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swarfrat
Guest
Holes cleaned up ok with the bearing bits. Test fit the electronics and figured out I need to make a few minor changes. Hope to get some skins gluing on tomorrow. We're getting there!
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swarfrat
Guest
Got skin glued on the frame last night. Due to the number of clamps and what we need to clamp, we decided to glue down a panel at a time to the frame, rather than try to glue up the two panels along the skinny edge before gluing to the frame. Unfortunately, during all the flipping trimming etc.. I somehow ended up with most of the figure I wanted to save is gonna be cut away. 
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swarfrat
Guest
A little bit of splintering flush trim routing the skins already glued in place - looks like we'll be doing a black burst on the edges! Also - four tiny holes!!! Yay! Big significance there.
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swarfrat
Guest
Got a little bit more gluing and trimming done. Temporarily attached the access panel. My dyes also came in today.
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swarfrat
Guest
Bolted the neck on temporarily to use it to flush trim the pocket on the no -wall side.
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swarfrat
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Looks like my neck pocket is a bit deep - need some angle on that puppy. I'm thinking about doing a wooden bridge styled like a 201, but using my steel round bass saddles. The straight edge comes pretty much to the 1/4" plate - about as thin as I'd want to go with a Red Oak 201 style bridge. I need maybe another 3/8" for the saddles. Ugh...
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swarfrat
Guest
Got roundovers done, tried to clean up where I goobered the jack - looks better but not quite centered (centering a large forstner by eye is almost impossible). I tried my best to line up a half inch bit in the hole, screwed a guide block down to the bench and stuck the forstner through the guide block. Also did a test strip and liked the results of the thinned shellac wash coat before dye. So here it is with the wash coat of drunken bug shells:
I still want to make the bridge but I'm running really short on time tomorrow. I actually really love the yellow green shade of the natural poplar, but this being my first dye job - I've about given up hope of matching it. It's much like violets - pretty, just doesn't last very long.
I still want to make the bridge but I'm running really short on time tomorrow. I actually really love the yellow green shade of the natural poplar, but this being my first dye job - I've about given up hope of matching it. It's much like violets - pretty, just doesn't last very long.
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swarfrat
Guest
It is a good day to dye!
I actually liked this green - it had the vibe of the poplar stain, but I wanted more intensity and preserve the contrast, and I don't think I can get back to it without major sanding. (Just rubbing with alcohol only lightened a tiny bit). But the current green works well with the black burst, which is necessary to hide things. I wanted to dye first, then fill the gaps and tearouts, then stain or paint the edge solid black. It's such a small body that there isn't much room for a wide roomy burst.
I actually liked this green - it had the vibe of the poplar stain, but I wanted more intensity and preserve the contrast, and I don't think I can get back to it without major sanding. (Just rubbing with alcohol only lightened a tiny bit). But the current green works well with the black burst, which is necessary to hide things. I wanted to dye first, then fill the gaps and tearouts, then stain or paint the edge solid black. It's such a small body that there isn't much room for a wide roomy burst.
Cagey
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Interesting results. Just imagining it, I wouldn't have thought that would look as good as it does.
I'm curious about the timeline, though. It appears as though the top picture was taken later than the bottom one because the top's finish is further along, but the neck mounting holes are missing in the later(?) shot.
I'm curious about the timeline, though. It appears as though the top picture was taken later than the bottom one because the top's finish is further along, but the neck mounting holes are missing in the later(?) shot.
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swarfrat
Guest
It's an optical illusion. The bottom shot is yellow dye + a light coat of blue. The top with the black bursting on the edges is later. Everything with dye has neck holes drilled, but they don't show up well in the top photograph. Just bought an orbital sander to try to clean up some, maybe take it back a smidge. But I forgot to buy my black stain (stain + dye on the edges for a nice black).
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swarfrat
Guest
Broke down and bought an orbital sander. WOW, should have done this a long long long time ago. I was was actually able to get down below the glue blotches that I thought might be filling something deep (just could not break through sanding by hand on a flat top).
