Good morning FC,
Glad you like the Uniques I've posted. The Uniques can be anything else (Classic Unique, Blended Unique, Elite Unique, eventually Timber Unique), but they won't be one wood that you can just order online (all walnut, all cherry, all ph, etc). Uniques do not have a fixed price, instead they sell for whatever price I post them at. It's an easy way for me to generate cash flow when I've got lots of materials to order, tools to buy, or a big project on the horizon - kinda like right now.
So the *Best Tool Ever*, my new belt sander will get even better with a 220 grit belt (vs 120). This should eliminate even more hand sanding, and allow more control on the machine. I've got some 320 on order as well. Home Depot only stocks up to 120 grit. It also has a disc sander, but I haven't gotten the hang of it yet, but I'm sure I will.
With my 30 units all pre-assembled, there is only one thing left to do, assemble batch 8. The new switch has also stopped me from fielding broken units. There still will be some from previous batches, but eventually it will be a thing of the past. Good news for customers waiting for new orders. So batch 8 is now going to be 8A and 8B, both slated to ship in September - maybe together, maybe separately, depending on sales. 8B will only be from inventory of pre-built bodies.
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EDIT
Mid morning shop update:
I back tracked, and for very good reason. I discovered my disc sanding option on my combo belt / disc sander. Disc sander comes with a little table and miter gauge to keep things square. Holy shit is this thing good on end grain (top and bottom of LB). Even though I already applied beeswax, I still squared up my end grain on every unit with this neat little machine.
So the combo sander is perfect, belt for face and edge grain, disc for end grain. I need to re-finish each unit as well, but a quick blast of heat with a drop of beeswax will bring them right back. I kinda do that anyway after full assembly. There are a couple of *transition buds* in the mix. These are older, 3 vent hole, bodies, that I'm going to sell off cheaper. They are perfectly functional units, and I'll probably list them as Uniques with a unique price on each one. That's probably where all the *cosmetically flawed* units will wind up as well. The biggest cosmetic issue was always the off center switch box because of the last minute adjustments fitting the switch box to the unit. That problem should be virtually eliminated now that I drill the switch hole after pre-assembly. The also helps to keep the basically hollow switch box, easier to mortise, without the hole already drilled. Gives the box more strength and integrity while I chisel out the mortise.
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another discovery
The magnets are glued in place using the tiniest amount of Gorilla glue. The hole is 1/4 by 1/8 deep, and I dab a drop in the hole. These magnets are specifically polarized, so the orientation needs to be correct. I usually have a few sitting on a current unit to orientate. Pretty much every LB is the same, I don't know which side is + or -, but always the same on the unit, and opposite on the plate. I scratch up the back of the magnets on some sandpaper to help glue adhere, then I wipe off on a damp rag before inserting into the hole that's already got the drop of glue. Don't get any on your hands, not as bad as krazy glue, as it comes off, but leaves a black stain if you handle too much of it. Then I shim and clamp in place.
Glue expands when the dampness hits it (wipe magnet on damp rag is enough moisture), so it's important to not use too much glue, as it will flow out a bit. It's kinda easy to scrape, sand, file off, but I do not want to do that on every unit (four magnets). I try use just the right amount of glue. This time around, I got a pretty bad overflow on a few units. I had to spend too much time cleaning that up. So when it came to the plate, I used less, and unfortunately many bonds failed. No big deal, I just scraped the hole out a bit, and did it again with a drop more glue.
If you get a magnet that falls out, make sure you put it in the right way, scrape it with some sand paper (one side is already scratched up), wipe with a damp rag, immediately place in the pre glued hole. Use enough glue to thinly coat the bottom of the hole, no more. Clamp in place, overnight best. Unclamping too soon is another reason for failure. If you have a magnet that fails, and you lose it, I can send you a couple, but you shouldn't lose them. They should stick to the partner magnet.
