PRODUCTIVE AFTERNOON

As usual, I spent the morning at the Archive working on "The History of Fairhaven" but after lunch, it was into the workshop for a variety of projects.

The braces are now glued on the Pinecones and setting up in the Go-bar deck.  These dowels apply just the right clamping pressure.  Guess the next project is bending the sides.

Next I began to design the body shape of the new Bass.  It will be seven inches taller than the prototype, an inch or so wider and I am thinking two inches deeper.  The additional volume should result in more and richer sound.
I am sketching out shapes on newsprint folded in half.  Draw a shape you like on half, cut around it with scissors , unfold it and see what you have got.  

Here is the wood recently arrived from Pacific Rim Tonewoods.  It is stacked and stickered so the air can get around it.  It has been in an unheated warehouse and has a little too much moisture but that will change quickly in the warm workshop.  The Sitka Spruce soundboards sit on top, they are plenty dry.

I laid the newsprint patterns out on the living room carpet.  I have just about settled on the top pattern.  I might slim the hips down just a tiny bit.  I will look at it tomorrow.

I think the Santa Balls got their last coat of tinted shellac today.  Now I must make Santa's four wheeled sleighs.  These have been fun to do and look pretty good.  I have been delighted to learn that you can dilute shellac in alcohol and then tint it any color with paint  store colorant.  The result is a very shiny and kind of old fashioned finish perfect for toys, and wooden objects.  Takes quite a few coats but the results are great.  I think I will put one final coat of clear diluted shellac on these to give them a nice shine.  It was so much fun making these that now I am thinking about a "Bunny Ball" for an easter toy.  Maybe, back to the lathe.


OH! and I also got a coat applied to the three tenors,  They are getting close to finished.