All went well. Until it didn't. When I got around to using the register slot cutting jig (in the photo immediately above), the result was an epic fail. The best laid plans of mice and men and all that. Let me be clear: this does not speak to the effectiveness of Mr. Miller's jig as described in his eBook Most Excellent; rather, it speaks to my inattention to detail. As you can see in the photo below, the jig did not cut any of the slots evenly.
This means the piece of wood I used for the base of the jig was not an even 1/2". Or something like that. In the end, I decided to abandon the jig and cut the slots on the table saw using the Incra sled I purchased some time ago for just such a purpose. Fortunately, my desired slot width matches exactly the width of my current table saw blade - 1/8". I will still use the CAD template and hog out the 10-degree slants using a chisel. This shouldn't take me much longer than it would have using the jig.
Once I decided on my new approach, I cut off the offending slots and will be appending a small template of three slots to the bass end of the stick some time this coming weekend.
On a happier, completely unrelated, note, the clearances and acquisitions continue at Tortuga Early Instruments Worldwide Headquarters. I finally did it - I got rid of Little Buddy (the 12" Delta band saw) and replaced him with Big Buddy (a 14" Grizzly band saw).
I purchased this saw from Cool Craigslist Guy for a great price, especially considering the 6" riser and a Carter guide were included, as well as several blades - and I didn't need to coordinate shipping or deal with unboxing it and it's in astonishingly good/new condition. The motor is 1 hp, an upgrade from the 1/2 hp Delta, the body, table, and wheels are solid cast iron, and the fence locks in like a dream. I still need to tune it up a bit, but it purrs like a kitten and cuts like a breeze. Though Little Buddy will always hold a special place in my heart, Big Buddy is growing on me daily.
Until next time...
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