The Amp Garage

Yep, it's that time of year as I bash my brains against the design dungeon wall. Not all of my plans go according to plan. Scratch that - very few of my plans actually get made into reality. The lucky designs evolve as new ideas appear or my continuing inability to violate physics and bend space into the shape I think I need forces me to rethink. Sometimes it ends in utter failure as I surrender to my building short comings that are compounded by my refusal to crawl along.

I've mentioned before that I am an ardent practitioner of the famed Japanese art of Wabi Sabi where a deliberate and planned flaw is introduced into an otherwise perfect creation. I confess I practice a splinter sect of Wabi Sabi as my flaws aren't planned and usually are preceded by an 'OH CRAP!'

So the first iteration of the head was to follow the sci fi and somewhat disturbing art of HH Geiger with geometric patterned tentacles and fingers intertwining and consuming the unwary.
Two words - utter fail! Several more even more important to the opportunistic cockroach [some call me lazy] that I am - taking way too freaking long! The padauk carves very well yielding a smooth finish even with rotary burrs hacking on it. I'm also a life time member of the Tim Allen 'More horsepower & bigger power tools' school of building and have come up with a secondary plan.
Cut the vines with a band saw and fit contrasting wood as the cross pieces. Currently padauk as the main body wood and my trusty curly maple as the cross pieces.

So after several weeks of analysis paralysis I received an ass kick from my woodworking mentor - 'Go cut something!' There were more descriptive and chastising words but as they violate forum rules you'll have to use your imagination.

First cuts - finished dimensions will be small box size 24" x 9" x 8.5" the depth is a 1/4" deeper as I'll be using 3/4" thick sides instead of Marshall's 5/8 metric equivalent.
As usual I'm doing finger joints.
The raw stock is 15/16" and I'll mill it to 3/4" once I have the cross pieces glued in place. The next step will be running these through a band saw to get the wavy vines and pull out the 2nd & 4th pieces. This baby will have lots of ventilation.

Russ

Keep kicking ass, Russ.

I have my own explanation for errors introduced into the weave--from rug making, maybe Navaho? They put in little errors to let the bad spirits out.

I'm not sure I caught it all - as I'm only used to read "common forum english" (& do not understand well spoken english, for example ;-) but this (also) looks like a really interesting build.

I'm looking forward to reading more about this extraordinary project!

First cuts on the bandsaw - naturally I wanted to delay this step as cutting tends to be a bit permanent. So unnaturally I must jump off the cliff and wack away!
The main body cuts.
If you are having trouble visualizing what I am going for you aren't alone. Now the wild jungle of the cross pieces must traversed. Probably with a bit less abandon than I cut the main body - at some point there either needs to be some sanity or a deniable bonfire.

Now it's time to figure out the cross 'vines' and how to fit them. The over build the sh*t out of it side says to cut a lap joint and then fit the swoopy sides - YIKES! The jest git 'er done side says crap on that just cut close and sand it to fit the curves. Titebond and epoxy for the gaps is your friend.

After contemplating angled dado cuts, router jig madness and milling machine jig insanity the jest git 'er done side won out tonight.

One of the sides. Love curly maple.
Semi assembled side and top.
Once I get the cross vines cut, fitted & glued I'll run the whole mess through a drum sander to mill the planks down to 3/4". Then the art starts as I plan to round the vines and possibly - depends on how much coffee I've had - and cut / carve some geometric patterns for more detail. I also realized I need to sand the padauk vines so the cross pieces will fit better.

Russ

Really cool work. That wood is beautiful too. Keeping an eye on this thread!

Winder wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:49 pm Really cool work. That wood is beautiful too. Keeping an eye on this thread!

Thank you!

The visible sides are glued and milled to within .010" of finished thickness. Now to figure out how I will carve the vines.
Then the bottom - usually plywood with padauk trim and then off to figure out the face plate.

Russ

Mind blowing,you are one talented wood worker,an artist,Love what your doing.Awesome bro. Can't wait to see more,Mikey

I've been delinquent in posting.

The edges have been rounded.

Then I started on the face plate. In keeping with the jungle theme I put 22 'string box' cuts on the curly maple. The 1/8" strips are padauk. I drew the pattern on the maple and then band sawed the strip cuts in. Glued and clamped, let dry and cut more.
I wanted to have the Marshall logo be over grown by the strips and decided to carve it in and then fill with a brass colored powder / epoxy mix. Here it is with CA filling the small gaps.
Filled, sanded, polished and a coat of lacquer.
Head dry assembled.
Next will be deciding on a pattern for the padauk vines to make them look more 'vine' like.

Russ

oh wow! that looks incredible! I wish I was that talented with wood I'm not

~Phil

That is freaking awesome. I wish I had a fraction of your woodworking skills...

pompeiisneaks wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 4:20 pm oh wow! that looks incredible! I wish I was that talented with wood I'm not

~Phil

Thank you for all of the great replies.

I've found over the years that with wood many times it's the willingness to jump off the design cliff and risk 'wasting' $$$ that stops most folks. The first figured wood I ever bought 5 years ago was a quilted cherry plank that cost me $300 - I still kick myself for not buying the other 3 pieces. That plank sat in the shop for 3 whole months - already had the design and had built a prototype - because I was too scared to cut it. Now I'm in the 'RIP THAT BITCH!' mindset.

Russ

Stunning! Beautifully done!

Are you getting a booth for the Dallas show? What’s your company name? I go pretty much every year, so I’d love to see it in person!

Ron Worley wrote: ↑Wed Mar 28, 2018 10:55 pm Are you getting a booth for the Dallas show? What’s your company name? I go pretty much every year, so I’d love to see it in person!

Hi Ron,

I'm with the Guys Building Guitars guild - we are typically in the 100 aisle along the south wall - I don't know the specific booth number yet.
https://www.facebook.com/guysbuildingguitars

Russ

Very cool, I will be sure to look y’all up!