Andyjr1515

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1494608701' post='3297367'] Bring something to hang it from or tie it on with then. Hopefully it will extend high enough [/quote] OK - I'll see what I can come up with No worries if we can't make it work...

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1494602591' post='3297308'] I'm thinking of taking my curing rail (ok, repurposed clothes rail) to hang my incomplete, curing parts on. Plenty of room for others if you two are doing "red-eye" builds tonight [/quote] That could be useful, Norris. As you can imagine, this is impossible to sit on a stand

There's literally days more sanding to do - this is nowhere near 20" radius yet - but this is as far as it's going to be for the Midlands Bash :

[quote name='Jabba_the_gut' timestamp='1494597955' post='3297261'] You will have sorted the frets and put strings on it ready for tomorrow won't you? [/quote] Only if you will have finished the second cheap build you have promised is on the cards after the magnificent recent one Going to be a long night for us both, then...

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1494596838' post='3297254'] Maybe you should offer to write a short instruction manual for the mitre jig on the understanding they let you have it for free and you get your money back? [/quote] I may well do a short tutorial for one of the other builder's forums. If I do, I'll post it here too and, if I'm feeling magnanimous, send it to G&W on the understanding that they check the rest of their stock for correct bearing washers (a 5 sec job at most) while they are at it

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1494597258' post='3297256'] I must say, Sir, you have a nice carpet in your workshop. And those adaptations you've made to the [s]dining tabl[/s]e workbench took good too! [/quote]

First job was the radius sanding the freboard. Wow - they don't call it rock maple for nothing. Knackered! Nowadays I set up a simple jig (basically just a straight-edge) to make it easier to apply some muscle to the radius block without skewing or scooping the board: Note also the soft-lead pencil scribbles and the centre line - this lets me see if I'm adding an unintended skew and also I know that as soon as the centre-line starts fading I've gone far enough. What I'm aiming for is an even sanding either side of the centre. The sawdust in the slots is a good indicator too : After a long long time and lots of graft, I have a radiused fretboard: Then I can start carving and sanding the body to the same radius and flush with the fretboard. Lots more to do on this but this is the general idea: Don't worry about the lower horn /neck join, Mick - has still to be radiused properly, but here's how it's starting to develop: You can never tell with these ambitious builds...if it all went wrong it might feel like a lemon..... it might even sound like a lemon....but whatever.... it's going to [i]look[/i] f*****g BEAUTIFUL

Sorry - hadn't seen this thread before. Have just responded to your PM, scoot. Hope it helps. Andy

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1494514004' post='3296659'] There are no compromises on quality. I can definitely vouch for that! [/quote] Thanks, Kert The good news is that the replacement washers arrived this morning. The one of the left is the replacement one - the O.D. is about the same as the inner race of the bearing it's clamping up against. There were 3 sizes on the assembly I received, none anywhere near the correct one. Most were the ones on the right - wide enough to fully press against the race cover and the edge of the outer race - hence them clamping up when tightened. The one in the middle was obviously one the operator found on the floor or in his/her pocket when they were assembling it Anyway, with the correct washers installed, guess what? Yup...the slots are in the right places. An afternoon's work and I'm back to where I was at the weekend. This is with the new one temporarily placed in position: Overall view about the mitre jig now it's been fixed? Well - OK overall. +'s[list] [*]Nicely machined. Looks quality despite my poor experience with the actual quality. [*]Much easier to produce an accurate position and depth than hand doing with a block. Takes a lot of the fear factor out...provided it is set up and used correctly (but see below) [*]Much quicker than hand marking and cutting with a block [/list] -'s[list] [*]Pity it doesn't incorporate clamps. I was fortunate in that my bench allowed me to use the bench clamps: [/list] [list] [*]No instructions on set up or use [b]at all[/b]. And if it isn't properly set up you simply get your slots wrong quicker....a kind of efficiency boost, I suppose, but not necessarily in a good way I'm going to have a look on their website, but I don't recall there being any web-based instructions either. If I'm wrong, I'll correct this statement (just checked - definitely no instructions). So to see how to use it, probably means looking on the LMI or Stewmac site or YouTube Luthier Tips du jour (featuring LMI).....hmm...well THOSE look nice jigs.... [/list] Anyway - the extra wide radius block also came, so I can now look forward to sanding until insanity sets in

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1494444361' post='3296089'] plan the next build then! I figure you're builds go at least 3 times the speed of mine... and these inspire me, so you'll need at least another one following [/quote] Actually, the next one (actually two) is already on the drawing board but, he says with some trepidation, they are over to the dark side - 6-string electrics. One for a guy I've known for ages on one of the other forums and one for me And after that, another bass for someone known to many of you...but more about that closer to the time

Latest tracking info says the washers have got to France. I reckon Friday - just in time for me to be out of action building-wise for half a week Anyway - in anticipation, I've cut and thicknessed my last but one length of maple. Finger's crossed the replacement washers fixes the problem! Here it is, ready and waiting:

[quote name='Jabba_the_gut' timestamp='1494367615' post='3295494'] I finished building my short scale bass (in the build diaries) so will bring that along. It's not fully set up yet but I can do that whilst I'm there. See you all on Saturday! [/quote] Hurrah!!!!!!! I'll do an extra twirl in the pole-dance in celebration

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1494364967' post='3295463'] I see. Flipping nuisance either way. [/quote] Well, so far it is the only major glitch...and that is pretty unusual No, I'm pleased with the build so far. It's taking a bit longer than most of my recent builds, but more because I'm thinking the steps through thoroughly before acting more than issues like this

