Reshaping headstock

[Beedster]

34 minutes ago, 3below said:

Not for this specific job but I have learned through experience that they can remove material very quickly. All too easy to remove more than you wanted to. This looks useful, though not UK based. Now found them in the UK, ToneTech.

 

http://www.luthiersfriend.com/robosander/robosander.html#robo3

Thanks mate, interesting 👍

[Waddo Soqable]

Another dodge I've used is gluing sandpapers / emery cloth to pieces of scrap wood of various shapes and sizes to use as "files", long true straight  pieces are excellent for sanding straight lines, properly flat bits should ensure a flat surface etc, of course various rod or dowel pieces are good on inside curves and the like. 

[Beedster]

38 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Another dodge I've used is gluing sandpapers / emery cloth to pieces of scrap wood of various shapes and sizes to use as "files", long true straight  pieces are excellent for sanding straight lines, properly flat bits should ensure a flat surface etc, of course various rod or dowel pieces are good on inside curves and the like. 

 

Nice advice, thanks mate 👍

[kodiakblair]

On 28/04/2023 at 06:42, Beedster said:

Anyway, back to the question! Anyone used a spindle sander to fo this?

Apart from there being absolutely no reason to, you'd be at it forever.

 

You have the pencil and template, mark outline on the back of the peghead.

 

Take a pullsaw or hacksaw and cut away the meaty bits, don't try and cut curves; just a series of straight cuts getting closer to the outline.

 

 

Clean away the peaks with a flat file then sandpaper smooth.

 

 

Whole task takes about 15 minutes.

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, kodiakblair said:

Apart from there being absolutely no reason to, you'd be at it forever.

 

You have the pencil and template, mark outline on the back of the peghead.

 

Take a pullsaw or hacksaw and cut away the meaty bits, don't try and cut curves; just a series of straight cuts getting closer to the outline.

 

 

Clean away the peaks with a flat file then sandpaper smooth.

 

 

Whole task takes about 15 minutes.

 

Ah man, 15 mins............. 👍

[NancyJohnson]

There's too many (Fender-style) basses out there that look great(ish) from a body perspective but have just awful headstocks - I suppose we all have a degree of familiarity to Fender (and they're ilk) and I'm certain that there's many of us who would happily pull the trigger on a cheaper bass (perhaps as a backup) if the headstock was more Fender-alike.  Even Squier models have a slightly redesigned headstock to their Fender badged cousins.  I'm not advocating the use of Fender decals, just a redesign of the headstock.

 

If there's one thing about the Harley Bentons, Arias, Vintages etc. the headstocks can be converted to something akin to Telecaster/early Precision headstock specs if that's your thing, and quite easily too if you have access to a oscillating spindle sander. 

 

I'd love to see what people have achieved.

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

There's too many (Fender-style) basses out there that look great(ish) from a body perspective but have just awful headstocks - I suppose we all have a degree of familiarity to Fender (and they're ilk) and I'm certain that there's many of us who would happily pull the trigger on a cheaper bass (perhaps as a backup) if the headstock was more Fender-alike.  Even Squier models have a slightly redesigned headstock to their Fender badged cousins.  I'm not advocating the use of Fender decals, just a redesign of the headstock.

 

If there's one thing about the Harley Bentons, Arias, Vintages etc. the headstocks can be converted to something akin to Telecaster/early Precision headstock specs if that's your thing, and quite easily too if you have access to a oscillating spindle sander. 

 

I'd love to see what people have achieved.

 

I'll update as I go @NancyJohnson, I'm going to do some practice runs on some old wooden shelving getting the technique at least competent if not expert before I maul otherwise completely usable necks, but if you notice a range of headless bitsas flooding the site........... 

[NancyJohnson]

2 hours ago, Beedster said:

 

I'll update as I go @NancyJohnson, I'm going to do some practice runs on some old wooden shelving getting the technique at least competent if not expert before I maul otherwise completely usable necks, but if you notice a range of headless bitsas flooding the site........... 

 

You should leave that body as is, too.  The bridge looks a dawg - stick a hi-mass thing on it - but the rest of it?  People pay good money for distressing like that.

 

 

[PaulThePlug]

bass heads.pdf

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said:

bass heads.pdf 22.33 kB · 3 downloads

 

Thanks @PaulThePlug, that's the one I'm using also, great idea to share it here though 👍

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

You should leave that body as is, too.  The bridge looks a dawg - stick a hi-mass thing on it - but the rest of it?  People pay good money for distressing like that.

 

 

 

Mmm, not sure, I like the idea of a TH Sig, if I deviate too far in terms of spec it's just another mongrel.....

[kodiakblair]

 

@Beedster

 

6 maybe 7 years back reshaping the Harley Benton PB-50 peghead was a popular thing. I'd done a few and when the peghead topic popped up would send those interested BC members templates.

 

The original templates I knocked up were like this, for routers, a bit OTT since I learned none of the BC folk had routers 😀 

 

 

 

A quick rethink  saw the printed templates stiffened with vinyl floor tiles from the £1 shop, I used vinyl in my "Reshaping Peghead" thread.