At any rate, I got back through my dye layer, and so I was able to make another stab at getting the electric yellow green Aspen look: I think I'm gonna keep it no darker than this, and have a really sharp burst on the edge - maybe something just shy of a masked line on the roundover, or maybe actually do a taped black line at top/bottom joint now that my gaps have been filled with wood filler.
I'm liking this shade of green and the contrast level. Maybe just a smidge more yellow than green. The yellow really makes for better contrast with the streaking. I actually thought it was really cool when I started sanding back and got back to the bare light edges around the green patch with the black edges remaining. I might try to pick up some of that vibe. Black / light natural / yellow-green.
Also I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm desperately hoping to be able to bolt together a playable instrument tonight (maybe late late late). I'm ok with coming back and shooting clear later, but it would make my son's day to see it tomorrow. I wouldn't normally chose to do a shellac top coat, but in this case - I just might, because it's compatible with what I've got and dries so fast, plus the easy repair. I guess shellac is compatible with just about everything - so even if I DO use a shellac top coat now, I can come back and shoot something more durable over it later.
Right now I'm stuck inside the house. Kiddo is suppose to be napping, but isn't. If he actually WERE asleep, I could go back out to the shop and work.
At any rate, I got back through my dye layer, and so I was able to make another stab at getting the electric yellow green Aspen look: I think I'm gonna keep it no darker than this, and have a really sharp burst on the edge - maybe something just shy of a masked line on the roundover, or maybe actually do a taped black line at top/bottom joint now that my gaps have been filled with wood filler.
I'm liking this shade of green and the contrast level. Maybe just a smidge more yellow than green. The yellow really makes for better contrast with the streaking. I actually thought it was really cool when I started sanding back and got back to the bare light edges around the green patch with the black edges remaining. I might try to pick up some of that vibe. Black / light natural / yellow-green.
Also I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm desperately hoping to be able to bolt together a playable instrument tonight (maybe late late late). I'm ok with coming back and shooting clear later, but it would make my son's day to see it tomorrow. I wouldn't normally chose to do a shellac top coat, but in this case - I just might, because it's compatible with what I've got and dries so fast, plus the easy repair. I guess shellac is compatible with just about everything - so even if I DO use a shellac top coat now, I can come back and shoot something more durable over it later.
Right now I'm stuck inside the house. Kiddo is suppose to be napping, but isn't. If he actually WERE asleep, I could go back out to the shop and work.
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swarfrat
Guest
Sanded 220, got a bit more yellow in the green. Stained the edge - I'm liking the solidness of the black, but it doesn't seem to have any bridging ability. I have some slight gaps where I didn't take off enough to get rid of all the roundover. It's maybe paper thickness, but wood filler didn't really bridge the gap enough. I know stain doesn't bridge, but I don't know how to get a nice solid edge right now
Right when I was liking the top color/contrast, and the edge - I did a 360 degree wipe on, had a precarious grip, and drop it, only to catch it with the hand holding the black stain rag. RIGHT SMACK DAB in the MIDDLE of the !@#$ %%@#$% @#$ top. Tried to cut it with yellow dye / DNA, but it still has a dark smudge in the top.
Once it dries, I think I can sand back again to get the black out of the center, but man was that frustrating. My fault doing something stupid, but still. Grrrr.
Right when I was liking the top color/contrast, and the edge - I did a 360 degree wipe on, had a precarious grip, and drop it, only to catch it with the hand holding the black stain rag. RIGHT SMACK DAB in the MIDDLE of the !@#$ %%@#$% @#$ top. Tried to cut it with yellow dye / DNA, but it still has a dark smudge in the top.
Once it dries, I think I can sand back again to get the black out of the center, but man was that frustrating. My fault doing something stupid, but still. Grrrr.
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swarfrat
Guest
Sanded back a little once that stain had dried. I'm happy with the way it turned out - the top color is pretty much final. I still need more fill on the sides - the stain is stain, and doesn't have any real bridging or smoothing ability. Wood putty wasn't really able to penetrate the hairline gap at the face of the skin / core.
