Curtis P Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 In your opinon, besides the router, and bandsaw, what is the most usefull tool on the market these days? I have to say sand paper, my right arm will be bigger then arnie's by the time i take a 1 peice body blank and sand it to the right size, but it still gives you the power to do everything you have to on the guitar (since most of the building is sanding in my humble opinon) Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 all of them... a couple of tools can do quite a few things... but compared to how well specific tools do their 1 or 2 job's.. it's hard to say... like sanpaper is great.. but a scrapper is much more efficient.. but it's not as versitile or flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 all of them... a couple of tools can do quite a few things... but compared to how well specific tools do their 1 or 2 job's.. it's hard to say... like sanpaper is great.. but a scrapper is much more efficient.. but it's not as versitile or flexible. Very good answer Derek. My bandsaw is very useful for cutting out bodies/necks and resawing, but it can't route, or joint, or thickness. I would say my bandsaw and stationary beltsanders are the most used tools in my shop, to answer your question Curtis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 Measuring tools, like my new "blind man's" digital calipers. I mean if you don't know what size everything is, then how the hell do you know where to sand, rout, and how much to take off ? The $13.00 trim router from Harbor Freights sale yesterday looks like it might be fun too. Nice and narrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 I think your all wrong.. A CNC is the most useful tool you can have.. but who can afford that.. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 I changed my mind. I think a vise is one of the most useful tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 Yeah.. CNC and a vise is all you need.. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted October 3, 2004 Report Share Posted October 3, 2004 If I could only have one tool, it would be my half-round file. I simply could not survive without it, or a set of files. The next tool on my list would be my 1/4" chisel. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joej Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 I don't know about most useful -- but the japanese draw saws I have make me very happy. I don't have a band saw, so the table saw & router are most useful to me now. Sorry I can't help with a "what is third on the list?" :-) -- joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 My hands! Without them I think I would have a hard time building anything. Beside I sand for more hours than any other tool usage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdguitars Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 Hands.... lol thats very true, need all digits to play guitar. actually mine is my new digital calipers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 For me a big eraser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGHbuilder86 Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 I would have to disagree with the CNC machine being the most useful tool. I guess you could say that it is the most useful tool, but who needs em? You are no longer handmaking guitars, it’s just another machine made guitar. To me, the fun of making a guitar is making it by hand, it’s also more valuable being handmade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 Howdy, Personally I think that the most useful tool that I have is the wetware between my ears. It allows me to figure out what other tools I will use and when to use them. Otherwise, CHAOS would reign. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Bell Posted October 4, 2004 Report Share Posted October 4, 2004 Loads of different sized clamps are very useful but my favourite tool would be my drill press. Although not essential it makes a lot of jobs much easier and with a bit of lateral thinking you can use it for all sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joej Posted October 5, 2004 Report Share Posted October 5, 2004 Lol -- clamps! Somedays, I believe that all I do is clamp and glue. Good answer! -- joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 My PC with PG in the favorites. Without this I probably wouldn't have even started. But my favorite tool has to be a BIG hammer, just not much use in guitar building Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 I would have to disagree with the CNC machine being the most useful tool. I guess you could say that it is the most useful tool, but who needs em? You are no longer handmaking guitars, it’s just another machine made guitar. To me, the fun of making a guitar is making it by hand, it’s also more valuable being handmade. Give me your router and your templates and your band saw and your sander and... etc. etc. , then you can talk to me about your guitars being hand made. A cnc is just another tool. In the hands of someone who doesn't know what they are doing, it just makes useless dust and splinters. Sorry I don't mean to go on a rant, it is just frustrating to me when people who obviously have no idea what is involved in making a guitar on a cnc, start going on about hand made. Now I'm done and I feel much better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simo Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 Doesn't really class as a tool but my dust extractor is the most useful thing in my workshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 I would have to disagree with the CNC machine being the most useful tool. I guess you could say that it is the most useful tool, but who needs em? You are no longer handmaking guitars, it’s just another machine made guitar. To me, the fun of making a guitar is making it by hand, it’s also more valuable being handmade. Give me your router and your templates and your band saw and your sander and... etc. etc. , then you can talk to me about your guitars being hand made. A cnc is just another tool. In the hands of someone who doesn't know what they are doing, it just makes useless dust and splinters. Sorry I don't mean to go on a rant, it is just frustrating to me when people who obviously have no idea what is involved in making a guitar on a cnc, start going on about hand made. Now I'm done and I feel much better I did a week long work experience program through my highschool at Larrivee Guitars in Vancouver, Canada. One of the days I was there I was on one of the Fadal CNC Machines slotting and profiling a dozen or so fingerboards at a time. All I did was stand there and press a couple buttons, watch the machine work on the fingerboards, then switch out the next dozen, and the guy that actually operated the machine sat in a chair behind me and watched... I guess if you program the machines there's alot of work going into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 lol... I never had the luxury of using a CNC either, but I still think it's the most useful tool for guitar building if you had a choice. WE DON'T HAVE THAT CHOICE THOUGH... we are stuck with templates and hand held, table top routers. You did say most useful right? I think with a CNC you could do almost anything, inlays, routing, carving, cutting fret slots.. etc. Why wouldn't htat be the most useful tool anyone could have? If you won't let me vote that, then I vote Electricity!!! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 All I did was stand there and press a couple buttons, watch the machine work on the fingerboards, then switch out the next dozen, and the guy that actually operated the machine sat in a chair behind me and watched... In a high production situation, as a machine operator, Lex is right on. You just stand there loading parts and pushing the start button. Typically though operators arent trained to do much more that that. The skills I am talking about are designing, programming, and building fixtures. lol... I never had the luxury of using a CNC either, but I still think it's the most useful tool for guitar building if you had a choice. WE DON'T HAVE THAT CHOICE THOUGH... we are stuck with templates and hand held, table top routers. You did say most useful right? I think with a CNC you could do almost anything, inlays, routing, carving, cutting fret slots.. etc. Why wouldn't htat be the most useful tool anyone could have? If you won't let me vote that, then I vote Electricity!!! lol When I think of the possibilities for custom inlay or body carving, for the custom guitar maker, it is just endless. I know most don't have access to this equipment, I just happen to work in a place where I do, and I don't have access to alot of nice wood working tools, so cnc for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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