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| No bandsaw, no problem? http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=41036 |
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| Author: | lizarday [ Sat Aug 03, 2013 5:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | No bandsaw, no problem? |
I'm starting my first build today, even though I told myself not to, so I have all of my doohickeys ready. I have a dremel, a belt sander, chisels, and a hand saw. I looked through a good bunch of guitar building videos, and they all had the use of bandsaws in them. I don't have a bandsaw, but I do have an adjustable speed jigsaw, so would that be a decent alternative? If I need to cut some wood in half or do something out of the jigsaw's ability, I could just make a jig to hold it in place while I use my wimpy forearms to cut it in half. Allen |
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| Author: | Nick Royle [ Sat Aug 03, 2013 5:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: No bandsaw, no problem? |
I've built two without the use of a bandsaw. If you bought your wood from a luthier supplier, it should already be roughly the right size and ready to join and thickness. If, for the neck, you're doing a scarf joint and stacked heel, you won't need one for that either. I do need the use of a bandsaw right now to try to resaw a plank of teak I have but this is the first time I've needed one. What wood are you using? And which guitar making book are you using? |
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| Author: | lizarday [ Sat Aug 03, 2013 5:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: No bandsaw, no problem? |
I'm using white oak for the front, sapele for the neck, and indian rosewood for back and sides. I'm using the Cumpiano book that so many people suggested I should use. I didn't buy any of these from a luthier supply store. The white oak was a tree that collapsed in our front yard, the sapele was "free firewood" from craigslist, and I got the indian rosewood from a lumber yard downtown. |
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| Author: | Nick Royle [ Sat Aug 03, 2013 5:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: No bandsaw, no problem? |
Nice! But you may need a bandsaw after all. Depends on the measurements I suppose, I'm sure others will be able to advise. I'm not qualified. Good luck with your build! Nick |
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| Author: | Mike Baker [ Sat Aug 03, 2013 7:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: No bandsaw, no problem? |
If you don't have access to a band saw, you might be able to find a cabinetmaker that will resaw it for a small fee. You can hand saw the wood to closer dimensions and then use a good hand plane to bring it down to what you need, but you better get a really good, sharp saw. It's not for the faint of heart. Note that I have not done this for back and side woods on acoustic guitars, but I have done it for fretboard and veneers for an electric. If my experience with that is any indicator, I'd seriously look hard for that cabinetmaker. |
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| Author: | dylan [ Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: No bandsaw, no problem? |
Yeah, resawing by hand is difficult and risky, but it is possible. You can use a sharp rip saw, if you're practiced with one. A frame saw is what was used traditionally for resawing before bandsaws, but it's not that much easier to control in my experience. I think it's very cool to use wood from your own tree, but white oak is a pretty unique choice for a soundboard, and you can purchase a basic spruce soundboard set for less than twenty bucks. Just something to consider. Best of luck, Dylan |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Sun Aug 04, 2013 2:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: No bandsaw, no problem? |
I have built guitars without a bandsaw... the only tool I had was a laminate trimmer, a cordless drill, a jigsaw (a good one), and a drill press. However I couldn't resaw anything and had to buy commercial top/back/side woods. You can do scarf joints on a jigsaw, just be really patient because a jigsaw isn't made for cutting through more than 2" at the very most. It will drift a bit. If you do wind up buying a bandsaw get at least 14" (you know that Delta cast iron or clones) because anything smaller requires special blades that dulls by the time you get the guide adjusted... I got myself a 18" and stopped worrying about blades breaking or going dull a long time ago... even carbon steel blades lasted me a pretty long time. Just remember a 10", 14" and 18" bandsaw takes up pretty much the same amount of floor space... |
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