Official Luthiers Forum!

I hope that everyone had a great week!

I spent the past week doing neck resets which of course was a learning experience for me as many things are... but all went very well.

Some new stuff in my own shop:



First I have been waiting for Lou Iturra to replenish his stock of the Starret bi-metal bandsaw blade that I ordered for general use. The blade arrived and I installed it. Previously I had not been able to get my new Rikon 14" saw set up correctly and I had suspected that it was because of the original cheap-arse blade that I bought. My suspicions were correct, the new blade runs great and the uneven cuts of the past are now history. Also Iturra is no longer sending out his excellent, everything that you ever wanted to now about bandsaws catalog unless you order something from him. That's understandable the catalog is a fairly large book but it's excellent and I am currently reading mine.



Next I visited Mike P. (Jaguarguy) this week and had a great time seeing his soon-to-be shop and guitar collection. Mike had an inexpensive PRS electric for sale AND it is black too.... so what was I to do???? Electrics are probably my first guitar love and I had been wanting one again... so I bought it and I am having a great time playing Smoke On The Water....



Lastly my wood from an OLF auction came in the mail and as always I am very pleased. These auctions not only help support the OLF but excellent deals can be had at times too. Everyone wins. This beautiful Tiger Myrtle came from Brock and originally Tasmania and I could not be happier with my score.



That's it for me this week so let's see what happening in YOUR shops please?

Thanks

not bad Hesh... didn't see any brackish sprayout on the wall from the neck resets...

my river-recovered mahogany project is just about wrapped up.



Had to block out the top-secret project behind it... or .... just hiding the sawdust so Hesh won't come over and clean again.



plus I've been trying to match the linen tape on old martins for this '48 D-28 restore... Pictured is NOT the correct tape for the job. Any links to the real stuff is appreciated... btw Martin won't give it up.

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Chris Oliver
Infinity Luthiers
...in the shop.

live every minute...

Worked up and installed the rosette for #99.



Chris, I have several reels of the old Martin cloth tape wish I had known you needed it!

Here is my latest,

Sitka top from LMI

sapele back and sides from RC Tonewoods

rosette made from back offcuts, the little red and white purflings were sent to me by my friend Mike Collins of Argyle New York. He sent them along as a gift when I bought something from him and I have been waiting to use them on something special. With the warm palette of this guitar I thought they were a perfect touch.

EIR bridge
cocobolo fingerboard
EIR bindinds with bwb purfs(shop made)

It is still in the white with the beginnings of a finish on the top. It got strings last Sunday. It sounds very nice and I am pleased with it.

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http://www.booneguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Boone-guitar-builder/488208541257210

Camera is not capable of shooting through the mess in my shop. It just refuses. Hess would have my shop condemned.
Got a Brazilian/sinker/fan brace classical in the works. And deco.carving another neck.....and a curly maple/sinker OM in a form...somewhere in the shop. Where is that thing. I'll find it...where's my shovel?
KB

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com

Stephen Boone -

I was planning the exact same rosette for my guitars - the coral snake purfling - but mine will be around walnut. I just wanted to let you know so you won't think I was flat out coping you. You just beat me to the execution of it.

This week I was busy bending my sides, making a drying /holding rack for my sides - I have a set of bent maple sides and a set of bent walnut.
I research ordering veneer to make the rosette Stephan Boone shows.

And today I began looking at and thinking of joining some Lutz and Cedar from Shane at Highlands ! Things are moving along on my two guitars at last !

I'll post pics on Monday

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

I was able to get the back and top on my L-00 this week (next up the top and back form my Jumbo PS):


Thx!

Glenn

Hello All,
I am stuck in Germany for my day job but am looking forward to continuing a flamenco blanca build upon my return. Guitaren is very popular here with many flamenco and guitar festivals. I wish the US would get on the same page!
John

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John Nowicki

Glenn be sure to post some more progress pics of your L-OO as it comes together please? I love L-OOs!!!

Kent beautiful work as always!! Hey I may be neat in my own shop but I can also be pretty comfortable surround by a mess.... You should see the Ann Arbor repair shop..... Drop a part there and find 5 other parts that you once dropped a long time ago.....

