BassBod Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Wow....that's coming together quickly! How can you resist getting some more finish on the body?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted April 30, 2010 Author Share Posted April 30, 2010 all in good time Duncan! I've got a few things need finishing so I'll do them in one hit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 What pickups are you going to put in? It might add to your mojo to wind your own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 This is going to have custom wound bareknuckles in this. I would eventually like to make my own pickups, but I need to source the vintage correct alnico magnets and bobbin materials. I need to get a pickup winder too with a counter on it. The bareknuckles will sound great though so I am happy to use them to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Top work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamthewalrus Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Loving this thread - subscribed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 Met Wes today and briefly played one of his basses if it's anything to go by the Jazz will be excellent when it's done. R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted May 23, 2010 Author Share Posted May 23, 2010 Thanks Dave! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 apologies about the lack of updates to this thread in the last few weeks. I have been busy with my day job and restoration work. I have also had a few things holding up this and some other builds. namely being the truss rods. The rods I use are 5/32" cold rolled silver 1018 rods. these are very hard to get in the UK due to the metric system. I had found a supplier who said they could supply them, when they arrived last week they were 4mm not 5/32" (this is only about 0.04mm difference but it's too much difference in my eyes) So I have just found a company that deals in imperial with the correct materials who have said they will be with me in a week! Hooray! once they are in I will show a thread on how I make the rods with the correct threads and correct 60's block anchor! Then once the rods in I will be putting the board on and then profiling the neck, then radiusing the board then the frets will go in sideways! Also I am waiting on the weather to clear up again so that I can start spraying! Wes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 Next week expect some progress on this. Plan is to get the neck finished for fine sanding. I have decided to put jumbo frets on this bass as it is going to be for me. I can't get on with skinny's personally! If the weather is good I will also get some finishing going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 Is all about Jumbo's for gigging I had my '73 refretted with Jumbo's Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted June 26, 2010 Author Share Posted June 26, 2010 managed to get a couple of things done on the J. Not many photos unfortunately as I've been super busy. The lazy susan flip nails are placed in the correct positions to ensure stabilty while spraying. perfect weather for spraying Nitro at the moment, though I'm still struggling with having my spraying area and woodshop together. I am next in line to rent another unit when one comes up so I will have a dedicated spray shop with a dry back booth! A thinned sealer coat was sprayed to the body and then sanded back to the wood. I then run 2 phases of pore filling to ensure that the body has no pores remaining. this will allow a much thinner final film, giving much more natural tone. The flip nails were used up until 1962 when they changed over to hanging the basses from a stick screwed to the neck pocket (hence why on 62 and onwards basses and guitars having a masked area in the neck pocket. The purpous of the nails is so that once you have sprayed the front you can flip the body onto the nails to spray the back and sides. After another thinned misty sealer coat I begin applying the white blonde. I build it up with fast misty coats to the face and back. I shoot the sides slightly slower at 45 degree angles. this gives the sightly more opaque sides which was correct for 59 - 61. after a cople of coats note how the body colour mismatch is starting to look a lot better now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinson Posted June 26, 2010 Share Posted June 26, 2010 Looking really nice indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted June 26, 2010 Author Share Posted June 26, 2010 also forgot to add that I'm temproarily chased out of the workshop by the giant wasps nest which some lovely pointless wasps have made in the wall cavity! I wouldn't mind apart from the fact that i'm allergic to wasp and bee stings! Should have it removed by next week hopefully! Until then I;m a bit scared of working there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 That's starting to look realy nice. Darn those pesky wasps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 Wes, out of interest, how are you getting on matching colours from the old Fender Custom Colour list?. Do you only have access to the popular ones, or are you able to fulfill any of those old