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Step 11Prototype #2: The Body Blank, Cutting/Shapping:
If you are still working through this guide than you are an individual who understands how persistence and imagination are important to fine craftsmanship. The first body blank that you created was a very simple design as far as usage of wood goes. Lets heighten the challenge of this project and go for a more complex style of body.
*Refer back to step 4 for the basics on how to laminate the bass guitar body.
As far as making the body blank more complex, here is what I did:
1. I decided to reuse a portion of my original bass guitar body for the left side. I cut the end i wanted to use off of the original body using a reciprocating saw.
2. Next I took the remaining portions of Padauk and glued them side by side. This was very similar in process to how the neck blank was laminated together.
3. I then glued the remaining Red Maple left over from creating the original body to the Padauk pieces. These were left in clamps for 1 day.
4. After these pieces were glued I made 2 cuts with a reciprocating saw. With these two portions that I cut off I then re glued onto a different area on the body blank than where I had cut them from.
The newly glued pieces were left inside the clamps for another day. (Remember to plane the edges that were cut so that that they are flat enough to glue them together evenly.)
5. I repeated the process just described once more. After these 2 steps of cutting the body blank now had a very interesting cross hatched appearance.
6. After drying for another 2 days I removed the blank and sanded it down with a belt sander 30 grit and then used a hand planer to level it out. ( I was left with a giant smile to say the least)
7. The original portion of the first body that I cut off was then glued onto the side of the new body blank.
*don't forget what you have learned about wood grain direction when gluing these pieces together.
Well now its good to see that you are still here (along with all your digits too I hope!)
Lets begin on cutting out your body blank design for your Prototype #2.
*Refer back to step #5 for the basics of cutting
1. Use the experience that you gained from crafting and cutting your first bass guitar body. This knowledge should prove very useful to you now that you have experimented with cutting out a body design before.
*Some things to remember:
A. Using pastel or charcoal to draw out the rough design.
B. Cutting notches into the border of the design to make it easier to cut and remove pieces.
C. Making the outline a bit larger to compensate for possible errors while cutting.
D. Cutting along not against the grain of the wood.
*Depending on how complex you have made your new body design this might not always be possible but do your best.
*********************************************************************************************************
After your bass guitar body design is cut out. get creative on its asthetic design. I ended up putting an extra backing layer of wood onto the back of the body. I used Yellowheart and some more Padauk. These two woods in combination give an amazing contrast in color.
*Refer back to step 4 for the basics on how to laminate the bass guitar body.
As far as making the body blank more complex, here is what I did:
1. I decided to reuse a portion of my original bass guitar body for the left side. I cut the end i wanted to use off of the original body using a reciprocating saw.
2. Next I took the remaining portions of Padauk and glued them side by side. This was very similar in process to how the neck blank was laminated together.
3. I then glued the remaining Red Maple left over from creating the original body to the Padauk pieces. These were left in clamps for 1 day.
4. After these pieces were glued I made 2 cuts with a reciprocating saw. With these two portions that I cut off I then re glued onto a different area on the body blank than where I had cut them from.
The newly glued pieces were left inside the clamps for another day. (Remember to plane the edges that were cut so that that they are flat enough to glue them together evenly.)
5. I repeated the process just described once more. After these 2 steps of cutting the body blank now had a very interesting cross hatched appearance.
6. After drying for another 2 days I removed the blank and sanded it down with a belt sander 30 grit and then used a hand planer to level it out. ( I was left with a giant smile to say the least)
7. The original portion of the first body that I cut off was then glued onto the side of the new body blank.
*don't forget what you have learned about wood grain direction when gluing these pieces together.
Well now its good to see that you are still here (along with all your digits too I hope!)
Lets begin on cutting out your body blank design for your Prototype #2.
*Refer back to step #5 for the basics of cutting
1. Use the experience that you gained from crafting and cutting your first bass guitar body. This knowledge should prove very useful to you now that you have experimented with cutting out a body design before.
*Some things to remember:
A. Using pastel or charcoal to draw out the rough design.
B. Cutting notches into the border of the design to make it easier to cut and remove pieces.
C. Making the outline a bit larger to compensate for possible errors while cutting.
D. Cutting along not against the grain of the wood.
*Depending on how complex you have made your new body design this might not always be possible but do your best.
*********************************************************************************************************
After your bass guitar body design is cut out. get creative on its asthetic design. I ended up putting an extra backing layer of wood onto the back of the body. I used Yellowheart and some more Padauk. These two woods in combination give an amazing contrast in color.
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