Christine

Nice job! In years gone by you could buy brushing thinners for nitro, not sure if it's still available but it was slower drying than anti bloom and gave a little more time for the brush strokes to even out.

Thanks guys Well it's been a harrowing afternoon with the triplets, my red one didn't really need any more coats so I just cut and buffed it but the first ebony one started sanding had an alarming ripple in the veneer on the front so I've been sorting that out all afternoon, cutting it back with a block to get it totally flat. It's OK now but it's going to need a fair bit of lacquer to get it finished now, I'll do battle with the other tomorrow

The triplets are just off to the workshop to resume the finishing coats of spray. Unfortunately the nitro on them is now rock hard so I will have to give them a couple of coats of raw thinners just to soften the surface to allow the next coats of lacquer to melt in so I don't end up with a separate layer stuck on top. I'll cut them back this afternoon and hopefully start spraying again tomorrow; I don't think I will need many coats so with luch the new ones will be fully hardened in a couple of weeks or so fingers crossed

Finally, new year must be out of the way!! Deepest apologies, we're been on an extended trip over the channel and just got back, aching and tired after many months in a campervan but it was an adventure of a lifetime. Back to the twins, well after 12 months the nitro is as you might expect rock hard, so both were rubbed down with 600, 800, 1200, 2000 and 2500 grit then buffed with a sponge buffing pad on my sander with Farcell G10 polishing compound The next job was some cavity shielding, a laugh a minute activity!! That was Thursday and Friday's work, this morning I started work on the frets but unfortunately a job I can't (or won't) finish as I seem to have mislaid my fret end bevelling widget (a new Crimson one on order). First job was adjusting the truss rod to flatten the fret tops as best I could using a straight edge and a bit of thin paper as a feeler gauge until it was averaging out straight. Then I marked the fret tops with black permanent marker before filing them flat I filed evenly over the curve of the fret tops until the lowest fret just had some light scratches on it's top, it always amazes me how some frets can end up so low and some so high despite being very careful to fit them perfectly Then I re blacked the fret tops before crowning them again, I use a magnifying visor to help me see the work in progress until I see just the faintest remnants of the levelling file marks at 90 degrees to the crowning file marks before one last pass to clean them up. Then I used a fret rocker in three positions across the width of the frets and it's whole length just to be sure the frets are still level before cleaning up the whole fretboard with scotchbrite before a quick coat of Lemon oil. When my new fret end widget arrives I'll dress the ends and polish up the frets. Next job was to fit the nut, which was simply a matter of cleaning up the nut slot with a sharp chisel, sanding the nut to size (I really must get one of those clever gadgets to help you sand nuts), popping it into place for now until the frets are finished. Well that's it for a day or so for the twins now off to resume the finishing of the Triplets

Starting off in Spain then off to Italy and back through Switzerland and Germany I can't believe you're breaking up that lovely bass!

Don't worry about the pickups, just rout out the holes and if need be epoxy in some little patches to fill in as needed. Had a great time and we're off again in two weeks for three months, seeking some warmth, I'm fed up of this weather now

Sorry, missed this I've been away again. Did you see my Fenderbird? The bridge is Scott Dasson's badbird bridge (as used by Geddy Lee or someone)

Sorry for the tardy response, we've been away for a while. I think although I do prefer waterstones I suppose it doesn't really matter what medium you use to actually polish the edge. What I really wanted to get over was the method of not needing to use a jig to get the angle and how the edge is created. Using a jig is all well and good but it is a phaff as is sharpening in general, the easier and quicker it is the more likely it is you'll actually do it. The Tormeks are brilliant, we had ours for years in daily use, in the end rust got the better of it. If I had limitless funds then it would be the choice every time over any other grinder including the Sharpenset which I never got on with on the occasions I got to use one. The Record is not far behind and at the cost very good value. It comes complete with a diamond truing tool and cleaner so you can keep the surface true all the time.It cuts quite quickly, not as fast as the Tormek but not far behind by any means. I'll buy another if this one ever goes west

I enjoyed it but not as much as the Stuart Copeland show. I didn't get any real feel last night for the real importance of the bass' part in the rhythm section that was well put over last week with the drums. It however did reinforce what a bad player I really am 😟

That's the sort of thing, almost the same as modern liming (white grain filling) but with a colour, imagine that with a non natural colour like bright yellow or blue too. I have never done that for real but I did a couple of test pieces about 30 years ago for someone who was thinking about something like that. If I remember correctly I used a sealer coat after the staining coat before filling so I could cut back into the sealer without hitting the stained layer and cutting into the wood again

How about colour grain filling the oak? There is a book by a guy called George Frank who developed techniques for that back in Art Deco days, it's worth trying to get a library to track down a copy. He also uses techniques like charring/wire brushing and grain filling too. One I remember was wire brushed, black stained then limed and let to fully dry then light sanded before a red filler was applied which gave a background of black with red filled white grain, spectacular! Edit, this is the book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adventures-Wood-Finishing-Fine-woodworking/dp/091880406X

Can you scarf joint the Sapele strips to the headstock wings to get a little more strength? Sounds like your well on top of it. Funny things guitars, so easy to mess up on, not like standard furniture where you can work it out beforehand so you don't make them at all

How would these Sapele strips join up to the headstock?

Very expensive, that works out at about £120 a cubic foot, similar to Teak, it should be closer to £30 a cube, try these https://www.hoylehardwoods.com/

Ouch! I never buy home grown from Huws Gray I use Dave Hoyle in Llangernw or Timbmet

Just blending these two together, how does this look?

Just put at the bottom that the auction winner will receive an empty envelope not the pictured guitar

Hells bells, look at mine the way to look at it is that they all are refinements of the original double cut away design. Very little is original these days

For someone who has a big problem counting how many strings a bass should have you have some great idea's of shapes

I'm liking the version with the two Delanos, very wantable

Honestly the trend is the same as the Dewalt which is the same as my Elu, it is a solid tool. Mine have been hammered over the years, there were four of us using them constantly for maybe 15 years. Remember a good router is useful for much much more than making guitars,think of it as an investment in the house as well as the workshop. It is accurate,very powerful,can be depth adjusted very accurately easily, tool changes are quick and it will fit a multitude of jigs, most of which were designed around that router initially.

Save is all I can say, I couldn't manage without mine and I wouldn't swap for a Festool router at any price in preference. My Triton in comparison is a toy.

If you think it's past it then consider one of these https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/trend-t11ek-2000w-1-2-variable-speed-workshop-router-230v?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1NbhBRCBARIsAKOTmUtalKJijrirN72eWQOxqJAuDAYskVGeQ80Mj7KCLq3uNqWcQzD-QCUaArBgEALw_wcB It's the same as I have and it's what I'd buy if mine ever break, it's everything you could need in a router and even has a fine adjuster for mounting in a router table

I found the 96 very loud, someone who worked for me had one and it was awful to listen to when you weren't using it but a very good tool. If the main spindle/axle is lose just get the bearings changed, way cheaper than a new one and it would be hard to get a better machine at the cost

I have two Elu 177Es that I've had since the late 80s, I have to say that they have been two of the best tools I've ever bought, if either of them ever break I would replace them like for like again, either in the DeWalt or Trend incarnations. The first I bought was the Mk1 version which is still original whereas the Mk2 which was supposed to fix the Mk1 motor problems ironically has been rebuilt many times. I also have a Triton something or other in a router table