Looking great Stephen!!!

Beautiful rosette David!!! For #100 do you have something special planned? That's quite an achievement 100 guitars - my hat is off to you sir!

Chris bro... no worries again I can be fine in a mess.... What's the secret project????

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

Thanks

No pictures yet but I have braced and started carving the top for #1 using a few pictures from other builders as a referance. Good fun!

Kerfing nearly done on number #1.

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Keith Lally
http://krl-guitar-building.blogspot.com/

Thanks Keith, for showing such nice neat kerfing on #1. Here is my not so neat #1 kerfing, I did this double inside out version to use some material that I have, a stack of 1/8" boxwood slats, 2" wide x 36 long. I kerfed it on the bandsaw, then ripped on the TS, but it was so floppy, I thought if I ripped it as a stack it would be stiffer, and here is the consequence, one piece drifted and I did not notice till too late. I'm over it, there is another spot like this before I found the offensive stick.

I made the charcoal starter bender with the help of those who answered the post, thank you. The Foredom is attached to a micro fence jig that I modified to do rosettes, here I screwed it to a bending mold to taper the ribs. I leveled the mold and buzzed it around, worked fine. I would like to use this for binding, but I have not figured that out yet, and I should try the rosette function next week.
Rob

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http://shastaguitar.com/
http://www.kalimbakit.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/comfyfootgr ... ature=mhee
http://www.facebook.com/robert.renick.7

Got my side bender machine done alla Mr. Fox. Going to make some kerfing and start bending side for no 4&5

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Mark Ewing
Columbus Ohio
"Trees are an important and precious thing. We should build good things with them. Building good guitars with heart are the best use for them." K. Yairi.

You guys are making more sawdust than me! I decided after I finished the claro walnut to spend some needed time on jigs, which is the plan for tomorrow. Get those done, and I can get back to the EIR OM.

Nice wood, Hesh! What does Myrtle sound like? I have seen several sets pop up on the forum.

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

Tomorrow I make a sanding paddle to level off the gluing surface for the top and back as per Mr. Benedetto pg 55. Is there a better way than 80 grit on a sanding paddle that anyone would recommend?

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Keith Lally
http://krl-guitar-building.blogspot.com/

I just closed the box on this Ash dread.And been finished building a chicken coop, so now they are out of my shop at last.

I am still working on a colorful electric guitar finish as well as 35 student guitars at the school.

Closing in on my archtop. Just finished installing the bindings now I'm scraping them down.
Jason

Looks nice Jason. I hope to be at that point in a couple weeks.

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Keith Lally
http://krl-guitar-building.blogspot.com/

This contradicts my rule about 'once sandpaper touches it, no more edge tools!' but it does work...

You can use the sanding paddle/sanding board to ID the high spots and then use a plane to knock the high areas down. Shavings are neater than sawdust, and it's faster, too.
When you get 'close' you can just finish up with the sanding stick.
I mark the surface with chalk or pencil to help emphasize the spots the sanding stick is hitting.
Give the sanded areas a once-over with a stiff brush before putting the plane on the work- a piece of sandpaper grit will do a number on your plane blade.

Cheers
John

Just another refret here guys. It's an old Fender Tele so it's a sideways removal
which I kind of like doing. The problem on this 72' is the puddled up thick polyester
finish on the board. I finally got it filed and sanded level, buffed out and pressed in the new frets.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

I designed a soundboard/back marking template for my Hauser derivative classical guitar model (HD-1) using Corel Draw, then cut one out of 1/4" acrylic sheet on my laser:



This will make life a lot easier when I make more of these guitars (I've got two more in the pipe already).

I've got some awesome b/s cocobolo that's in the plate joining jig right now too. Pic of that tomorrow when it comes out (using 24 hour System 3 epoxy to glue it). The weather looks like it's going to behave this weekend, so I may get my motorbike out for the first day of spring and go for a ride/lunch somewhere nice!

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

Oak parlor hanging around with build coats and drop fills...



Final buff on Rio/Eng 12 string...

It's tuning knobs through next week.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

This week it's been rope binding


and funky electrics.