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Posted

I'm planning on building my first acoustic soon. At the moment i am building tools and jigs i will need.

I'm pretty sure i get how to make a go-bar deck. But today i was preparing to make some radius dishes using a radiused sled and a router, then i thought, how am i going to draw the 15 and 25 Foot radiuses? Is there a trick to it or will i have to set up a 25 foot peice of string to draw it?(if you know what i mean) I have read some articles in the mimf library and couldn't find anything on it? What are methods of doing it?

I have also thought about building a fox style bender using LMIs plans has anyone built one these? how was it?

If anyone has other jigs or tools that they use that are easy to build and that they find useful ideas are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Posted

I'm planning on building my first acoustic soon. At the moment i am building tools and jigs i will need.

I'm pretty sure i get how to make a go-bar deck. But today i was preparing to make some radius dishes using a radiused sled and a router, then i thought, how am i going to draw the 15 and 25 Foot radiuses? Is there a trick to it or will i have to set up a 25 foot peice of string to draw it?(if you know what i mean) I have read some articles in the mimf library and couldn't find anything on it? What are methods of doing it?

I have also thought about building a fox style bender using LMIs plans has anyone built one these? how was it?

If anyone has other jigs or tools that they use that are easy to build and that they find useful ideas are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

As far as the radius. I printed mine out using AutoCad. Really it is not too important that it be exactly 25'(a little bigger, or smaller would be fine) it is more important thet the arc is true. I make sure that all of my jigs reference the same arc. Create a reference template and use it for you dish sled, and for your bracing jigs, and sanding blocks. All being the same is most important.

Fox style bender works very well. I use it a lot. You may find yourself playing with little alterations to suit your needs. The basic design is great.

Are you planning on using a mold or workboard? I started with workboard, switched to molds, but after seeing a fellas workbord setup at a show yesterday I may give the workboard back in service(for certain tasks).

Peace,Rich

Posted

... this stuff is in a different language to me!

Yup, it's a slightly different world from solid-body building... but Rich was kind enough to give me a mini crash course yesterday at the show. I'm seeing an acoustic build in my future now. :D

Mike

Posted

Entirely different world. Well, except for the neck below the heel area ;-)

If you google and/or check the MIMF library, maybe links page/documents and files section, there's a spreadsheet there that'll give you measurements to lay out the arches you need accurately off a baseline. Mathy stuff I couldn't be bothered working out, but someone else did it already. There are also descriptions on using a so-called 'long compass' to make the arches. What Rich said, though; as long as its consistent, and you use the same one everywhere, it doesn't really matter if it's not a perfect sphere, or if it's not exactly 25' radius.

Go-bar decks are great, and easy, and I really like fibreglass rods. Intothewind.com has nice little rods that'll yield a bunch of go-bars for not too much money.

As for bending, spend the money on a heat blanket, and make your own bender without plans. All you really need is the right shape and some matching cauls. If you want to go for the upgrade, I'd build a Doolin-style bender:

http://www.doolinguitars.com/articles/bender/

I'm planning on making the next few like that; bit more complex, need one per shape, but it seems like a pretty darn elegant solution.

As for building molds, I've been convinced by the school who says: once the sides are in the mold, they DO NOT move until the top and back are glued on. This makes sure everything stays aligned. I make my molds a hair over 2.5" thick, 3 layers of solid MDF. Enough height to support the sides (although they should come out of the bender 'right'), but shallow enough to be able to radius top and taper and radius the back as well.

Acoustic building is a lot more structured and rigorous than electric building, in many ways, and is an entirely different world, but it's a lot of fun. And stringing up your first acoustic is a magical (if scary...the damn things creak quite loudly the first time you put 200lbs of tension on them...) moment. More so than your first electric. Heck, even if you've built 7-8 electrics already by that time.

Posted

Cheers fryovanni and mattia.

fryovanni- Thanks for that info. Btw i was planning on useing a mold, it seemed it would be better to get consistant results.

Mattia- thanks aswell, i will have a search for the spreadsheet.

