Andyjr1515

I use standard Ronseal Hardglaze or the Rustins equivalent. I don't think it gets close to the absolute rock hardness of a modern commercial poly or uv cured acrylic finish but I find it certainly fully giggable

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1475786439' post='3148827'] I was wondering whether you could give a little bit more information about how you apply the ink for the colouring? Do you like thin the ink down or anything? If you already have a thread with this in, could you point us in the right direction. Thank you [/quote] Hi, Myke I generally use the ink straight out of the bottle. I've done a number of threads - I'll try to find the best one. In the meantime, quite a comprehensive one was the westone refurb I did for allighat0r (Bryan) here http://basschat.co.uk/topic/246859-thunder-jet-yesanother-westone/page__st__30 That thread covers the way I do veneering too if that's of any interest to anyone

But, actually, this is dry: Not quite there, but not bad for the small number of coats and one interim flattening. However, bodes well for the final finish - provided I don't cock it up (which is always on the very edge of probability )

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1475766957' post='3148614'] Eh... we... u.... One of the most stunning finishes I have ever seen. [/quote] Well - that's when it's still wet. When it's dry it'll probably look more like this:

Just a slight diversion for those of you who have followed some of my previous explanations of how I personally do wipe-on varnishing (I'll repost a link if I remember to!). (The "why" by the way is that I don't have the facilities to do a decent job of spray finishes and for my own guitars and basses and - with full prior explanation of the advantages but also shortcomings - generally for other folk's instruments, my preference is wipe-on polyurethane varnish.) Anyway, back to those who may have tried - one thing I can't remember if I covered in my previous 'how-to' explanations. If you remember, every two or three coats and before the final coats, I lightly flatten with c 800 grit used wet. This serves to:[list] [*]flatten off any ripples in the finish, that can become cumulative with too many un-flattened coats [*]take out any dust bunnies that, again, will cumulatively create a hill of accumulated coats around them [*]take out any runs, etc [/list] But - and this is the bit that I don't think I've covered - it sorts out this: I've purposely left this like this to illustrate the point. What it is NOT is brush marks (actually in my case microfibre cloth slub marks). You could run over this with the finest lacquer brush and these lines would still appear. So what are they? And how can you prevent them? Well, what I THINK is happening is that the sloppy wet varnish, applied on top of three coats of shiny and hard varnish, is bonding better to itself than to the surface that is being coated. So it is creeping away in fairly random places, aligned to the direction of the application. I say that because:[list] [*]it is probably a total guess from someone who is completely ill-informed and wrong (what moi? ) [*]the same thing happens to my wife's pottery glazes if the bisque fired pots have a composition or firing issue [/list] The cure is the flattening - in fact this isn't, in my view, a bad way of judging when to flatten. The flattening roughs up the surface as well as the above things and allows the wet lacquer to adhere to the surface more strongly than to itself. This is the body - exactly the same number of coats applied at the very same time with the very same bit of microfibre cloth but I had flattened this before the coat: I'll try and remember to add a paragraph onto my 'how I do it' thread....

[quote name='Bottle' timestamp='1475582261' post='3147046'] Have now started the wood working class. First couple of weeks were being tutored on different aspects of using workshop tools etc but should be clear of that now and can concentrate on the build. Wood ordered today so should be here in a couple of weeks. Next two weeks I shall be prepping templates and the like. Have got a few designs in mind - just need to commit them to paper..... [/quote] Excellent! Can't wait

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1475609234' post='3147400'] Stunning finish [/quote] Thanks, White Cloud. That it's a nice bit of wood helps...

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1475602397' post='3147327'] Ruined any more rugs recently? [/quote] No To be honest, since establishing my cellar work bench, the thrill of being on the edge of domestic disaster has dulled somewhat. The other day, I dropped a newly opened bottle of truoil that, in the past, would have resulted in frantic but noiseless cleaning up operations followed by swift rearrangement of the furniture. As it was, I just mopped it up off the workbench. Not quite the same. Still, putting newly varnished and still wet basses on the lounge furniture does compensate maybe a little...

[quote name='allighatt0r' timestamp='1475581738' post='3147040'] Is your middle name "Danger"??? [/quote] No - when tackling MrsAndyjr1515 (or worse...being tackled by her), my middle name is usually more like 'Mouse'

[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1475580869' post='3147034'] Looks great - I hope it was dry before you put it on the chair! [/quote] Well....the back and sides were...

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1475563157' post='3146869'] Oooooo exciting. Still gigging mine every weekend and loving it. [/quote] Great When I'm asked which build I'm proudest of so far, my answer is still unhesitatingly 'Kert's' gelfin and I are at very early stages of discussion but his is going to be SUCH a different style. Very exciting

Just been clearing the loft. It's embarrassing how large some of the items are that we have 'lost' and replaced and that have now been found..... The reason I've been able to do stuff like the loft is that I'm onto finishing proper - the final wipe-on Ronseal coats...and that leaves a decent amount of time where you can't even tiptoe round the workshop while the varnish is drying Just done the final coat of purple tinged clearcoat (Ronseal, some Purple Chestnut Spirit Stain and a drop of white spirits, wiped on with a cheapo Homebase micro-fibre cloth.) The colour never comes out right on the photos but in the flesh it's taken the slight pink tinge off: The 'face' still shows through, despite it being a little darker nowadays: It's now onto clearcoats. I'll do a couple of clear before the first flattening - don't want to flatten away the purple tint! Thanks for the encouraging feedback, folks

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1475528478' post='3146735'] Well we're finally talking about a new build now. [/quote] We certainly are....and WHAT a build!

