Definitely not done yet, but
coming along ok
A rare photograph of the artist hard at work. And yes I do wear a tie and lab coat at work.
The X-ray goggles are handy too. I can see right into the soul of a man with them.
Thank heaven, a resting spot
If you choose the right saw blade and the right blade speed, you can manage nice looking walls on the fretwork. I have had customers say to me....."nice looking laser cutting". I guess that is a compliment, I take it as such. Hand cut fretwork with its myriad of tiny deviations from perfection has a look that a computer aided design will not have. (for better or worse)
I try very hard to keep the time
I spend congratulating myself to a minimum. These do look pretty
though.
OK, back to work. Now I have to cut the holes in the action-board to as close to 5mm as I can manage. I will need the drill press and a dial caliper. The small holes in the top are the guide holes for a 7mm brad point bit. I screw the tops to the action section and will drill through the top and into the action board. This is another good place to ruin the whole concertina.
checking the depth of the button holes, getting ready to set the drill up
I use a 7mm brad point bit to cut concentric holes in the top and the action board.
When I get this far on a concertina, the price of a #$%^@! mistake gets higher and higher.
I have had a number of nasty time consuming mistakes on previous concertinas. I am left handed, but in a pinch usually can't tell left from right. I seem to be able to manipulate objects in my mind, come up with creative solutions for mechanical problems and then assemble something with glue ....completely wrong.
Possibly brain damage, I don't know.
At any rate, I have learned to be v e r y s l o w and careful to avoid making incredibly dumb mistakes.
I still make them, but apparently not today. How nice
This is a Forstner bit, they cut nice flat holes. Forstner bit are expensive and don't last too long.
I don't cut all the way through, I will turn the piece over and finish from the other side.
Here is the location for the tone hole.
There are hundreds of individual pieces of material in a concertina, I think when the pieces are totaled up, we should count all the holes as well.
done for the day, tomorrow we shoot some lacquer and get busy building bellows!
Day 6