mistermikev Posted June 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 have cut multiple plugs... but even when I cut the plug to fit almost flush... soon as I sand it... the line moves. Idk if I can live with it or not at this point... might have to burst this one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 4 hours ago, mistermikev said: even when I cut the plug to fit almost flush... soon as I sand it... the line moves How easy life would be if we only had X-ray vision! Another issue that may happen with the plug is the partially end grain joint of the plug. Either the glue or the finish may get sucked in and draw a darker line around the plug - at least that happened with my ovangkol top. From straight up it looks like a knot that matches with the grain line. Nature of the beast... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted June 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 2 hours ago, Bizman62 said: How easy life would be if we only had X-ray vision! Another issue that may happen with the plug is the partially end grain joint of the plug. Either the glue or the finish may get sucked in and draw a darker line around the plug - at least that happened with my ovangkol top. From straight up it looks like a knot that matches with the grain line. Nature of the beast... right... esp given it's going to be nitro. i think my plan at this point is just to do tobacco burst... will def grain fill it after base dye.. then add some mixol white to the burst color for opaque... but you never know... that damn nitro recedes so much so... def going to have to take extra dry time on this one! but it saved me (at least at this point) from doing damage to my honduran mahog and a much more expensive top... so bright side! thanks for the reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 The plug looks pretty good I reckon, nice work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 Drill a few more random holes and plug them with contrasting color. Instant lady bird. LB instead of LP. Yeah well, round plugs are always difficult. With sharp drill bit and plug drill you would probably get a better fit than with the CNC. Getting the line to match I guess you need a bit of luck though. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 Yup - that's pretty darned good... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted June 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 3 hours ago, Crusader said: The plug looks pretty good I reckon, nice work well thank you. i might be at that point were if I f with it more I am more likely to f it up... but I think I might try again! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted June 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 3 hours ago, henrim said: Drill a few more random holes and plug them with contrasting color. Instant lady bird. LB instead of LP. Yeah well, round plugs are always difficult. With sharp drill bit and plug drill you would probably get a better fit than with the CNC. Getting the line to match I guess you need a bit of luck though. thanks for the reply. I don't think you can get a better fit than cnc. using brand new bit to cut this plug and probably could go a hair bigger on the plug and sand it using a drill... but it's pretty tight as is. I used a fisch brad point drill bit to re-cut the hole on my 2nd attempt. have only used those bits a handful of times. all that said... always room to improve. yes, the line... hard to predict where that will come out even w the minimal amount of sanding... maybe if I just try a few more random times! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted June 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 19 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Yup - that's pretty darned good... thank you. pretty sure in the end it is going to be invisible given my direction in finishes but... i really want to concur it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrim Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 37 minutes ago, mistermikev said: I don't think you can get a better fit than cnc You are probably right. I was just wondering how the fit is because it looks like there is a glue seam. But then that is not the most forgiving of all woods. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted June 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2023 4 hours ago, henrim said: You are probably right. I was just wondering how the fit is because it looks like there is a glue seam. But then that is not the most forgiving of all woods. right... maple is typically very hard to hide a seam. i think the issue was compounded by the fact that the initial hole was a hair mishapen and I may not have completely removed the earlier plug. I thought about going to 7mm bit... because 1/4" wasn't quite big enough... but 7 is really too big. 6.5mm would have been ideal... but not a common size. perhaps I'll redo and go to 7mm... I'm fine w it the way it is but figure this is an opportunity to sharpen a skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted July 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 slow going here... with the 114 heat and all... I can stand it for about 20-25minutes at a crack... anywho... got this one off to a start this week... full hollow and 2lbs 13oz which makes me thing perhaps my scale was off when I weighed that natural one... will have to recheck. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted July 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 still struggling to get my top processing to align with my bottom processing despite using location pins. at the step where I glued the top to the body... the pins are really tight and I think this is due to my practice of securing non-flattened material and then flattening it via cnc as part of my process. since my planer is only 12.5" wide I didn't have another solution until now... 16" wide drum sander I had to literally run to get... $300! all my troubles are over (doubtful but perhaps some of my troubles are over lol) still 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted July 9, 2023 Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 1 hour ago, mistermikev said: still struggling to get my top processing to align with my bottom processing despite using location pins. at the step where I glued the top to the body... the pins are really tight and I think this is due to my practice of securing non-flattened material and then flattening it via cnc as part of my process. since my planer is only 12.5" wide I didn't have another solution until now... 16" wide drum sander I had to literally run to get... $300! all my troubles are over (doubtful but perhaps some of my troubles are over lol) <Snip Image> still Mike I got rid of my drum sander. I use my CNC router to surface things. I clamp and shim to start one side and get a flat surface, then turn over to get the other. They are then parallel