Well seeing as I have this cold I stayed home today and got a lot done. I started back up on the sander. I got a lot more done yesterday, trued the drum with course sandpaper, glued up most of the dust cover, turned a piece for the vacuum attachment. I had to bore it out to 1 1/8″ with a boring bar as I don’t have a hole saw that size. To do that I had to turn around the three jaw chuck on the lathe, fiddly that getting them lined up. Luis took a look at my truck, ball joint is nearly gone driver side, ordered.
So today, coffee at Bucky’s, cash for Luis and to Garrett’s. I need a one foot piece of all thread, 3/8-16 will do nicely, a T-nut and two more nuts to hold a handle for the sander riser. Back home I drilled the hole for the t-nut and riser shaft, hammering the t-nut three prongs into place. I used a piece of the poplar wood from the door store for a long knob, rounding it on the lapidary, double nutted to the threaded shaft. I dug out the slightly larger hole saw and cut a hole in the top of the dust cover. Another cross brace cut on the table saw, glue three braces inside of the dust cover, no clamps will do here (I had to remove the two below the vacuum hose to clear the drum, just in time as they were still damp). I glued on the vacuum attachment and the raised drive wheel cover I made from an old file card box cover.
It’s ready for Velcro and sand paper. Yesterday I figured out the circumference of the drum at an angle across the Velcro sets it at the correct angle to proceed to cover the drum in a smooth spiral. I stripped the backing and attached the first batch of Velcro, running out short. Why I ordered another batch, glued straight cut where I ended and proceeded to near the spiral end. I stopped stripping the backing and marked the first end, then coaxed it around for the second matching circumference mark. Unwound, I drew a straight edge angle and cut it with scissors, backing off and glued down, excellent. It took awhile to find the loop backed sandpaper, fallen behind the chair. Some clean up done in the search. This stuff is three inches wide so a different angle, but still the same drum circumference, same process. The differences should make the drum stronger.
Concerned about the edges unraveling, I added a strip of vinyl tape to the ends. Fired up, this thing works great, although the the left side is closer, not true flat. I found a piece of mahogany thin stuff to use for a shim under the pillow block, good now. I sanded a couple pieces of mahogany to make the back plate, flipping them each pass to ensure an even flatness. Wow, this is a wonderful tool. An abrasive planer that sands the parts smooth and true flat. Next I sanded down the cedar sound board. This proved more difficult as the only place to grip it out feed is at the waist. I got it.
Time to deliver the truck to Luis, part on order a little late, but due in fifteen minutes. He gave me a ride home and took the truck to fix. He liked the surfacer. I sanded true the book matched mahogany back plate edges, using the long maple neck plank with plumbers abrasive mesh clamped to the bench, a good fit, glued using string, slats and wedges.
The soundboard is thicknessed to 2 millimeters, perfect, and will need some ribs to keep it strong. I like this new machine, trued up two pieces of mahogany to make kerf boards. I still need to cut the kerfs.
Inside, the bass is waiting. A light sanding with 600 grit to cover the fret board and wing oopses, it will be alright. Time to install the hardware, bridge pickup in, fiddly springs, electronics in, yet to be soldered, humbucker screws and springs. Oops, I need the pick guard, loosen the electronics and fit it. It needs mounting screws, a nice small bit, drilled fast with a back plate to prevent cracks. installed less the screws. Tuning pegs installed. It still needs frets, we’ll get to that, but it’s looking good.
Luis showed up as I chopped herbs for spaghetti sauce, truck done. If the ball joint went out at speed, it could flip the truck, thanks for saving me, job well done. I have a couple new zucchinis, half one for the sauce, enjoy the rest. We’ll get the other ball joint soon. Thanks. A quick trip to town for the six screws to attach the pick guard, drilled and screwed.
It’s a really good sauce, tried on a baguette, yum. jarred and fridged for now. The new sander works great, an abrasive planer surfacer, what a tool. The bass is nearing completion as the new tenor ukulele conceives. And my truck lives to see another day. I feel alright, think I’ll go to work tomorrow. With Michigan reunions next weekend and a fishing trip the following, puts this blog on hold. Much done.
8shotoflove8 