the Fly Clone Project

Bought some JB Weld Quick Wood Epoxy today & a can of Gray Primer
Going slow & getting it ready for the patch as far as height
If I have time I will get it set into place tomorrow

Went with Son to Louisville & He bought a B.C. Rich Eagle neck thru in Black Solar Flare with a Bigsby tremolo
His Christmas Gift, It's SWEET!! USED & Only needed one strap button, screw & felt pad @ a Pawn Shop
Strap button is on the rear of the body like a Parker Fly + Hard Case SWEET!!

Son played that guitar all day before he slept & is working 3rd shift now @ 12:10am
Here's what they look like
Go Out Tonight after 2:30 & see the Lunar Eclipse
Gary

Been working on the patch
Put some small brass screws underneath so I could adjust the height perfectly flat & give the epoxy something to help grab on to
Test fit the patch which is still tall were the top drop off toward the bass side near the strap button
I will sand that to the contour of the guitars top with sandpaper, rasp, file, card scraper etc after the patch is epoxied into place & fully dried overnight
Dry fitting the clamp with thin foam pad & padded flooring scrap underneath
Might get around to gluing it into place later on tonight
Here's a few photos I took while messing around with it today

One Week Till BLACK FRIDAY
Gary

Saturday Morning
I started sanding on the patch to get it to match the contours of the body
Used 80 grit wrapped around a 12" x 2" x 1/2" board
About two hours later it is all but exact
Haven't Epoxied it in place YET but it's ready too
Going to fix the crack at the treble side bushing with CA glue first & another where the body was broken near the strap button, there is two small hair line cracks there about a 1/2" long
Want to assure they are stable & also work on the two dents the tremolo made in the front of the trem cavity
A few snap shots of this mornings progress

WON'T BE LONG NOW

Gary/FLY ROD

Two More

Patch Epoxied in Place 1

patch Epoxied in Place 2

Thought I would show what I used to pull the tremolo bushings out with.
Will use it to reinstall them & the bushings too
A piece of padded flooring with a hole drilled in it as a base on the front side

Nice!!! And you’re lucky—the NiteFly bushings are glued in!!

Didn't Know that VJmanzo
CA Glued it Huh?
I will look at the broken mess on Maxwell's Wall next time in there + try an see if I can find Mark to see if He wants to sell that neck for someone on here, BrownDogLover IIRC?? Can't find the thread currently.

When I removed the bushings I just slid a metal washer over the bushings from the top + small plastic inner sleeve first & a normal small nut & used a see thru plastic pill bottle with a hole drilled in the bottom as a sleeve for the bushing to enter + Used a small piece of rubber padding underneath to keep it from digging into the back with a 3/4" hole in it. I used a wing nut & you could hear them "Pop" as they came loose. & Just turned the nut to pull them out.

It's a Home Made Stew-Mac Tool.. See Photo.. Ole Dan Erliwine would be proud as a tool of theirs inspired the making of it.

Schatten Knob and Bushing Puller--> $71.98 https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... ng-puller/

Won't install the bushings & stabilizer bushings until after paint.

The patch is working out but will need some fiberglass body filler as the patch is flat & the top is contoured there more convex
I need to start sanding on it more & will have some time around Thanksgiving.. Hopefully

Coming together, Maybe I should have made this post about the stabilizer bushings in that area for future reference.
Note the two metal sleeves that will be used to press the bushings back in, They are slightly smaller in OD than the bushings so they can be recessed
Gary/FLY ROD

Love it.

this is my new favorite thread!

Thanks Bro

I just glued the padding to the lid of the medicine bottle with super glue & cut a 3/4" hole in it with a fostner bit
Now it is self contained & all the pieces can fit within, Now it's worth $72
Hope to get to the Fly Tomorrow some with sand paper & super glue for the crack by the bridge bushing
The $30 Parker Fly Deluxe will Live Again

Made a Nice Ham Today with Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Hawain Rolls, Cranberry Sause & Sweet Potato Pie
Have a 15lb Turkey Thawed in the Fridge for tomorrow + All The Fixins
Stay Safe

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Gary

Fly Rod wrote: ↑Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:04 am ...Haven't Epoxied it in place YET but it's ready too...

Hi Gary. Like everyone else here I've been enjoying your pain in restoring this battered git!
And I must say that the Energizer Bunny has nothing on you!!

The only thing that has me a little concerned is your use of Epoxy rather than, for example, the industry standard TiteBond adhesive.

Epoxy has its uses (*cough* Ovation *cough*) but it is non-flexible and mostly unforgiving. Personally, I would not trust it on a patch such as this. Oh, it'll probably hold, but given any variation in humidity I think you're going to find the joint lines will telegraph through the finish.

I sure hope not??
I have a new bottle of titebond right here
Haven't done much since before Thanksgiving but was looking at the Parker earlier
Been sick & not doing much + sleeping a whole lot
I will get this Fly repaired & playing

2:15 in the am working a bit on the fly project
I routed the backside of the patch to get rid of the sqeeze out of epoxy & to get it smooth & flat, Note the difference in height from the treble side to the bass side for the small opening was the thickness of a paint stick, then masked it off & primed the patch from the rear, I removed the trem stop & screw..
The epoxy is stronger than the wood but routs easily = Made a Mess, need to clean up BUT still need to get some fiberglass body filler = soon..
Gonna work on the small crack that runs to the treble tremolo bushing with CA #10 before I go to sleep after the primer sets up. Up Late Again.
"What a Drag it is getting OLD"
MORE TO COME SOON!

Fly Rod wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 2:22 am "What a Drag it is getting OLD"

So much better than the alternative ...

Getting younger?

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 2:44 pm Getting younger?

Yes ... unfortunately, the jump from Getting Older to Getting Younger involves a process which interrupts the continuity of the perceived time stream and results in identity loss.

I stopped & got some fiberglass body filler

Bondo?

EDIT: Ah, I see you changed your original post. FRP is much better!