 

 

Vinyl is much easier to trace around.

Prep work is a doddle, stick printed PDF to tile, score and snap straight lines using a ruler and craft knife. Curves can be cut freehand or you could use a 'French Curve' set.

 

Don't fancy freehand but no French Curve set ... handy alternatives.

 

An aerosol can is great for the tighter curves, while the large Ye Olde Oak Gammon Ham tin is perfect for the longer curves.

 

[Beedster]

21 minutes ago, kodiakblair said:

 

@Beedster

 

6 maybe 7 years back reshaping the Harley Benton PB-50 peghead was a popular thing. I'd done a few and when the peghead topic popped up would send those interested BC members templates.

 

The original templates I knocked up were like this, for routers, a bit OTT since I learned none of the BC folk had routers 😀 

 

 

 

A quick rethink  saw the printed templates stiffened with vinyl floor tiles from the £1 shop, I used vinyl in my "Reshaping Peghead" thread.

 

 

Vinyl is much easier to trace around.

Prep work is a doddle, stick printed PDF to tile, score and snap straight lines using a ruler and craft knife. Curves can be cut freehand or you could use a 'French Curve' set.

 

Don't fancy freehand but no French Curve set ... handy alternatives.

 

An aerosol can is great for the tighter curves, while the large Ye Olde Oak Gammon Ham tin is perfect for the longer curves.

 

Great post @kodiakblair, many thanks, had no idea this was such a well trodden path 👍

[kodiakblair]

14 minutes ago, Beedster said:

had no idea this was such a well trodden path 👍

It is with me, apart from from my headless slab body, most of my builds get the 51/Telecaster peghead 🙂

[neepheid]

On 02/05/2023 at 19:59, kodiakblair said:

 

Bloody gammons, moaning about headstock shapes...

[Baloney Balderdash]

Personal opinion is that the standard Harley Benton headstock design actually looks great, and that the standard Fender doesn't, especially not the Tele headstock shape, which in my opinion is butt ugly.

 

But whatever floats your boat, just glad it's not my bass.

 

On 02/05/2023 at 20:59, kodiakblair said:

 

Yes, that sums how I feel about this up pretty good.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[kodiakblair]

13 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Yes, that sums how I feel about this up pretty good.

 

So you feel like a can of Gammon ?

 

I suggested the can as a substitute drawing aid for those not owning a French curve set. Thread is concerned with how you reshape a peghead; the why has no relevance .

[Downunderwonder]

I only got a C in woodwork because I was well behaved and the teacher could see I was trying.

 

One lesson I did learn well though. You can rasp away material but you can't put it back. If you go too far on a curve it's impossible to get the shape you were aiming at.

[tauzero]

On 06/05/2023 at 18:29, Baloney Balderdash said:

Personal opinion is that the standard Harley Benton headstock design actually looks great, and that the standard Fender doesn't, especially not the Tele headstock shape, which in my opinion is butt ugly.

 

Oh good, it's not just me that thinks that the Tele headstock is hideous. Mind you, I also think that the Tele body is hideous.

[neepheid]

4 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Oh good, it's not just me that thinks that the Tele headstock is hideous. Mind you, I also think that the Tele body is hideous.

 

You think all headstocks are hideous though...

[tauzero]

18 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

You think all headstocks are hideous though...

 

To paraphrase that nice Mr Orwell, some are more hideous than others.

[Richard R]

@Beedster - how did you get on?

 

I have an HB 5 string that I want to make major changes to, including reshaping and reducing the massive headstock from 4+1 elephant ears to 3+2 Y. I'm keen to know which tools you chose and how it turned out. 

 

Also, what's the best way to plug the holes that will all be in the wrong places?

 

Edited October 18, 2023 by Richard R

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

@Beedster - how did you get on?

 

I have an HB 5 string that I want to make major changes to, including reshaping and reducing the massive headstock from 4+1 elephant ears to 3+2 Y. I'm keen to know which tools you chose and how it turned out. 

 

Also, what's the best way to plug the holes that will all be in the wrong places?

 

 

Hi @Richard R, funny you should ask as the project was put on hold as I simply didn't have the time to do it properly, but I'm hoping to resume next week. I took the advice of a carpenter and bought a spindle sander, I think it might be overkill for the job but I dfound one quite cheap so it seemed a better decision than trying to bodge it with saws and handfiles (not suggesting that others would bodge the same job using these tools, I just suspect that I would)!

 

Re holes, I would use dowling but suspect wsome of the builders on here will have better ideas 

 

I'll update once things start to happen 👍

[Richard R]

I shall await with interest. 

This is the unnecessary weight that needs reducing. Needs to be sympathetic though, as it's a chunky MM style body.

 

[3below]

Stating the obvious and borrowing a song title, careful with that spindle sander @Beedster. Ferocious beast, all too easy to convert vast amounts of wood into sawdust :).