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  #1  
Old 10-25-2015, 12:38 AM
Chet Bishop Chet Bishop is offline
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Default New Bass in the Works

Greetings, Folks;

I don't know whether this is the appropriate forum, but, looking around, it seems to be.

By Matthew Tucker's encouragement, and that of Mark Leue, I finally am taking the plunge to build another bass. All I have done so far is design the thing, and make three templates, but the next step is the mold, and after that it should gain momentum.

Here's the first installment:
http://www.bluefiddles.com/2015/10/b...a-double-bass/

I will add progress reports as they happen.

Ken, I looked for you at the ISB convention, and stopped by your booth, but my timing was bad, I guess...no one was there.

Chet Bishop
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Old 10-29-2015, 08:03 AM
Chet Bishop Chet Bishop is offline
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Default Some progress--not much

Yesterday I took the day off from the day-job, and worked on lutherie (which made a nice day). The first half of the day was consumed with completing a violin restoration for a customer, but it is done now, so I can concentrate on the bass.

The last few hours of the day, I got the mold laid out and cut out. I hope to assemble it tonight, if I am not too tired. I had bought the materials earlier in the week, but was too tired after work to do anything with them until yesterday...maybe the added encouragement of having the pieces all "ready to go" will help energize me. :-)

I'll post more photos when I have them.
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Old 11-04-2015, 10:38 AM
Chet Bishop Chet Bishop is offline
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Default Mold Assembly

Progress report: Mold Assembly
http://www.bluefiddles.com/2015/11/b...bass-the-mold/

The Spruce front wood arrived, too, so I am hoping to get going on this bass.

I want the blocks in the mold and shaped, before the weekend, and will hope to get the plates bookmatched and joined on Saturday. (Lots of other things to do, too, so it may not work out, but that is the goal.

Here is a photo of the ribs and mold:

Last edited by Chet Bishop; 11-05-2015 at 07:58 AM.
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Old 11-28-2015, 01:35 PM
Chet Bishop Chet Bishop is offline
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Finally got back to moving on the bass again:

http://www.bluefiddles.com/2015/11/b...ng-the-blocks/
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Old 11-28-2015, 01:47 PM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Question ??

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chet Bishop View Post
Finally got back to moving on the bass again:

http://www.bluefiddles.com/2015/11/b...ng-the-blocks/
Why not put the info here on the Forum rather then links. If your Links break, so will this thread.

Replies make little sense if there is no text or pictures here.
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Old 11-28-2015, 07:12 PM
Chet Bishop Chet Bishop is offline
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Default

They are kind of lengthy...is that OK?

Besides, if I try to enter the whole post here, all the photos are deleted, so I would have to reconstruct the entire post. (I just now tried to copy the whole post to this venue, and discovered that little fact...)

If you'd rather I do not post the links, I will stop, though-- this is your forum; You're the boss, Ken! :-)

Last edited by Chet Bishop; 11-28-2015 at 07:49 PM.
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Old 11-29-2015, 07:48 AM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
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Default well..

I can only add that if you want interaction with replies from others referencing your work, then the text should be here and not another Link. You can put up several pics per post here. It's your project so you can do as you wish.

Here is an example; http://www.smithbassforums.com/showthread.php?t=1525
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Old 11-30-2015, 12:20 AM
Chet Bishop Chet Bishop is offline
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Default Bass Progress

Thanks, Ken! I appreciate the liberty you offer.

The bass is coming along slowly, as the weather has been troublesome, and I have been struggling with a cold...but, I did get the blocks shaped, finally. I think I may have to move the project to my son's shop where it is warmer and better lighted.

Used this rowdy beast to get the rough wood off:

It's a Kutzall disc, very coarse, and rips wood like crazy, but does not load up or burn the wood.

Then this little Stanley 100-1/2 plane:


It worked fine, though it is a little hard to control since it has such a radically curved sole.

Finally, I made this sanding block to finish the smoothing of each block:

It is two 2" PVC fittings cemented end to end, and a handle affixed, then some 60-grit corundum cloth affixed with the same PVC cement.

It worked very well, and the blocks are ready for ribs.


Thanks for looking,

Chet
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Old 11-30-2015, 01:06 AM
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Question working in the cold

Does working in the cold (with or without YOU having a cold, lol) affect the wood in anyway as far as humidity, moisture, shrinking or cracking?
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Old 11-30-2015, 07:46 AM
Chet Bishop Chet Bishop is offline
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Default

It is easier to bend wood, keeping it hot, keeping the bending iron hot, etc. when the air is not hovering around freezing.

Needless to say, when gluing, it makes a huge difference in working time.

The next five things that need to be done are involving heat:
  1. Bending the ribs
  2. installing the ribs
  3. bookmatching the plates
  4. bending the linings, and
  5. installing the linings

So probably working in a heated environment would be a good idea. His shop is not only heated, it is a good deal larger than mine. :-)

Yes, I think moving the project to his place sounds like a winner. :-)
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