Sonics 4th Build - YB-4 - The Steampunker Bass

[Sonic Mountain]

Yeah that will be the plan, beer is a pretty good tarnishing agent as well.

Some of the parts I've been looking at are brass under the plating so I might do some inspecting - just as many of the cheap ones are that grey di-cast metal under the chrome though so its hard to know.

[wazkelly]

Yeah that will be the plan, beer is a pretty good tarnishing agent as well.

Some of the parts I've been looking at are brass under the plating so I might do some inspecting - just as many of the cheap ones are that grey di-cast metal under the chrome though so its hard to know.

Beer is too good to waste. Try using the alternative draino.....coca cola as it does a great job on copper and if mect long enough would do a proper job on any metal.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[Fretworn]

Beer is too good to waste.

I don't know, have you tried the beer from Aldi?

[wazkelly]

I don't know, have you tried the beer from Aldi?

Good point as most of their pre packaged stuff is cheap & nasty crap.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[king casey]

Good point as most of their pre packaged stuff is cheap & nasty crap.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

My taste buds must be synchronised with my wallet then as I was drinking that stuff in preference to the over-priced alternatives.
(I'd given up brewing it myself by then).
I've since given up on alcohol altogether (buying it, that is).

cheers, Mark.

[vh2580]

Sonic Would be fairly easy to make a simple brass bridgeplate (similar to what you have in picture) with some brass plate (couple of bucks) with the end bent up and couple of holes for strings and a couple for saddle bolts. Would tarnish the same as tentacles over time. Can get brass saddles everywhere or tarnish the cheap chrome for different offset colour.

[Sonic Mountain]

Sonic Would be fairly easy to make a simple brass bridgeplate (similar to what you have in picture) with some brass plate (couple of bucks) with the end bent up and couple of holes for strings and a couple for saddle bolts. Would tarnish the same as tentacles over time. Can get brass saddles everywhere or tarnish the cheap chrome for different offset colour.

Yeah I've been thinking about that as I have a heap of 3mm brass plate still. My main concern was whether the bent plate would stand up to the string tension. But now you have me thinking about it, I could do that for the saddle adjustment and go a string through design so the plate isn't actually taking up the full load of the strings. Also means I can tie the base plate into the design a bit, so I'll have a good look at that next time I get it out.

[Simon Barden]

Gold is plated over chrome or nickel, so wear on gold parts is going to show up as silver. I've often had to use gold parts when I've wanted a silver finish, and just rubbed the gold off with metal polish and a cloth.

Obviously gold itself won't tarnish without deliberate wear, and chrome or nickel are going to take a long while to do so unless assisted by application of a strong salt solution.

You can use electrolysis to age/corrode components in a salt solution. 9v battery, component to be aged attached to the +ve terminal, nail attached to the -ve terminal, and immerse both in a non-metallic container with a salt solution in for a few seconds until the desired result is achieved.

[Dedman]

nice thing about brass is that brazing only need a little gas torch. You could braze up a pretty crazy bridge/tail piece with gears and tentacles and other non functional apparatus.

[Fretworn]

Mid priced wine at Aldi is generally worth it. The cheap stuff is battery acid. But I've found that the $8 bottles at Aldi are usually the equivalent of a $12 bottle at Dan Murphys.