Official Luthiers Forum!

Luthiery work requires a lot of work by hand: filing, shaping, sanding, reaming, etc - all of which are hard on the hands. I have two tools that are on the top of my list for arthritis makers: a single flute peg reamer and a Gurian style 3 in 1 fret crowning tool. The latter is particularly bad with the new EVO wire I discovered. I would appreciate your suggestions on better tools for reaming string peg holes and crowning frets.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I can't say enough about glucosamine for arthritis. I was taking it for a few yearsand stopped because I was unsure if it had any effect. It did. I started taking it again. It takes a month or so to build up in your system and then you should feel better. If it helps you can keep your current tools.

I replaced the Gurian file with a diamond crowning file from Stew Mac. The diamond file is significantly better, but I'm not getting why using this tool would be painful.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I'd like to double up on that! I've heard about 5 different people tell me the same thing. I had a problem with my knee and "glucosamine and chondroitin"(which is what it's typically called) worked real well! I haven't had to take it again! Reportedly, it's good for joint problems but I don't know if it's specifically arthritis.

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

The glucosamine and chondroitin works for me, I take it daily and can tell a significant difference if I don't take it for several days.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Ricardo,

One of the sharpest and easiest to use tools that I own is the Stew Mac peghole reamer.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Speci ... amers.html

This tool will ream a 1/4" peghead hole to the proper tuner size in seconds with very little effort. I use a masking tape wrap as a stop indicator. The medium size is perfect for peghead and end pin reaming. If you regularly install pickups and need to ream for the 1/2" jackpin, use the large size. Stew Mac's bridge pin reamer is also a high quality tool. I can't emphasize enough how sharp and easy to use these reamers are.

Mike Franks
www.mjfranksguitar.com

What Howard said about the StewMac diamond fret file. I bought a Three in One from LMI & am very disappointed with it. It doesn't cut like a file, just kinda wears the frets down.
How many pin holes are you planning to ream at a time? A sharp reamer is almost effortless to use.

How about a recommendation for a pin reamer? Thanks

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

StewMac pin reamer. Are you using the Griz? It works. That's the most that can be said for it.

I'm going to hazard an opinion: using these tools creates symptoms of your arthritis. It doesn't create the arthritis.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Yup your right Howard, I am using the Griz and its crap. You are also right that repetitive work with the hands just aggrevates any arthritis I might have. I take Bromelain and MSM Glucosamine anti inflammatory supplements. I will also get the diamond fret crowner. I find the EVO wire a lot harder even though its only supposed to be 25% harder.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

I take the Costco brand Glucosamine/Chondroitin stuff as well. It seems to help but my arthritis-like symptoms are pretty mild. My wife, on the other had, has a seriously painful case of Rheumatoid arthritis, and she swears by the stuff. She stopped taking it for a while because she wasn't sure it was helping, but restarted because her pain got a lot worse. The doctor was puzzled by the flare-up until he found out she had quit the Glucosamine/Chondroitin, and told her to go back to it. It took her two or three months to get back to where she was before she stopped.

I have one of the diamond fret crowning files. It's one of these - the medium one, I think:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... Files.html

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---Steve

As someone tht deals with sever CTS for the last 12 years or so I can tell you that not much in lutherie should induce the onset of arthritis. Some tacks may aggravate if you make the tool work instead letting the tool work. If you are experiencing stress in the joints while filing, sawing or other hand orientated tasks, then in most cases you will find you are forcing the work and not letting the tool work for you. keep your cutting tools sharp and files clean and let the tool do the work and your joints will thank you.

I try to soak in hot water (for playing) to warm them up, athlete tape might help, but this is more for preventative /joint issues. I have to use athlete tape to try to play classical, Bach is tweeking the thumb a bit.

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

As others wrote, the SM reamer is worlds apart from the Grizzly, and the diamond crowning file is effortless compared to the 3-in-1 thing.
For aching joints antioxydants are great, dark fruits and such.
Namely grapes in the form of wine…

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

How do you sharpen reamers?

Kinda like sharpening jointer blades without adjustability, but I bet it can be done...

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Actually a good tool sharping machine shop can lap them in for you but it would cost more than replacing

If you make a "new handle" with FRIENDLY PLASTIC , from all the normal sources, it will be much larger and conform exactly to your hand. This helps my arthritic problem immensely. Change it to other tools in a matter of minutes. Great stuff- lots of other uses.

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Dean