Andyjr1515

Tidied up headstock: ...and the shielding going in... With a bit of luck and a following wind, reassembly should start this evening Andy

It looks really, really good, Rumple . Great to hear you've found a neck to match it with a good playing feel...makes all the difference! Andy

The chap I'm doing this for has asked if I can pop a couple of my moniker 'swifts' on the headstock. I've gone through the detail how I do this in other threads, but briefly: Jeweller's saw to cut out the mother of pearl shapes. Note the high-tech cutting bench! When they have been cut out, I position them and trace round onto the headstock with a fine pencil: Then route out, using a dremel and precision router base: ...and - providing I didn't cock it up - trial fit before gluing: I glue them with epoxy mixed with sanding dust from appropriate coloured woods - with this one, I've used ebony. You basically fill the chamber, then press the inlay firmly in, using the squeezed out epoxy to fill any gaps. It's curing at the moment - I'll post a pic tomorrow when it's set and sanded. Thanks for looking Andy

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1426870204' post='2722984'] The official portrait: [/quote] Nice lineup

Excellent...it's on its way

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1426603744' post='2719755'] Here's the walnut control chamber cover. I'm not sure if I can get neodymium magnets and plates small enough - and the panel has to have 4 holes to secure the EQ and give access to the trim pots in any case, so may well attach with screws per the Cort. All of the access channels to the pickup chamber, battery chamber and bridge earth are drilled, so just waiting a replacement volume-pot and some copper-foil to line the control chamber from Axesrus and then it's ready for reassembly As always, thanks for looking Andy [/quote] Correction - found some

Here's the walnut control chamber cover. I'm not sure if I can get neodymium magnets and plates small enough - and the panel has to have 4 holes to secure the EQ and give access to the trim pots in any case, so may well attach with screws per the Cort. All of the access channels to the pickup chamber, battery chamber and bridge earth are drilled, so just waiting a replacement volume-pot and some copper-foil to line the control chamber from Axesrus and then it's ready for reassembly As always, thanks for looking Andy

That is looking really good, Ian. Some very nice choices of wood

Yes - count me in. I'll be coming along with Chris Sharman and Jo (Mrs S). I'll bring my (avatar) veneered Squier VM Jaguar and, if I can prise it out of our bassist's clutches, the Jack Bruce Thumb 4 fretless tribute build. Andy

[quote name='PlungerModerno' timestamp='1426266541' post='2716409'] Looking great - the grain is much clearer and sweeter under that finish. For the cover . . . How about a brass sheet, cut to fit, with walnut veneer glued onto it? Did a quick search, it's not excessively costly: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=brass+sheet&_sacat=0"]http://www.ebay.co.u...+sheet&_sacat=0[/url] And it's conductive (not nearly well as copper, but should work just fine for shielding). [/quote] Hi, PlungerModerno Great minds think alike-ish. Gone for some 1.2mm copper. Should work fine

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1426265422' post='2716391'] Stunning indeed! I can only hope mine turns out that well [/quote] I've a very sneaky feeling that it will...

That's some bass, Jellyfish!

Looking really, really good

Thanks for the ideas, alittlebitrobot and KingBollock. I was wondering the same ref having an 'inner' plate that acted as a flattener. I think the idea that this could also be the shielding is inspired.... Andy

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 [u]attempt[/u] 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

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1426242561' post='2715985'] I did some filling and then sanded the body down over the last couple of days, the next step is to wait for a dry and still day to add some filler primer, I'm guessing it doesn't have to be perfect conditions as it's a layer that will be sanded back? [/quote] Just dry and still....so July, then lol

[quote name='wwcringe' timestamp='1426117724' post='2714750'] Andy this is looking superb!! Nice one [/quote] Thanks, Tom! Timing's good too...carbon rods arrived yesterday

[quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1426096641' post='2714381'] Wow, this is coming together so nicely. Congratulations on the weight loss! and really nice carving too. I agree it's an improvement on the original. I'm currently in the middle of a 'lack of powertools, money to buy them or space to use them' crisis and I'm interested in your thicknessing-by-hand method. Anything I've seen online makes it seem like a vigorous, violent process with a scrub plane, which requires a very sturdy workbench. All I've see in your photos is a collapsing workmate thingy. Can you divulge your secret? [/quote] Hi alittlebitrobot In terms of the body blanks thicknessing, I'm afraid I did indeed use a power-tool. Last year I invested in a Makita planer. The most expensive tool I've ever bought...and worth every penny! The reference to the handtools was the carve once the blanks had been thicknessed, joined and the outline shape cut out. That was all hand tools - most done with a block plane, a spokeshave, a cabinet scraper and a rasp file. I have thicknessed blanks by hand in the past, using a jack-plane, but it is hard work! It was quite cheap - I bought an old Stanley plane for peanuts off ebay and read up how to refurbish it, sharpen the blade and set it up. The easiest way, if you are buying blanks anyway, is to ask the supplier to plane them down to a specific thickness... Andy

The gouges will want filling and sanding down, but the scorches should cover OK with the primer coats assuming you are still planning on painting it a solid colour. The first one I did looked like the remains of a BBQ!

Those are lovely pieces of timber. Watching with interest.....

[quote name='scojack' timestamp='1426007666' post='2713367'] Much prefer your carving to Mr Cort's, looking good [/quote] Thanks, scojack

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. One of the things I do when I'm at this stage is save some of the fine sawdust. You never know when you might need some body-coloured filler : Then all round finish-sand. The top now came up like this: I took a tip from a great builder on one of the other forums (WezV) to sand wet with Tru-oil, to create a grain-filling slurry. I've yet to decide whether to 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

Yup - we've all been waiting....but no doubt going to be worth waiting for

No probs - if you are tight on facilities and equipment, it's probably worth a try... Andy

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