NOW WE ARE COOKIN!

TODAY I got a nice ebony binder around the top of the Big Bass and also made the critical decision about the angle of the neck.  It is really beginning to shape up.

First I set up the laminate trimmer (small router) and cut the channel for the ebony binder.  This is always a little scary but it went very well.  
Next I brought out the heat blanket and set it over a rounded form (pinecone form)  and put a bit of a bend into the ebony binding.  It might have bent fine without the heat treatment but I chose caution.

I made this little device to attach to the instrument as a guide for the router.  Just a couple of scraps of wood and a clamp but it worked perfectly. I was thus able to route the channel for a back strip. This will cover the unsightly gap where I did not get the sides to meet perfectly.  The photo on the right shows the ebony bindings that I would soon be bending

Here is the body with binding glued up and held tightly in place with this special binding tape.  It really holds it tight in the groove.  I took it off after a couple of hours and the binding looks great.


Then I turned to the question of attaching the neck.  After looking at photos of cellos and bass viols I made the decision. Sawed what I hoped was the the proper angle on the bandsaw and then sanded down the front of the body a bit to create a flat place to glue the neck in place.


I lightly screwed together the neck and body to see what it was going to look like.  I will most likely attach the neck tomorrow using three large screws and epoxy.  But for now, for tonight- this is what it looks like.

---