Finished Pics! Andyjr1515 meets his Nemesis?

[Andyjr1515]

16 minutes ago, fleabag said:

oooer, dodgy glue moment coming up.  This is where you found out the next day you've glued the cat to some purpleheart 

 

It's alright...the next door neighbours won't miss it...

[fleabag]

Someone else's cat ? Panic over  

 

[scrumpymike]

57 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

As I was carving, I decided to take the pigeon's beak off the purpleheart - it looks better and will aid the upper fret playability.

Andy, kindly reassure us that no live pigeon was harmed in the course of this process 😮

[SpondonBassed]

Not so much a neck joint as a neck socket.  Nice.

[Andyjr1515]

1 hour ago, scrumpymike said:

Andy, kindly reassure us that no live pigeon was harmed in the course of this process 😮

Absolutely no live pigeons involved.  Just the cat.   

[Andyjr1515]

OK - I can now turn my attention to the top.

This is how is looks so far:

 

Forgive the glue lines - this side still has to be scraped.  And no, @fleabag - I can't just leave it like this, however much you like purple 

 

This is just loosely laid on the heel but is a good fit and should work OK:

The nib in front of the original neck heel will be carved to slim it as it moves towards the neck centre

 

Whether the neck skunk stripe lines up quite like this once it's hard bolted, I don't know...it will be what it will be.  But this is properly slotted in the neck pocket so, you never know.

So, as I say, the front nib will be carved slimmer as it approaches the neck.   As will - as far as strength will allow - the treble side of the heel.

I'm determined not to rush this one.  Each step needs a period to look, think and sometimes re-think.  But I'm happy with it so far.

Later today I'm going to work out the best positioning of the top to maximise the use of the amazing figuring and then joint and glue together the bookmatched blanks. 

[Andyjr1515]

I reckon this is probably the best placement on the walnut planks:

 

The 'whirlpools' are both there, there's a 'V' at the tail and this rippling:

...looks WONDERFUL when it's been sanded and finish is applied.

So today's job is cutting it to size and preparing the joint and then gluing the two halves together

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2019 by Andyjr1515

[TheGreek]

I really like this...I think @fleabag is going to have the bragging rights for @Andyjr1515's best project. Damn!!! 😉😉

[BassTool]

3 hours ago, Andyjr1515 said:

OK - I can now turn my attention to the top.

This is how is looks so far:

 

Forgive the glue lines - this side still has to be scraped.  And no, @fleabag - I can't just leave it like this, however much you like purple 

 

This is just loosely laid on the heel but is a good fit and should work OK:

The nib in front of the original neck heel will be carved to slim it as it moves towards the neck centre

 

Whether the neck skunk stripe lines up quite like this once it's hard bolted, I don't know...it will be what it will be.  But this is properly slotted in the neck pocket so, you never know.

  Each step needs a period to look, think and sometimes re-think.   

The Sage hath spake in wisdometh words thereof and so on and so forth...😄

[BassTool]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

I really like this...I think @fleabag is going to have the bragging rights for @Andyjr1515's best project. Damn!!! 😉😉

Not in my eyes he won't, I'm still looking at train timetables to Herts.... 😂

Just need the big bag of money for your beauty 😣😣  

Not saying this won't be a beauty either mind

[fleabag]

Def. looking like a bass body now. And yes, i'd love that Purple as the main wood, but when done, we have  sandwich to look at, the pup cover and the neck, when it's also done.  It's all good.

yeehar

[Andyjr1515]

In case anyone was wondering about the fit with my cavalier placing of the loose neck into the pocket for the previous photo   , this is how it will clamp: 

 

 

[Andyjr1515]

And the top wood is jointed and cut out:

Not lined up accurately but lots to do before contemplating gluing it in place.

First check tomorrow is double checking the neck angle.  I will place the bridge on a piece of scrap walnut and clamp the neck to its Sapele seating and quadruple check that the action height is correct for the height range of the bridge

 

[fleabag]

That Eng Walnut is as beautiful as the Purpleheart. Hell , even the Sapele is good looking 

Great choice of woods, as it turns out

 

Edited February 13, 2019 by fleabag

[TheGreek]

@Andyjr1515, any chance of seeing some cut offs which have had the finished apply? Go on, don't be a tease...😍😍

[Andyjr1515]

7 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

@Andyjr1515, any chance of seeing some cut offs which have had the finished apply? Go on, don't be a tease...😍😍

It'll be like @scrumpymike 's   Same wood from same log from the same tree that his late old mate, Merv, chopped down as his final felling after a lifetime of tree axing.

