Paulownia Precision

[fender3x]

I'll be interested in your results. If for nothing else than my own edification.

I would expect at least a little bit of lift even with the shellac, but it shouldn't be drastic and is completely manageable with careful application.

This is what I found with my initial experiments where I used the stain without top coat added or any sort of sealer. I just waited 72 hrs. There was some lift, but if I used small amounts of the Aqua Coat at a time I was able to work it back in and avoid much change in the color.

I am curious to see if the lift is significantly different with the 10% top coat added to the stain. I didn't A/B test, but application seemed about the same. There may have been a difference in the viscosity of the stain, but at most it was small.

Also curious to see if there is a noticeable difference in the color or lift adding the shellac. Just did the "drop" test, and it seems that I have enough 1lb shellac for the test. Will go back over the notes that I think I took from one of your posts on how to apply it ;-)

...And I'll report back.

[fender3x]

Paulownia is such a soft timber, I wonder if it would be worth while drilling and gluing in dowels where the screws have to go so they don't strip out when screwing into the Paulownia?

I may do a few more experiments with some scrap paulownia to check on screw stripping. I thought about using dowels, and actually have some 1/2" dowels for this purpose. Up to now I have been thinking the problem was most likely to be string tension on the bridge. To remedy this I had thought to do a string-through build. I experimented a bit with bass string ferrules. The lip around the top had no problem holding the ferrule in place and did not try to pull it excessively into the wood even under tension. Using this approach the tension on the bridge would mostly be downward.

But now that you have me thinking about the possibility of screws stripping, I may do a couple more experiments...

[fender3x]

Made another ugly jig, this time to test the melding of bridge to body. I stacked 5 paulownia TKD boards to replicate the thickness of a bass body. I just screwed them together so there is no glue or finish in the wood to harden it and skew the results.

Screws went in just like any other wood. Used my normal non-stripping protocol. Tighten until the screw stops using index finger and thumb on a standard sized screwdriver.

Made an unattractive hole for the string through ferrules, and attached the paulownia and bridge to the jig.

Strung it with a mismatched set of old bass strings. Sting length is 34". Turned it three half steps high to increase string tension. Tugged on it a bit. Will pick away at it over the next few days, and leave it strung.

No issues so far. Bridge seems solid. Ferrules nicely seated without trying to pull in too deeply.
So far, so good.



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[Trevor Davies]

A jig! This could be a new lapsteel

[fender3x]

World's ugliest bass lap steel. May have to see how it sounds ;-)

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[Rabbit]

[QUOTE=fender3x;208423]World's ugliest bass lap steel. May have to see how it sounds ;-)[ /QUOTE]

Oh nos! @fender3x is channeling @FrankenWashie!

[FrankenWashie]

[QUOTE=Rabbit;208424]

World's ugliest bass lap steel. May have to see how it sounds ;-)[ /QUOTE]

Oh nos! @fender3x is channeling @FrankenWashie!

As Igor often says, “Beauty ith in the eye (or eyeth) of the beholder”. Given his eyes are at differing heights I’m not so sure.
slap a pickup and some controls on it and you’re done right?

[fender3x]

[QUOTE=Rabbit;208424]

World's ugliest bass lap steel. May have to see how it sounds ;-)[ /QUOTE]

Oh nos! @fender3x is channeling @FrankenWashie!

Not for the first time. We joined about the same time, and this was my original avatar...

[Rabbit]

39148[/ATTACH]

Eep! the lunatics are running the asylum! Run away!

[fender3x]

Eep! the lunatics are running the asylum! Run away!

In fairness, Igor and I just work here.