A Little Budget Question

[Pott]

For those of you in Europe or the UK (not that it's different but er... ) and well, even the US if you wish...

I can't find any online dealership in Europe for powertools. Right now I have the wood budget which is of 100 pounds (101.4 pounds to be picky but who cares). I was wondering about those who, like I'm about to do, built their own guitar with NO material or tools. How much was it for the tools you bought? And I'm talking the minimum for an electric guitar. I.e router, a couple of files, wood glue, maybe a cheap drill press and a budget but decent bandsaw. My estimates brought the total cost of the guitar at around 350 pounds/500 euros. Does this seem correct to you guys so far?

[Simo]

I'd recommend... http://www.axminster.co.uk their catalogue has just about anything you could want for woodworking, and their service is top notch.

[Setch]

True, good place, though they can be a touch pricey.

You also try screwfix, who are a bit more budget, but with correspondingly lower prices.

[Pott]

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=21362&recno=13 this seems like it'd do it for guitar. I think it has all the features I'd need.

That one seems even more attractive http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.js...=72038&id=22602

And that

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.js...=72431&id=49902

I don't think I'd need much more, tool wise. The drill press... Well it's for sidedots and holes only, i guess I can take care of that with a manual drill if I'm very careful? Would this work in case I really need one?

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.js...=72630&id=19847

Yeah I ask too many questions, I'd just rather be 100% sure before investing.

Edited September 1, 2005 by Pott

[Bytrix]

Good thread, I was gonna ask the same thing, I'm hoping to build a few guitars over the coming years (and hence spread out the cost of the tools, so it's not like I just bought them to make one guitar).

I'm currently looking for a router, bandsaw and drillpress, but there are so many models of each it's hard to know what to get. Plus I've never routed anything before, so that is the one I really have no idea about.

[Pott]

I hope that this thread could then be sumed up to get something like 'basic starting tools'

Now what remains is bandsaw vs jigsaw and manual vs drill press. For accuracy it seems that the bandsaw and drill press win but for facility of use, it's a close call.

[ByronBlack]

I hope that this thread could then be sumed up to get something like 'basic starting tools'

Now what remains is bandsaw vs jigsaw and manual vs drill press. For accuracy it seems that the bandsaw and drill press win but for facility of use, it's a close call.

←

I was in your sitution a couple of months ago, and here is a list of tools that i've bought, some were before, and others were during my current build when I realised I needed a certain tool.

All these tools were either bought from Axminster, Screwfix, Ebay or B&Q

1. Ryobi 1/4, 1/2 Router - Ebayer = £39 (Fantastic buy)

2. 10 f Glue Clamps - Screwfix = £25 approx

3. 2 1100mm Sash Clamps - Axminster = £16

4. 10" SIP Bandsaw - Ebay = £120

5. Ferm Drill Press - Screwfix = £35 (Utter crap)

6. 6" Rexxon Jointer - Screwfix = £169 (will be used for many other projects)

7. Faithfull No.4 Plane and block plane - ebay = £25 (my favourite and most used tools)

8. Drum Sander Kit - Screwfix = £10

9. Spokeshave - Screwfix = £6 (again, total crap, do not buy)

10. Rasps - Screwfix = £can't remember

11. Needle Files - Screwfix £5

12. Sheload of sandpaper - Screwfix

13. Black & Decker Mouse Palm Sander - B&Q = £25 (invaluble little tool)

14. " " Rotary tool - B&Q = £20 (brilliant for inlays and small cutting/grooving).

There is other stuff that I purchased, but not nessacarily for guitar building, i've used all of the above tools so far on my current build and its made my life a lot easier, however you can do without most of the powertools, but I would say the bandsaw is the most valuable alongside the router.

I hope that helps anyone.

[Bytrix]

I just read your thred in the tools section, as ever on here, everyone has an opinion of what's best, that's why I can't make up my mind on what to get, what is considered the right power, or size, not too small or too large.

