Re: A Few New Projects

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TylerDeadPine wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:15 am Are you using a milling machine for this or just going at it with files for the sake of a one off? If you have access to a CNC and need any help I'm happy to - I technically should "know how to do that"
I'm going to mostly feel my way through this by hand, only because I'm still designing as I go. But when I know what I'm up to I might hit you up. I programmed CNC plasma cutters, brakes and shears in the 90's...but that was very different. At the very least, the local aluminum supplier has a plasma table that could handle 50% of the shaping work before I even pick up the raw stock.

Re: A Few New Projects

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c jury wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 6:59 pm
TylerDeadPine wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:15 am Are you using a milling machine for this or just going at it with files for the sake of a one off? If you have access to a CNC and need any help I'm happy to - I technically should "know how to do that"
I'm going to mostly feel my way through this by hand, only because I'm still designing as I go. But when I know what I'm up to I might hit you up. I programmed CNC plasma cutters, brakes and shears in the 90's...but that was very different. At the very least, the local aluminum supplier has a plasma table that could handle 50% of the shaping work before I even pick up the raw stock.
heck yeah right on - if anything these days it's easier so you may end up finding it easier to pick up where you left off. This is inspiring anyway - I have access to mills and a cnc lathe and I still haven't made an aluminum neck, so actually doing it, regardless of tools is great.

Re: A Few New Projects

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Had a tough week in terms of getting things when they were supposed to be here. But got my billet on friday. I got it at 1/2 price because it had some serious dings - nothing that will affect my plans.

Weight reduction will be an ongoing theme. Raw billet was 10lbs 4oz of T6.

Today I had some time, so I started on a very non-critical spot, the tail block behind the bridge. I wanted to relieve some weight and see how it would react to a couple tools. I drilled the corners with a drill press and cut the interior opening with my $19 jigsaw and a 21tpi blade. Maybe 20 minutes total. Down to 9lbs, 8oz.

I'll figure out a better picture posting system-
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Re: A Few New Projects

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Mason wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:03 am Building aluminum guitars is something FM pastlives_archive has been talking about and I have been trying to force myself onto that project too. Will be watching this thread w/ interest!

FM pastlives_non_archive here. Very very interested in what you're building
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Re: A Few New Projects

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My project is a TB500 body and a few other components (knobs, bridge, pickguards) built by Fran Krause from the Aluminum Axes group on FB.

He bought a TB500 neck (I think one of the leftovers from when the factory closed) that had been built into a hideous flame-job George Fedden acrylic body. He restored it back to a proper TB and in the process built a bunch of extra components, including a whole extra body, bridge and saddles, etc that I scooped up from him on eBay. Now I need to figure out how to build a neck and pickups for it.
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Re: A Few New Projects

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That is beautiful. I've never seen a Bean body interior before. Makes me rethink some of my choices.

I've been working from home the last few days, so I've had a chance to fuss with this during lunch breaks. I got a carbide cup and flap wheel for my grinder- so rough cut the angle on the front of the headstock. My bandsaw blade came today so cut about 1/2 of the neck shape. every operation is teaching me something, even if that something is that I don't know what I'm doing.

Re: A Few New Projects

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c jury wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:31 pm That is beautiful. I've never seen a Bean body interior before. Makes me rethink some of my choices.

I've been working from home the last few days, so I've had a chance to fuss with this during lunch breaks. I got a carbide cup and flap wheel for my grinder- so rough cut the angle on the front of the headstock. My bandsaw blade came today so cut about 1/2 of the neck shape. every operation is teaching me something, even if that something is that I don't know what I'm doing.
Yeah the TB500 is different -- way simpler that the 1000 or the basses. The 500 is a front/top-loader so-to-speak, way simpler to think about.

I have a mini-archive of pictures that I've dug up from around the web. The 500 neck receiver attaches to the body with three big screws, and then the pickups sit directly on the receiver, and are bolted in through the back of the guitar.
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Is your neck going to be hollow? How are you planning on attaching the fingerboard?

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