Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Thanks. Will look into that.

Hi all, I'm building an electric bass out of 150yo piano parts. I need to touch up some of the finish which I assume is shellac. 1. Where can I find some shellac easily? Ie. Bunnings or similar? Doesn't have to be amazing as the finish is old and damaged. 2. What can I use to clean masking tap glue ...

Not exactly on topic, but I've made many necks out of TO with good success. Only thing I'd say is it tears out easily with the router and burns easily on the sander. So, yeah. Beware of that.

All the clear lacquer is "out of stock". But then the rest of the site isn't much chop either really.

Hi all,

Sorry if I'm resurrecting a dead subject. I'm just wondering if anyone has found a good local (or locally available) water based poly finish? I hate nitro and thinners, but I'm willing to try something else. Not interested in importing something from LMI or Stewmac.


Cheers

Hi Nigel, Great to have to you down here. Really looking forward to what you come up with using local timbers. Maybe I'll finally get to meet you after missing out a few years back in the UK. Re neck timbers, I've been using Tasmanian oak/Victorian Ash for lots of necks. It's not like mahogany, but ...

Speechless. 8 strings... then that retop.

When you are going this far off the beaten path nobody will be able to say you have done it wrong... LOL, I think you're underestimating people's sense of self-righteousness. :wink: But yes, it's well off the track. I was relating to my wife the other day that I look at things and automatically thi...

Some more "rustic" horror to entertain you... Draft one = looks like a Saw horse = fail https://i.imgur.com/76RJHwJ.jpg Generally musings for draft two... hmmm. https://i.imgur.com/sZXp0T2.jpg Draft two = finally something is working. Lots more drawing, details and elevations to do yet. I'll let you...

Thanks mate, love an honest reaction.

Haven't been around this forum for a while. However, thought you all might be interested in some of the nutty things I've been up to. I asked a bunch of questions about hollow body bass guitars a few years back and ended up with this... http://www.anzlf.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=8113 It came from thi...

Hi Pete I love the attitude shown in this guitar - just get the job done. And it sounds great!. The bolt-on headstock, metal plates to hold the planks together (is there glue in there too, or can you really break the whole thing down with a phillips-head screwdriver?) - it is a triumph of practical...

Been a while since I've post on here, but here's my latest effort. Specs are as follows... Scale: 39" Strings: White tapewound La Bella Strings (last set unfortunately) Neck: 5 piece laminated Victorian Ash, single double action truss rod, graphite bars, Jarrah fingerboard, 20" radius. Bolt on heads...

demonx wrote:On a side note, I anyone wants Blackwood saplings, I have a gazillion of them. They regularly get trimmed with my tractor/slasher!

Maybe that'll be our timber of choice for everything now!

I've thought the same about ebony for some time too. Imagine what a fortune your kids and grandkids could earn off a few acres of that?

I know it's a long term investment, but maybe it's time for us to plant some indian rosewood here? The climate would work well enough right?

What he reports there is pretty much what I experienced. Even when the glue failed it took some timber with it, no matter how much heat I put in it. If that's the way HHG generally works, I'll stick to my titebond.

I've spent the last couple of days pulling the spruce braces off the soundboard. Man, what a mission! I tried steam after buying a cheap pressure cooker ($23). No cigar. The wood just got really wet and the thin paint scraper I was using was just tearing it up. So back to the heat gun, scraper and 1...

After a huge weekend, I finally got some time to put some strings on the guitar last night with a fake nut in place. I stuck it down with 2 drops of superglue... fail. Great moments in guitar headstock design. You can see what's going on here. http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpeterscia/Bui...

Right, so this is as far as I've got with salvaging the soundboard. It's 135yo spruce... and probably was much old than that when felled in Europe some where. I won't horrify you with the butchery of how I got the bridges of off... http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpeterscia/IMG201611191500...

I got all the electronics in this afternoon, but something isn't right. The switches aren't switching the coils in the way I imagine they should. Anyhow, here's a progress pic. I still have to cut a nut for it, so no strings as yet. http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpeterscia/Build%2011%20-...

Been messing around with wiring and extended PU wires that were 2" too short. Typical. I forgot how I wired up my last killswitch humbucker setup. Then I went through some old build pics to see what I used last time and I came across this... http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpeterscia/Build...

After a pretty big day, I managed a few minutes of work last night to get the PU mounted and the bridge on. http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpeterscia/Build%2011%20-%20slydebyrd/IMG20161115105604_zps5txq7zql.jpg http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpeterscia/Build%2011%20-%20slydebyr...

Love that "steel bar" in the trussrod slot. That's cool. I also really like your vacuum cleaner attachment at the end. That hooks on your belt right?

P.s. I've never had any issues with double sided tape leaving a residue.

Sorry, got the wrong pic in before. You want this one... http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpeterscia/Build%2011%20-%20slydebyrd/IMG20161110140912_zpsq3va0pax.jpg Time to start fiddling with electronics. Trace out the layout onto some cardboard. http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk127/stpet...