with all that butter on your shelf, i bet its gonna make for one smooth sounding bass!

that's a load of crock...hahahaha

well, I finally finished the design and drew it out and glued to the template stock, 1/2" MDF.

I gots a pic too yayyyyyyyyyyy

looks cool ,BUT!!!that point in the middle above the F hole is going to stick in your ribs.

giving it some thought...if I don't like it I can remove it later, but I put it there as a balance to the point on the F hole, so if I do remove it I will need to alter the F hole as well.

Thanks for the input.

Well, I routed out the template and discovered a couple of things in the process. One, that point on the western side of the bass is NOT going to be a "poke me in da ribs" issue. Second, I routed it a might too closely and need to start the template over. If any of you out there are contemplating doing a project bass in this manner, here is a big tip:
Don't bother drawing the pattern on a piece of paper to be glued to the template, then followed with a router. What happened was that the paper curled up a small bit at the cutting point making it very difficult to see the line. The fast remedy is to just draw it out directly onto the MDF (template material I am using). Then when routing the pattern you can get right up close to the line...about 1/16 to 1/32 inch, then sand it the rest of the way to ensure nice, smooth, long graceful curves...like women have :)

should of put the paper drawing on your mdf template material then cut it out with a bandsaw....

then you use the tempelet to rout out the body

that is exactly what I did. I cut it close...about 1/8". But then I needed to route it a lot closer...to within sanding distance. That is when the paper began to curl on the template. So now, I am drawing the pattern directly on the template, eliminating the paper completely. I will then cut the template out with a band saw to within 1/8" of the pencil lines, then route to about 1/32", then sand it smooth. After that I will attach the template to the (still untouched) body blank and use a flush trim router bit to match the blank to the template. This was my plan all along except the part about drawing the pattern onto paper, then gluing the paper to the template. That is the part I am doing away with for the reasons mentioned in my previous post.

Thanks for the input.

you need a router bit that has a bearing on it so it rides against your template and cuts your blank exactly to size of template....

I think you are not understanding...of COURSE I will use a flush trim bit (a bit with a bearing to ride along the template) to route the body. Problem is, templates don't grow on tress...oh, wait, wood ones do I guess...what I am talking about is the process of MAKING the template. I have not yet begun to shape the body...and I won't until I have a perfect template for the flush bit to follow.

Thanks for the post...

oh ok i see where your at now......

template woudl be made easier with a bandsaw than a router..then the paper wouldn't roll up

This is very true...which is why I am using both. You do NOT want to try cutting musch closer than around 1/8" with the bandsaw...if you do you run the risk of making a mistake...like crossing the line. Also, a bandsaw won't make as clean and smooth a cut as the router will...but even that isn't as clean as I want for a perfect template...which is why I intend to sand the final 1/64" or so by hand :)

Perhaps I should have mentioned this!!!! I usually make a template using MDF, screw it to the body blank then use a router bit with the bearing on the end (with the router in a table, upside down) to run around the template.

Sorry man!!!!

Gumby

Todds right. You moght want to make it more curved than pointy or else eliminate it all together for comfort.

D Silbag!

Here is the latest. I finished the rough cut on the template with the band saw, and started routing and smoothing. I have most of the right side routed, and the inner edge where I put the red arrow I have smoothed out. The outer edge around the right horn, if you look closely, I have not smoothed yet. Anyway, I think its moving along nicely now yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Yo Gar,
Now that is what I'm talking about! yeah, it is coming along very well! Keep us Posted.
Yeah, smooth that Horn section down a bit, will ya?? LOL!! :^D
Black Hawk

yo black hawk!

thank you very much...and yes I am soooooooooooo smoothing and smoothing and smoothing.

Is that your hand caressing that nice lookin' ... ??? (PJ Bass?)

Yo Gar,
Sorry, not my hand!! Or Bass! My hand is BLACK! LOL!!!! :^D
Black Hawk

I knew that, but figured you were making a movie or something, called White Like Me lol...