colours? Cheers Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted June 29, 2010 Author Share Posted June 29, 2010 [quote name='Sibob' post='879629' date='Jun 28 2010, 10:19 AM']Wes, out of interest, how are you getting on matching colours from the old Fender Custom Colour list?. Do you only have access to the popular ones, or are you able to fulfill any of those old colours? Cheers Si[/quote] Alright Si, hope your well mate. I can get any of the custom colours...heres a list Black, Olympic White, dakota red, fiesta red, sonic blue, daphne blue, surf green, sea foam green, shell pink, candy red, lake placid blue, inca silver, firemist gold, gold sparkle, taos turquoise, sherwood green, burgandy mist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 [quote name='wesfinn' post='881252' date='Jun 29 2010, 07:07 PM']Alright Si, hope your well mate. I can get any of the custom colours...heres a list Black, Olympic White, dakota red, fiesta red, sonic blue, daphne blue, surf green, sea foam green, shell pink, candy red, lake placid blue, inca silver, firemist gold, gold sparkle, taos turquoise, [b]sherwood green[/b], burgandy mist[/quote] Ok cool Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arsenic Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I have to say - that is looking fabulous.....looking forward to seeing further progress on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted June 29, 2010 Author Share Posted June 29, 2010 Thanks guys! Means a lot that people are likeing my work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 [quote name='wesfinn' post='881283' date='Jun 29 2010, 07:46 PM']Thanks guys! Means a lot that people are likeing my work! [/quote] you don't know how tempted I am to try and make one myself, the only thing stopping me is that i know it would be cheaper to pay someone with more skills to do it! anyway thats my way of pointing out we haven't had an update for a wee while..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 updates coming soon. I have had lots of customer work to do which comes first! Thats the problem with having a fulltime job alongside doing this, theres never enough time to crack on with the other things like this bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 That body really does look gorgeous! I would really like to know the fine details of the grain filling, sealer coating, and finishing, including the materials, equipment and methods, and where to get the materials, if it's not too much to ask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesfinn Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 Of course its not. I will be showing the rest of the stages of the finishing on here when I get round to it. heres a brief run down of how this body has been finished -Final sanding with 400 grit then give body a blast over with an airline to clear the pores out -slightly thinned nitro sanding sealer -then sand back to bare wood -grain filler(clear) is then applied using a credit card to take off the excessleaving the grain filled (available from www.tonetechluthiersupplies) -sand back again and repeat grain filling stage and then sand back again -good wipe over with panel wipe -apply blonde finish to face of instrument, fast misty coat..flip onto nails adn then fast misty coat for back and sides -if applied evenly and thinnly theres no need to sand between coats -second coat to face and back, fast misty passes again. then the sides need to be more opaque so these are sprayed slower at a 45 degree angle to get a smooth transition from sides to face (much like a burst)..repeat till you have desired depth. -then a couple of clear coats and leave to dry for a few weeks before flatting and buffing. hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 [quote name='wesfinn' post='900258' date='Jul 20 2010, 04:59 PM']Of course its not. I will be showing the rest of the stages of the finishing on here when I get round to it. heres a brief run down of how this body has been finished -Final sanding with 400 grit then give body a blast over with an airline to clear the pores out -slightly thinned nitro sanding sealer -then sand back to bare wood -grain filler(clear) is then applied using a credit card to take off the excessleaving the grain filled (available from www.tonetechluthiersupplies) -sand back again and repeat grain filling stage and then sand back again -good wipe over with panel wipe -apply blonde finish to face of instrument, fast misty coat..flip onto nails adn then fast misty coat for back and sides -if applied evenly and thinnly theres no need to sand between coats -second coat to face and back, fast misty passes again. then the sides need to be more opaque so these are sprayed slower at a 45 degree angle to get a smooth transition from sides to face (much like a burst)..repeat till you have desired depth. -then a couple of clear coats and leave to dry for a few weeks before flatting and buffing. hope that helps[/quote] Super! Thank you Wes! All Nitro from Tone Tech? I'm planning on finishing with their aerosol nitro pre-cat with the aerosol adapter gun. Do you reckon that's the right approach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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