yorks5stringer Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Not going to do a lurid shot by shot account as I bought a very serviceable Harley Benton copy and set about modifying it, so its not really a proper build per se. I used it for a couple of rehearsals and not bad little Bass. Restricted by one pickup and not totally accurate (as it is not a slab body) but for around £100 it was well made and set up nicely. Anyway here is the starting point: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 18, 2018 Author Share Posted January 18, 2018 Here's something for all those who like to read the end of the story, or read the paper from the back page forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Looks really nice!!! Great job!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 18, 2018 Author Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) The eagle-eyed may notice there a few things missing so here's my Lessons Learned Report. 1. If you decide to spray over the existing poly, don't use 400 grade wet&dry to scuff coat, as even then going over it with 800 grade one can see those scuff scratches under the Nitro! 2. To level off the Nitro I used 1200/1500/2000 grade papers with soapy water to lubricate. This got into all the existing screw holes in some places, expanded the wood, lifted the Nitro and caused cracking and crazing. Not intended but looks kinda reliced.... Wonder if mesh papers without water would have worked? 3. I used a tinted lacquer and then clear coat for the neck. Came out well but don't remove the nut and then lose it/forget where you put it, waiting for a replacement! 4. The headstock tuner holes had slightly filled due to extra lacquer and pressing the ferrules in by hand caused a little break up of the lacquer around 2 of the holes. More Mojo.... 5. I re-shaped the headstock to not an exact copy of a 51Fender and also added a Fender decal. I now realise this is an awful thing to do but if and when I sell this I will put NOTAFENDER in huge letters all around the ad. 6. Reliced all the hardware by the Vinegar vapour method. Works well on screws and cheap hardware including bridge saddles but does not touch the Tuners. 7. Check when you remove the bridge where it locates, I took mine off to find 2 sets of holes. Also don't drop the bridge on your new Bass, where it impacts tends to chip the new Nitro... 8. Bought a replacement pickup, hand wound by Martin Herrick, although the OEM by Roswell seemed OK. Incidentally Roswell pickups are made from waste magnetic material sourced from alien craft stored on US Bases around Area 51...or maybe not. 9. If you use rattle cans of nitro, ensure the safety collar is removed. I moved from cans without a safety collar to one with and laid on a very patchy pitted coat as the spray was not fully depressed. 10. As I sprayed all the neck, I did not mask off the frets so had to remove the lacquer from the frets. Made a template from cardboard the exact thickness of the frets, put it over the fret and lightly wiped the fret with nitro thinners. Don't get the cloth too wet or it can leach through down to the neck. 11. Spraying. Had all the issues someone who used rattle cans (with handle) may experience due to inexperience. Blooming due to cold/moisture in air, seemed to go when I shot another coat over. Runs: got too close when spraying so lightly smoothed off the nib when dry and is not noticeable. When i look in certain light, lacquer is still a little pitted and did not want to smooth it down too far unless I broke through to the colour coat, or worse. Also have sanded through lightly on the edges in a couple of small places...even more Mojo! Once I get the new nut I'll string it up, do a setup and report back with further photos, which hopefully will be in focus..no, you don't need to go to Specsavers, it's just poor snapping! Edited January 18, 2018 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 18, 2018 Author Share Posted January 18, 2018 Toying with getting some white or maybe dark blue pearloid plastic and making another scratch plate. Any views? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 48 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said: Toying with getting some white or maybe dark blue pearloid plastic and making another scratch plate. Any views? I prefer the black pickguard but whatever suits your taste better? I’m no expert but what I did with a Nitro finish is do lots of very light coats to build up the opaqueness of the colour not try to completely cover it in a couple of coats then do the same with the clear coat (I had problems with Nitro so now I use acrylic cellulose car paint as I seem to be able to get a better finish buts that’s probably just down to poor technique) From your photos I didn’t notice the crazing or the imperfections so just make sure people can’t look at it too closely As for the logo watch out for the Logo Police that operate in this area!!!!!! You will be run out of town with pitchforks!!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Tips I've learned... Micromesh used dry doesn't lift lacquer (got the T-shirt too!), but keep wiping it on a monofibre cloth to avoid clogging Press ferrules in with a soldering iron. This softens the lacquer and avoids cracking. However don't hold it on for too long or the lacquer will boil (another T-shirt!) Nitrocellulouse is quite forgiving if you need to fix a dint. Spray into the cap and then paint it on with a very fine brush to build up the level, then flatten it back with the micromesh (T-shirt #3) Nice job btw! