Dugz Ink Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 So I was thinking about the string-thru bridge I'm putting on my guitar, and looking at the ugly ferrules that I bought from Stew-Mac. It's not that Stew-Mac sold something to me that was bad... they didn't... the ferrules just look like little ugly pieces of metal. So I thought about making something out of brass. Where would I find some brass that I could use? DING! The reloading bench! So I pulled out a bunch of rifle and pistol cartridges. I really liked the idea of using 30-30 rifle casings, or maybe 357 Magnum pistol casings... and the primer pockets were big enough for the ball-end of a guitar string. However, when I set several side-by-side, I realised that 6 cartridges were wider than the guitar's bridge. Then I pulled out a 223 rifle cartridge. PERFECT! All you have to do is 1) find/buy some empty casings or previously fired casings, 2) cut them to the length that you want, and 3) knock out the little silver primer with a thin drift-punch. CAUTION: Do NOT do this unless you are certain that the primer cannot go off. If you do not know how to tell, do not attempt this unless you either get the casing from a person who is truly competent with firearms, or you buy them from a reputatble company that sells non-fired un-primed empty casings. No, a "live" primer will not blow your head or your arm off. But if you crush a live primer, it WILL go off, and it can send tiny fragments of metal flying everywhere... which can do everything from sting your skin to ruin your eye. Just a thought, for those of you who are looking for something a little different. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 good idea...you can get the casings here http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteabrowse/2/...**670***9013*** wonder if boot eyelets would work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 Yeah, Midway USA is a good place to shop; good quality, low prices, great service. In the item description(s), look for the line "New, unprimed brass." If it says that, then the brass casings are clean and shiny, and they are completely safe. And for $4 you can have a box of 20... enough to do two guitars and two basses. Just order other stuff at the same time; they charge extra for any order under $25. But they have all sorts of cool stuff. That's where I buy Brownell's Acra-Weld (killer epoxy); it costs less to buy it from Midway USA than it does to buy it direct from Brownells. Now that I think about it, that might be a good thing to buy at the same time; the Acra-Weld will permanently bond (or at least for the next century) the brass to the wood. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 That is an insanely cool idea for the right guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 they also stock tru oil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 (edited) Hey Drak, are you thinking rifle shells would look good on a telecaster that happens to have a Steers head soundhole? Hey, they even sell nickel plated shells! Cool. Edited November 7, 2004 by javacody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 Gee, how'd you guess? Along with THIS bridge and one of THESE straps. Whar's mah big ole' black hat dangit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 That is a cool idea! Thanks for the link too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2004 I've had a couple PMs about this idea, so I thought I should post some more details. The 223 cartridge is known as a "rimless" cartridge because the rim is the same width as the base of the body... so you can't use the rim to keep the cartridge from sinking into the guitar body. However, like all modern rifle cartridgees, the 223 has a light taper (to make extraction easier) that runs the entire length of the body, then a "shoulder" that tapers quickly down to the "neck" of the cartridge. Here's a nice graphic with dimensions. You could drill holes that were .375" in diameter, then seal the cartridge in place with epoxy. That would fill the gap created by the taper in the cartridge, and hold it very secure. You could also run the cartridge all the way through the body and trim/file the neck until it is level with the face of the guitar. If you're using a string-thru bridge, the brass cartridges would press against the bridge, and never move. You could even drill the holes at an angle, with a .375" diameter hole for about 1½" and then continue the rest of the way with a .25" diameter hole. (The brass and the wood are soft enough that a .253" neck will fit into a .25" hole.) Just some ideas for all of you guitar-slingers. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Dugz, would the end of the string protrude over the end of the casing or will it sit down inside like a normal ferrule? I cant seem to figure this out. I really think this is a cool idea but I cant figure out if it will give a clean look on the back or not. I REALLY want to try it. It will definately give some attitude to a guitar. P.S. What is the smallest diameter casing you know of? I dont know what im looking for on that midway site. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 would the end of the string protrude over the end of the casing or will it sit down inside like a normal ferrule? "Centerfire" rifle cartridges have a small pocket where the primer (think: igniter) is placed. The primer pocklet on a 223 is just a little wider than the standard ball that is on the end of a guitar string, but it is half as deep as it is wide, so part of the ball will be sticking out of the primer pocket. NOTE: The primer pocket is located in the left-hand end of the diagram that is in in my previous post. It would be as deep as the rim and the indent that are on that end of the casing. What is the smallest diameter casing you know of? I believe that the 223 is the smallest centerfire rifle cartridge in production at the moment. The old 30 Carbine (World War II) was a shorter cartridge that had a similar base diameter, and can also be purchased at Midway USA... but I don't have any of those casings laying around, so I haven't measured them against a guitar bridge or guitar strings. If I remember right, the 30 Carbine has a wider primer pocket, which would probably be okay. (My beloved bride has a 223, among other calibers, so we have a lot of empty casings laying around.) There are smaller casings, but they're "rimfire" cartridges; instead of having a primer pocket, the primer material is built into the casing (like a 22) so you don't have a pocket or a hole for the string and ball. When I build a bass guitar, I'll measure the bridge/strings/balls to see which cartridge will work for them. I'm thinking a 30-30 might work, and it would look pretty cool... but I also don't know if a "standard" cartridge will will stand up to the heavier string tension. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Thanks a lot D! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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