de afwerking mk3-6 - A build diary.

[blablas]

All the parts are in for my next DIY build.

This will be number 10, here are the previous builds:


The plan:

(The neck pickup will move 10 millimeter closer tot the neck than you see in this picture)

A fretted six string hollow body, 35 inch scale.
The global idea:
- 2 Delano dual coils with series-single-paralel switch
- Glockenklang 2 band preamp
- Black tuners, single string bridge parts and strings
- Flamed walnut top and matching headstock topping
- Wenge fingerboard
- 24 Frets
- 17,5 Millimeter string spacing at the bridge, 10 millimeter at the nut
- 2 Dual action truss rods
- Set-in neck, probably maple/wenge (not sure yet, also depends on the wood I've got at the moment)

The wood for the top.


All the hardware parts.

Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[Myke]

Ooh Thank you very much!

[eude]

Looking good mate!

[blablas]

I've made the first saw dust for this bass.
the top is resawed.

The one on the left is the one I'm going for.

Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[blablas]

Rough cut the body.

Most of it will be gone again by the time it is finished!

Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[Myke]

That is going to look fantastic!

[Truckstop]

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1371485869' post='2114446']

[/quote]

Looks like Predator!

[blablas]

Someone on TalkBass called it an angry Chewbacca.

[JimBobTTD]

Excellent work...this is one to watch!

[captainhaddock]

I must say what a lovely collection of basses you have produced,
Do you make your own wooden control knobs??

[DarkHeart]

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1371485869' post='2114446']
I've made the first saw dust for this bass.
the top is resawed.

The one on the left is the one I'm going for.
[/quote]

Chewbacca looks real angry in the right hand pic!

[blablas]

[quote name='captainhaddock' timestamp='1373570382' post='2139216']
I must say what a lovely collection of basses you have produced,[/quote]
Thanks.
[quote]Do you make your own wooden control knobs??
[/quote]
Yes, it's easy to do (if you've got the right tools), it only takes some time, not that much brainpower required.
Maybe I'll do a special on knob making the blablas way later on during this build (I've already done it in Dutch, all I have to do is translate it).

[sblueplanet]

What does the fretless with the steel fingerboard sound like?

[blablas]

It has the brightness of a fretted bass, but with the possibilities of a fretless.

[captainhaddock]

[quote name='blablas' timestamp='1373579906' post='2139402']



Yes, it's easy to do (if you've got the right tools), it only takes some time, not that much brainpower required.
Maybe I'll do a special on knob making the blablas way later on during this build (I've already done it in Dutch, all I have to do is translate it).
[/quote]

Would be great if you do as I'm sure that lots of people who follow the build diaries will be interested!

[blablas]

Finally found some time and energy to do something again.

Straightened the edge of the body halves and sawed of a thin plate that will become the back, now I need to determine what I need from the center block and saw what I don't need of as well.

Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[Jabba_the_gut]

Nice. Like the rack of basses you have already made.

Leiden is a really nice city too - worked there for a while in the past. Nice people, buildings and restaurants!!

[JimBobTTD]

Everything here is top-notch.

[blablas]

Decided what to ditch.

Next step, connect the holes.

Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[blablas]

Connected the holes, or in other words sawed out the inside of the body, also defined the back cover and sawed this as well.
Sanded smooth the sides that will be visible trough the sound holes.


Top roughly sawed into shape. Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[blablas]

The knobs are finished.

Zebra wood, 3 ply birch and a walnut top.

I always hate making these things at the end of the build, that's why I try do them as soon as possible. Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[blablas]

[b]Making wooden knobs the blablas way:[/b]

(This small build diary was done before in Dutch as part of the diary about my previous build)

[b][i]The rough work[/i][/b]
A piece of wood

(A leftover piece from the body in this case)

A set of hole saws

(| needed two sizes)

I clamp this piece of wood on top of the table of my milling machine (at work) and saw out the holes (not all the way through).


Sawing of the knobs of the bottom with a bandsaw gives this

and this


Now I can saw of the knobs to the proper and identical length.

And we've got some rough cut knobs.


[b][i]Finishing the knobs on the lathe[/i][/b]
Drilling a hole with a diameter of 4.2 millimeters and a depth of 15 millimeters:


Tapping a M5 thread and just flattening the bottom end:


Clamping up my special tool:


Screwing the knob on my special tool and after that machining the outside:


Putting on a radius at the edge and after that sanding the knob up to a grain of 600:


The side of the knobs that's in sight is done:


Drilling a hole with the proper diameter for the pot shaft:


Machining out a chamber for the nut of the pot:


Drilling a hole with a diameter of 2.4 millimeters in the side:


Tapping a M3 tread in this hole:


Put some M3 screws in these holes and were done:


What still needs to be done is putting on six layers of Danish oil.


[b][i]And a last minute correction that needed to be done when I was assembling the bass[/i][/b]
It was a nice idea to make a M3 thread in these knobs, but alder is not strong enough for this thread and it came out when tightening the screws.

The solution:

Drilling out a bigger hole and gluing in a brass insert with the correct inner diameter, drilling trough the M3 hole and tapping the tread in the brass insert.
And were done!!

Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas

[Myke]

Ah brilliant! I was just about to ask how you made them! That is very helpful thank you!

[steve]

fascinating, and some lovely basses too

[blablas]

The knobs after a Danish oil treatment. Edited August 7, 2017 by blablas