LukeFRC

And the neck fits!

so how to make the bottom bit? take the template off... sand a bit. Put it back on, rout, test, and so on... Ahaha! that's pretty good

Then I read Jabba's post and decided to to it the proper way. Except Mrs FRC had the laptop so I couldn't order any router bits. So I went into the outhouse again.... I was so close so lets try again. Using the previous template as a starting place i got a bit of MDF nailed on straight edges for the bottom bearing bit i've got. This time I used the radius of the router bit for the corners and went across square at the end. Once I had routed the straight edges of the template out of the MDF it gets nailed onto a bit of scrap pine skirting boards and tested. As this was me just mucking about before I bought a new router bit I used a bit of scrap I had already used.... You can see my first attempt at a template on the same bit of MDF

[quote name='Jabba_the_gut' timestamp='1498288040' post='3323616'] Just following on rom what others have said, I really think you would find this easier with a template cutter router bit. They aren't that expensive - I think I paid about £6 for one off eBay of a certain depth that I wanted specifically for cutting neck pockets. They really make life easier and remove a lot of the trial and error. These are the steps I would typically do to make a neck pocket template (just remember that mdf produces a fine dust and if you use a router to cut it it goes everywhere so make sure you use the right mask, dust extraction etc.) [/quote] Jabba that is amazing - thanks for sharing. That above is how it should be done. My first attempt at a offset-jig was useless - all wavy lines and space all around it. This is attempt two: The sides were just about good enough, the bottom wasn't perfectly parallel but it would have worked. The heel was a bit of a mess though - I tried to cut use the drill to put the corners on and then fret saw with curve between them. Needless to say it didn't work. Mind you I've seen worse in the shops, and when the truss wheel thing goes on it won't be as noticeable.

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1498143363' post='3322786'] A useful tip for neck pockets is take a lot of the material out with a forstner drill bit preferable in a pillar drill first. That way you have less chance of the router 'digging in' or 'kicking' messing up the neck pocket. For future reference, I normally cut the neck pocket first before the body profile as it gives you a bigger surface to support the template and router, and its easier to line everything up with nice square edges. [/quote] i think someone advised to do the pocket first. And that was my plan... and then I got all excited about starting and went cut the body out! Oh well. I've done a fair few hours and it's not gone irretrievably wrong yet. I have invested in some cheaper forstner drill bits, and borrowed a drill press i can clamp my drill into... I spent a few hours this evening playing with templates for the neck pocket. I've got a version planned of a way that should work that I saw on the net... slightly modified to give me the offset. I also did one by eye and got it pretty close- as in I could use it and it would be fine. Tight on the sides, but maybe 1mm gap at the end as the rounded bit wasn't quite right. I took the truss wheel off as that can be an extra cut. could do that with a chisel if needed.

It will also let the player bend the e string further down the dusty end - if that was something you wanted to do

Might need to!

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1498113665' post='3322539'] It's all looking good, Luke ...and worth getting that neck pocket template absolutely right. You do right to abandon the ones that aren't perfect [/quote] it's mainly as the router brushing needs the template to be offset by 2.5mm - easy for body shape and pickup and control as I know the size of them and can then make them bigger - neck not as easy... top bearing router bit would be the answer but loath to buy one.

First attempt at a neck pocket template... useless. Need to refine technique.

my dreams may end up being a bit more expensive. bournes pots though - he could have saved a bit there!

Isn't it fairly common that people advertise it at a silly high price, if anyone wants it have a conversation and conclude the deal outwith eBay - and dodge the fees that way?

Oh actualy neck pocket next!

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1497991731' post='3321895'] The early bird.... While I was asleep in bed you were turning a blank of wood into a bass body...good work that man.. [/quote] haha - the template was sat, the jigsawing Sunday, the routing Monday then I just fixed the gougeout just now! Photos went on on the morning though! Really really enjoyed it so far - I've a feeling the hand sanding ahead might not be as fun but we shall see!

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1497971650' post='3321724'] Nice one. If you've chewed a little bit extra here and there you can always file/sand it down if you're not too precious about the exact body shape. You will have to be a lot more careful with your neck pocket though - that needs to be a good fit [/quote] I had one tearout which was due to me being daft and trying to take too much out. It's not too bad and should easily file down. (I may just file it off the template and use the router.) The other little nicks are when I had the router bit at it's furthest reach and didn't keep enough pressure down at the end of a pass so it rocked slightly. Annoying and I should of taken more care - but I know why it did it, and if you know why then you can fix it.

So you know at the top of the page when Norris asked if I were competent with a router and I didn't answer... well.... best way to learn is to try right? Kinda kidding there, I've done a fair bit of woodwork/metal work stuff in the past so quite used to picking stuff up and using the internet and/or books to work out how to use things. After using the good router bit to do most the side a guided laminate trimmer bit finished off the bottom. It's not perfect, but I went slow and did little bit by little bit and it went ok. The first section I did on the lower body I got too greedy on the last pass and managed to get a bit of tear out - and there's bits on that top horn where I went past my stop point on a pass and it took a slither too much out but it's not too bad and will all be saveable. It's amazing how it went from this heavy lump of wood to a lightweight feeling bass body just by making it the shape of a bass! So that was a good evening - I really really really enjoyed that. I used to do lots of little projects and creative things. Then got married and moved into a tiny flat and it had to stop as we didn't have space and the other half didn't apprciate mess in the spare room (given that it was a single bedroom already full of basses, amps and we had to store our bikes there too) Moved into our house two years ago and a lot of the projects have been bike related (anyone wanna 70's Harry Quinn?) or DIY and decorating. So this was fun. A good day was added to by what I can only guess was an ASDA pricing mistake, no label on the shelf so asked at customer services and paid what the woman asked for....! (as I said a good day)

Brushing guide on. It's a 17mm guide and a 12mm router bit which is why I offset the template by -2.5mm luckily illustrator can do that super easily. I went for one unguided router bit rather than two, more expensive guided router bits... cos it was cheaper. The hard bit is then making a template for the neck pocket as I can't draw it in illustrator and then offset it that accurately - so that will be the process of trial and error on a couple of bits of scrap pine to get right. Anyway lets turn the router on...

far far too long! So thought again and got the jigsaw out. It's a cheap jigsaw that I bought for about 50p in screwfix to chop two bootloads of decking up to take to the tip. Everything on the net tells you that tools that cheap will destroy everything you hold dear. In my case it worked.

no bandsaw here! this could take a while

So I made a template out of MDF then I looked at my router and asked you lot a few questions.... and made another template out of thicker MDF and twice as thick...

so one of the nine will be... what kinda finish is it going to have?

so we have sawdust! Woop! And a template. And a delivery of bits coming! and then after making my template... I started looking at router bits... so think going to make another slightly thicker template next!

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1497177289' post='3316268'] I've found myself dialling this to the neck 80-100%, can't think of the last time it was anywhere near centre detent and I've never used it favouring the bridge pup. [/quote] I have found that warwicks generallytend to be quite sensitive to pickup height - I find myself setting the 'middyness' of them by setting the pups slightly lower

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1497169734' post='3316204'] Tracked her down in...London 😂 That was a couple of years ago now, I'm going back the other way! The pattern continues... [/quote] cool - if I ever end up selling or trading one of my warwicks I'll know to come to you first! So how does this one play and sound?

I thought that might have been Johns when I first saw it - rare bird indeed which country did you track it down in? Also- didn't you move a load of your basses on as you had switched to 5 strings?