drbassman

I'm making templates for the guards I'm going to do. Is it best to rout with the template on top or under the pickguard material? This is new turf for me, but I'm determined to learn! Just got a new router and book on routing, so let the games begin!

Here's a fellow that lives in my town. He does work on my vintage basses and he's great. He also builds a really beautiful guitar too! Lehmann Guitars

Holy Moly! I just can't believe how some sellers even imply wood is at a high grade ("instrument") when they are selling truely green med low grade cuts of wood. I guess that is an easy way to sucker people into paying five times what is worth. I guess it just points out we need to stay on our toes, and be more informed buyers. Peace,Rich Yeah, I agree. You really have to be careful, especially on eBay. I had my doubts and you guys confirmed them. I can't imagine people are buying this stuff and having good results. Well, I'm off to the specialty lumber yard today! Thanks again!

Well, here's the answer from the eBay seller: "Hi, They are fresh cut and green and very high in M/C i don't have a moisture meter so not sure exact amount." I guess that would be a good thing to state in the ad! It sounds like the boards would be a risk for sure. Thanks again for the lesson!

Great info and advice guys. I do know of a lumber yard on the other side of the county that has nice kiln dried wood available by the bd ft. They have a lot of varieties from what I hear and cater to woodworkers and furniture builders. I'll have to check them out. Thanks again, this has been a good lesson!

I hear ya Rich. I was wondering about cutting any lumber that wasn't appropriately dry in the first place. Here's a link to the kind of stuff I see all the time on eBay. These folks sell a lot of this stuff and I wonder how it actually works out for the buyers. I also sent him a note asking about the moisture content of the wood. It will be interesting to see his response. eBay body blanks I typically buy blanks from Carvin and Warmoth and they are reasonable (an average of $70 or so) and very good quality. I was just curious about these bargain guys!

Body blanks typically come in thicknesses of 1.75 to 1.85" You usually need to plane them or special order.

Air drying times can vary with what climate they are drying in. If the wood was green(30%+ moisture) and has been cut down to 8/4. It will be drying for at least 12 months before it has become somewhat dry 12-16%. This is a dangerous period to have wood cut to dimension because it will shrink, and is prone to cracking as it shifts through high imbalances in pressure(core to shell). This is when woods crack and split. The wood probably needs another 6-12 months beyond that period to dry to a fully stabalised piece. Fresh cut wood is risky, and of course with the risk the price(value) drops greatly. I would not waste time with green wood if you do not have an absolutely compelling reason to buy it(the piece is very special), and you have no need to use it for a couple years. To test moisture you can pick up a moisture meter(less expensive ones (under $50) can be purchased at rocklers,woodcraft etc...). You can also monitor weight, but this takes some time and experience. Peace,Rich Thanks Rich, I suspected as much. A couple months of air drying didn't sound like a lot to me, especially not knowing how fresh the lumber was before the blanks were cut. I was thinking maybe I might buy a couple, get a meter and monitor the wood's progress. I have a lot of projects in mind and having some wood ready in 6-12 months would be fine for some of them. I was also thinking, can you dry blanks yourself using an oven or the like? Just popped into my head. Probably a dumb idea.

I see some nice body blanks on eBay that have been cut within the last couple months and air dried. How can you tell if they're ready to be worked into a body? What's an ideal moisture content, if you can even figure it out?

Lots of good info here guys, thanks! I have a simple veneering project on a flat bass body and the vacuum system is a bit out of my budget for one project. I did learn a lot from the discussion.

Very cool contraption Perry. How do you glue it down first? What do you use?

yes, i didnt mention you would have to sunburst over the edge too. I wouldnt use it. Thanks, I suspected as much. I did find some nice plain (no glue) veneer locally in 8" wide sheets. Beautiful stuff actually. If I glue the veneer to the body top myself, what's the preferred method? Wood glue and clamping? Contact cement? Never attempted this one before.

So, is it safe to use pre-glued veeners for solid body tops? My local lumber yard carries the stuff with a peel-off backing.

Good advice guys, thanks! I'm going to take it for sure. I've also got a line on a series of set-neck bass necks from Soulmates Guitars, so I'm considering that option too.

I'm going to build a non-reverse t-bird with a neck-through design, using a neck from Carvin..... I've done lots of bolt-ons. I'm going to have to plane the body blank and the tongue of the neck to 1.5" before gluing. Any tips or suggestions for this first neck-thru excursion? I'm really excited about going this new direction.