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The FireDragon Triplets


Christine

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On 08/09/2018 at 18:26, Christine said:

We're off on holiday for a month early next week to soak up some sun in the south of France so I'm not sure if this will be the last update until I get back


Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 07/09/2018 at 12:16, Christine said:

Bass building aside, something that always worries me is how my writing is perceived when I try to say something. I'm badly dyslexic (thank goodness for spell checkers) and I really struggle to write naturally. I worry I sound arrogant, I think it reads that way quite often, I hope not but I think it probably does. I'm just a regular person playing around in the workshop and making mistakes just like everyone else, I am a relative newcomer to luthiery despite having made a good few many years ago but those are skills forgotten now.

I really appreciate the help I get and ideas and I learn so much from them as I do from all the build threads

So that's enough of being nice, back to sounding arrogant :laugh1:

I don’t think there is any problem with your writing or tone. 

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On 08/09/2018 at 18:26, Christine said:

After yesterday's bad back episode I only did a tiny bit today. I cleaned up the wings, rounded over the edges with a router and sanded them. Before glueing I masked off the top edge on the wings adjacent to the body to stop any glue oozing out contaminating the surfaces, I didn't bother with the back as there is some final shaping to be done there yet, just blending the raised centre section into the curve of the wings so the bass feels comfortable resting on your body. A nice smooth convex curve rather than the more usual flat surface, Why? It's my opinion that players of this type of bass may tend to move it around more aggressively than other shapes, all part of the "bad" image :laugh1: So convex seems to be a good shape to slide easily in any direction needed.

We're off on holiday for a month early next week to soak up some sun in the south of France so I'm not sure if this will be the last update until I get back

Glueing the first wing on

All glued and masking tape removed, I've wetted the surface of the left hand body to give an idea of the finished look

Lastly another attempt to show the shaping of the body

IMG_5427.thumb.jpg.ce4932d739762327274c4ced07b7afa8.jpg

Can't go wrong with a contoured body...Stuart Spector knew what he was doing when Warwick stole his design he designed his first sculptured body.

Andy contoured both the basses he built for me, they're soooo comfortable to play. I'm surprised that more companies don't do this. Oh yeah, Warwick do, stole the design from Spector

Edited by TheGreek
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
3 hours ago, Christine said:

Ha ha :)

I'm back, been a bit unwell this last week but should be catching up soon, I went into the workshop today to see if I still recognised the place, I'm a little unenthused at the moment, it's all a bit cold and uncomfortable

Welcome back!  I'm sure it won't take you long to brush off any remaining unwellness and get back into the swing :)

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I'm not usually a T-Bird guy, but these might make me a convert! Wonderfully crisp, precise, and expertly crafted work! I am also highly impressed that you can maintain the red nail polish while working. The only red I see is my blood on the wood, usually the first indication I've cut myself again. I call it "Woodwork Anesthesia", I just don't notice minor pain while building, but later my hands look like hamburger. I just don't do woodworking enough to develop some thick skin, I guess. Hope to remedy that. 

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On 24/10/2018 at 19:25, Gilmourisgod said:

I'm not usually a T-Bird guy, but these might make me a convert! Wonderfully crisp, precise, and expertly crafted work! I am also highly impressed that you can maintain the red nail polish while working. The only red I see is my blood on the wood, usually the first indication I've cut myself again. I call it "Woodwork Anesthesia", I just don't notice minor pain while building, but later my hands look like hamburger. I just don't do woodworking enough to develop some thick skin, I guess. Hope to remedy that. 

I leave my fair share of red paint on the wood too, I'm constantly cutting myself, tiny nicks that seem to bleed everywhere. The nail varnish is UV cured gel, it's ultra hard wearing and it stops my nails breaking although you wouldn't know it now as a month in France without it and they're shredded :(

I went back into the workshop today, didn't do a lot but I finished shaping the backs of the bodies and prepared the veneers ready for pressing, looks like a Sunday job when the sun is out to put a little warmth into the glue

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Two weeks ago I was swimming in the Med, now my fingers hurt with the cold :(

I forgot, the Lull pickup arrived while we were away so I got the pocket for that sorted, I thought I might need a slightly thicker riser under the chrome trim as the bridge is quite high but it looks like the one that came with it will be fine which saves some work. I did string the Maple one yesterday just to make sure, I was amazed how much flex there is in that neck even with the carbon rods. I was pleased with that as I was worried it might be too stiff with them but it has worked out better than I dared hope, I think the ultra thin neck will be amazing now (if you like thin necks).

