Search found 12 matches

by Gizmo
Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:36 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Airbrushing......
Replies: 12
Views: 13370

Re: Airbrushing......

Evidently it's all about the layers and painting from back to front Don't have any airbrush experience, but I think you are on the right track. When I worked as a gilder we did marbling and ebonising as well. To get a lustrous dark finish we would start with a light colour and glaze over it with ti...
by Gizmo
Thu May 03, 2012 1:04 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Spraying question for Allen
Replies: 13
Views: 10845

Re: Spraying question for Allen

Usually I'll just empty the bowl at the end of a spray job & leave a small amount of thinners sitting in the gun. This is my recommendation. There is no problem with leaving lacquer or shellac in a spray gun overnight, but the way I do things sometimes the overnight will stretch to a week or a mont...
by Gizmo
Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:24 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Advice wanted for tools of the trade for a newbie
Replies: 38
Views: 31158

Re: Advice wanted for tools of the trade for a newbie

Good steel can be a joy to use, once cleaned up and properly tune. Very true. To clean up old steel tools, I use a wire wheel on a bench grinder which will remove surface rust but not damage the black oxide surface. Safety glasses and gloves are essential if you do this, and stand to one side as th...
by Gizmo
Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:01 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Finishing
Replies: 11
Views: 9976

Re: Finishing

Happy Birthday Cookie. how to do a satin finish instead of gloss All you need is satin lacquer. A gloss lacquer is a clear resin in solvent. Spray it on and the solvent evaporates, leaving the resin. Manufacturers reduce gloss by adding goop called flatting base, the flatting base particles prevent ...
by Gizmo
Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:20 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Desktop CNC Router
Replies: 21
Views: 24599

Re: Desktop CNC Router

for those that are commercially using cnc for fretboard cutting, Im positive they are cnc'ing a circular saw blade not a router bit. Fender Custom Shop at Corona have a Haas VF4 and cut fret slots with a saw on a right angle aggregate head. The Haas is a metal machine and the spindle has a max rpm ...
by Gizmo
Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:32 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Fretboard finish?
Replies: 11
Views: 11905

Re: Fretboard finish?

I didn't know that. Looked it up and found this... Quote from January 2006 Bass Guitar Magazine that featured Jaco: "...Jaco's sound was in part the product of Rotosound roundwound strings gnawing their way into his epoxy-coated fingerboard." Ouch. Maybe a hypotheoretical replacable disposable finge...
by Gizmo
Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:00 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Fretboard finish?
Replies: 11
Views: 11905

Re: Fretboard finish?

Luke, I don't know of any finish that will stop roundwounds gouging a fretless board. If you're looking for acoustic tone try D'Addario ECB80 Chromes. I use these super light gauge flatwounds on my Fender Jazz, they are the closest to double bass tone I have ever had on an electric bass. The tone is...
by Gizmo
Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:08 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Routing Question
Replies: 2
Views: 3912

Re: Routing Question

Hi Stu Sort of possible, but depends on having the right size bits/bearings and the cavity ledge an offset from the cavity itself. 1: To make a template of the cavity, use a straight bit with a bottom bearing running in the cavity. 2: Use a rebate bit with a bottom bearing to cut a second enlarged t...
by Gizmo
Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:24 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Fretboard finish?
Replies: 11
Views: 11905

Re: Fretboard finish?

Ahoy Presto I bought a little bottle of Almond Oil years ago for my woodwinds and I just use that on the fretboards of my basses and ukes. I think I got it from a pharmacy. When I change strings, which isn't often, I wipe a bit on and leave for a minute, wipe off. You don't need much and it's not st...
by Gizmo
Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:27 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Little help
Replies: 29
Views: 21615

Re: Little help

Don't ask me why I know how to fix something like this, I just know. What I would do: Use a slightly oversize hole punch to chop a circular plug. The plug should be out of a slice of wood that matches the grain of the hole, and about 6mm thick. Rough sand across the circumference of the plug till it...
by Gizmo
Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:09 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Spray equipment
Replies: 3
Views: 5464

Re: Spray equipment

Hi Ed I think the pfs65 looks like it was designed to spray heavy bodied material like house paint. I had a look at the manual and it appears to be a pressure pot system, with air supply down the stem to the top of the fluid chamber, helping to push the paint to the nozzle. It's the sort of gun I wo...
by Gizmo
Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:15 pm
Forum: Instrument Plans
Topic: Free AutoCAD clone for plans in dxf and dwg files
Replies: 18
Views: 46151

Re: Free AutoCAD clone for plans in dxf and dwg files

Very interesting morgan I will have to have another look at SketchUp. I tried it out some time ago now, but personally I didn't find it that intuitive as I was using other 3D programs where I worked at the time. To be fair I didn't spend much time trying to learn it because of the limited import/exp...