Finished! New Project - lightweight solid walnut-bodied bass

TTony

That is looking very tasty @AndyJr1515.  The "go faster stripe" is a really nice piece of design, IMHO.

WezV

assuming you have a prepped body blank ready to go, you would be wanting something to cut bodies out with first - preferably a bandsaw.  then trim the shape and do all the cavitites with a router and a drill for screw holes and wiring channels

of course, starting with  raw wood slabs really means you will probably be joining wood and having to do a bit of thicknessing - so planes and clamps get added to the shopping list too.   

obviosuly it needs templates too, which you can buy or make - either way, extra cost

do it, its fun.  but don't ever do it to save money

Jalapeno

Simply superb !  More photos !!!!!!

Andyjr1515

WezV said:

assuming you have a prepped body blank ready to go, you would be wanting something to cut bodies out with first - preferably a bandsaw.  then trim the shape and do all the cavitites with a router and a drill for screw holes and wiring channels

of course, starting with  raw wood slabs really means you will probably be joining wood and having to do a bit of thicknessing - so planes and clamps get added to the shopping list too.   

obviosuly it needs templates too, which you can buy or make - either way, extra cost

do it, its fun.  but don't ever do it to save money

I echo what @WezV says, @JudasVigilante.  

This particular router is fine once you get to a certain stage, but there is a lot of other stuff you end up needing to get.  Getting rid of the bulk of the wood - whether cutting outlines or getting it to the initial thickness tends to need bigger /more stuff...outlines include jigsaw (at the limit of most jigsaw capability) or bandsaw; thicknessing includes a bigger router and jig or planer/ thicknesser or some very innovative ways of using other tools such as hand planers / belt sanders or buying sections and getting the supplier to thickness it to specific.  

It can be done 'on the cheap'...but that still isn't very cheap.

But - like they say about Mastercard....satisfaction?  Bloody priceless  

Andyjr1515

Thanks for the encouraging feedback, folks  

steamabacus

Andyjr1515 said:

I attached the MDF template with two sided tape (the extra strong stuff...more anon)

WezV said:

Regarding the double sided tape. If its stuck too much pouring a bit of white spirit into the join helps a lot... But now I tend to use 2 screws for the large templates.

I saw this tip on the Crimson Guitars blog the other day ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fiwc5yGHn4

Andyjr1515

steamabacus said:

Andyjr1515 said:

I attached the MDF template with two sided tape (the extra strong stuff...more anon)

WezV said:

Regarding the double sided tape. If its stuck too much pouring a bit of white spirit into the join helps a lot... But now I tend to use 2 screws for the large templates.

I saw this tip on the Crimson Guitars blog the other day ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fiwc5yGHn4

Oh wow - FANTASTIC!!!! what a simple and clever idea.  I will use that LOTS.  Thanks for the link 

Andyjr1515

Caught a couple of hours of dry before the rains came again. Managed to finish the main carve of the top and started on the back.

Here's the top:




When it's had its finishing applied, it will be more this shade:



I've also done the main relief at the back - still got to do the two scoops at the base of the horns:



Also got to add a touch of extra cutaway at the top waist to do to even it out:




I'm hoping that tomorrow is dry as forecast so I can do the scoops at the back and tidy up the outer edge and the flat surfaces of the top and back. By the way, I do it this way round as the planing, spokeshaving and scraping quite often results in dints and dig-ins along the edge - b****y irritating if the edge is already tidied up and perfect!

Thanks for looking
Andy 

DartmoorHedgehog

Very nice

Andyjr1515

Time for the final carves and the last dry day forecast for the week

Crucial thing now is to work towards a weight. As I said at the start, the chap I'm doing this for has arthritis in his neck and needs a light bass - which the Cort is. My hope is that I can carve it down to a weight, eliminating the need for an extra 'control chamber'. Before the final carving tweaks at the back, we are getting pretty close:


The Cort Luthite body is 1428g and the solid walnut body is 1462g

Back to the final carves - the horn scoops at the back. A combination of rasp file, medium file, curved scrapers and sandpaper got me here:


Now was the time to finish-sand the edges. 

Then all round finish-sand. The top now came up like this:


I'm shamelessly stealing @WezV's technique of sanding wet with Tru-oil, to create a grain-filling slurry. I've yet to decide whether to also use his technique for a fabulous tru-oil final finish or my normal wiped-on Ronseal, but the latter is completely compatible with the former anyway so I can try the tru-oil and, if I cock it up, still go onto a gloss finish

The final colour is going to be something like this:




I still have an option to sand down the top a bit more where the control knobs sit but, presently:

Cort Curbow : 1428g
Solid Walnut: 1422g

Result !!!! 

Thanks for looking and your encouraging feedback

Andy 

WezV

Tru-oil does love walnut

Andyjr1515

WezV said:

Tru-oil does love walnut

Yes - I have high hopes...I'll be well pleased if I get anywhere near the look of the ones I've seen of yours @WezV  

Andyjr1515

Heading towards the final coats of the Tru-oil, using @WezV's method. It's coming up really nicely. Silky smooth to the touch...

The final stages should get a satin sheen without losing the 'real wood' feel.

 I've also got a bit of finishing off to do for the control knobs recesses and I am going to attempt to do a matching control cover in walnut. Because of the grain, I'm not totally sure it's going to work (it might warp too much) - if it doesn't work, I'll just use the Cort cover.

 Then drill a few holes for cables, earths, etc and it's ready for reassembly 

Andy

Andyjr1515

I've cut the walnut control cover:

I've been looking to see if I can find some neodymium magnets & keepers small enough as the attachment but drawn a blank so far so may end up screwing it on in the normal way (it has to have screw-holes retaining the EQ and holes to access the trim pots anyway so no great shakes...).

Just waiting some copper foil for the control chamber and a replacement volume-pot from Axesrus and then I can reassemble!

Thanks for looking

Andy 

Andyjr1515

Andyjr1515 said:

I've been looking to see if I can find some neodymium magnets & keepers small enough as the attachment but drawn a blank so far so may end up screwing it on in the normal way (it has to have screw-holes retaining the EQ and holes to access the trim pots anyway so no great shakes...).

Found some 

BigMonka

That's looking fantastic, I'm a real fan of finishes that show off the natural beauty in the wood.

The scoops at the horns are becoming your trademark aren't they?

Nice matching on the control cover too, is it going to have a knob or tag or something to hold on to if it's magnetic?

TTony

That looks rather nice.  And accurate weight-relief carving too!!!

Andyjr1515

BigMonka said:

That's looking fantastic, I'm a real fan of finishes that show off the natural beauty in the wood.

The scoops at the horns are becoming your trademark aren't they?

Nice matching on the control cover too, is it going to have a knob or tag or something to hold on to if it's magnetic?

Thanks, @BigMonka  

Yes - I quite like that shape.  It's the fourth one I've done (the first 3 for my own use) and it gives great upper fret access as well as looking pretty cool 

Andy

Andyjr1515

TTony said:

That looks rather nice.  And accurate weight-relief carving too!!!

Thanks @TTony.  I think there was significantly more luck involved than judgement 

Andy

Andyjr1515

I won't go through the detail of how I do the inlaying - you'll all be getting (more) bored as it's on my other threads - but I've added a couple of my moniker mother of pearl swifts onto the headstock.

Here they are at the trail-fit stage:

I've mixed epoxy with a bit of ebony dust as the filler and they are curing at the moment...I'll post a couple more shots when they are cured and sanded.

Other job done is lining the control chamber with copper foil...it's getting close to being finished!  

Andy