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Maybe A Stupid Question: Straight Lines


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I feel like a tart asking this, but bear with me . . . What is the best way to cut straight lines on a guitar, especially (but not limited to) highly figured wood? I have built tables which were square with straight lines, but I could plane those and not worry about things like neck alignment and other instrument-considerations.

I guess I am moderately concerned since a curved surface seems to be more easily corrected than a total straight line. Is it best to rough-cut it with the bandsaw and then file/sand it down to your straight-drawn line (on the template) or template (on the guitar body a/o copies of the template)? Or can you use a table skill saw with the sliding board, maybe using a straight edge planed board as a guide? The sliding table saw seems like it would work, but would that be more likely to cause tearout? And once I have a perfectly straight template, do I just tape the template to the wood and then route around it and then sand? Also, any tips to make sure you sand it straight and not angle it one way or the other?

As always, if there is a thread about this, please let me know.

-Cheers

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I feel like a tart asking this, but bear with me . . .

You know, I'm all for asking questions....but there's a point where it starts becoming spam. Tart spam, if you will. If only because your list of questions just serves to push everyone else's questions and topics to the next page, where they'll be less likely to get attention.

Most of your questions can easily be answered by searching through the forum. I recognize that the search function blows, but you'll get there.

Once you've actually started your project, you'll be able to start a thread for it in the progress section and ask all the questions you need. You can also start a thread in the vein of 'newbie needs help' (go ahead and search for that, there are probably dozens). You'll probably generate a lot of interest, and you can ask all your questions in there.

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You know, I'm all for asking questions....but there's a point where it starts becoming spam. Tart spam, if you will. If only because your list of questions just serves to push everyone else's questions and topics to the next page, where they'll be less likely to get attention.

My sincere apologies for that. I was not meaning to bog down the list. This is a new skill for me, and I tend to ask a lot of questions at first. I will take your below suggestion at that time.

Most of your questions can easily be answered by searching through the forum. I recognize that the search function blows, but you'll get there.

I actually use the search function a lot, believe it or not. I just did not know how to phrase this perhaps for searching.

Once you've actually started your project, you'll be able to start a thread for it in the progress section and ask all the questions you need. You can also start a thread in the vein of 'newbie needs help' (go ahead and search for that, there are probably dozens). You'll probably generate a lot of interest, and you can ask all your questions in there.

Will do. I will chill out with the questions until then.

Any good carpentry book or class will give you these answers. If you can't make a straight flat edge in the first place, then building a guitar is beyond your skillset. Time for some basics first. Instruments aren't a jump-right-in kind of project.

I can take that advice. I know how to make flat edges, however I DO worry about it with something as precise as an instrument, and with fragile figured wood. My teacher at my woodworking class had some suggestions, but not really very precise ones. I am probably overthinking this to some extent, but was unsure if using something like a table-bound skill saw or a band saw and a sanding board were going to be precise enough. I am used to making things like tables or cutting laminate floors with a Skill Saw, but slight mistakes there are pretty easily correctable. However, I will do some book reading and not ask so many basic questions.

At any rate, my apologies.

-Cheers

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My sincere apologies for that. I was not meaning to bog down the list. This is a new skill for me, and I tend to ask a lot of questions at first.

Perfectly understandable. I'm definitely not trying to diminish your enthusiasm for the project. It's a lot of fun. Tell you what though, you'll learn most of what you need by going hands-on.

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To answer the question, though, I find that I get a lot of use out of a long, flat sanding board, and a template router bit with a straight edged template (which is more often than not, a piece of hardwood that's been run through the jointer).

You'll definitely get better and better at it, and find what works and what doesn't, the more you actually build.

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I'll recommend you go to either a local machine shop, a fabrication shop, or maaaybe a home improvement store. Go look for a square barstock of steel or aluminum. They'll usually be very straight.

The other place to look, is at an art supply store or drafting/engineering store, and get a stainless steel rule. Those guys are very clean and straight. You can use it to rest against, say, the back of a neck, to reveal high and low spots. This is a technique you'd benefit from an amateur woodworking class, because they'll teach you, hands-on, what you need to look for physically an visually.

And before you build your first guitar, build a complete mockup from pine. Go get a length of 2"x8" board, and start there. You'll get great experience trying to plane and flatten the edges square to join to sections together for a body blank. After that, the skills you'll learn in a full class will get you tons of actual experience and hands-on understanding of the principles of clean accurate woodworking.

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