Winter Build Off 2018 - Idle Hands are the Devil's Walnut

mapleglo

mapleglo

Warp Engineer
Gold Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2013
12,213
41,520
6,871
phoenix, az
#1
Well, we're still in January, and I find myself waiting all day for the epoxy, and soon the clear coat, to dry on my Diva build. So I figured I'd start a walnut Devil bass build. I already posted the wood pile, but I'll post it here again just for consistency.

Walnut Devilbass

Walnut Devilbass

Placeholder for possible 2nd build

I started cutting up the neck laminates yesterday. Or was it the day before? I am starting to lose track of the days. Anyway, I thought I had a major issue as one of the side, wider walnut laminates, developed a severe warp as it came off the saw. This has happened once before - cut a piece of wood in half, one half is straight as an arrow, the other half is Cupid's bow. Last night, I saw I had one piece left over that was wide and tall enough, but had a few imperfections. If I put the major imperfection up by the headstock, it should get cut off during the neck taper. So I cut it to size, and glued up the laminates this morning.

Neck Blank Glue Up

Neck Blank Glue Up

walnut and maple neck blank glue up

So now I have to wait until that cures, over night. Hmmm, maybe I should start another build...

The specs will align with the last Devil bass I built - 33.25" scale, one single coil home wound pickup, hipshot tuners, 5 strings, 2.5" string spacing, and I'm thinking I'll use those single Babicz solorail bridge pieces. One difference will be that I'll be using a walnut figured top, which is on it's way to me as we speak via UPS. That will allow me to chamber the body, especially around the "F" holes, making that potion of the build a little easier. Cutting out those "F" holes in 1.25" maple was one of the more difficult parts of the devil bass builds. I'll also be able to sink an aluminum support into the body for the strap button.

I'll focus on the Diva build for this build off, but I should have plenty of time for this one as well, assuming the stars align.
 
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#2
mapleglo said:
Well, we're still in January, and I find myself waiting all day for the epoxy, and soon the clear coat, to dry on my Diva build. So I figured I'd start a walnut Devil bass build. I already posted the wood pile, but I'll post it here again just for consistency.

Walnut Devilbass

Walnut Devilbass

Placeholder for possible 2nd build

I started cutting up the neck laminates yesterday. Or was it the day before? I am starting to lose track of the days. Anyway, I thought I had a major issue as one of the side, wider walnut laminates, developed a severe warp as it came off the saw. This has happened once before - cut a piece of wood in half, one half is straight as an arrow, the other half is Cupid's bow. Last night, I saw I had one piece left over that was wide and tall enough, but had a few imperfections. If I put the major imperfection up by the headstock, it should get cut off during the neck taper. So I cut it to size, and glued up the laminates this morning.

Neck Blank Glue Up

Neck Blank Glue Up

walnut and maple neck blank glue up

So now I have to wait until that cures, over night. Hmmm, maybe I should start another build...

The specs will align with the last Devil bass I built - 33.25" scale, one single coil home wound pickup, hipshot tuners, 5 strings, 2.5" string spacing, and I'm thinking I'll use those single Babicz solorail bridge pieces. One difference will be that I'll be using a walnut figured top, which is on it's way to me as we speak via UPS. That will allow me to chamber the body, especially around the "F" holes, making that potion of the build a little easier. Cutting out those "F" holes in 1.25" maple was one of the more difficult parts of the devil bass builds. I'll also be able to sink an aluminum support into the body for the strap button.

I'll focus on the Diva build for this build off, but I should have plenty of time for this one as well, assuming the stars align.
Click to expand...
:hyper:
 
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#3
This is gonna be good!

mapleglo said:
I am starting to lose track of the days.
Click to expand...

Is that a side effect of retirement? If so, sign me up! :thumbsup:

one half is straight as an arrow, the other half is Cupid's bow.
Click to expand...

Every bow needs an arrow, right? :roflmao:
 
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#6
One of the things I love about TB is hearing from people all over the world. It’s amusing to me to hear about how “chilly” in Phoenix is temperatures in the 40s Fahrenheit, while for others in colder areas that might be no big deal. Not to mention our friends down under, who are in the thick of summer right now!

