Dugz Ink

Hades, Sheol, Gehenna, Tophet, Abaddon, Naraka, Jahannan, lake of fire, Orcus, Tartarus, Avernus, Acheron, Amenti, Araulu, Naströnd... The cool thing about the lesser-known names is that they make you seem intelligent. D~s

Probably a typo, because Windows 3.1 and Win95 won't recognize that large of a hard drive; you would have to split it into a couple hundred partitions. And a 486 running Win 2K/XP would move at the speed of smell. If you want some vintage computer gear, stop by some of your local "thrift" stores... the ones where people drop off used clothes and furniture. There's one near my house that occasionally has 286, 386, and 486 units (complete) for $10-30. D~s

I have fun with my Marshal MG15CD practice amp. It doesn't sounds as great as a stack, but it's easier to carry... and it only cost $50 when Mars Music went out of business. Even at 15 watts, it will still play loud enough to scare our cats, so it's not wimpy. Marshal has numerous different models that have a headphone jack. D~s

"Look what I can do..."

And that is something to consider; some people clamp down two pieces of wood with enough force to pin a rhino to the workbench. There has to be some glue left between the pieces of wood if you expect them to stick together. When I'm using epoxy, I don't even use clamps. Instead, I set up the pieces of wood so that the joint is parallel to the floor, and drape a couple cords/ropes over the project. Then I add weight to the ropes, directly under the project, until I get the amount of epoxy-thickness that I want. (If you try that, put pieces of wax paper between the ropes and the epoxy joint, so the rope doesn't become a permanent part of the project.) And I've always used a fine file on the joint surfaces, instead of sand paper. That gives me a clean flat surface, and a sharp straight edge. If I'm working with wood that has poor absorption properties, I might make some very shallow grooves in the two pieces (with the grooves on each piece offset 90° to each other)... but they have to wide and shallow, otherwise they'll just turn into air pockets. D~s

Dude, that's going to be a monster to finish... but if you get it right, it will look awesome! D~s

Well, I'm not familiar with the TiteBond (that's why I started this thread), but with the Acra-Weld you don't want to squeeze the joint too tight... leave 1/64th to 1/32nd of an inch for the absolute best bond. That's why tha stuff comes with a packet of powdered black dye or brown dye. And, no, the dye doesn't spread and soak into the wood. You just have a black line. But that blue line has me thinking. Hmmm... what about deep purple? I don't really like working with veneers; the edges tend to feather while I'm filing. Some people use a black plastic spacer (that has most of the non-visible palstic cut out) to provide the same look, but hate plastic. I think it's ugly and it creates weak spots. D~s

If you use the technique I mentioned above, the Tru-Oil is your grain-filler AND top-coat. This gives it added integrity; each coat will soften up the surface of the previous coat, so the coats become more like one coat and not just layers stuck together. I wish I could take a decent picture of the thumbhole stock I just finished for my brother. He brought an aftermarket stock to me; it was made out of some cheap Walnut that had some major grain-filling issues. But after about 12 coats of Tung Oil, and a lot of light sanding, the grain is perfectly level and smooth... and actually beautiful. However, Tung Oil and Tru-Oil are not as scratch resistant as urethanes. When I built a custom stock for an 1891 Mauser that is just going to hang on the wall, I built up the Tung Oil to a deep glass-like finish. But, when I built a stock for a friend's hunting rifle, I just used polyurethane. (For the record: The only things I "kill" are paper and metal targets.) If you want a "natural" looking hard finish, you can use the oils. If you want a glass-like finish, I would not recommend using oils. D~s

I'm in Nashville; 95° heat and 80% humidity in July. Summer heat will be a concern as I go to play gigs and guitar-pulls. And glue-fires wouldn't bother me as much as parts coming apart or shifting. (He he... FIRE.. he he... COOL!) So let me revisit the original question... but with some extra info. I would be using either 2 or 3 full size laminates... basically a face, a back, and maybe another wood sandwiched in the middle. What if I mixed black dye in with the adhesive; then I would have a crisp black "line" between each layer. If I did that, then the whole issue of using an "invisible" adhesive is mute, and I could use anything, right? Just trying to think my way through this before I stick expensive wood together. D~s

Tru-Oil will soak into the wood, but not the binding. So, if you wipe on 5 coats of Tru-Oil, you'll have 5 shiny coats on top of the binding but only a semi-dull look on the fretboard. I would wipe it on the fretboard, then wipe it off the binding within 10 minutes. Since the first several coats of Tru-Oil will soak in, it's not going to make a mess like... say... trying to wipe lacquer off of the binding without wiping it off of the fretboard. (I hope that analogy makes sense to everybody.) D~s

If you put lacquer on top of other types of paint, it will cause cracking and/or boiling. Wood and fiberglass gel/liquid get along real good, because the fiberglass will actually soak into the wood a little, giving it a better bond. And it also gives you a surface that can be painted. My uncle used to build boats, and he would just brush on the liquid fiberglass, let it set up, sand it smooth, then paint it. D~s

I'm 42... going on 13. Let's see, the total is now up to 100 guys and 5 gals. BTW: I like the fact that a lot of female guitar players are not technically inclined; it means that I get to fix their problems during open-mic night... and then they giggle and give me hugs and ask me if I want to co-write. It's a good gig if you can get it. D~s

Black super-glue... now that sounds cheap and easy! (Don't you love progress?)

