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Post by connrock on Jan 9, 2009 7:14:24 GMT -5
There's quite a story that goes along with this "Hack Job" but let's just say NO MORE DEADLINES FOR ME!!! I was asked to make this on Monday night to have it ready for early Thursday morning.I worked on it for 10 hours Tuesday and Wednesday.I finished it after working another 4 hours Thursday morning. After 24 hours at my bench my back is killing me and my legs are swollen to capacity!!! The real KILLER is that it didn't have to be ready till NEXT Thursday!!!! Let's just say it was a mis-communication between me ad the Mrs and leave it at that! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! I would REALLY like some comments from Doc,Zotica,Bobby and the rest of you pro's out there. I can take it guys so let it fly,,,,PLEASE? I will take ANY and ALL criticisms you can through at me!! I NEED help!!!!! connrock
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Post by frane on Jan 9, 2009 7:26:28 GMT -5
I am sorry you went through so much to get that done in time to only find out you had plenty of time but I really like it! You did a great job there and the only thing missing is the strings (hehe, just kidding). I am sure this person is going to love it so much! Nice piece of silverwork! Fran
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jan 9, 2009 7:55:41 GMT -5
What is it? .... yeah, I know, it's a guitar, and it looks awesome!! ...but really, is it for a charm bracelet, or a necklace? Just curious. Regardless, it's super cool!
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Post by Tweetiepy on Jan 9, 2009 10:30:16 GMT -5
That is super awesome. Have you tumbled it to polish it up? I heard steel shot, dawn & water - I'm sure you have a tumbler somewhere right?
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 9, 2009 11:05:05 GMT -5
That's really a great piece of handiwork. Trying to downsize and duplicate an existing object is really hard to do because it is so easily compared with the original and any discrepancies are pointed out. You have to use a lot of creativity and imagination (and a lot of labor) to do it. Your efforts have paid off! Bob
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Post by sitnwrap on Jan 9, 2009 11:07:55 GMT -5
That is a great piece. Since you asked for suggestions, the only thing that I would do (maybe) is shorten the pegs, that tighten the strings, a little and maybe add one more "bar" to the shaft of the guitar. It looks like you have enough space to do that between the body and the first bar and then give it one more polish.
It really is hard creating something this beautiful when you have a deadline and the back and leg pains makes for a lot of frustration.
Even if you do not change a thing, it really is beautiful.
Lori
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,787
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Post by adrian65 on Jan 9, 2009 12:04:11 GMT -5
It really looks great, looks so real! And speaking about real, the only thing that's missing to make it really real are the chords. But I have no experience at all in silversmithing so I don't know how difficult would be to solder some thin wires as cords. I can only suppose it's very difficult to do it. Another thing that I think it could happen: while wearing it as a necklace it's possible to lose its balance and get vertically (most probably with the body downwards 'cause it's heavier). If you want to avoid it, I think you could tighten the bail to restraint the gliding along the "strip". Adrian PS. Glad to see your creative work again!
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Post by Tonyterner on Jan 9, 2009 13:52:43 GMT -5
So that's what you were hyped up about. Glad to see you got it done a week early. ;D I can't even begin to figure out how you made that and it certainly looks impressive to me.
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Post by Tweetiepy on Jan 9, 2009 14:37:13 GMT -5
Now that I read Adrian's comment I have to agree with the sliding - maybe solder the bail into the wire? I think the "strip" may wear out from the sliding bail
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Post by connrock on Jan 9, 2009 15:13:59 GMT -5
To just answer a few whys and why not's I do it "generally",,,
The bail was supposed to be soldered to the chain (guitar strap) but time didn't allow it.
There were supposed to be a lot more frets on the neck but again time and frustration entered the equation so,,,,,
It is a pendant.
Strings and tuning pegs were also in the original design but guess what? NO TIME! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
A "pick guard" was in the original design as well but after hacking up the top there was no room and time for "repairs"!
The neck almost melted on my so it has a "bubbly" area where I over heated it so it's didn't polish up as well as it should have.I could have fixed it if I had,,,,,you guessed it MORE TIME!! Double Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!
I polished it by and using a foredom flex shaft,muslin buff and polish.
It was supposed to be an acoustic guitar but in my rush I goofed.I cut the top and back and tried to solder them to a bezel wire.The back went fine but when I was trying to fit the top it popped out of my hands and landed on the floor.When I knelt down to try to find it I knelt right on it and bent EVERYTHING like it was hit head on by a freight train. I didn't have time to cut a new top so I made a jazz guitar out of it by forming the top with a ball bearing punch I made and by pounding it into a piece of wood that had an impression in it.
I should have soldered the bezel wire to 2 flat pieces of silver which would later form the top and back and then cut the cut it out instead of trying to fit it perfectly to the already formed top and back. Hmmmmm,,,,Does that sound right???
All in all I learned a LOT from this adventure and but the most important thing I learned is NO MORE DEAD LINES!! And that's THAT!
Thank you all for being so very kind.
connrock
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Post by Tweetiepy on Jan 9, 2009 15:28:18 GMT -5
Don't be so hard on yourself, I see a guitar - a superbly beautiful guitar, if you pointed out the errors, I never would have known (I can't tell one guitar from another - apart from Banjos & electric guitars)
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 9, 2009 16:40:17 GMT -5
Looks pretty darn neat to me!....Mel
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Post by fishenman on Jan 9, 2009 19:38:40 GMT -5
For your first try it's awesome. If you produce something like this next year and we'll let you know how much of a hack job you did.
That's a great piece. It's tough to polish all of the areas but with time you will only get better. Quite a big project for a newbie silversmith. You are going places and it's only up from here.
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blarneystone
spending too much on rocks
Rocks in my head
Member since March 2010
Posts: 307
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Post by blarneystone on Jan 9, 2009 20:23:11 GMT -5
I like it... wish I knew how to hack like that.
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Post by kap on Jan 9, 2009 20:27:36 GMT -5
I think it looks great! Keith
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Post by connrock on Jan 10, 2009 10:40:43 GMT -5
Thank you ALL!!!!
You are all TOO kind and I will try to meet your kindness with better work!
connrock
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Post by NatureNut on Jan 10, 2009 11:41:31 GMT -5
Homer says you did a great job under the gun, with the problems you overcame, contrary to all those four letter words he heard, and that you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. It's great. Jo
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Post by connrock on Jan 11, 2009 5:41:28 GMT -5
naturenut, Homer has a VERY bad habit of laying RIGHT next to the casters on my bench chair!
Can ya see where this is goin?? LOL
I put a few throw rugs down for him to lay on but no way. I put a doggy pillow down for him but again,,,,,no way!
He is just not happy unless he can be as close to me as possible even if it means his tail makes regular visits to the local auto body shop!
I get all wrapped up in what I'm doing and forget all about him being there until he makes a LOUD "verbal complaint" that scares the heck out of me!
After rolling over his tail regularly for over a year now his tail looks more like a beaver's then a beagle's!!
He's quite a friend and I'm glad we adopted him from the pound!
connrock
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Post by NatureNut on Jan 11, 2009 7:36:33 GMT -5
Ok, have to ask... auto body shop???
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Post by connrock on Jan 11, 2009 11:13:29 GMT -5
To Take all the dents out of his tail!!!
connrock
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