I SPENT MOST OF THE DAY working on the back for the new 2 string bass. Whew !, quite a job to make an arched back for an instrument this size.
First I had to finish the arch of the back. once I had it shaped with the rough tools, rasps, chisels, then I turned to my new Ibex finger plane that worked wonderfully to finish the delicate final shaping. Then the sander went to work to smooth everything up.
Here is the contoured back. It has some nice figure that will show up when it is finished.
Now the back is turned over and taken to the drill press to hog out the wood on the underside to make this formerly 3/4 inch thick plank a curved instrument back. The drill press is set to stop at 1/4 inch. The back is put under the forstner drill bit and thinned .
The back is getting lighter and lighter. Notice the way the drill depth follows the curves shaped into the other side of the back. The challenge that I have yet to figure out is how to hog out the section in the center that cannot be reached by the drill press. I will appreciate your ideas on how to do this.
Here is where I left it at martini time. When this is all hogged out I will take a sanding disc to it and smooth it all out.