[ByronBlack]

I just read your thred in the tools section, as ever on here, everyone has an opinion of what's best, that's why I can't make up my mind on what to get, what is considered the right power, or size, not too small or too large.

←

It depends on two things:

1. Budget

2. What you want it to do.

The best advice I was given was buy the right tool for the right job at the right price. Which basically means if you really need a specific tool your best of getting the very best that you can afford or sometimes ones that you can't afford :-) (overdrafts, loans and credit cards can help you here)

From my short experience, I would say invest in a good router and some good quality hand-tools, tenon saw, planes and clamps, I never realised how many clamps you need! These have now become my most used tools. A Bandsaw is great though, and as on the other discussion there are a lot of opinions on how big or powerful you need. But for guitar building and unless you need to do re-sawing a 10-12" is very useful.

I think the general consensus on routers is to get atleast a 1/2 collet capable router - these tend to be 1100Watt which is ample power. You can make your own router table which will prove to be extremely handy as well.

A block plane with a sharpened blade will prove to be useful.

[Pott]

What's a plane?

Please don't say something that flies.

[Mattia]

What's a plane?

Please don't say something that flies.

←

....

Right. Looky here: http://www.axminster.co.uk/category.asp?cat_id=207024

Planes and scrapers are your friends. Spokeshaves can be fun too.

[Pott]

So I guess I'd need a nielsen one and a spokeshave right?

[Mattia]

Hee!

Ahum. Sorry.

Lie-Nielsen's spokeshaves are the finest in the business, and a block plane from them will set you back quite a bit. I doubt you'd regret the purchase, but you would blow half your budget right then and there.

Personally, I'd rather have a microplane rasp, then a spokeshave, and a far cheaper Record or Stanley will do. Stanley block plane or low angle block plane, and/or a Jack plane (#4) would be my reccomendations for a first plane. Then google some on plane tuning, and learn some sharpening, because planes are worse then useless if not set up and sharpened correctly.

If you can stretch to Lie-Nielsen tools, do so, but most of us can't. I wish I could, but I know I can't.

[Batfink]

I would say the essential tool is a bit of experience !

I've very little woodworking experience, like virtually none, and i've been staring at a neck and body blank since the beginning of the year perplexed over what tools i need to get the job done. Over last weekend i snapped, after talking to my neighbour who's a builder about making a 10 degree cut to the neck blank so i could achieve an angled headstock, he couldn't really help me apart from telling me to saw it carefully (no sh-t !) by hand, so i grabbed a rip saw and went for it - obviously the cut went askew and i ended up with a VERY off angle cut. While i sat there staring at the two peices wondering if i should just hit the credit card on Warmoth's site and forget the idea i noticed my Surform (£4.99) sitting there giving me the old 'come on then' and a moment of clarity ensued. Thirty minetes later and hey presto two angled pieces that (almost) perfectly mated together, grabbing clamps and Titebond i set about joining the two in unholy union. A couple of hours later and it's clamp off time, the joints solid and looks good apart from a 1mm gap at one edge - continue my mind tells me so with coping saw in hand (£3.95) i proceed to carefully (staying well away from my guide lines) cut the main neck shape out designing my headstock design virtually on the fly. A short while later, covered in sawdust and sweat i stand back and take stock- hey, it doesn't look too bad at all and the gap that i had on the joint was only at the very outer edge and the joint that is left is perfect. Pick up chisel and route the truss rod channel, again not the best idea i've ever had but after about an hour it's done and the rod is reasonably tight into the channel (U section aluminium one). I spent the next hour or two tidying up the cutting with Surform, Microplane and sanding block and the neck blank is complete.

Now, i know the 'proffessional' people on this board, if reading this, are already reaching for either valium or a shotgun to stop this mad idiot from going any further in such an amatuer fashion BUT my point is that you don't need a fully equipped workshop to make a start on your own guitar but you do need a heap of time and at least some degree of patience.

