Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
|
Post by Wrnchbndr on May 5, 2021 22:50:02 GMT -5
Just a little workshop tip or two I just figured out. I’m working on a ‘60s Gibson B25 with multiple top cracks from drying out - starved to death of humidity.
I needed to install small diagonal repair patches over the cracks to establish stability and strength before I address the external cosmetics. After two days of dehumidification, the cracks all closed up. I just used a ziplock bag poked full of holes and a wet sponge. The cracks closed so well that you could not see them on the inside.
I have an iPhone and an ipad. You can’t mirror them directly but there is an app for that. I used ApowerMirror. You can use the camera on the phone and monitor the picture on the ipad. Screen mirroring is something you can do quite easily but my tip here is to use the reverse facing selfie camera on the phone. Do this because the orientation of the mirrored image is actually a “mirrored image as if you are looking into a mirror (its reversed instead of the normal non reversed image if you use the primary camera. If you orient the camera correctly the directions for working inside the guitar are intuitive.
|
|
|
|
Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 6, 2021 10:09:18 GMT -5
I spend some time inside an acoustic pretty much every day. Light is key, and cheap, readily available LEDs are a blessing. For a long time I had a little mini bulb on a power cord, and then switched to the Stew Mac ones when they came out. I love their larger one and use it whenever I can. It is even helpful if I'm doing something from the top like fitting bridge pins - the little bit of back light is nice. Their smaller one has a touch switch on the end and turns itself off all the time; when it works, it works great, but it is frequently obnoxious. I have some similar ones without the switch on my "save for later" list on Amazon, but am yet to buy them to try them out.
|
|
Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
|
Post by Wrnchbndr on May 6, 2021 12:00:53 GMT -5
Yes. Light is the key. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a camera or an old fashioned mirror. I acquired a fair quantity of very bright white LEDs a while back and I’ve unfortunately lost the part#. It was just a matter of using scotch tape and attaching the LED to a 2032 coin battery and using a pea-size ball of blue tac or play dough to get the best lighting ever. I don’t spend a lot of time inside acoustics - they are not my forte. I usually forward these repairs to Curt Wilson in Hopewell NJ in the interest of doing right for my clients. But the remote camera thing has always been something I wanted to do. They also help when wanting to look at mystery bug bites on the back of your neck.
|
|
|
|
Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 6, 2021 19:17:56 GMT -5
Amazon sells little inspection cameras that plug into a phone or tablet, sort of like the dental inspection cameras. I've always wondered how well those work. I don't often have a need for something like that, but on occasion it might be nice, like the bridge plate I'm trying to get out of an old Gibson right now, even with the mirrors and lights it is really hard to see the back end or up and under it to make sure I'm not tearing up the top.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 6, 2021 22:06:58 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by hushnel on May 7, 2021 12:29:43 GMT -5
Yeah, that’s what I have, what the doctor uses. It’s a bit of a pain, needing it’s power supply and monitor interface. I’ve only used it once, on the 1917 Martin Uke.
I can always pull it out to motivate unwanted quests from lingering.
|
|
Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
|
Post by Wrnchbndr on May 7, 2021 13:05:37 GMT -5
I’ve got one of those inspection cameras. I ordered another one a few days ago from Amazon and it’s got WiFi — under $40. It has a 90 degree mirror attachment. The problem/complication is the 90 degree angle when you’re looking at the underside of the top. Dripping Titebond on to your iPhone is a bit wrong too. I hacked a usb webcam some years ago and it works with a laptop but I’ve gone all Apple and don’t have anything with a USB port. The best would be something you could set into Blu-Tac so the placement and angle would remain steady.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 7, 2021 19:33:18 GMT -5
Mark, get a small powered USB hub (about $12) and an iPad/iPhone camera adapter (about $10). You plug the camera adapter into your Apple i-device, plug the other end into the powered hub, and then any standard USB cable plugs into the hub to link all your devices.
|
|