I decided to just use shellac for my clear coats for now. I may come back at a later date and shoot something over it, but for now - shellac is easily fixed and one of the fastest drying finishes around. I was really really hoping I could get it playable tonight, but we didn't make it.
I also made a wooden bridge in the style of the bent plate bass bridge - something with holes sized for the strings I'll be using, with only mounting screws at the back of the bridge. Since it has a piezo under the front - if you screw it down at both the front and the back it appears to drastically reduce output - I think it's because you're basically limiting the DC limits the AC signal can traverse. The wooden bridge is huge though. I may cut down the saddle area and leave the full width across the back for mounting screws. It has a slight recess to hide the string ends - as most folks use zip ties to string up rubber strings.
I decided to just use shellac for my clear coats for now. I may come back at a later date and shoot something over it, but for now - shellac is easily fixed and one of the fastest drying finishes around. I was really really hoping I could get it playable tonight, but we didn't make it.
I also made a wooden bridge in the style of the bent plate bass bridge - something with holes sized for the strings I'll be using, with only mounting screws at the back of the bridge. Since it has a piezo under the front - if you screw it down at both the front and the back it appears to drastically reduce output - I think it's because you're basically limiting the DC limits the AC signal can traverse. The wooden bridge is huge though. I may cut down the saddle area and leave the full width across the back for mounting screws. It has a slight recess to hide the string ends - as most folks use zip ties to string up rubber strings.
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swarfrat
Guest
Couple more coats of shellac and slightly different lighting. A fried said it looked like a pickle. Man he's right - I couldn't have made it look more like a pickle if I tried. I guess it's a "pickle-o'bass" or perhaps a "Pickle u-bass" since it's a short scale rubber stringed u-bass
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swarfrat
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The most incredibly patient 3yo in the world getting excited at his bass taking shape.
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swarfrat
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First try at bursting. Reranch is right.Your furst burst is an adventure. I did a test on some scrap. I already figured the horn was skinny enough it would basically be all black. But the small size of the body requires a sharp transition. This is the step where we're most likely to screw it up but... we can always go solid if I screw it up.
I was kinda hoping to wrap it up this weekend, but me and the kid are both sick. So we watched Thomas the Tank Engine and Curious George all day.There are worse ways to spend your day I suppose.
I was kinda hoping to wrap it up this weekend, but me and the kid are both sick. So we watched Thomas the Tank Engine and Curious George all day.There are worse ways to spend your day I suppose.
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swarfrat
Guest
Thought I was getting close but - after a few coat/sand back attempts at levelling out the sides - once I hit bare wood I realized I need to keep sanding on the block until ALL the black was gone. Then I'd know it was flat. So I laid down a full sheet of 100 grit on the table and slogged through. It wasn't noticeble but I did have some waving from using the spindle sander on that edge. A legit split fence with actual offset outfeed side would have prevented that -(it's on the project list now.) The other rule about spindle sanders is "NEVER let it bog down, always KISS the work."
Now I'm thinking that perhaps everything should get sprayed a thin coat of black before sanding. So you know when you're done. Anyway, no pics but have a much much better surface to work with on the top/bottom and inside edge of the horn. I still have some sanding to do on the butt, and then we should be ready to start spraying the sides again.
I also have some ideas for how I'm going to build the next one. Templates are everything. I ended up having to make a new template for a spray mask because we actually deviated from the original and only routed the pointy end with it, then had to fix the lower cutaway.
Now I'm thinking that perhaps everything should get sprayed a thin coat of black before sanding. So you know when you're done. Anyway, no pics but have a much much better surface to work with on the top/bottom and inside edge of the horn. I still have some sanding to do on the butt, and then we should be ready to start spraying the sides again.
I also have some ideas for how I'm going to build the next one. Templates are everything. I ended up having to make a new template for a spray mask because we actually deviated from the original and only routed the pointy end with it, then had to fix the lower cutaway.
