J.C. Harrist

Wow. Beautiful work. I really like the way you did those fret markers. Look forward to more pics.

Why not just get skulls that were designed to be volume knobs?

Like these

Also only $5.

I've found most "brand name" tuners these days are of pretty decent quality. Like others, I'd rate the Wilky's and Grover's at about the same level of acceptable while at the top end of the scale are Schaller and Sperzel with Gotoh's somewhere in between.

Just beware of the no-name and the "economy" tuners that some suppliers are selling. The quality of those can be really hit or miss.

I have a router table and I still prefer to do it with a handheld router.

I do it on a B&D Workmate with an edge guide.

Less set-up time and it doesn't matter if the edges of my neck blank aren't perfectly straight.

Like this:

Clickies:

http://h1.ripway.com/jcharrist/guitars/trusschannel02.jpg

http://h1.ripway.com/jcharrist/guitars/trusschannel03.jpg

I've got what's called a "travel Iron". It's a mini clothes iron about 3-1/2" wide by 6" long (damn old, probably 70's, but works fine). Quite nice for fret-board removal and it doesn't want to tip off the board nearly as easily as a full sized clothes iron.

I use a small Norelco travel iron as well. Works like a charm.

http://h1.ripway.com/jcharrist/guitars/fbremoval02.jpg

http://h1.ripway.com/jcharrist/guitars/fbremoval03.jpg

Generally takes about 20-30 minutes but the neck and fretboard are almost always reuseable.