Si600

I made one as a school project, but forgot when I put the handle on that when it had a bass in it that the point of balance would be different from the empty box. I didn't use it very much...

The grain pattern gives the illusion that it curves in towards the middle binding, or that could just be me...

Those huge bridge and pickup covers never look right in my opine.

I've been away for a long weekend, which is why I haven't responded to any PM's or this thread. Thank you for your kind words and thank you @jebroad for taking on the mantle. Mrs O. and I are emigrating, well, I'm emigrating, she's going back home, early next year which is why I can't guarantee to be in a position to run it. It may be that we haven't yet left, in which case I'll definitely be along, but also, we may have gone or be in the middle of going. We're going to open a B&B in Northern Germany, not far from the Kiel canal. If it's allowed then once we're up and running I'll advertise it on BC in case anyone wants holiday accommodation in the area.

Do I flatten the back of my no-name B&Q DIY chisel before I try and sharpen it? I've got access to a bench grinder and an oil stone, but haven't got one. (The revered parent, who's grinder it is also made a tool and cutter grinder. http://www.lathes.co.uk/quorn/). The last time either of my chisels went anywhere near a grinder we set it up wrong last time and ground the chisel to an angle. Whoops. It was OK to hack out a door latch hole, which is it's usual habitat.

You silly, twisted boy, you.

Boom Boom There. Happy now?

I saw P/J and failed to see the Jazz bit. The moment has passed so I'm not putting it back

Damn, failed joke, please disregard

After that scary start, I may not be able to organise or even be involved with the Midlands Bass Bashes any more. So now it's walking on it's own and able to dress itself, well, it will be six next year, it needs a new parent. Anyone want to take up the challenge?

That Satinwood board is stunning. Oh, and pie

Without

It's quite interesting how non-bookmatched it looks once it's been cut out. Especially missing the dark butterfly in the middle.

Is there enough space for a double MM on that body?

Erm, you did notice that your circles weren't concentric before you cut it out? 😜

I like the slightly weird look of a JB pickguard on a Tele body. What would happen if you married a PB pickguard with the JB control plate? Then you have the option of going completely mad and having an SC jack socket, Jaguar switches and other random Fender bits....

I saw Dead Kennedys on Thursday, excellent show and Iron Maiden (with Killswitch Engage) on Saturday.

This +1m, I never come home from Rock City the same way I got to it!

Do glued in necks work because the neck pocket is so much bigger than a screwed in neck? I'd be worried about the neck popping off if I ever made one. Clearly they don't but what's the physics behind it?

Anything but tort and sunburst. All tort and sunburst basses must be repainted or have new scratch plates fitted.

Failed quote, please delete if possible

@rubis Do you know if that light grain fill finish could be done the other way? White/light stain with black grain fill? Just curious more than wanting to try it

Definitely, I could have bought three pillar drills for the price of this, and probably worn out all three before this one even starts to complain. The next thing I need to do is mill some T-blocks for the slideways on the base, just in case I need them more than anything else, and make up some bits of bar with a series of holes in to clamp things to the table. T-blocks will have to be made with Dad, holes in some mild steel I can do by myself now

Next is to get the tool tray back from the Revered Parent who has bored the middle out by 0.10mm (4 thou for the oldies 😛). I was expecting to do it, but he went ahead and did it, and fit it. Which means lifting the head off again. Hopefully for the last time, unless I move it! It needs a new handle for the quill spider but that's just running a die up the existing one that has broken off, before I got it and fortunately not in the hole. It was bought mostly because the ability to drill perpendicular holes in things on an ad hoc basis without going for a 20 minute drive down the A5 is very useful, and I want to build a flightcase. Parcelpost could be done, it weighs something in order of 150kg and all the couriers won't touch it without a pallet. Or you could drive for an hour to use it 😛

@only4 We had a further look last night. Very interesting if you find that sort of thing interesting! The casting with the hole in that you pointed out screws onto the end of the quill. If you take the depth-stop off you can remove it completely. What it reveals is the underside of the lower spindle ball race, fortunately semi caged otherwise we'd have been cleaning and regreasing the bearing after finding all the balls that had dropped out! The No1 Morse taper is part of the spindle, there's a collar on it that loads the internal face of the bearing but it's, as far as we could see, all one piece. Certainly it was going to get messy taking any more bits off. It's a shame, the extra 100mm would have been useful, but it's a solid machine with no runout even at full extension, so for £150 I'm happy with it.