Official Luthiers Forum!

It looks like the east coast of the US is going to have some major snow so here is hoping that everyone stays safe, warm, and happy.

Here is what's happening in my shop as I am finally starting to be productive and hopefully ramping up to my former level of productivity.... I started another geetar which is going to be a little finger style OM Aussie Blackwood from Bob Connor with a WRC top possibly from the WRC that I just received from an OLF auction (very nice stuff). Not sure if the new stuff is ready but I have some WRC that I have had for several years if not.

Gluing in the blocks:



Joining the back plates (tape method):



So my friends let's see what's happening in your shops, please?

Thanks

Hesh, sort of off topic, but can you post a link to a site or tute explaining the tape method of joining back plates(and can this also be used to join the top?)? Very interesting.
As for what's in my shop? I have no shop. Right now, I'm using my kitchen. Since I'm stuck indoors because of all the white stuff that's coming down, I'm taking the time to do little things on my first build, like smoothing /shaping the fret ends. No pics of that.
Since I've got pretty much nothing else to do, I'll just sit back and watch what others are doing in this thread. I second the notion that this is a great idea for a thread, but after being stuck indoors as long as I will be if we get the 2ft of snow forcast, I'm gonna be chomping at the bit!

_________________
Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Hi Hesh, I thought I was the only user of bricks for weight.

I just finished the Z-poxy on the 000 12 fret and applied the 1st coat on the Bubinga wedge OM last evening, the Bubinga really comes to life with the epoxy.

Fred

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

Hi Mike,

Chris Paulick did a tutorial on this last year. I like the method a lot. I use go bars to hold down the middle of the top after I push it down--makes cleanup pretty easy.

viewtopic.php?f=10117&t=22533

Evan

_________________
Evan McCartney

In my shop- just more fine luthierie, of course.
Nothing but hand-honed and handwrought artisan steel will ever touch one of my projects....
Well, there are some exceptions.......

It's my $100 challenge archtop project...that deadline has imposed some discipline here, which is a good thing!

Startin to look rather Zen~ish there Hesh.



Duh, me messing with me NO NOthing Build....see



Might, just might actually get Duh neck bolted on today.


icu
Duh
Padma

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

Finally finished the neck rebuild on the one I posted before Christmas where the truss rod broke through the neck. Pulled the old fretboard and trussrod, routed the neck for a large maple insert then put in a new, longer, truss rod and a new fretboard. So nice to have it back.

Now I'm working on drawings of a redesign of my Doolin-type adjustable neck joint and modifying my drawings of the MDP/OLF-OM to a 13 Fret, 24.9" scale with cutaway.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I've got a few things going in my shop, err, condo kitchen. I recently began building guitars number 2, 3, & 4. I'm working on the necks, so getting the fingerboards thicknessed and trimmed up is next up today. Hopefully I can get to routing the binding channels on the fingerboards and headstocks later today.

Funny story on one of the headplates, actually. I had planned to have each one have a different single kind of wood. I glued a peruvian walnut plate to the first, and when I removed the clamps it had shifted. So I had to pry the thing off with a chisel. Naturally, it came off in several pieces and I didn't have a spare to put on. So instead of ordering one and delaying it's progress for a week, I took the largest broken piece and made a composite with some thin bloodwood strips and a couple pieces of leftover koa. I didn't know how it would look, but I think it actually came out looking pretty cool!

Project number two is a bit more interesting. Recently my friend's guitar was run over by a car. Luckily most of the guitar was perfectly fine, but the headstock was completely broken off. Since I'd been wanting to get some practice in repair work, I told her I'd do the repair for cheap. It ended up that some chunks of the neck were missing and it wasn't a clean break anyway, so I couldn't just glue the two pieces back together. I had to saw off each broken end to have two clean surfaces. I then took some leftover sapelle from my other project and created a new section to go between the two broken ends. I then just carved it out, sanded it, and coated it in epoxy. When the epoxy is cured, I'll simply put a bit of lacquer on the area and hopefully it will hold!

I've been working with the University of Minnesota on some cloning experiments. Things were going pretty well-



Unfortunately there was a setback last night-

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Shop Remodel/upgrades in tools/lighting.

Shop Fox 13" oscillating Drill Press/sander, 14" Rikon Bandsaw, 6" Shopfox Jointer, Porter-Cable Router/table, Rockwell Sander, T-8 Lighting. Hoping to step things up a notch or two this year.

Could be up and running in a few weeks......

Hesh et al; been following the bandaw discussions...thanks guys....she's not up and running yet....

Thanks fror the link, Evan. An awesome and incredibly simple way to do it. Right now, I'm building an electric, which will probably be my primary focus, but I may branch out into the acoustic world as I grow into this thing called building. When I do, this is the method I'll be going with.

_________________
Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Hesh mentioned that many of you are having bad weather. May you all stay safe and warm!!!!!


With all the news lately about the subzero weather and snow that the Midwest, East Coast & NW areas are experiencing; we shouldn't forget that Southern California has its share of devastating weather also.

Attached is a photo illustrating the damage caused to a home from a coastal storm that passed through Southern California area last week. It really makes you cherish what you have.
See photo below.

