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+1 on making the height adjustable. I started out with a fixed height and wood bars. That worked but I soon found myself using a lot of different lengths and finally went to the all-thread and 24" fiberglass go bars. Put some vinyl tubing around the area of all-thread where you'll be moving parts in and out so if you hit the wood on it you won't damage it.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

It's simple column buckling theory.
the load will be inversely proportional to the length squared
So yes the length matters significantly.
If the shelf height for 24" bars is too low for you, make some riser boxes you can place on the benchtop.

I've used different dia. size dowels for gluing way before I starting building a guitar. I used maple 5/16 X 36" dowels for my deck and requires a bit more perfection with distance...but they're cheap enough that I cut them down if necessary and use them up with my business anyway. I find they have more than ample pressure to do what is necessary. I contemplated fiberglass bars...but OH...Man they are expensive.
Kent ( the Cheapskate ) Bailey

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Exactly right 24" at 3/16 diameter will produce between 7.5#-8.5# of dow force once it starts bending. It dows not mater how much you bend them. Once you reach the bucking point (pretty much moment the rod starts deflecting or bending) that is as much pressure you will see from any given length. IF you want 8# at 48" long you are pretty much going to have to buy 1/4" rods to get there.

3/16" x 48" are $1.90 each. Get two 24" go bars from each one - not expensive at all. Mine measure 7 lbs force each with about 2" deflection.
http://www.intothewind.com/shop/Repair_and_Kitemaking/Fiberglass_Rods_for_kites/3-16_FG_Rod

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I want to say here for the sake of those that may not know. You gain no extra clamping force by bending more than 3/4" to 1" you only add restrained spring loading. I never bend my rods more than 1". The added spring load does nothing for clamping pressure but can cause the rod to come loose and fly across the room or poke through your top if bumped . Keep the spring loading to a min and you will never have a rod come lose and punch a hole or bad dent in your tops.

I have been using the same maple go-bars for years and none have ever broken, gotten tired, or given any problems. I made them from scraps in the free "ripping pile" at the local hardwood sales shop. I have two sets, one is 3/16" square and the other is 1/4" square and a few that are 3/8". All are ~30" long, I just made them fit to the space aloted for the deck. The different sizes get used for different processes and I can make more if necessary but I never had the need.

Alan D.

I have wood slats that I have been using for a couple of years. They're made of some oak that I found in a scrap heap. I have two sets. One of the length for braces and another for tops and backs. I've had a couple break due to runout, but it's easy to just cut a few more if I need them.
Walter

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Walter Lay
"It's taken me so long, but now that I know
I can see. All that I do or say, is all I ever will be"
- Billy Joe Shaver

That comment really surprised me coming from an engineer. John, this is pretty basic physics and is misleading.



People have been using wood for go-bars for hundreds of years now with no complaints. I've been using the same strips of maple for the past 4 years now. None have broken. All work just as well as the day I cut them. They cost me my time to rip them to size (which was about 5 mins for 40 sticks). I use off cuts or scraps from hardwood flooring (the pre-made, finished stuff). It's 3/4" thick and I just rip them to 1/4" wide and I'm done (I have about 42" between top and bottom of my deck). If I need them to be shorter for gluing the top or back on, I just cut them.

They work just fine, cost less and are environmentally friendly too boot (think recycling).

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I should of gotten thicker ones, but I understand why someone recommended this diameter as 24" is the most common deck height. I am trying to think of a way to make 24" bars work with my deck, but the shelf I am building on top is going to be heavy and would be difficult to make it adjustable, also the bench top is all built already so I cannot heighten that. I am thinking I will just use a bunch of 36" bars for every glueing operation. Thanks for all the replies guys.

how heavy is your top shelf going to be? i just weighed mine and it was 33 lbs. not exactly a light weight. its 2 layers of 3/4" MDF 24 1/2" x 34". no problems moving it up and down.

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Edward, make a riser box to raise the bench height. Make is removable to you can use the bench and a lower height like you want to.

I sure do like having lots of room to work in my built in go-bar deck.

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"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Just wondering, but how many go-bars do you think it is necessary to have?

Thanks

Jonny

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It is going to be a 30"x48" of 2x4 frame with a plywood top and bottom. It would be quite an operation to rig something up to move that up and down easily.

As you build the go bar deck consider how you access the object you are glueing. I have found having a deck that is movable is handy so I can turn it and access it from any side. This is handy for placing bars or for cleaning glue. In my experience 3/4 plywood top has been strong enough to hold up to 15 fiberglass rods although the plywood does take on a noticable bend.

Jeff, my deck is part of a 12 foot long bench bolted to the wall. Maybe I will make a smaller one eventually too. Welcome to the OLF by the way.

For reference, I made my deck with a couple of finished 2x2x.75 pieces of plywood, some all thread and a few chunks of 1x3 pine. I use it with 24" glass go bars. It's great for braces, as well as assembling tops and backs to rims. I set it off to the side and use it as a table when it's not being used as a go bar deck. I have about 48 go bars and they stick through the holes in the top rim for easy access. The 1x3 frames top and bottom keep the 2x2 plywood from flexing.



HTH,

Chris.

chris, youve got a crazy mixture of gas piping and electricity there in your shop! sorry, i work for a major gas utility and when i noticed i had to say something.

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sweat the small stuff.

I found my rods at the local Lowes. They have 48" fiberglass rods just like the kite store sales. These are in the "for sale" sign area in hardware. I am pretty sure it was Lowes, if not then it was Home Depot.

BTW if it is not obvious make sure you wear safety glasses.

R

I don't think this has been mentioned yet, but cutting fiberglass gobars with a bandsaw blade is a surefire way to motivate you to purchase a new bandsaw blade.

Don't ask me how I know this.

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I taped mine into a bundle and cut them with a Dremel metal cutoff blade. Quick and easy - dont' breathe the dust.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Yep, I said blade, meant wheel.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"