Thunderbird is go

[Pea Turgh]

Headless - the balance was rubbish on the one I tried once, the head stocks are HUGE!!!

[T-Bay]

I have a Gibson and balance is perfect, it’s a fender style neck and will be deep set so balance certainly won’t be an issue anyway. 

[T-Bay]

Hit a stumbling block today. Had everything set up, measured up and ready to get the router on the neck pocket and other bits. A couple of hours was set aside to get the routing going. I then started looking through my router bits to find the flush cut one only to find I only have a bottom bearing one not a top bearing one. My memory must be going. I have one on order from China, but it means I have will have to put it on hold for a few weeks and that will drop me into busy times at work again. I didn’t waste the time though and got on with a part for it that will be quite unusual but I will put more up on that when it’s finished.

[T-Bay]

Finally! The stars must have aligned or some crap as I mananged to find time where I had everything I needed and nothing else needed to be done urgently. I used the time to cut the neck pocket first. Then flushed with success I cut the two pick up holes and finally the rear control cavity. It all went very well despite the super cheap Chinese made router bit I had to resort to. 

Then the job I was most cautious about- joining the pick up holes. I was unsure how it would go but I used the longest drill bit I had and went from both ends. By some bloody miracle they only went and met, hence the pick with the wire showing.

Feeling unbeatable I then decided to have a go at the Neutrik socket I had, it’s a locking one so a bit of a biggy. I did make a bit of Fooooo up and learnt a very important lesson. Never ever ever try to use a BFO router at full speed hand held and floating. Thankfully while it churned up the wood a bit I got away with it mostly and will either make a neat little ally surround or may even just fill it as it’s only about a 1mmx2mm gap.

For a first attempt using a stupidly hard and less than ideal wood I am very pleased with how it’s coming on. I put a thread on for dye suggestions so will be buying some tonight and giving it a test soon. Only problem is that I doubt I will get any time on it for a few weeks now, but no rush.

Edited March 16, 2018 by T-Bay

[T-Bay]

[SpondonBassed]

Great to see the Thunderclone is a go once more.

#gettin routy widdit

[T-Bay]

5 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Great to see the Thunderclone is a go once more.

#gettin routy widdit

It never stopped, life just has a habit of getting in the way at times 

[SpondonBassed]

8 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

It never stopped, life just has a habit of getting in the way at times 

 

[T-Bay]

5 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

Not quite, just ridiculously busy with work and home so something has to give and the bass project is hardly an essential. Just ordered this:

https://www.rothkoandfrost.com/wood-finishes-c15/stains-dyes-and-pigments-c33/dartfords-alcohol-soluble-aniline-dye-p4#attribute[3]=49

And a couple of other bits so they will be ready for when I get a chance to do some more.

[SpondonBassed]

1 minute ago, T-Bay said:

Not quite, just ridiculously busy with work and home so something has to give and the bass project is hardly an essential. Just ordered this:

https://www.rothkoandfrost.com/wood-finishes-c15/stains-dyes-and-pigments-c33/dartfords-alcohol-soluble-aniline-dye-p4#attribute[3]=49

And a couple of other bits so they will be ready for when I get a chance to do some more.

This?

Do you know why it's shown in two tones?

Either looks good in isolation.

[T-Bay]

1 minute ago, SpondonBassed said:

This?

Do you know why it's shown in two tones?

Either looks good in isolation.

Not sure but presume it’s been demoed on a light and dark wood, or possibly on ow much is applied. I am happy with the general sort of colour and will test on an offcut before I commit anyway.

[Norris]

47 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

This?

Do you know why it's shown in two tones?

Either looks good in isolation.

I think one is raw and the other is with lacquer iirc. It does say on the site/pdf somewhere 

[Norris]

Looks like Dartfords have changed their colour charts recently and only display a single shade now. Rothcoe and Frost use the old 2-tone colour guide but don't explain the difference between the shades. I have an old colour chart downloaded on my work computer but won't be back in the office for a few days. If you're really curious and I can remember to look for the download when I get back to work, I'll confirm the difference in shade. Having said that, it's only a guide and will probably look completely different on your bass rather than the sample wood they used anyway

[T-Bay]

16 minutes ago, Norris said:

Looks like Dartfords have changed their colour charts recently and only display a single shade now. Rothcoe and Frost use the old 2-tone colour guide but don't explain the difference between the shades. I have an old colour chart downloaded on my work computer but won't be back in the office for a few days. If you're really curious and I can remember to look for the download when I get back to work, I'll confirm the difference in shade. Having said that, it's only a guide and will probably look completely different on your bass rather than the sample wood they used anyway

That would be interesting if it’s not too much hassle.

[Andyjr1515]

It's a bit daft that it doesn't say on the website, but I think, looking at the other samples, that one is on figured, flamed, wood and the other is on straight grain.  On the teal one you've chosen, you can just see the green coming out in the parts of the flame that are straight grained...

Bear in mind that the samples appear to be on maple - the darker wood of your body will give you a different colour tone.  Best way of finding out is to put some on in the bottom of the neck pocket.  Apply with a small pad made up of lint free cloth and un-thinned.  The colour when it is still wet will be indicative of both the colour tone and the depth of colour once it has been clear coated.  The colour will look quite different once it's dried.  If it has dried and you want a reminder of what it's going to look like, just wipe it over with a slightly damp cloth.

Great job on the body, by the way!

[T-Bay]

10 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

It's a bit daft that it doesn't say on the website, but I think, looking at the other samples, that one is on figured, flamed, wood and the other is on straight grain.  On the teal one you've chosen, you can just see the green coming out in the parts of the flame that are straight grained...

