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Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
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If you take creating the smooth transition and curve of glued veneer and the removal of the glue line, then you basically sand with a sanding block or similar along the intended join line:
The sanding rate will be determined by whichever is the hardest wood, but as long as you are sanding along that line, the block can't dig into the softer wood any quicker because the harder wood prevents it.
So same with this:
You basically plane, scrape, file or sand the arm-relief as normal. At first I would be removing just the camphor laurel, then progressively expose the wenge and the mahogany. As long as the sanding block or plane is following the curve of the body outlne, it will all sand as if it was one solid piece of wood and you therefore get the smooth transition curve for free
I reckon this will end up somewhere between 7lbs and 7.5lbs when it's finished...
One of them was to start filling the numerous natural holes and fissures in the wood. I filled the larger ones with ebony-dust mixed resin but let them sink down rather than over-fill.
Then I used a grand-daddy version of @WezV 's slurry and buff method with tru-oil. More like 'sludge and awash'. Did the trick, though. This is after the first run past - and most of the fissures are securely filled, fully high-power-vacuum-hose-proof (my usual test)
Final filling and sanding is still to do, but it's broken the back of it....
While the fretboard is off I will also reset the 5th fret dot - easy enough to do while it's still off. It's askew by less than 0.5mm but it shows! Ridiculous - it should have been bang on! A pal spotted it. I think I need to get my glasses changed!!!
In the end, we've gone for continuing the exposure along the top towards the top horn but leave the bottom broadly as is:
Clearly, the final sanding still needs to be done to round the edges and sort the merge between body and neck at the cutaways but we are going to retain the sharp edge of the top horn chamfer rather than round that over.
This top is starting to look pretty cool in the photos but, I tell you, in real life it's on another level - the wood figuring's going to be traffic-stopping when it's done
My Trading Feedback | You Bring The Band
Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after youThe figuring is already starting to show...but you should see it when the oil is still wet! I think this has to be finally finished in gloss...
This is a closer shot, still in early-oil matt form:
The back shaping isn't quite finished yet - I'm going to scoop out the horn cutouts for decent upper fret access. It won't change the front view at all but will make it much more comfortable to play, especially with the smooth neck heel transition I have planned. I've also managed to slice a sliver of offcut from the camphor laurel for the control chamber cover. This will end up with similar colouring to the top once it's been sanded and finished:
And yes - the string block IS supposed to have that angle on it
So after the final final carving and sanding of the back, the fretboard will go on - and then the neck and heel can be carved.
@impmann has sent me the profile drawings of his favourite player which I will replicate as close as possible. Every guitar and bass has its own feel, but the aim is to provide at least a comforting familiarity on first play
All starting to come together....
As always, thanks for the encouraging feedback and comments
Its looking amazing!
I will drill the panel pin holes next (to stop the board floating during clamping once the glue is on)
Then finish off the fretboard top end (ie past the 22nd fret), then score round the outline on the top, and then chamfer the top for the board to 'sink' into the top, flat with the angled neck.
And that reminds me, I must bounce my end-of-fretboard ideas off @impmann !
I can't tell you how many times I've checked and measure and marked out and re-measured and rechecked all of the fits, the positions, the angles, the string runs, the centre line.
Here it is in its final pre-glue fit check:
Note the absolutely essential reference and positioning pins:
These are necessary because the board 'floats' on the glue when you are clamping and, given any opportunity to go out of position, will do so.
All being well, this evening will be glue and clamp time
My favoured tools are:
Spokeshave - I only use for the initial rough carving
Cabinet scraper - this is what I use for most of the carving
Micro-plane blade - I use this as is (ie not fitted to a handle) with gloves
My method is to basically creep up on it - hence it being done over a couple of days.
First I get the overall thickness right with the spokeshave, triple checking by calculation and frequent measurement that it will not break-though the truss-rod channel. This done I mark the spine with chalk so I don't inadvertently go any deeper as I start taking the haunches off:
From @impmann 's paper profile measurements (shown earlier), I cut a plasticard template and check the progress regularly.
On all of this, I allow myself 0.5mm all round to accommodate any unplanned dig-ins, etc.. Once it is basically there, that can be easily sanded off.
So this is around halfway through:
Tomorrow, I will be spending most of my time on the heel and volute and then getting to the final shape of the whole length as much by playing feel as by measurement
@impmann wants straight string runs but is open to suggestion in terms of the actual shape. Now simple logic and geometry says that to get straight string runs, then the broad shape is going to be angled 6+0 (Strat style) or triangle 3+3 (Seagull acoustic style) or a mix of the two 4+2.
Did you know that 4+2 is trademarked by Ernie Ball (updated and enforced by regular law suits)? And, as far as I can work out, it's not the shape of the headstock, it's the actual concept of having 4 tuners on one side and 2 on the other...
Funny old world...
Or maybe 2+2+2 with a couple on the top
My Trading Feedback | You Bring The Band
Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you