_________________
Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

That is just hilarious

Hi -

A little while ago I had the idea to put my two filing cabinets together in the home office (inside nice and warm) and put a maple table top on top of it that I picked up at Ikea. This week I have been joining my back and planing it to thickness. Here is a pick of my new inside workspace. My messy work of cutting and sanding stays in the garage...

_________________
It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Nice looking work space you have there John. If you love guitar building enough nearly anyplace can be a shop! Good going!

Andy bro will your homeowners insurance cover the cost of righting that chair?

Doug man you are a one man stimulus package with all of this TAS!!!! Congrats my friend!!!

New Bandsaws are important!!!



Hysterical Terry - are those your clogs.......

Good looking stuff Gtrman13.

Way to go Steve my friend - that truss rod pull and replace was no easy repair - great job!!

Thanks Padma! Your No NOthing Build is looking good.

Hey while at the shop the other day I was told that "convention" has it that the bridges on archtops are generally positioned aligned with the points pointing inwards from the "F" holes. Have you ever heard this before, I hadn't?

Looking good John bro - so I take it that you are turning that sanding wheel/device with your thumb?????

Thanks Evan for the link for Mike!

Hey Fred - yeah bricks are cool and I can never have enough of them... Hey do you know about the lunch in Ann Arbor Wednesday? It's kind of a long drive for you, about an hour for a one hour lunch but you are certainly invited my friend.

Hey Mike if you still want my toot too for the tape method just let me know and I will repost the thing.

Let's see some more of what's happening in YOUR shops?

Thanks

Put the last back on three guitars yesterday. Will be ready to get things ready for binding on Monday.Taking today[Friday],Saturday,and Sunday off for a breather. Hope all have a safe and successful weekend.
Tom

_________________
A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Ya well Hesh, you know what Duh Padma timks of "con~ventions".

However, generally speaking, wisdumb has the "fers" inside center points "sorta, kinda, like maybe" being in line with the bridge.

This is a throw back to the violin Family of construction, you see them suckers didn't have frets and so intonation of them is a crock with an adjustable bridge, because it is always intonated regardless where the bridge sits( well sorta kinda generally speaking). How ever Armani was probably the dude who probably set the General's "Standard" of placeing the bridge in some sort of line that worked with the Golden section and Fibonacci series, of numbers just like his F holes are placed, and the rest of the instrument was designed for that matter.

But me have seen them all over the top and even inside ribs, well actually on the sides of ribs, not on the in-side. Seen them with points, no points, backwards, upside down, Long tall ones and short fat ones and fake painted ones, and, and, and dig this, me even seen them inside out, but thats a hard one to really be sure of. Yep F, holes just like peoples.

However is true Hesh...for the rank and file builders...they listen, build and obey according to General Speaking's orders.

Now thats the truth according to Duh Padmas wisdumb.

Any you Arch toppers got some take on this babble?


Icu
Duh
Padma

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

Building 2 more boxes.A blackwalnut om and ash dread.

I`m bummed.I got a shop full of cabinetry.Wishing they were guitars.Ya gotta make a living .
SKIN

_________________
James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Thanks for the laugh Terrence. I needed one after my week. I actually laughed out loud!
After the last storm here, we spent an hour picking up & burning massive fir branches. Luckily, none of them landed on anything important.
I've been stuck in a bathroom reno. Well... actually TWO bathroom renos. After removing the fixtures from the upstairs bath, I found (two days later) that one of the shut-off valves hadn't completely shut off. Filled the downstairs bathroom walls with water before we noticed.
Picture bleary eyed wife cussing at the cat for peeing on the dining room floor one early morning, then having to retract the scolding & apologize once we did a bit of investigative work! Amazing, how far water can creep inside walls!
The downstairs bathroom is now finished, so we're back to square one.
No guitar work for a few more days, I'm afraid, while I catch up on neglected chores.

Electrician came this morning to see what materials he would need to run a 220v wire from the breaker panel and what is needed to hardwire a cord into the switch box of my new saw. Gunna be back on tuesday...
Luckily I have been in this just long enough to develop a healthy sense of patience.

Yo, the Edward,

words of wisdumb from Duh Padma....don't dooz it!

Get the sparkie to drop an outlet near the saw and then get a cord and a male plug from the saw to the outlet. Cuz sure as saws make sawdust, the day will come when you gonna wanna move that saw over here or there and the dang thing is tethered to the wall....then what? Move the wall?...Me don't think so. Also make sure there is a good long cord on it. Or get the appropriate 220 extension cord.

Dats Duh Padmas take on sparkies and machines, an u can quote him on dat.

Furthermore...why don't you run the wire yerself....is only a wire....black on one side red on the other and white up the middle....just like the old whats red and white and black all over jokes. Is no big deal unless you forgetts to turn off the main.

icu,
Duh
Padma

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

Hey Padma, thanks for the tips.
Its not going to be tethered to the wall however, there is going to be an outlet put on the wall and a cord with a plug put on the machine. I am running the wire myself (well, me an the pa) and putting in the outlet ourselves. The electrician is mainly here just to hard wire the box, complicated stuff in there. Sorry if I did not make myself clear.

I sanded and fretted the neck of the black walnut and englemann guitar. Almost ready for finish.






Chris.