Bear in mind that the samples appear to be on maple - the darker wood of your body will give you a different colour tone.  Best way of finding out is to put some on in the bottom of the neck pocket.  Apply with a small pad made up of lint free cloth and un-thinned.  The colour when it is still wet will be indicative of both the colour tone and the depth of colour once it has been clear coated.  The colour will look quite different once it's dried.  If it has dried and you want a reminder of what it's going to look like, just wipe it over with a slightly damp cloth.

Great job on the body, by the way!

Thanks Andy! I have kept all the body offcuts so have a few pieces to mess about with before I finally decide on finish. I have never use dye for wood so wait will be a new experience. I assume one bottle will be enough for a bass body? (I only ordered one bottle as assumed a luthier supplier would sell it in sensible amounts to do at least one body).

 

Thanks for the comments on the body. The pics hide a few minor issues I will be sorting. I haven’t neatened to holes up at all yet and around the sides there are bits I want to improve. I have done a lot of woodwork projects in the past but always furniture so it has been an interesting one to do for a change. As always some things went better than expected (using a slot mill in a cordless drill as bulk wood remover) and others not so (stupidly trying to hold the router in hand) but everything is still ok so alls well. I haven’t suffered from the horrendous breakout that Sepele can apparently suffer from and it has machined well. Routing the cavities was interesting, I always avoid ‘climb milling’ with the router but even so it would occasionally grab as though it had hit a denser piece even tough the wood seems incredibly regular in grain. Would I use it again? Probably not but only because of the weight, this is not going to be a light bass!

[SpondonBassed]

19 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

...some things went better than expected (using a slot mill in a cordless drill as bulk wood remover) and others not so (stupidly trying to hold the router in hand) but everything is still ok so alls well...

I bet you counted all of your fingers after the latter just to be certain you'd come away with the same number that you started with.

[T-Bay]

5 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

I bet you counted all of your fingers after the latter just to be certain you'd come away with the same number that you started with.

 Not wrong! From the noise I was convinced I had trashed the whole thing but it was fine, bit of a brown trouser moment. Stupid thing is I forgot about using the mill bit and that would have worked I think.

[Norris]

One bottle of dye should be plenty, unless you are doing a lot of sanding back and re-dyeing as you might when popping grain on figured maple, etc.

[SpondonBassed]

5 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

 Not wrong! From the noise I was convinced I had trashed the whole thing but it was fine, bit of a brown trouser moment. Stupid thing is I forgot about using the mill bit and that would have worked I think.

It isn't worth taking the chance my friend.

I think you got away with a valuable lesson AND all of your fingers.  Think about it this way; you might make a half decent bass in less time than if you'd worked out the safety aspects but would you still have enough fingers to play Rhythm Stick?

Edited March 17, 2018 by SpondonBassed

[T-Bay]

The mill in the cordless drill is really gentle, because the speed is low it’s very controllable, very different to the router.......

i am the H&S Guy at work as well 

[SpondonBassed]

Just now, T-Bay said:

The mill in the cordless drill is really gentle, because the speed is low it’s very controllable, very different to the router.......

i am the H&S Guy at work as well 

Hmmm.

 

[Jimothey]

1 hour ago, T-Bay said:

The mill in the cordless drill is really gentle, because the speed is low it’s very controllable, very different to the router.......

That’s a good method if you don’t feel comfortable using a router but if you make up a jig I find using a router the easiest way of doing things as you can keep a consistent depth and the cut will be cleaner 

What you said about climb milling is right as if you use that method you run the risk of losing control of the router as the cutter is trying to push away from the piece of timber and you should never attempt to climb cut with a non-bearing cutter but I do climb cutting when I’ve rounded of the edge of the body using conventional cutting then go back over it climb cutting as it cleans the edge up really well 

Its starting to take shape now and looking really good!!!.......

Edited March 17, 2018 by Jimothey

[T-Bay]

15 minutes ago, Jimothey said:

That’s a good method if you don’t feel comfortable using a router but if you make up a jig I find using a router the easiest way of doing things as you can keep a consistent depth and the cut will be cleaner 

What you said about climb milling is right as if you use that method you run the risk of losing control of the router as the cutter is trying to push away from the piece of timber and you should never attempt to climb cut with a non-bearing cutter but I do climb cutting when I’ve rounded of the edge of the body using conventional cutting then go back over it climb cutting as it cleans the edge up really well 

Its starting to take shape now and looking really good!!!.......

The reference to the router was with the end guide removed and just completely free floating -not a good idea it seems! All the main holes were done with a template for the reasons you mentioned. It was just opening up the jack socket for the neutrik (now not to be used after spring a spec with KiOgon, Sod’s law). It’s interesting to hear about using the climb cut to get a better finish, I will have to try that out. If you do that on metal you end up with a sort of rough engine turning type effect which isn’t very smooth to say the least!

[Jimothey]

33 minutes ago, T-Bay said:

The reference to the router was with the end guide removed and just completely free floating -not a good idea it seems! All the main holes were done with a template for the reasons you mentioned. It was just opening up the jack socket for the neutrik (now not to be used after spring a spec with KiOgon, Sod’s law). It’s interesting to hear about using the climb cut to get a better finish, I will have to try that out. If you do that on metal you end up with a sort of rough engine turning type effect which isn’t very smooth to say the least!

Sorry I misunderstood what you meant but yeah agreed using a router without its base isn’t for the faint hearted (I do it with my 1/4” router when I’m doing engraving)

Also climb cutting after conventional cutting is a good way to remove burn marks......

Edited March 17, 2018 by Jimothey