New Build - Heretic Paradigm 6

  • Thread starter HaMMerHeD
  • Start date
  • This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.

BlackMastodon

\m/ (゚Д゚) \m/
Contributor
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
8,327
Reaction score
4,865
Location
Windsor, ON
Incredible work as usual, and an awesome thread with all the pictures. Keep up the awesome work, man! Really looking forward to seeing this one done.
 

This site may earn a commission from merchant links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.

HaMMerHeD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
Messages
1,774
Reaction score
515
I did some work on the headstock this afternoon. First job was to tackle the fretboard -> headstock transition. So I clamped a stop block onto the fretbooard and began filing away.

092_head_shaping_2.jpg

It went pretty quickly, even though I was filing across end-grain.
091_head_shaping_1.jpg

It's not as seamless as I had hoped.
093_head_shaping_3.jpg

But oh well.

Neck joint is coming a long, but still needs a lot of work.
94_neck_joiint.jpg

It looks...like a bass, hanging out with its lesser siblings.
095_exciting.jpg
 

HaMMerHeD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
Messages
1,774
Reaction score
515
So I slipped on the ice and fucked up my foot at the end of Feb and couldn't really put my (excessive) weight on it for a couple of weeks, but it's a lot better now, so I got some garage time. Today I:

  • Radiused the fretboard
  • Re-cut the fret slots to depth
  • Opened up the nut slot
  • Installed the frets
  • Filed and beveled the fret ends
  • Drilled for the tuner screw holes
  • Installed tuners and bridge
  • Strung and tune

I use Carl Thompsons fretting method. You can see a detailed (somewhat rambling...he's an old man, give him a break) description of that process here:



And here are some pictures from today.

096_fretting_1.jpg
There were minimal mishaps during the whole fretting process. I did get superglue all over the fretboard, but that'll clean off easily enough

097_head_1.jpg
Strings pull straight past the nut, and Hipshot bass tuners continue to be the best.

098_body_1.jpg
Strings are spaced very well across the fretboard. Only minor adjustments might be necessary.

So that's it. I'm going to leave it strung at tension, hanging in my office for the week, to make sure it has some time to settle (and break if it's gonna).
 

73647k

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Messages
419
Reaction score
818
Location
US
Been looking forward to seeing this one progress. Sucks to hear about your foot but I'm glad you're doing alright man!
 

HaMMerHeD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
Messages
1,774
Reaction score
515
can you give like a 2 sentence synopsis of Carl's method?

Cut the fretwire
Apply super glue to the slot
Place the fretwire on the slot
Smack it hard in the center with a hammer (i use a vinyl mallet and a deadblow mallet)
Smack each end to set the ends
Smack along the length, from the center to the ends
Wipe off excess super glue

Repeat 23x
 

Purelojik

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
1,793
Reaction score
849
Location
Las Vegas
Man great work. I saw those videos and have the stew mac flat machined beam. One thing i noticed on my most recent build which i'll post later is the fat/wider surfaces arent machined flat. there are some imperfect areas, the narrow sides with the beveled ends are machined flat. Just thought i'd mention that since i literally just took mine out and measured it against a true surface lol.
 

HaMMerHeD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
Messages
1,774
Reaction score
515
Thanks alex. I actually use a bit of laminated and jointed hard maple do leveling. Way cheaper than stewmac's beams.
 

HaMMerHeD

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
Messages
1,774
Reaction score
515
So I finished sanding the body, went up to 320 grit. The I put the dye on.

Here's the before and after:

099_body_dye.jpg

I had to dick around with the color in photoshop a lot to get the color to look right, but there it is.

To apply the color, I mised Transtint Purple dye with denatured alcohol, at first with a very dilute, maybe 20:1 ratio. I then rubbed the color on with a cotton rag (scraps of an old T-shirt) a few times, until it got to about a lavender color, and let it dry.

Then I mixed some more dye, this time around 10:1, and hit it with a couple more passes until it got to the color I was after.

As I used denatured alcohol, it dried fast.

The next step for the body is to spray the clear coat.

But for now, the neck needs finish sanding, and I need to dye the ash headplate. I'll spray clear coat after that, so I can spray the neck and body at the same time.
 

Defyantly

Aspiring Builder
Joined
Feb 15, 2018
Messages
706
Reaction score
458
Location
Idaho
Love the deep purple color you got form that dye! Are you gonna leave the neck natural or dye it too?
 
Top