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1475433434' post='3145887'] Now - we talked about this.... It's very simple, you just need a few modifications to your house. I must apologise - I didn't put two and two together and work out that you were the creator of that stunning peizo fretless in the build diary... Dave [/quote] Trouble is, I think MrsAndyjr1515 would just need to make a few modifications to my face No problem ref putting two and two together. You probably thought the builder of those basses was a grey haired, short, bespectacled old git. I can see why you wouldn't have recognised the tall, young, tanned Adonis you saw before you this morning Thanks for talking through the magic of double basses, Dave. It was a great thrill to be able to try one for real !

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1475432102' post='3145869'] And thank you, I will be seeking advice later about finishing when I get that far. Shed is now somewhat clearer and my 'long lost' no5 plane re-appeared. [/quote] Excellent - bring it on

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1475427809' post='3145833'] I'll let you off just this once ;-) [/quote] Phew.... In case you change your mind, I'm the young, handsome, tall slim guy...you won't be able to miss me

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1475427725' post='3145832'] After some pencil, paper and brain effort I think I have the solution. In the Gibson circuit, at switch position 4, the neck output signal (lower pickup in Gibson diagram, 0.05uf capacitor) is routed through through the RC combo then to the jack tip. At the same time the neck output signal is also routed through the inductor to ground. (Gibson circuit has the bridge pickup on as well as neck position 4). In the modified Andyjr Mk1 circuit above , the neck signal is fed into the RC combo for positions 4 , 5 and 6. These then provide a connection to jack tip' and the various inductor tap connections then to ground. [/quote] Brilliant! Thank you so much, 3below. That does indeed look right to me

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1470310067' post='3104957'] Go anywhere near that beautiful piece of timber with red stain and I will be forced to hunt you down and kill you! [/quote] So....am I forgiven, JPJ?

I think this is going to be OK :

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1475404399' post='3145614'] I have your king, I will release him to you in exchange for a black fretless version of this bass [/quote] Hmmmm....black fretless.....now there's a thought

[quote name='Chris Sharman' timestamp='1475411814' post='3145690'] AAAARRRRGGGHH! I can't beleive this is on my doorstep and has completely passed me by. must pay more attention to stuff in future! Hope you all have a good day! [/quote] B****r! I assumed you'd spotted it, Chris! I popped in for an hour this morning on the way past on the A52. Great to meet you all again / for the first time, folks. Some great basses and some very impressive playing Lot of organisation involved in these sorts of things - well done to all involved Got back home and the first thing MrsAndyjr1515 said when I walked in the door was, "Absolutely NOT!" Andy

While I recover from all that thinking stuff, back onto a few safer practical pursuits. I joined some 3mm mahogany sheet for the control plate cover. To get the exact shape, I used the paper impression approach: Cut that out, traced round it on the mahogany, cut it close with a band saw then sanded it to fit: Also smoothed out a dink I found on the neck: What I like about strong colour dyes and inks is that, even though that area had already had a decent number of coats of tru-oil on top, re-staining a patch covers really well: The neck is going to be finished as a "slurry and buff" tru-oil satin. The body, however, is going to be glossed. I added some purple spirit stain to a little of the polyurethane varnish to take a bit of the redness off the top and gave it a first wipe: While that's drying, I'll get back to circuits and the tortuous process of thinking again

Going a bit cross-eyed To be honest, I think this is completely wrong - the CR bit looks like it's self-contained and self-defeating I'm going to pop down to the Double Bass Bash and come back to it afresh later!:

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1475351907' post='3145352'] Yes is the short answer. Longer answer is, put the parallel CR combination in front of the '4' connection on switch, neck pickup. This gives CR into switch into L then ground. Your circuit is easier to follow than the Gibson one. [/quote] OK. I think I've got the concept. Thanks 3below The Wikipedia article is very good....fascinating is the history. How these early physicists worked out what they did is amazing. In the Gibson circuit, the CR bit of the circuit appears to be there also In position 3, neck pickup only?Presumably it doesn't affect anything until there's also an earthed inductance coil in the circuit?

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1475350387' post='3145331'] At a first run through that appears to match what you specify Although being somewhat 'rusty' with my Electronics I am figuring that the additional resistor and capacitor at the tail end of Gibson circuit (0.22K, .02uF?) are part of a parallel CR series L notch filter. Figure 8 [url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RLC_circuit#Other_configurations"]https://en.wikipedia..._configurations[/url] gives the circuit and relevant maths. Are these extra 'extra resistor and capacitor' you are thinking of dispensing with? If so you may find you need to keep them. I may have also missed something obvious in working through this. Any proper Electronics /Elec Engineers please confirm or correct the ageing Physicist who ironically is currently teaching active and passive filters. [/quote] Ah....that makes sense. I don't really understand how notch filters work. I'll look up that ref in Wikipedia. Question is, whether it is possible to put those components in the right place with a two pole switch...