RCA-4 ricks bass

[sansan]

Thanks Wokkaboy, i'll be testing the grain filling that i've seen its a little messy...

Updates...

Fretboard inlays installed using 90 sec epoxy filler, and sanded down with 16'' radius block up to 320 grit..Not using 16'' for nothing special, its just the sand block radius i have for all my guitars.
Apologize for not showing any pics of the process, because the short time i've had since i started inlays process and the madness involved doing this always stresses me until i finished...Anyway, the results appears to be almost perfect...happy with it. Funny how this awfull epoxy job becomes such a beautiful look after sanding.




And now, waiting for jescar fretwire and then some gibson style binding on the fretboard.

[wokkaboy]

those inlays look so much better than the stock ones Sansan well done, so they are real MOP ?

You have done mods that no one else has attempted on this kit - well done

[sansan]

It isnt real MOP. I've searching real mop at this size but not success. Its a 1,5 mm celluloid sheet mop from a carpentry and wood shop here in Madrid. Thanks for the compliment, i hope all ends well as i have in mind..

[sansan]

Hi all! a very quick update that takes me more than a week to finish.

Beechwood veneer over the two headstock sides. Glued with titebond, sanded to fit contour and waiting for round edges. Next step, drilling the 14mm holes with some spade bit that i could find in a local hardware store, and with them make a final mock buid to check if everything is goes finel.

The veneer looks very good, although i will give him a solid black finish gives me a little more strength to the headstock.

[wokkaboy]

headstock looks excellent Sansan,
are you only applying black paint to the front ? The grain on the back of the headstock looks too nice to cover up !

Once you have drilled the tuner holes better make sure they fit on ok with the extra width of 2 veneers

[tonyw]

Nice work on the headstock

[sansan]

Yes, im still thinking about the finish. Maybe try one mix of a pore seen/pore filled finish, taking care in the grain filling and primer phase. The reason for a solid black colour is about the 5 pieces body that gives some weird veneer and not very happy with the maple back neck too so, solid takes advantage.

I've been making tests with the tuners on some fake pattern before and fits perfect, although i've thought to make some medium sanding level at both sides to reduce as much as i can. At the time, headstock width measures about 17 mm and total large of the grover pin measures 24 mm, so we are still within the limits.

[wokkaboy]

sounds good SanSan, as long as there is plenty of tuner peg protuding to wind those fat strings
So is each veneer about 1.5mm thick ? they look chunky on the side pics

[sansan]

Yep! only 1,5 mm sometimes even less because of the sanding level. This modern phones that take pictures...ahh, damn technology...jijiji

[sansan]

update!

I finally got the time to drill machine head holes. I was worried about the big size of the back tuners and how they should fit to this curvy headstock, so i made some scaning of the machine heads and do some template on corel draw. Then i print on transparent sheet and used to mark the right place for holes. Then, drilling with a 14mm spade bit from back to front using a press drill. I did read on some forums that these bits are pretty rough and were using when you are not expecting neat results but not in this case.
As you can see the results were very nice.
Testing one of the tuners.


Next step, taking references to make the plate tuner holes. I use some rulers and wood blocks from the nut and make some lines. And again press drilling.



Then, i've drill the front with a progressive reamer from ebay close to the lowest washer diameter. In this case 11/16. The rest to fit them it will by hand.



Really clean results.



The fretboard is sanded up to 800 showing a really beautiful grain (in which I had not yet set). I think, next move its fretting by some diy tools i've made using the press drill, next "gibson style" fretboard binding and sealing the fretboard.

Once i install the frets, i'll be ready to make the bone nut and get a pretty close mock build checking if everythings is ok...im a little worried about this but i have to get ahead..

We'll see..

S!