Does humidity play a part in the epoxy cure? My local temps are not too dissimilar from yours, but whereas you are warm and dry, I’m usually warm and very, very humid. :)
 
#7
ctmullins said:
One of the things I love about TB is hearing from people all over the world. It’s amusing to me to hear about how “chilly” in Phoenix is temperatures in the 40s Fahrenheit, while for others in colder areas that might be no big deal. Not to mention our friends down under, who are in the thick of summer right now!

Does humidity play a part in the epoxy cure? My local temps are not too dissimilar from yours, but whereas you are warm and dry, I’m usually warm and very, very humid. :)
Click to expand...

I think it's all about the heat with the cure rate.

And hey, night before last it hit 38 degrees! That's almost freezing!
 
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#8
I was out in Phoenix last week. I went from 10's and 20's as high temps here in Connecticut to 75 degrees out there. I rented a mountain bike and did a couple of rides, it was superb, it felt so good getting someplace warm after being so cold for the last month or so. Even though I love winter, I have to remember to do that, it breaks things up nicely.

The scenery was a little different than CT as well:
20180114_090118.jpg
 
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#9
Yes, West Systems epoxy is sensitive to temperature. I find that below 65, it slows down in the cure time. At 55, it slows down quite a bit, almost doubling the normal cure time. But it will still cure to full strength. Down in the 40's, it gets so slow that it may not cure at all. To be safe, you should keep it in a location above 50 degrees.

But West Systems is less sensitive than other epoxies. The special epoxy that my buddy John Wilson uses to cast his fingerboards must have the mix ratio within 5%, and it won't cure below 70 degrees. No problem during the summer. But when he's casting one in this cool "winter" season, he has to run a small electric heater next to it as it cures. I often check in on it several times in the middle of the night.
 
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#10
Yes, 70 and above is the sweet spot for the West Systems. In the summer, when it's over 100, I can lay it on in the morning, and by the afternoon it's fully cured, though I usually let it set at least overnight, if not the full 24 hours.

That said, I took the blank out of the clamps this morning and started sanding it. Then I realized that the Diva was hanging right behind me, and all that dust in the air would settle into the wet epoxy. I'll wait until the afternoon to continue sanding.

Neck Blank

Neck Blank

neck blank
 
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#16
Most (all might be a stretch, there's a huge variety) epoxy cures faster and faster the hotter you get it. And vice-versa...

"quick-curing" epoxies and hardeners are mostly that way because they are more strongly exothermic (reaction creates heat) than "slow-cure" versions.

When not working with wood, you can use "slow-cure" epoxy and pop it in an oven (don't use your spouse's, and it's typically not a lot more than 250F, though some carbon fiber stuff goes even hotter) to cure PDQ. You can do that with wood as well, but you risk potential issues with the wood getting frisky in the oven. If you have variable temperatures handy, lay it up in the cool so things don't set too soon, and then apply (gentle, for wood) heat or relocate the assembled glue-up into a warmer area to cure.

In hot weather you may need to pull out tricks like keeping the epoxy on ice while working even when using the "slow-cure" stuff. Laying up in the cooler early morning and letting it cure in the hot day also works.
 
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#18
Worked a bit on the neck blank this morning. Anything to avoid working on the finish of the Diva :p

Cut the headstock angle top, and started routing the truss rod channels.

Truss Rod Routs

Truss Rod Routs

routing the truss rod channels

Both channels routed.

Truss Rods In

Truss Rods In

truss rods in

Now I guess I have to work on the Diva finish...
 
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#19
Even though it was a bit warmer last night, the epoxy on the Diva did not fully cure, so I continued work on this bass. Rough cut the back of the neck blank to start.

Rough Cut Neck Blank Back

Rough Cut Neck Blank Back

Rough Cut Neck Blank Back

I'll have to rout that smooth.

And then I found a nice piece of bird's eye maple that can be used for the fretboard. Assuming I can get my miter box working again.

Birds Eye Maple Fretboard

Birds Eye Maple Fretboard

birds eye maple fret board
 
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