and some metal files and doing a proper job of it.

Loving this build.

[komodo]

Thanks @Andyjr1515

That tool was after looking at as many commercial and DIY tools as I could. It was born out of frugality, I did not want to spend $ when I knew I could build it relatively easily. Also was made to be easily constructed out of offhand parts, but still rock stable, and adjustable. You can adjust the width by loosening the screw on the top (hard to see), and the whole top 'plate' and Dremel slide back and forth. With a little mod I should be able to make it cut binding channels too, though Thats usually done withe the big router and bearing bits. In this case, the top is carved  . . so.

I'm a little worried about tearout, this maple is ridiculously fuzzy and swirly. Also, you have to be very careful to keep it perpendicular or the slot distance to the edge will close up.

[Andyjr1515]

1 hour ago, komodo said:

 With a little mod I should be able to make it cut binding channels too, though Thats usually done withe the big router and bearing bits. In this case, the top is carved  . . so.

Actually, that's the very challenge with an acoustic - both the top and the back are dished.  Typically the top is 25' radius and the back is 15'.  It doesn't sound a lot, but it's enough to make it impossible to use a conventional router base - hence the Stemac gadget that rides round the very edge of the body.  Trouble is, there's no datum to be able to keep the top-heavy Dremel vertical and thus parallel to the guitar sides. 

My mod are the two high-tech pieces of maple superglued to the sides:

 

You can't use the sticks to actually run along the sides, that has to be the little brass roller that determines the depth of cut - a bit like the top screw you describe on your rig.  However, the sticks give me a good guide to the verticality.  As long as they are running close and parallel to the sides, I know that the Dremel body must be vertical.

Yes - I also get a very fine (and surprisingly long) thread of maple wrapped round my router bit that I need to remove from time to time  

[Prostheta]

I'd been thinking of a plywood based edge routing jig using some precision bearing drawer slides, however I would rarely find that much use out of one. My Dremel is epoxied into the pantograph, which itself could do with upgrading to a DC spindle because of the runout. Perhaps a cable pen extension or a Foredom style unit....I digress....

The ingenuity forced by requirement often produces widely varying solutions from simple job-to-job ideas to highly involved permanent contraptions. Just the way everybody applies themselves differently is amazing to see and very inspiring to up one's own game.

[komodo]

Sidebar:

On my last build I was going to use a Gibson Dirty Fingers, probably most synonymous with John Sykes and the self titled Whitesnake album. I changed my mind midstream (again), and decided to sell it on Ebay recently. Guess who bought it from me today?

 

 

[Prostheta]

Crikey!

[ScottR]

Cool!

SR

[komodo]

I know right? Today I'm in line at the post office mailing a pickup to John Sykes. I'm not usually a fanboy, but holy crap. My Ebay description said "Listen to John Sykes on Still of the Night off the 1987 Whitesnake and there's the tone."

He played with Phil Lynott in Thin Lizzy, tried out for Ozzy when Randy Rhoads died, wrote almost all of that Whitesnake record and if you ever hear him live, he sings better than Coverdale in my opinion.

Anyhoo, today I clean out my purfling channels, do some final sanding, get the purfling in and maybe start the dye. I'm torn on process here, as I will have to scrape the purfling down, so can't dye before. If I get glue outside the purfling channel, dye may not take. So, instead of only wicking in thin CA - I'm going to lay some thicker CA in the bottom of the channel, place the purfling, scrape, do the dying, then finish the purfling by wicking in the thin. If someone has a better idea, you better shout now.

[Prostheta]

CA will be drawn into endgrain, changing the colour and sealing it from dyes. I've started using liquid hide glue for that purpose (at my glacial rate, that's within the last two years....) or using acetone to weld binding. I'd say to avoid it near the maple. 

[komodo]

I’ve used acetone for binding, but this is abalone purfling. I’ve masked around the channel and intend to only use thick CA in the bottom to hold it.

 

[Prostheta]

Oh, of course purfling. Yes, thick is better in this instance. Medium or water thin would present issues. I'd even consider epoxy if open time wasn't such an issue. 

[komodo]

Deed is done. Hope it all scrapes, sands, and dyes good. I’ve done easier things.