September 12 2009 | The side axis

As you could see on the photoetch fret (if you got good eyes) I had foreseen to do the side axis as some photoetch part -that's a piece less to cut in plastic for me. There is also the fact that Photoetch is strong enough to allow me to apply a thin plastic strip on the outside to make the main "support" metal part.

September 12 2009 | Side axis plastic bending

Hçow to get this shape? simple, i first cut a sheet of very thin platsic, shaped it around a sort of small pen or needle, and then with a nail shaped the "change of shape", after I just had to glue it on the fret :)

September 12 2009 |

Here i actually glue the plastc bit  -the trick to get the shape still right despite the torsion applied to the plastic was to keep a "tail" long enough so that the plastic keeps it shape, so i just had to put the plastic on the axis and it was okay

honestly, I amm not sure my english vocabulary is enough to explain this bit

September 12 2009 | The axis completed

So a few extra plastic bits, 2 photoetch bits I had made on puprose, two of those great O'Meara sponsored rivets and I call it finished!

Is it perfect?

No!

One of the  inner rounds is bigger than the other ;)

September 15 2009 | New photoetch

So here we go again, developping the fret..

September 15 2009 | The fret is ready for the acid bath

ooh it shines in the sun..

September 15 2009 | During the acid bath

In the ferric chloride bath, checking halfway

September 15 2009 | The stuff is etched

Here are the pieces, notice that as I never attach my metal pieces to the fret, I have to, filter the acid to get the little bits.. Some are missing obviously!