Big-A$$ Bass Head Build

[SpondonBassed]

23 minutes ago, JapanAxe said:

I’ve hit a bit of a bump in the road with this build, in the form of a clash of tolerances. The chassis was initially too tall to fit into the slot in the headshell. I have managed to reduce the height of the front and rear panels somewhat, but there appears to be a slight upward bow in the middle of the ‘shelf’ on which the front edge will sit, mainly to the rear. This piece of hardwood is glued into the ‘cheeks’ of the headshell at either end so I need some way of removing material from it in situ. I can’t get a plane to it, a rasp would be too coarse, and a metalwork file too slow. Maybe a spokeshave would do it, or a cabinet scraper, but I possess neither.

 

Hmmm…

 

A properly sharpened chisel and a steady hand.  No mallet.  Just a keen eye and lots of small shaves with repeated test fittings until you have a fit that is not going to close up clearances at full operation temperature?

 

...or summat.

[JapanAxe]

16 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

A properly sharpened chisel and a steady hand.  No mallet.  Just a keen eye and lots of small shaves with repeated test fittings until you have a fit that is not going to close up clearances at full operation temperature?

 

...or summat.

Well that’s something else I don’t have - chisels that are sharp, or that I can make sharp. Might be time for a tool investment!

 

EDIT: Ordered a 20mm Draper chisel

Edited June 4 by JapanAxe

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, JapanAxe said:

Well that’s something else I don’t have - chisels that are sharp, or that I can make sharp. Might be time for a tool investment!

 

EDIT: Ordered a 20mm Draper chisel

 

Good man.

 

Here is some useful info by a BassChat member with extensive cabinet building experience - @Christine.  Christine has not been heard from since Covid but has made great contributions to the Build Thread.  Much missed.

 

 

Mind your delicate bits and let us know how you get on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Owen]

Christine did some work on a Tele body I needed a belly cut on. I drove over there in 30 minutes (unheard of at this end of the world) and marvelled at wood coming off in thin sheets like peeling paper. It made me want to learn to do woodwork. Proper sharpness right there.

[JapanAxe]

1 hour ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

Good man.

 

Here is some useful info by a BassChat member with extensive cabinet building experience - @Christine.  Christine has not been heard from since Covid but has made great contributions to the Build Thread.  Much missed.

 

 

Mind your delicate bits and let us know how you get on.

 

Thanks but I'm never going to achieve that! I do have a little jig to hold your chisel at the right angle while you work it on the sharpening stone though, and that will have to do.

[rwillett]

I read through the thread about sharpening chisels and I have to doff my cap to the lady. I love watching Masters (doesn't seem quite right to say Mistresses) in action. I sit at the feet of greatness. I shake my head and realise I will never achieve that level of Jedi like woodwork.

 

Rob

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, JapanAxe said:

Thanks but I'm never going to achieve that! I do have a little jig to hold your chisel at the right angle while you work it on the sharpening stone though, and that will have to do.

 

It's a good start.

 

You need experience to be able to do the sharpening by hand but to get the experience you have to have a sharp chisel.  It's a very useful hand tool around the house if you do nowt else with it.

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, Owen said:

Christine did some work on a Tele body I needed a belly cut on. I drove over there in 30 minutes (unheard of at this end of the world) and marvelled at wood coming off in thin sheets like peeling paper. It made me want to learn to do woodwork. Proper sharpness right there.

 

Have you any way of finding out if Christine is still with us Owen?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Owen]

5 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Have you any way of finding out if Christine is still with us Owen?

I am afraid not. We only communicated via PM on here, and I honestly could not find her house now.

[JapanAxe]

Normal service now resumed!

 

A couple of weeks ago Mrs Axe decided that decorating the landing, stairs and hallway, and fitting new skirting boards and carpet in the latter, was suddenly The Most Urgent Thing In The World Ever. While I was at it I took the opportunity to re-route some ugly cabling and hide it in the walls and behind the new skirting board.

 

The Draper chisel arrived nice and sharp, so rather than blunt it by trying to sharpen it further, I set to easing the upward-bowed edge of the chassis shelf. I was able to get it so that the chassis went in freely, and I smoothed the chiselled surface down with various grades of sandpaper and gave the raw wood a couple of coats of clear satin varnish to match the existing finish. I won't be winning any woodwork prizes but now I can press ahead with the build - yay!

 

I've carefully measured and marked up the chassis lips for where the M6 cage nuts will go and drilled them out with an 8.5mm square bit. Only joking, I've drilled 7mm diameter holes and will need to file them out square to take the cage nuts. I've had to widen the existing mounting holes in the top of the headshell to take M6 bolts.

 

I've decided to use spring retainers for the 6L6 valves rather than bear traps as there won't be the amount of vibration that you'd get in a combo - and I hate those bleedin' bear traps! I also did a quick review of my components and realised I was missing a few bits so I added them to the order.

 

It's good to be back in the saddle!