What's on your workbench today?

Hey Jim,

So sorry to hear you are dealing with vision problems!

Is this something that can be corrected?

Sending positive thoughts your way!
John

 

A dial indicating depth gauge that I am making an adapter for to measure fret and string height. Much like the SM one but the base will be wood. Oh, plus grain filling a dreadnought build.

 

Last night it was on the bench getting wired....Here it is today.

 

Completed this. Works great. The dial indicator came from HF, I have had it for years. This was a fun little challenge. If you do this, you have to take the return spring out of the gauge. It was pushing the string down. It is quite obvious if you take the back off.

 

My first attempt at fret-leveling, once I screw up the courage. Might need to slam back another Grape Nehi first. One bar clamp, two paint-stirring sticks, and some bits of double-sticky-sided duct tape just to increase the weird factor a bit.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, John...back at you, too.

I had macular hole surgery on the 11th which "fixes" the root problem. As we age, the vitreous (kinda gel-like but optically clear) starts to pull away from the retina in our eyes. That's what causes "floaters" in our vision which many folks "of a certain age" experience. Occasionally, the vitreous doesn't let go cleanly and causes a small hole in the retina surface and that requires surgery to correct. Not doing it is an option, but that would likely cause permanent blindness in the eye as the hole would likely continue to grow. Once the gas bubble in my eye that took the place of vitreous removed by the surgery is replaced by fluid by my body, I'll have my vision back on that side...not quite as good as previous, but acceptable. It takes about a month to a month and a half for the gas bubble to be absorbed. About a year to a year and a half from now, I'll likely need cataract surgery in that eye because the gas bubble used to replace the vitreous during surgery tends to accelerate formation of a cataract. At that point, I should be back to 20/20.

It sounds gross and troubling, but it's a relatively "common" eye surgery. The guy who did mine "Dr. Ie" (really, that was his name) has been doing these for overy thirty years.

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That said, it's good to be back in my shop. The CNC has been chugging away on a reproduction of a very old Chinese carving which I modeled in Aspire (for some chairs) and I also have an equestrian tack trunk on the bench (quite literally) while babysitting the CNC. I hope I can get started on my bass project soon...I started considering what materials I'll use for the wood components today, as a matter of face.

 

Carved top - black walnut over chambered African mahogany.

Nathan

 

Short scale (24”) styled after an Epiphone coronet.
I am building it with my youngest for him.
I got some parts in last week so we are getting everything together before disassembly and paint.

Nathan

 

Looking good Nathan. The Coronet shape is great, I don't think I've ever seen a lefty version of it!

The Bison Baritone is getting there...Slowly...

 

Build thread on the way??

 

No sir I always forget to take pictures.

Nathan

 

Friend wanted a telecaster “in the spirit of” Springsteen’s Esquire. With no relicing. Heel adjust. Mismatched string trees. Jack plate (no plugged 2nd jack hole or sweat drain hole drilled from rhythm cavity out the back).

 

Well I gave up on building my workshop because the HOA was being the usual PITA, all lumber supply place near me are in short supply and their prices have nearly doubled and any pre-built shed/workshop building places are on a 3 month waiting list.

So half of my double car garage will become my workshop saving me money and not having to deal with the fricking PITA HOA. Haaahhhh.......

So, I picked up a Lyon by Washburn guitar at the pawnshop for 50 bucks because it was in need of some repair( fretboard was broke at the Fender style nut). I needed a guitar to put my TVJones Filtertrons in. Need to finish this weekend and here is a before and so far pic:

 

What's on my bench? Well...that would be some 8/4 basswood...on sale for $3.38 bd/ft. That's a bass-body-on-the-hoof, if you will...

 

A dexterised balcony, an IKEA coffee table and a water pipe.

 

...nearly four months later:

 

And now it is in a different colour:




Enough for today.

 

Fantomcaster. Pallet pine body. Rustoleum 2X primer, paint and clear coat.

 

I just LOVE the Vox Phantom

Dave