The Deluxester Prototype - Sonic's foray into repeatable scratch builds

[Sonic Mountain]

Sorry, but I can't get past the Red Dwarf episode ( Marooned) where Lister cuts a guitar shape out of Rimmer's camphorwood Javanese chest.

cheers, Mark.

Hah ha.. I had forgotten about that.

@ Frankie

Oh yeah, that'd be awesome. Let me get through this build and finish setting up all my gear and then we should talk.. All going well, spitting one out of supplied wood should be pretty straight forward

[Sonic Mountain]

Went OK. A few boo boos, especially around the end grain. I think I should be able to sand and fiddle it back to being pretty close to the original shape. Had a bit of an experiment with sawdust and super glue so will see how that looks.

Reasonably happy. It'll definitely be worth getting the blanks properly thicknessed next time.

[G-Axe]

Looking good so far! Did you rout with a long template bit that does the whole thickness in one go? (trying to make sense of the noodly shavings)

[FrankenWashie]

Looking Schmicko Sonic, I've a vision of carved top variant percolating through my brain.....really must get Igor to change the filter....

[Sonic Mountain]

Yep, this sucker here- 50mm straight cut follow bit. It's copped a bit of a flogging doing this actually which is is probably at least partly responsible for a couple of rough areas.

It's just a cheapy from Bunnings, so I think I'll upgrade in the not to distant future. The router itself is unreal, it came from Total Tools and is their 'generic' line 'Renegade'. It's scary powerful. It's on half speed for this and didn't bog down at all, the bit is the weak point, but even so I was surprised at how well it works. My technique is what needs improving.

[Sonic Mountain]

Looking Schmicko Sonic, I've a vision of carved top variant percolating through my brain.....really must get Igor to change the filter....

Something I definitely considered given the thickness of this chunk of wood!

[Sonic Mountain]

A bit more 'progress'.

Routed out the swimming pool (rough) and the neck pocket (somewhat better). Made the discovery that the chuck in the cheapo router isn't holding the bit properly so consistent depth is almost impossible. Managed to get it fairly secure for the neck pocket, but I've now discovered the bit is to fat to achieve the radius at the bottom of the neck. So it sits in, but doesn't butt up against the end of the pocket. Will grab another bit tomorrow and tidy it up. The swimming pool route will do, but it's not as tidy as I want it to be either. I know that cutting corners with cheap tools rarely works out, I've proved that to myself once again.

I guess that's why this is the prototype, to find all the things I didn't properly anticipate. I'm thinking I'll completely redo the templates to fix a few issues before the next try. I'm going to push on and complete this one anyway.. no doubt I'll make more discoveries along the way.





Comparison shot.



I'm a bit down on the whole thing at the moment. Time for a break.

[DarkMark]

Loving the ‘ice hockey stick’ shape of the neck and headstock.

[Simon Barden]

Loving the ‘ice hockey stick’ shape of the neck and headstock.

Are you saying he's pucked up?

[DarkMark]

Are you saying he's pucked up?

Ha, nice one. No, scoring goals.