Looks as though for the moment i will be busy making molds and jigs as well as making my electrics. I'll post my acoustic build when i start it.

Thanks

Dave

Posted

Dave, and everybody else that might be interested.

I have a step by step tutorial of how to build a Fox style bender without the LMII plans. PM me your E-mail adress and I can send it to you.

Before anyone asks for it: I cannot post it. It didn't make the tutorial (found it some were on the net) and I have lost the link, but I have a "hard copy" of the web page as a Word dockument.

If you PM me, be patient. I'll be out of town for a few days...

Posted

Cheers fryovanni and mattia.

fryovanni- Thanks for that info. Btw i was planning on useing a mold, it seemed it would be better to get consistant results.

Mattia- thanks aswell, i will have a search for the spreadsheet.

Looks as though for the moment i will be busy making molds and jigs as well as making my electrics. I'll post my acoustic build when i start it.

Thanks

Dave

I had a check at the MIMF: go to the links pages off the main page, search it for 'Dish', and you'll get two pages with plenty of interesting dish-making information.

Posted

I have also thought about building a fox style bender using LMIs plans has anyone built one these? how was it?

If anyone has other jigs or tools that they use that are easy to build and that they find useful ideas are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Dave,

If youre building a Fox style bender youll need ceramic sockets for the light bulbs. Dont under any circumstances use normal plastic batten holder fittings..theyll melt and youll probably burn down your workshop. PM me and Ill give you adress of a herpatologist supplier over in Queensland who can supply the proper ceramic lamp holders.

I built myself a Fox style bender but I dont use it much...I do most of my side bending by hand over a hot pipe. Not as easy as the side bender but I like the challenge and Im old fashioned.

Dish forms...I bought mine from LMI. Could have made my own but dont really have the time. For drawing up large radius curves I use a pencil tied to a piece of string. I had a huge garage built just so I could do this!

Cheers Martin

Posted

Dave,

If youre building a Fox style bender youll need ceramic sockets for the light bulbs. Dont under any circumstances use normal plastic batten holder fittings..theyll melt and youll probably burn down your workshop. PM me and Ill give you adress of a herpatologist supplier over in Queensland who can supply the proper ceramic lamp holders.

I built myself a Fox style bender but I dont use it much...I do most of my side bending by hand over a hot pipe. Not as easy as the side bender but I like the challenge and Im old fashioned.

Dish forms...I bought mine from LMI. Could have made my own but dont really have the time. For drawing up large radius curves I use a pencil tied to a piece of string. I had a huge garage built just so I could do this!

Cheers Martin

Pm Sent.

Yeah i'd heard about using ceramic socket but haven't located a supplier yet.

I have though about the LMII dishes but for the $80US plus shipping to australia, i figured it would be better to build my own.

cheers

Dave

Posted

Pm Sent.

Yeah i'd heard about using ceramic socket but haven't located a supplier yet.

I have though about the LMII dishes but for the $80US plus shipping to australia, i figured it would be better to build my own.

cheers

Dave

Posted

Thanks rich. I'm pretty sure I'll be making all of my jigs and radius dishes to save a few bucks and add to the gratification factor. I just thought I'd mention that I didn't think lmii was supplying them anymore, because I was curious a while back.

peace,

russ

Posted

Heh. I build jigs because I feel it's a good learning experience, but mostly because it's cheaper. Not because I particularly enjoy doing it. The results, the ease jigs afford, yes. Making the jigs? No.

Posted

Thanks rich. I'm pretty sure I'll be making all of my jigs and radius dishes to save a few bucks and add to the gratification factor. I just thought I'd mention that I didn't think lmii was supplying them anymore, because I was curious a while back.

peace,

russ

I figured it was too difficult for you Russ :D . I make my own. I had fun figuring out how to make the jig to make the jig :D , but I don't really like making them that much. It is a messy little task. It does save some bucks though. A couple dollars worth of material and you are in business. Good luck with them!

Peace,Rich

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