[scrumpymike]

11 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said:

It'll be like @scrumpymike 's   Same wood from same log from the same tree that his late old mate, Merv, chopped down as his final felling after a lifetime of tree axing.

Cripes!  Do I really own something that beautiful?  (Ohhhh yesssss😍)

[Andyjr1515]

A slight delay for a good reason I'll come back to...

But the next step on the task list was to check that my calcs of top thickness and bridge height and neck angle were right.

Simulating the scale-length position of the bridge on an offcut of the walnut, I positioned the neck in its pocket and put a straight edge across between the nut and the saddles:

That bit was spot on.

The slight delay?  Well, in spite of the back sapele /purpleheart having been glued clamped on the flat until fully dry, and kept is a cool dry cellar ever since...it's developed a curve.

A curve that, had I been planning a Swift-lite like scooped back, I would have been quite proud of! 

I've clamped it again but now need to leave it a day or two to see where it's going to settle.  The curve at the back is fine but it leaves a hump at the top - which would need to be flattened before I glued the walnut.  And I don't want to do that if it's then going to return to its original shape!.

Still, it won't stop me from starting to chamber the back and routing the cable routes, etc so shouldn't delay anything.

 

Edited February 16, 2019 by Andyjr1515

[fleabag]

Its hard to imagine, looking at the thickness  of the purple on sapele, how it could move at all, let alone curve.

As a layman, i'd say if it was that easy for the glued pieces to curve one way, a  vicious clamping could turn it back from whence it came

Edited February 16, 2019 by fleabag

[Andyjr1515]

8 minutes ago, fleabag said:

Its hard to imagine, looking at the thickness  of the purple on sapele, how it could move at all, let alone curve.

As a layman, i'd say if it was that easy for the glued pieces to curve one way, a  vicious clamping could turn it back from whence it came

Well vicious clamping is what's going on at the moment.  I've given it a stern talking to as well

[fleabag]

Thats my man. Show it who's boss 

[Simon.]

One needs to know - how did it get down the stairs to the cellar? Carried or given some 'assistance'...?
The purpleheart looks awesome, btw! Would make an amazing top in its own right.

 

[fleabag]

I was thinking the same, but AFAIK, Andy didnt have a full width piece ( or matched 2 piece ) Purple H to cover the whole front. I would have gone for that otherwise. Still, that Purple sandwich is going to look stupendous.

[Andyjr1515]

9 hours ago, Simon. said:

The purpleheart looks awesome, btw! Would make an amazing top in its own right.

 

Thanks!  And I know what you mean - but I'm actually not convinced it is a great wood for a top. 

Purpleheart is one of the set of species whose colours naturally alter with time, exposure to uv light, exposure to air, etc..  The process is admittedly slow, but is almost always accelerated with full exposure to daylight.

In the case of purpleheart, the purple tends to deepen over time, but will eventually start moving towards dark brown.  For what will become a feature stripe, that process is very slow and would not be a noticeable problem.  Ditto the plates - because they are contrasting to the top, they will always show the purple tinge, even if that is less intense over the years.  But a full top...hmm, not so sure.

Wonder if anyone here has a purpleheart-topped bass or guitar to prove me wrong    

[Andyjr1515]

1 minute ago, Andyjr1515 said:

Thanks!  And I know what you mean - but I'm actually not convinced it is a great wood for a top. 

Purpleheart is one of the set of species whose colours naturally alter with time, exposure to uv light, exposure to air, etc..  The process is admittedly slow, but is almost always accelerated with full exposure to daylight.

In the case of purpleheart, the purple tends to deepen over time, but will eventually start moving towards dark brown.  For what will become a feature stripe, that process is very slow and would not be a noticeable problem.  Ditto the plates - because they are contrasting to the top, they will always show the purple tinge, even if that is less intense over the years.  But a full top...hmm, not so sure.

Wonder if anyone here has a purpleheart-topped bass or guitar to prove me wrong    

Oh...and it smells like poo.  'Better in than out', to amend an oft heard phrase in lifts and aircraft cabins.