Personnally i've read just about all i can about making guitars over the past year or two and i think a few of you out there who, like myself, have zero woodworking skills find themselves in the same boat worrying about the conflicting opinions about what you need to make a start so much so that you never do make a start. In the end i just needed to really push myself and the way i looked at it was even if i'd made a complete mess with the blank it was only £5 worth of maple and i must have learned something in the process. OK, will the headstock snap off as soon as i string it up - perhaps, will the truss rod do what it's supossed to do - perhaps not, am i proud of myself i've ACTUALLY made a start - absof--kinglutely !

Jem

PS: will it be entered for GOTM - absolutley not, but at least now i've started down the road and perhaps someday i'll be happy enough to enter one.

[ByronBlack]

I would say the essential tool is a bit of experience ! 

I've very little woodworking experience, like virtually none, and i've been staring at a neck and body blank since the beginning of the year perplexed over what tools i need to get the job done. Over last weekend i snapped, after talking to my neighbour who's a builder about making a 10 degree cut to the neck blank so i could achieve an angled headstock, he couldn't really help me apart from telling me to saw it carefully (no sh-t !) by hand, so i grabbed a rip saw and went for it - obviously the cut went askew and i ended up with a VERY off angle cut. While i sat there staring at the two peices wondering if i should just hit the credit card on Warmoth's site and forget the idea i noticed my Surform (£4.99) sitting there giving me the old 'come on then' and a moment of clarity ensued. Thirty minetes later and hey presto two angled pieces that (almost) perfectly mated together, grabbing clamps and Titebond i set about joining the two in unholy union. A couple of hours later and it's clamp off time, the joints solid and looks good apart from a 1mm gap at one edge - continue my mind tells me so with coping saw in hand (£3.95) i proceed to carefully (staying well away from my guide lines) cut the main neck shape out designing my headstock design virtually on the fly. A short while later, covered in sawdust and sweat i stand back and take stock- hey, it doesn't look too bad at all and the gap that i had on the joint was only at the very outer edge and the joint that is left is perfect. Pick up chisel and route the truss rod channel, again not the best idea i've ever had but after about an hour it's done and the rod is reasonably tight into the channel (U section aluminium one). I spent the next hour or two tidying up the cutting with Surform, Microplane and sanding block and the neck blank is complete.

Now, i know the 'proffessional' people on this board, if reading this, are already reaching for either valium or a shotgun to stop this mad idiot from going any further in such an amatuer fashion BUT my point is that you don't need a fully equipped workshop to make a start on your own guitar but you do need a heap of time and at least some degree of patience.

Personnally i've read just about all i can about making guitars over the past year or two and i think a few of you out there who, like myself, have zero woodworking skills find themselves in the same boat worrying about the conflicting opinions about what you need to make a start so much so that you never do make a start. In the end i just needed to really push myself and the way i looked at it was even if i'd made a complete mess with the blank it was only £5 worth of maple and i must have learned something in the process. OK, will the headstock snap off as soon as i string it up - perhaps, will the truss rod do what it's supossed to do - perhaps not, am i proud of myself i've ACTUALLY made a start - absof--kinglutely !

Jem 

PS: will it be entered for GOTM - absolutley not, but at least now i've started down the road and perhaps someday i'll be happy enough to enter one.

←

batfink, good post, and this is roughly how my first build is going, apart from a little router and bandsaw work, i've mostly used planes and surforms to clean up the edges and most of the shaping, although I did balls-up the scarf-joint ;(

I think its good to learn how to use hand-tools, it gives a deeper appreciation of power tools when you use them, and it also gives you some skills to fall back on when you can't use power tools or when its not appropriate (like 3am in the morning :-)

[68 lost souls]

Im in the same kind of situation and was wondering how deep the plunge depth should be in a router and what rating should I look for?

[Pr3Va1L]

bah something like 1" should be enough... maybe a bit more for some neck pockets but not all that much (depends on bit sizes too...)