Winter 2017 Build Off - Speak of the Devil

#181
Thanks for all the comments! Yeah, I didn't want to use any wax as I feared it would get into the fret slots and prevent a firm seat for the frets. Like @JIO suggests, I'll use a razor knife to try and break the seal between epoxy and brass, and see if I can tap them out. If not, a pliers should hopefully work.

And yeah, it's a sticky, gooey mess until it cures, and then a lot of it is sanded away. It's cured enough to touch now, but still a bit soft, so I'll wait until either later today, or tomorrow to start brass strip removal and radiusing.
 
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#183
Uncured epoxy can irritate skin and cause allergic skin reactions. It's pretty harmless to skin when fully cured. I try to avoid skin contact with uncured epoxy by wearind nitrile gloves and letting epoxy cure at least 24 hours before any sanding or cutting.
 
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#185
Hopkins said:
Did you use the polyester resin or epoxy?
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I used the epoxy. The polyester resin seemed to cure much more slowly and emitted an extremely strong odor while wet and curing. The epoxy is almost odorless (West Systems). And even after a couple of days, the polyester resin seems a bit softer than the epoxy. It may just be my imagination. In any event, working with the epoxy is quite a bit more pleasant.
 
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#186
mapleglo said:
I used the epoxy. The polyester resin seemed to cure much more slowly and emitted an extremely strong odor while wet and curing. The epoxy is almost odorless (West Systems). And even after a couple of days, the polyester resin seems a bit softer than the epoxy. It may just be my imagination. In any event, working with the epoxy is quite a bit more pleasant.
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Yes, the polyester resin has a terrible smell, but it has some advantages over epoxy. One of those advantages is that you have some control over the rate in which it will cure. Its a bit different than epoxy, the thinner the pour the more catalyst is needed for it to cure. Also, unlike epoxy, the more hardener you use the faster it will cure, as heat is needed for it to cure. The thicker the pour the hotter it gets from the chemical reaction. For such a thin pour, I think you would need about 15 to 20 drops of catalyst for it to cure correctly
 
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#187
I used it to make the blank for this pen

20170116_144750.jpg
 
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#192
A little off topic but when I was planning to make molds for cf bass it was not recommended to make the mold with cheaper polyester. It could make it impossible to get the epoxy laminated part out of the mold as the mold would shrink around the molded part if the part was heat cured in the mold. When I worked in boat business even 10 years old boats had that polyester smell in unvented places.
Epoxy bonds to wood without problems, polyester can just pop off when it shrinks. I'd hate to see carefully made inlays pop off after few yaers.
 
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#193
MPU said:
A little off topic but when I was planning to make molds for cf bass it was not recommended to make the mold with cheaper polyester. It could make it impossible to get the epoxy laminated part out of the mold as the mold would shrink around the molded part if the part was heat cured in the mold. When I worked in boat business even 10 years old boats had that polyester smell in unvented places.
Epoxy bonds to wood without problems, polyester can just pop off when it shrinks. I'd hate to see carefully made inlays pop off after few yaers.
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Like I said, I never used it as an inlay, and I trust that you are correct on this topic. Pouring it into PVC pipes to make pen blanks, it did tend to shrink a bit which made it very easy to get out of the molds. I never thought about this being a problem when using it as an inlay. It is probably better suited for making stand alone parts rather than being used with other materials.
 
#194
Well, the poly resin won't go to waste. I can use it for the costume for ComicCon this year.

That said, this was my dash board on the way home tonight, as I was listening to Running with the Devil

rcpmhc.jpg


Also, I thought that if I put some forward bow on the neck via the truss rods, that might help with the brass strip removal. I'll find out in a few minutes.
 
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#195
mapleglo said:
Well, the poly resin won't go to waste. I can use it for the costume for ComicCon this year.

That said, this was my dash board on the way home tonight, as I was listening to Running with the Devil

rcpmhc.jpg


Also, I thought that if I put some forward bow on the neck via the truss rods, that might help with the brass strip removal. I'll find out in a few minutes.
Click to expand...

"Six Six Six, is no longer alone..."
--Genesis ("Supper's Ready)

And "Running with the Devil" too? I love it, 'Glo!

I have been lurking and as usual, am so impressed with your work and your work ethic. Keep up the great work!
 
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#197
mapleglo said:
Well, the poly resin won't go to waste. I can use it for the costume for ComicCon this year.

That said, this was my dash board on the way home tonight, as I was listening to Running with the Devil

rcpmhc.jpg


Also, I thought that if I put some forward bow on the neck via the truss rods, that might help with the brass strip removal. I'll find out in a few minutes.
Click to expand...

I'd call it
v1.jpg
 
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#200
Looking good! I didn't think you'd have any real trouble excising those brass strips. There's not much surface area holding them. And that K & S brass stock has a polished surface and very light protective wax coating anyway, to keep it shiny while sitting for years in a hobby shop.

Tip about sanding West Systems epoxy: Use very light pressure and long strokes. Hold a bench or bristle brush in the other hand, brushing off the sandpaper every couple of strokes. That makes for easy, happy sanding. If you bear down with pressure, grinding away in little back-and-forth strokes, the epoxy dust will form up into little balls, bonded into the sandpaper. Then it will barely cut the surface, while the little balls rub deep grooves.

For leveling this poured inlay, I'd use a big flat file to bring the epoxy down to the surface. Again, light pressure, long strokes, brush out the teeth often. Work the radius, checking it with a gauge. Get it all fairly straight, checking along the string paths with a straightedge. Recut the fret slots. Then I'd sand it with 400 and 800 on a rigid block to true it up, then grey and white Scotchbrite to bring it to a polish. Apply your choice of oil/varnish finish (I like the Stew-Mac Fingerboard Oil), let it dry, and then buff it out.
 
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