I've used the Tru-Oil, as well as some other brands Tung Oil on various woods. Stay away from the Fornbey's Tung Oil; it's for suburbanites, and it runs like water. Birchwood Casey sells some good stuff, but the rub-on stuff does better then the spray-on. The Tru-Oil seems to have a faster drying time, and it seems to do better (umm... less bad) on the oily woods. (Tung Oil does NOT set up on Purpleheart; it just turns into a goooy mess.) Personally, when I want a killer finish, I rub in numerous coats of Gillespie Tung Oil. This stuff is thick, it helps to bring out the "fiddleback" in semi-curly wood, and it's beautiful when it dries! (Lowes used to carry it, but they quit.) But I don't let every coat dry; when the wood is still "thirsty" I put on a coat, let it soak in, then another coat, let it soak in, then another coat. Depending on the wood, I may repeat that process for 2 hours straight. This causes the Tung Oil to soak in really deep, instead of just filling up the wood near the surface. The deeper the Tung Oil goes, the harder it is to put dings in the wood. After making sure I have a deep coat of Tung Oil, then I can really sand and coat and sand and coat the wood. I usually repeat this process until the wood feels like glass... but you can put on fewer coats, do less sanding, and have a great "natural" finish. Drying times range from 1-2 days per external coat, depending on the wood and your woodshop. (Have I mentioned that Tung Oil and Purple heart are a bad combination?) After all of that, I rub it down with some Boiled Linseed Oil and polish it lightly. If you want to preserve a Tung Oil finish, I highly recommend a coat of good wax. D~s

Epoxy will also stick to the metal frets.* Water-based glue won't. If you're using sawdust for color, you want it as fine as possible. (From 300-600 grit paper.) That allows it to mix consistently and throroughly. However, I would recommend using black dye; it mixes better and it only takes a little bit to get the right color. (Too much of anything will weaken the filler.) The stuff I use (see my recent post on adhesives) can be ordered with the appropriate type of dye. If you use water-based glue, then you would use a powdered dye that works with water-based products... like the powder they use in water-soluble wood stains. *To keep epoxy or fiberglass resin from sticking to metal, coat the metal with a thin layer of oil or wax. D~s

Now that is a big plus. With the Acra-Weld, I always have to add dye (usually black) so the line looks like an intentional part of the design. Thanks for the links and insights. D~s

I've used various types of "wood glue" while making furniture, but was never impressed with the stuff. Then I apprenticed with an elderly gunsmith, and he introduced me to some resins that have incredible strength and longevity. We used Acra-Weld for the wooden parts that had to withstand hundreds of pounds of torque or woods with a high oil-content (like Purpleheart), and Acra-Glass for all of the other wooden parts. The bond is the closest thing I have ever seen to permanent. However, I've noticed in some of the threads that some of you guys are talking about something called "TiteBond"... a water based adhesive. Can you tell me more? Like why you would prefer it to a resin based adhesive? And, if it's better, where would I buy it? Thanks! D~s

A hairdryer would probably do more to bake the glue than loosen it. Steam, on the other hand, will soften the glue and the wood... which has it's pros and cons. If it did loosen the glue, you would still have to remove all of the glue in order to get a good (new) bond. Plus, it would at least raise the grain on the part that you have already sanded, and (as previously mention) it may actually distort the wood. Hence, you could create more work by trying to recycle the part then if you just cut it off and started from scratch. A coping saw could be good, because you would have a lot of control during the cut, thus reducing the risk of cutting into the wrong part. If you take your time and cut slowly, you might be able to cut along the joint and only shave a little off of each piece. (I'm taking it for granted that you're talking about the scarf joint between the head and the neck.) D~s

Thanks for the info and the feedback. I was thinking about moving the controls because I keep bumping them with my hand while I'm playing. Since I'm not coordinated enough to play guitar and turn knobs at the same time, I figured I would just put them where they would be safe. But maybe that wasn't such a good idea. maybe I should learn how to play... the harmonica. I am a little concerned with the ability to play the high notes (due to the body design) but I figured I could iron that out by bolting on the neck, trying a few rifts, then un-bolting the neck and making the necessary adjustments to the body... before I sand and finish the body. I sure hope I'm thinking my way through this project without missing something. But if not, I'll have an interesting looking seat for a stool. D~z

I'm a member of a home-studio forum, and I was chatting with some of the other members about buying a second fretless bass. This led to a discussion about building a fretless bass. (I have a fair amount of experience designing and building furniture and custom rifle stocks.) That's when somebody gave the address of this forum. (BTW: Cool site!) So I'm embarking on my first project, but I didn't want to start by purchasing hundreds of dollars in parts and then trying to building something without dimensional guides on hand, so the fretless is NOT going to be my first project. Instead, I'm going to build a second body for my Epiphone "Les Paul Jr." It was cheap, and could use some help. (I've already had to dress the frets!) It looks like everything is surface mounted, which would eliminate inletting pick-ups on my first project. So I would keep the neck and hardware, and just build a body. I've been reading posts on this forum, plus details on various private web sites, and I think I'm learning... but I would really like to check with some people who know a lot more than I know. I'm considering Swamp Ash, because I would like to keep a deeper sound... not as bright as a Maple. I'm still unsure if I want to add other wood(s) to the face; I have the tools and the woodworking experience, and I would hate for the body to turn out great and then say "I wish I had __________." Okay, let's talk design before we get too far into a discussion about the face. I laid out the original body shape in my cheap CAD program, and then started making modifications... cutting off a little here and adding a little there... just so the new body wouldn't be identical to the old body. Here's the first idea: So there you have my ideas, so far. Forget about the pick-ups for now; I'm just concentrating on building a beautiful body. Any advice or comments would be appreciated. Dude... this has turned into a long post. I'll shut up now. D~z