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  #211  
Old 10-18-2022, 06:59 PM
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Craig Wilson Craig Wilson is offline
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Yikes. Here's hoping your collective health issues are behind you.

Nice looking body so far. Do you tint your pumice?

I like the flame maple bindings. I used them on my last two builds and I plan on the same for an all-walnut baritone uke that I'm currently building.
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  #212  
Old 10-19-2022, 12:48 PM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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Neil, I"m so sorry to hear about all your health emergencies! Glad you're back "in the saddle" and working on this. Looks great to me!
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  #213  
Old 10-20-2022, 07:45 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Thanks, guys,

No, I don't tiny my pumice. That's basically just me not using a clean pad so it's got a mixture of rosewood and blonde shellac. I know that it shouldn't be pink or blonde but consider me a beauty school dropout. (name that reference!)

Anyway, I'm glad to be bringing this one to a close after (hoo boy!) TEN YEARS in my basement. The pore filling is proceeding slowly and I'm writing everything down so that I don't make the same mistakes and looking forward to Number Three.

As for the health problems, my wife is sort of lording the concussion over me but I've always been absent minded and a mixture of a lone wolf and a night owl. I'm not cleared to drive or work on my bicycle so I'm stuck home but truth be told I think somebody needs to work on her bedside manner.
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  #214  
Old 10-21-2022, 09:06 AM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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Originally Posted by Neil K Walk View Post
Thanks, guys,

No, I don't tiny my pumice. That's basically just me not using a clean pad so it's got a mixture of rosewood and blonde shellac. I know that it shouldn't be pink or blonde but consider me a beauty school dropout. (name that reference!)

Anyway, I'm glad to be bringing this one to a close after (hoo boy!) TEN YEARS in my basement. The pore filling is proceeding slowly and I'm writing everything down so that I don't make the same mistakes and looking forward to Number Three.

As for the health problems, my wife is sort of lording the concussion over me but I've always been absent minded and a mixture of a lone wolf and a night owl. I'm not cleared to drive or work on my bicycle so I'm stuck home but truth be told I think somebody needs to work on her bedside manner.
Grease?

Ten years? Way to stick with it Neil! That's commitment!

I've been blaming my memory lapses on Covid, but a concussion works just as well!
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  #215  
Old 10-21-2022, 11:47 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Grease?

Ten years? Way to stick with it Neil! That's commitment!

I've been blaming my memory lapses on Covid, but a concussion works just as well!
Ah, see I got you there: three weeks ago I tested positive for COVID, had a nice full body flu for about 3 days and didn't test negative for 2 weeks. The bicycle ride was my coming out to the world - only I blew a tire and flew like a rag doll and came to in the hospital 2-3 hours later. There were things stuck to my body that I didn't know how they got there and they took a lot of body hair with them as I tugged them off. I'm also told there was a CT scan which I don't remember at all. Talk about lost time!

Anyway, the pore filling on this seems to be taking and I'm looking forward to buffing it out and gluing the bridge on. It's amazing how detail oriented you can be when there's nothing else going on in your life!

Next I need to clear out my basement and garage so that I can make room for the next project. I started my 3rd build a couple of years ago and only have a joined back plate and an inlaid and bound fretboard to show for it. I've been making a drum sander and have been thinning slats and plates (walnut and sitka) in anticipation of making the next box. I also made a side bender that is all ready to go.

...but that's fodder for a new build thread. I'm making myself wait so that I can string this one up at last!
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  #216  
Old 06-03-2023, 08:11 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I finally got Flickr to upload more photos. I'm not sure if these photos will be hosted permanently or not but I've gotten them to appear elswhere. I did several sessions of French polish and it seems to have taken to a nice gloss finish. All that's left is to glue the bridge down, polish the neck and do the final setup of the nut. I'm nervous because the neck tenon seems to have some play that a shim would alleviate.



I ordered the pickguard from Larrivee. It's nicer than anything I've ordered from StewMac or LMI. It also covers a flaw in the rosette. Here's the back:

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  #217  
Old 06-05-2023, 08:08 AM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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Looks nice Neil! Final stretch now!
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  #218  
Old 06-05-2023, 01:29 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Looks nice Neil! Final stretch now!
Thanks! I'm nervous about this though.

Part of the hold up was binding the headstock. I still need to polish it:



The neck angle is set and the bolts hold everything in place but the tenon could use a shim to keep it all tight:

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  #219  
Old 06-15-2023, 03:51 PM
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I've been putting this off but today I glued on the bridge.

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  #220  
Old 06-22-2023, 07:12 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Well, I think it's done. The bad news is that while I was buffing it I split the side. It's not too bad though. The side braces are doing their job and have kept it from spreading. I'll need to cleat it though.

What's worse is that I strung it up backwards. I got real bad nerves today! I'll be bringing it with me to the McJam but I know that it is what it is: a student work.

BTW, looking at how dark the rosewood got under the polish and how pale the Carpathian still is I remember one of Tim McKnight's builds that really spoke to me. It's on page 3 in the gallery section of their website. It was called the "Nashville Knights" and it had Macassar ebony back and sides with a Carpathian top.

FWIW this one is light as a feather and has a nice thrum when I tap the top. Fingers crossed on it not imploding with I string it up with light gauge strings. I also plan to use the Tone Rite that they donated to me years ago.
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  #221  
Old 06-23-2023, 05:19 PM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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That stinks about the sides, but you’ve got the right mind set: learning. It looks great man!
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  #222  
Old 06-26-2023, 10:22 AM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I went to the McJam and showed it to Tim McKnight. When he took out his straight edge he told me I set the neck wrong and when he pulled out his fret rocker he found that there are several high frets. I thought it sounded like a sitar! He sanded down the saddle and nut and tweaked the truss rod so I can at least play cowboy chords but I have to pull the neck and take off some mass down by the end cap to set things right.
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  #223  
Old 06-26-2023, 01:19 PM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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Dude that stinks. I’m sorry you have to go back and do that, but super cool of Tim to help you figure it out! Did you overset or underset? I had to take the neck off my first build bc I failed to get the “yaw” right and it would NOT intonate properly. Thankfully it was an easy fix and a learning experience! Also: bolt on or Dove tail?
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  #224  
Old 06-26-2023, 05:17 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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Thanks. I truly appreciate Tim's advice.

It's an MT bolt on neck which I believe is underset. The action is twice as high as it should be. I'm whittling away at it little by little, but it's a PITA to have to pull the strings and reach inside to remove the bolts and go at it with sandpaper. I've also been trying to get the higher frets to seat better but haven't committed to using thin CA on them yet.

On the bright side the bass response is robust!
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  #225  
Old 06-26-2023, 05:30 PM
Treenewt Treenewt is offline
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Originally Posted by Neil K Walk View Post
Thanks. I truly appreciate Tim's advice.

It's an MT bolt on neck which I believe is underset. The action is twice as high as it should be. I'm whittling away at it little by little, but it's a PITA to have to pull the strings and reach inside to remove the bolts and go at it with sandpaper. I've also been trying to get the higher frets to seat better but haven't committed to using thin CA on them yet.

On the bright side the bass response is robust!
Glad you’re getting it figured out!
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