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Hi

I just completed installing the K&K trinity in my wedge jumbo and used my usual cleaning method for the dust and cuttings, compressed air. This is not a good method and was wondering if anyone has found a better safer way.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

shop vac?

I find vacuuming far better than blowing with air. I use a home made reduction to get the nozzle down to a small 1/2" tubing. Increases the suction and works great. I use a mirror and a seven watt appliance bulb to check my work. As a repair guy, I work on some funky guitars. I use those cheap wooden hardware paint brushes in various sizes to get the tough stuff out. I cut the bristles short for a stronger sweep. For inside the guitar; I might cut the handle off, or extent it. Very cheap useful cleaning tools.

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Tom Krebs

Rick Davis showed me a really nifty little flexible extention hose with a small brush nozzle he uses with his shop vac. It works really well.

I don't have a picture, but it's probably 1" flexible hose about 1' long with a small brush nozzle, that he has retrofitted to work with the shop vac.

Pretty simple idea really.

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Jim Hansen

Warning on vacuum!!!

I accidentally let my hand cover the sound hole. The vacuum pulled it snug and then sucked the top in and broke the top.

I was thinking reducer, wand and small brush on shop vac but was a little concerned that the suction might be too great. I guess I need to cobble up something like that.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Yeah... Cleaning dust and chips with compressed air is a bad idea... That method is a pretty predictable way of getting chips and swarf permanantly embedded in your eyes and body.. Machinists know all about this.

If you get a hard chip up inside the nozzle before you blow -- you can shoot it completely thru the body of the guitar. A couple years ago at work.. we had some nitwits shooting bolts out of their air guns... "Target practice" ... Those 1/2" bolts went completely through the wall of the metal building to outside (95 psi building air) -- they could have killed someone with a misplaced shot (I later found out that they use the same thing to kill cows at slaughter houses)... Needless to say, they aren't working here anymore.

That high pressure air is also pretty good at cutting -- and those little blow guns can cut you pretty bad... I am pretty sure you could just blow a hole in a guitar body if you pushed them up against the side and blew.

Personally, I use my little shop vac. I try to shake and wipe most of the dust to the front/side then just suck it out and then wipe it down with a damp cloth.

Thanks

John

Make a sound port to the side and let the gravity do the work for you....

I use compressed air. I keep it set at about 50psi for that purpose.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Some folks claim that a handful of uncooked rice can help in knocking things loose. Toss it in the guitar and shake it around for a bit to get the dust bunnies out of the corners. Then vacuum.

I used compressed air again but will try to purchase or make some kind of a small diameter vac hose and brush for the future. The compressed air does the job but creates such a dust storm. I web searched micro attachments and know they are available just a mater of finding them locally.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Fred,

Don't worry about finding something purpose built. You might not. Any kind of flexible tubing and some duct tape will suffice.

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Jim Hansen

I put the shop vac hose on blow, and use that. Higher volume, lower pressure, no oils or moisture in the air that you can get from an unfiltered compressor. No reason for this to cause problems that I have found yet.

If you use your compressor to spray then you should have inline oil and water filters. Although I see no reason the air from a vacuum shouldn't work too.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"