to what ever tolerance your spindle tram is. I know your machine is smaller than mine but you can still use a 3/4" or maybe a 1" surface router bit with a 1/4" shank. NOTICE I said SHIM this will account for the cupping being flattened when you clamp it to a Surfaced spoilboard. MK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted July 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2023 1 hour ago, MiKro said: Mike I got rid of my drum sander. I use my CNC router to surface things. I clamp and shim to start one side and get a flat surface, then turn over to get the other. They are then parallel to what ever tolerance your spindle tram is. I know your machine is smaller than mine but you can still use a 3/4" or maybe a 1" surface router bit with a 1/4" shank. NOTICE I said SHIM this will account for the cupping being flattened when you clamp it to a Surfaced spoilboard. MK this is such an ironic post! You pretty much described EXACTLY how I've been doing it. I shim, and use a 3/4" whiteside bit to flatten... process that whole side, then flip and flatten the other side and process. Good to know I was on the right track, but that said... on these les pauls I had to take off 1/4" of material and it took a long time, not to mention that if you don't shim it just right... you flex the material and distort the index pins. Perhaps I would get the hang of it if I did it more but either way the drum sander will be nice to have around. I'm sure I can always get my money back out of it if I find I don't use it. thanks for your response! I honestly wondered if folks would think I was nuts for not squaring my material prior to cnc - guess not!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted July 10, 2023 Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 $300 for a 16" drum sander, thats a bargain! They take up a fair bit of room but I find them well worth the footprint, looks like you've got the right idea with it on a cabinet too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu. Posted July 10, 2023 Report Share Posted July 10, 2023 On 7/9/2023 at 6:39 PM, mistermikev said: still struggling to get my top processing to align with my bottom processing despite using location pins. at the step where I glued the top to the body... the pins are really tight and I think this is due to my practice of securing non-flattened material and then flattening it via cnc as part of my process. since my planer is only 12.5" wide I didn't have another solution until now... 16" wide drum sander I had to literally run to get... $300! all my troubles are over (doubtful but perhaps some of my troubles are over lol) still What a steal! I think that I have the same machine (sold in the UK as an Axminster AT406DS) and it’s excellent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted July 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2023 1 hour ago, Stu. said: What a steal! I think that I have the same machine (sold in the UK as an Axminster AT406DS) and it’s excellent. right on, it is also the same as the steel city 55210 or so I'm told. I've made the move on approx 3 of them in the last year on craigslist and all were under $500 and each time someone got to it before me... so this one I jumped in my truck as soon as he messaged me back! should be a big help for doing multilam necks and such I figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 17, 2023 Report Share Posted July 17, 2023 The hollow body looks sweet! Those may be the cleanest f-holes I've ever seen. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted July 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 On 7/17/2023 at 9:20 AM, ScottR said: The hollow body looks sweet! Those may be the cleanest f-holes I've ever seen. SR thank you Scott. Very much appreciate the kind words! UPDATE ON THE PROJECT(S): so... first of all haven't put much time in for a bit because we've hit some record here in AZ of xx days over 110 and when I go out there it just drains me in seconds. That said: I'm at the part where I want to get some necks built. looking at that it occurred to me that in processing a 2.26" thick body+top and needing to do a 1.75" depth of cut (length of bit)... and w a safe z of .45" above material... I'm at the max height my machine can do. The max height of my LP style neck is 2.4085". So with that in mind I figured out that I could take my spindle apart, move the spindle clamp 7/16" north and re-drill/tap 4 new mount holes. Awaiting some metric metal bits from amazon. hoping for some rain and a break from the heat this weekend! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted August 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2023 minor update... ac went out today and I think I have heatstroke... was 90 in here all day long. so I had hoped to get some work done today... but only managed this so far: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 7, 2023 Report Share Posted August 7, 2023 Holy crap, that's ambitious! SR You see many of those in Arizona? sr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted August 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2023 2 hours ago, ScottR said: Holy crap, that's ambitious! SR You see many of those in Arizona? sr hehe... well I'm finding with inlay... that going small is more ambitious than going large. I should have shown my finger next to this but... it is small enough to fit on a headstock anyway. I feel like "this is what an archeologist must feel like" carefully cutting/scraping and blowing gentle on the pieces as I remove them from the block they were cut from. Tedious. If you cut too deep... the wind from the router will toss the piece into oblivion... and if you cut too shallow... you'll never get it out. Fun times! Because it's so small... some of the details (fins) I planned to implement via scoring and filling with some ebony dust or black ca glue. S/B a good learning experience anyway. anywho, here in az... all over the place there are signs for "so-and-so river" and "so-and-so lake" and you roll up on it and it's just like the rest of the desert you see - dry as hell! Feels like a ripoff... then it rains and surprise they weren't lying! Have never been fishing here... and I'm told there are great places to do it... but I imagine half of your fishing trips end up at a puddle that used to be a lake! So the great arizona marlin will have to remain unconfirmed hehe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 7, 2023 Report Share Posted August 7, 2023 All those tiny pieces......makes my eyeballs twitch. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted August 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2023 6 hours ago, ScottR said: All those tiny pieces......makes my eyeballs twitch. SR on the one hand... it's a bit like diffusing a bomb... on the other it's pretty grattifying! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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