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 18, 2018 Author Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) Yes, I tried the dint-fill trick and managed to sand it all off(!), and used a cocktail stick to drop it on. Maybe as you say need to build it up gradually. Going to get me some micromesh pads and good trick on the ferrules too. Annoying thing is 2 others just pressed in easily, so I just pressed on... Edited January 18, 2018 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 (edited) Despite copying the original wiring exactly, cannot get new pickup to work, seems to be an intermittent wiring fault. Having re-soldered the joints a number of times pot now is buzzy so have ordered 2 new ones, cloth covered wire and will remake. Suspect I probably had temp too high and may have damaged the internals....Will use heat sink for next round. New nut arrived, at least that fitted without fettling. Edited January 21, 2018 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 Why is it both my soldering ( or soddering irons as the yanks say) irons have burnt out...cannot now connect up the new pots today. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 2 hours ago, yorks5stringer said: Why is it both my soldering ( or soddering irons as the yanks say) irons have burnt out...cannot now connect up the new pots today. Too many irons in the f... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 My new iron arrived today, got a ceramic cored one in the hope it will not burn out. Cost £7.49, went to Lidl today and they have temperature controlled ones with work station for £7.99... but the 2 of mine that burnt out were both from Lidl....... Photos to follow tomorrow of Bass, got it wired up with no issues this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 Here's the finished article, not perfect but as the hardware is reliced, it all matches. Head stock is not as dark compared to the neck, as the photos suggest, just poor light...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 28, 2018 Author Share Posted January 28, 2018 (edited) Forgot to say, I tried the cracking nitro trick with an 'air duster can' having heated the bass body, but it did not work: maybe cos its poly underneath? There's a good view of the cracked nitro around the A string ferrule, grrr.... Edited January 28, 2018 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 (edited) Bit of an update: I realised I had put the wrong decal on as it is a 51 P Bass not a Telecaster Bass. So stripped off the nitro and decal, sanded the headstock, tinted it with some water based tint rather than a rattle can with the intention of putting on new decal and spraying with some poly I had, rather than go through the nitro process and having to let it dry. All went well until I used the poly and in a number of places it was repelled off the wood. So let it dry, took it off with thinners and had another go. Same thing happened then I realised where it was happening was at the reverse of the headstock where the screw holes were for the Tuners. I had used some silicon grease on the screws to help them go back in and it had leeched into the wood! Previously used a candle and should have stuck to that! Tried with some french polish which contained shellac as a barrier, but it went too dark so bought a small sheet of white beech veneer and glued it onto the headstock, having steamed it to fit the slope up to the nut. Made a template of the headstock with some hardboard and used that on the reverse and used cork sanding blocks as cauls for all my clamps. Unfortunately the veneer is very thin (good) but easy to split (bad) so had some splitting once it went on. Decided to leave it, could always order another sheet at £2.85! This afternoon I looked at it (24hrs later) as I did not cut it to size beforehand and it was OK but I was unsure how it would react to being cut/sanded back to fit the headstock. I trimmed some of the excess off with a rigid blade then hit the sides with 400 grit w&d on a block. To my surprise and with some care I trimmed it back well. I'd masked the sides to try and avoid having to respray them but realised in order to get a good boundary I would have to remove the tape and sand it right into the sides. Went thorough the grades and then tinted it, surprising how it has changed, looking very pretty. So all being well tomorrow, 1 coat of poly then do the decal and then build up the coats, rubbing the decal down every time. Hopefully the veneer has halted the silicon pollution...... This is how it looks tinted, with a strip of the veneer offcut untinted to show the change: Edited March 2, 2018 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 What was wrong with leaving the Harley Benton decal on it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 The headstock looks really nice with the grain showing through but why did you buy beech veneer not maple?.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 9 hours ago, fleabag said: What was wrong with leaving the Harley Benton decal on it ? I reshaped the headstock so lost it anyway..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 8 hours ago, Jimothey said: The headstock looks really nice with the grain showing through but why did you buy beech veneer not maple?.... Not available so thought I'd just get the lightest wood available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 42 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said: Not available so thought I'd just get the lightest wood available. Ok just wondered..... there’s loads of maple veneer on eBay tho.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 1 hour ago, Jimothey said: Ok just wondered..... there’s loads of maple veneer on eBay tho.... Did not see that, anyway I will have a unique Bass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 4 hours ago, yorks5stringer said: I reshaped the headstock so lost it anyway..... Ah of course - fair play. Nicer looking logo allround, anways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 Update: my first shot of Poly encouraged the veneer splits to lift and widen so I've taken it off...ordered some more veneer in Maple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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