Thread: We have a lift-off!

Hmmm never though of using a barrel as a bending form ...

Bit of a delay ATM. First BS blade broke, then (on advice received) I tried to run the new blade at higher speed. Gave a good cut, but ended up overloading and cooking the motor

So need to rewind or replace this week before I go much further. Will probably slot neck, and start carving so long.

BTW, is there a preferred supplier for veneers etc? I've looked at Gilet and ALS sites so far.

regards

Gerard Gilet is great Alastair. He has been around a long time, know whats he talking about with acoustics and is very helpful. Also him being in Sydney you can drop into his workshop and have a look.

Jim

Progress continues slow

Bandsaw now repaired, but resaw blade doesn't like my saw. While it cuts fast and accurate, suffers from "diagonal washboard" so taking it back to HBros to exchange.

In the meantime, am slotting the heels, and will start carving them this week.

Have also been a bit out of it,as trying to buy a house, with all the stress and running aroun (and expense) that entails, which translates into less shed time.

regards

Alastair,

What bandsaw have you got and what size blade are you running on it? What's this "washboarding" you talk about?

Cheers Martin

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

Alastair,

What bandsaw have you got and what size blade are you running on it? What's this "washboarding" you talk about?

Cheers Martin

Hi Martin,

14" chinglish ex H&F. Way underpowered @ 550W. Have been using a 3/8 3tpi skip, but as it was on its last legs, (blunt, broken and rejoined) decided to try a 1/2" 1.2tpi, as max recommended by Henry Bros.

However, initially belt slip and stalling at low speed, so tensioned belt, and upped speed. Cut surface looks as if it had passed through a VERY coarse blade, at an angle. What I mean is that the cut surface looks as if you hadcut a strip of corro, but not at rt angles to the corrugations, but at ~ 30deg angle.

Has to be due to resonant vibration taking place in the portion of the blade in the cut. Changing speed, and tension has no visible effect.

Great pity, because when I replaced the (now) burnt out motor with a 1hp on Sunday, I was resawing 160mm tassie oak on top speed, like cheese. Just that damn washboard.

HB verdict over phone is "some blades and b/s's just cannot agree. Bring it in and we'll part exchange for one which will suit"

Just arranging to get out there again........

regards

Well, an update and some (slow) progress.

Bandsaw finally fixed, and blade issues resolved. HB were a tad less than their usual efficient selves, but fortunately I was travelling out past them again anyway, and they have seen me right with another replacement buckshee.

Progress slow, as house purchase has been taking precedence, and now, in between chasing after the settlement, cleaning up the rental, and garden, and more bloody rain, (garage is so damp that dew is forming), time at a premium.

Anyway, with the Easter break, I was able to squirrel away some shed time.

Spanish heel slotted, and heel carved. (pic 1)

Headstock veneers resawn, thicknessed, and planed down to 1/16, (IRW) and 1/32 (Vic ash), and glue sandwiched to headstock. (pic 2)

Sides (IRW) resawn, edges jointed, and hand planed to 2mm.

Back (IRW) resawn and thicknessed to 4mm, and bookmatched, then jointed for glueing up back.
Soundboard, (WRC) similarly prepared. (pic 3)

Next step will be to glue up back and soundboard, and then practice bending sides.I have cut a couple of spares to cater for the learning curve. I will likely put off assembling the body until we are in the new place, and the humidity returns to normal.

regards

Alastair,

If youre moving house then best to leave bracing up the top and back until youve moved. If you brace up and then move to an environment with different humidity youre going to have issues..especially with the top.

Looking good so far.

Cheers Martin

Hi Martin,

Figured as much. Particularly as Sydney is so humid and damp at the moment.

The new shed is a whole new ball game. 6 x 6, freestanding, ventilation, light, ROOM, and most of all, no cars or boat to be worked around.

What I have also figured, given that I will never be able to install humidity control like your setup. is that I will get one of those 150L + plastic storage bins, and set up controlled atmosphere storage, using one of those cupboard dehumidifiers, (or any number of other dessicants which will yield ~ 40% RH), and store all materials and WIP in there, only bringing out when actually working on it, when the weather is damp.

Also progress will be slow, as I will have priority to build new kitchen, etc once we move in. I will be relying on the fact that evenings, power tools will be out of bounds, so I will be able to continue slowly.

regards

G'day all,

Reviving an old post, and an update.

I did say progress would be slow, but had no idea it would be this bad

Combination of a number of things:

Everything which goes with moving into your own place again after 10 years renting, (and all that built up nestbuilding instinct in Mrs)

Underestimating what was involved in a complete kitchen re-do, with design, rewalling where necessary, plumbing and elec, and doing cabs and frame timber doors from scratch, while still earning a living full-time.

Son doing HSC, (so no noise)

Lack of funds etc etc

Anyway, have picked it up again, and will post some pics as I go.

Progress includes:

Drawn up full scale design, based on Martin soprano.
Template made.
Workboard built
Back and soundboard jointed and glued, and outline cut out. Starting to plane down to 2mm.
Tried bending IRW sides, with little success. Combination of cr@ppy kiln dried timber, and not enough heat, plus design has very tight curves. The kitchen is being made from N. Silky Oak, some of it spectacular qs stuff. Played around with some offcuts, and found that it bends beautifully. With a slightly less extreme shape, will work fine for this.

Have decided that this will be "me time" project, so hopefully I will keep going this time.

Biggest concern, (as a musical ignoramus) is that no. 1 son has just finished HSC music, having done very well with 4-performance guitar, and is seriously good, and hence will be a harsh critic.

Anyway, we'll see.

regards

Hi all,

Finally dug out the camera, so can give an illustrated update as I make slow progress, between other projects.

Drawn up full scale plans, working off dimensions for a Martin soprano I found.
Attachment 155920
Developed half template
Attachment 155921
And built workboard to suit, a' Cumpiano
Attachment 155922
Contrabasse' bending iron. Have tried with hot air gun, and propane, and about equal.
Attachment 155923
Woefull attempts to bend kd IRW sides
Attachment 155924
Attachment 155925
Some trial bends on silky oak, ex kitchen reno.
Attachment 155926
Attachment 155927
Soundboard. Resawn from WRC ex M10, and planed to 2mm
Attachment 155928
Silky Oak back, with discarded IRW version.
Attachment 155929


Will continue, (slowly) as I proceed.

Perhaps the Xmas break will be more productive.

regards

I thought I'd never see that bending pipe again!!

I think you might get a better result with a bending strap made of thin sheet steel or aluminium. Spreads the pressure and the heat across the rib as you press against the hot pipe. First time i did this I used a piece of an old oil can from outside a chinese restaurant. Stained the wood a bit, but bent beautifully. Start with the waist bend.

Originally Posted by contrebasse

I thought I'd never see that bending pipe again!!

I think you might get a better result with a bending strap made of thin sheet steel or aluminium. Spreads the pressure and the heat across the rib as you press against the hot pipe. First time i did this I used a piece of an old oil can from outside a chinese restaurant. Stained the wood a bit, but bent beautifully. Start with the waist bend.

Reincarnation rules

I'll try that. I can get waste dry-offset plates from our packaging supplier, which are ideal. I had them in mind if I were to build a Fox bender, but will try them for this.

regards

offset plates - i've nearly run out, so if you can get them, i'll have a few more!