So I got the triplets out of the press and pulled off the masking tape, trimmed  the edges quickly with a sander. I've brought them in the house overnight as it is getting too cold for them out there (poor things!

Some pictures to try and show the final contouring of the backs

IMG_7017.thumb.jpg.931d1ccbc4fa60421a416f4908998fba.jpg

Excuse the toaster!

IMG_7018.thumb.jpg.49978c64b3f519b9e9d02d4b3dafd023.jpg

IMG_7019.thumb.jpg.fb52fe62d125b821864ea4f34f2c3933.jpg

IMG_7020.thumb.jpg.4157f9c2d41114a14ae030209faf363f.jpg

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6 hours ago, Christine said:

Two weeks ago I was swimming in the Med, now my fingers hurt with the cold :(

I forgot, the Lull pickup arrived while we were away so I got the pocket for that sorted, I thought I might need a slightly thicker riser under the chrome trim as the bridge is quite high but it looks like the one that came with it will be fine which saves some work. I did string the Maple one yesterday just to make sure, I was amazed how much flex there is in that neck even with the carbon rods. I was pleased with that as I was worried it might be too stiff with them but it has worked out better than I dared hope, I think the ultra thin neck will be amazing now (if you like thin necks).

So I got the triplets out of the press and pulled off the masking tape, trimmed  the edges quickly with a sander. I've brought them in the house overnight as it is getting too cold for them out there (poor things!

Some pictures to try and show the final contouring of the backs

IMG_7017.thumb.jpg.931d1ccbc4fa60421a416f4908998fba.jpg

Excuse the toaster!

 

 

 

We have similar pattern worktops. Excuse the toaster   :lol:

worktop.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not much to report, done a little sanding and almost ready to start spraying sanding sealer and grain filler before the final spraying, hopefully I can start that next week. I've ordered some gold metallic and transparent red for the Maple and already have the black and clear for the Ebony pair

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I nearly forgot to cut out the recess for the control cavity covers! Must be my age or something :( Done it now and they are ready to be finished, the next decent day I will get some sealer on. Not a lot of point posting pics, they don'e really look any different to the last ones I posted

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I've just had one of those EEK!!!! moments, sat having a cup of tea when the thought crossed my mind I hadn't made any provision for a jack socket and worse I hadn't even considered it's position:laugh1: Ho hum, if I had a brain I would be dangerous! Parts ordered but I'm on hold again until they come before I can spray, at least I can drill ready for the wire and socket, I will just have to wait for the plates to arrive before I can recess those.

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I sorted the jack points easily enough, the fitted nicely exactly where I would have wanted them, on the back edge right behind the control cavity so no harm done but bloody hell what an idiot :laugh1:

Over the last couple of days I did some grain filling then today I sprayed sanding sealer. First coat well sanded back down to the wood, the second coat sanded flat, then finally a third cover coat just to be sure. There seems to be a couple of spots that look like they need a little more grain filling, I'll go out a little later on and have a look again and fill if need be so it will be ready to go again tomorrow. On that subject, I will be just spraying the bodies with a couple of coats of clear tomorrow in readiness to spray the gold for the burst on the Maple and the black for the burst on the Ebony on Sunday. Then hopefully I can spray the red over the maple body Monday before carrying on with the clear build up, woohoo!!

Some pics of paint drying, thrilling stuff :laugh1:

IMG_7088.thumb.jpg.014fdd555e633c0e0f9234033af276d7.jpg

IMG_7089.thumb.jpg.e60bfea1f4e9dd1c94801e487f8b1ef4.jpg

IMG_7090.thumb.jpg.a6419593b88330b19500a10217c259a1.jpg

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