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1494364071' post='3295448'] Can't you fill and recut? 0.5mm is less than the width of the fret either side of the tang. A bit of flame maple binding might look nice too... [/quote] If it was a one-off only piece I could but this is a slice off a maple beam I still have. Pretty sure my bandsaw will cut me another OK board and I'd like to do that if possible. Filling and recutting is a bit like plugging screw holes and redrilling - OK as a last resort but much better if you don't have to do it in the first place

[quote name='Jabba_the_gut' timestamp='1494274694' post='3294664'] At least that's positive but a shame it was far from correct in the first place. Hope it's sorted quickly. Cheers [/quote] Just had confirmation it's been shipped so should get them in a couple of days. Full marks to G&W for their response, but there clearly is a problem somewhere in their supply chain. I ran a number of manufacturing operations when I used to work for a living and this illustrates one of the things I had zero tolerance on. Specifically: Things go wrong in the best operations - you make the absolute best endeavours to make them right but if it is wrong, you put it right quickly and without question. On this count, G&W have scored top marks. But someone, in the assembly of the unit (probably not G&W themselves), KNEW this was wrong, because they loosened 5 of the 8 set screws to allow the bearings to rotate. The three bearings that worked OK were fully tightened so clearly that was how they would normally be set. So that person knew it was wrong, they knew it wouldn't work properly and they hid it. Now THAT, my friends, is unforgivable...and that's the person who owes me a fretboard...out of his or her f*****g termination pay packet....

Just heard from G&W who have promised to send replacement parts with the new order I placed over the weekend. Good customer service so far....

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1494237908' post='3294148'] That's not good to hear Edit: Good job you hadn't done the radius sanding yet! [/quote] Yes indeed ...and also good job it wasn't the £180+ piece of snakewood I've just got from the States for a 'special' project!!!!

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1494187860' post='3293918'] Took the mitre box rig off the bench and had a proper look. It's a bit of a shambles and presently not fit for purpose. Wrong size washers, washers in the wrong place, leaving 5 of the bearings loose and not able to be tightened without siezing. I am going to need to check all of the slot positions tomorrow to make sure I don't need to scrap the fretboard and start again. In the meantime, a firm and clear email has been sent to G&W (who, I am sure, will respond quickly and fix it. I'll let you know if they do...and I'll let everyone know if they don't [/quote] No - the fretboard's a scrapper. About 8 of the fretslots are out of position - one by 0.5mm! Bummer.... No word from G&W yet... I'll let you know

Took the mitre box rig off the bench and had a proper look. It's a bit of a shambles and presently not fit for purpose. Wrong size washers, washers in the wrong place, leaving 5 of the bearings loose and not able to be tightened without siezing. I am going to need to check all of the slot positions tomorrow to make sure I don't need to scrap the fretboard and start again. In the meantime, a firm and clear email has been sent to G&W (who, I am sure, will respond quickly and fix it. I'll let you know if they do...and I'll let everyone know if they don't

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1494110710' post='3293406'] Sometimes tools need a little tough love, but it's good for them in the long term [/quote] So to fret slotting. I tried out the Guitar & Woods jig on some scrap. The jig is screwed down to the workbench (using some old neck fixing screws, of course!) and then I am using the vertical bench clamps to firmly hold the fretboard (stuck to the jig template with a couple of small strips of 2-sided tape): ...and then using the real fretboard: Using the jig is SOOOOO much easier than using a block, which is how I did the last one. However, the jig is not perfect. Three of the bottom bearings retaining bolts came loose in use - and one dropped out with its bearing that could have been disastrous (you can see in the shot above - the bottom bearing of the top left hand unit - and that's after just 4 slots)! Then, when I tightened them up properly, realised that it locked the bearings - so I had to use them loose and just hand tighten them back up a few times as I went up the fretboard. I will email G&W - it should be easily fixed with the correct size washer retaining the bearing or a spot of loctite on the thread but renders the jig actually not fit for purpose without keeping a very close eye on it (those bearings are, after all, the whole raison d'etre of the flipping thing). Anyway, that aside, here they are, all slotted: Before I fret it up (which, in any case, will be after the board has been radiused and fitted), I'll agree with Mick whether he wants frets to extend the whole width of the body area, or stop short in line with the others with maple veneer filling the excess a bit like a lined fretless. Tell you what, though....look at that for 24th fret access!

Fan-bloody-tastic!

This is looking superb.... Can't wait for the next progress shots

It just gets better and better...

Having given the fretboard and the fret-cutting jig a good telling off - the former for being too wide and the latter for being too narrow, I thought the only way for them to understand was if it hurt. So, with only a hint of malice, I sliced up the offcut from the fretboard and attacked the jig with an allen key and forced the two to cooperate with each other. Let THAT be a lesson to them both! You can almost hear the humble apology from the fretboard here as it obediently fits into place in the jig... : It might be hard knocks, but they'll thank me in the end ...and it means I can get on with the fret slot-cutting

By the way - for any of you who have been following the design thoughts along the way, the fretboard is a couple of mm proud up to the 24th fret (it will radius down flush with the body halves) and then drops away a few mm progressively to the tail. You can see that effect a bit easier here: What this should do is give at least a few mm clearance from the top for the playing hand, although the playing experience will still be pretty close to that of playing with a bridging-plate (I think there's a current thread around on bridging plates?)