M_A_T_T

I feal like I would Be leting them all down If I gave up,

How are you giving up? Just keep making guitars. You've started this craft for the wrong reasons if it's to make money. Most do it for fun, and eventually become pro if they are good enough.

VERY GOOD advice. It makes alot more sence now.

Thanks guys.

The back is done, for now. I will start the top very soon.

The heel transition looks odd here:

http://westhemann.com/my%20music/pics/IM000019.JPG

Like the Mahogany thought.

1/4" have more play in them. The 1/2" is more solid.

Does it pull less wood off? I know that going slow and taking less off reduces the tear out but he is feeding sooooo fast in this video? 

Yes, he says in the video it reduces tearout in the critical areas. I actually don't think he's feeding terribly fast, you could see on the close-up near the end he's taking light cuts.

My opinion would be to stop looking for shortcut answers and learn how to use your tools.

The fact of the matter is, BigD bought a rediculously large, expensive and IMO, excessive machine and he doesnt really know how to use it. You NEED to practice with the tools you have.

I agree with both these quotes. It seems like you're looking for short cuts to pump out bodies to stick on ebay, yet you haven't fully mastered actually building a high quality instrument, from what I've read in your threads in the progress section.

It's like like you haven't even got your licence, yet you plan on racing in the indy 500. My advice would be to slow down. Master the use of 'home workshop' tools, and you will have a much easier time with industrial sized equiptment, if/when that time comes.

Sometimes when scraping, you have to change your 'attack' angle in order not to 'tear out' wood roughly, ...depending on where you are on the top and the orientation of the grain at that point... to get a nice clean shaving.

And so it is with a router. Sometimes I have to go 'backwards' when approaching certain parts of the body/grain, usually this is in the middle of the body, it seems tearout happens most frequently to me in that area. I will travel the router in reverse, taking a -lot of light passes-, until I get to the -very- -last- -pass-, then I go forward, and I have eliminated a large amount of tearout problems doing it this way.

I've noticed the scraper thing while doing my violin.

The thing about going backwards with a router, isn't that common sense? I learned that LONG ago. It's pretty noticable when you are rounding over egdes to go backwards in some areas. Basically, look at the direction of the grain along the shaping of the body's edges/sides, and how it relates to the router bit. The router bit is no different that any other cutting tool, such as a chisel, and if you cut against the grain, you will most likely get tearout. Obviously with a router you can't re-orientate the piece to cut with the grain (unless you want to flip over the body and reset your temps), so you must go backwards.

When you do go backwards, however, and especially when doing sides, make sure you have GOOD control of your router, or body, depending on how you are cutting it, because the bit will 'grab' when going backwards.

Myka's tip is very good. I think the 'shear' bit he's refering to is also known as a 'rake'. The cutters have a positive 'rake', or angle of a few degrees (I've seen some with 4 degree rakes) to them.

I like the high bidder, 'stupidperson333'.

would building an upright bass be similar to a voilin, would it be the same construction  methods but just on a larger scale?

nice work Matt.

Thanks for the compliment.

Yes, DB's are constructed in much the same way, though not as similar as viola's & 'cello's are to the violin. If you are interested, here are some sites I have bookmarked relating to that subject:

http://www.tanglefootmusic.com/info/bass/making_bass.htm

http://homepages.enterprise.net/gwyllum/ba...bassmaking.html

http://www.smokin-grass.com/as787.html

http://www.centrum.is/hansi/mesbass.html

Here is one listing some books & building plans:

http://www.violins.on.ca/bassbook.html

I myself am interested in this subject, and have been thinking of building a flat-back, probably out of 'alternitave' woods, due to costs. I was also pondering making the bass quite LARGE, like at least 8' tall, just because I could.....

First off, wrong section.....I would go with Brad Point Bits. They are designed for wood. As for HSS or HCS, I don't know off hand.

EDIT: Here's an article about HSS & HCS:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...cat=1,180,42240

You could sell neck-thru's for more $$$, and they have a more boutique-ness to them.

I would personally focus on just making instruments of a high quality and sell a few, basically as a hobby or supplement income, instead of looking at the cheapest, easiest ways to blast 'em out. There are lots of guys that do that, and it's hard to turn it into a full time career.

so im guessing that £51 wasnt a bad price for this?

I paid $10 for a 'Raven' once, looked just like yours......I paid too much.

Welcome aboard!

Fender might have came up with the burst in order to cover up flaws on the sides of the guitar bodies

I don't know, Gibson used sunburst on their mandolins long before Fender was around. I think they used it because it looked nice. You could cover up mistakes with it though.

How'd you price them?

I priced them so I made at least a little money back. I also had to take into account the store's consignment fee.

Did you build them for a specific customer?

I've done that twice, but I find it to be too much pressure.

has anyone here turned making guitars into a fulltime business?

At least two guys have, LGM Guitars & Ormsby Guitars.

So you've done this with your instruments?

If it's at the tuner, a good way to alleviate that is to put a lot of winds on, and make sure they're perfectly stacked. That way the pressure is dispersed a little. But more importantly, the string makes it's final pass around the tuner towards the bottom, where the shaft is smoother. In other words, the string doesn't cut across the hole or the bevel at that point. It's past that part and onto the lower section.

←

Good point. I always wind my strings, 7-8 times for the high E, around the tuner shaft then put the end of the string through the hole. Creates more friction and stays in tune better.

The finish will most likely be polyester, which is quite hard to remove with any stripper.

I know with FENDER'S, the base coat on bodies, whether Mexican or American, is polyester, the top coat on the Mexican instruments is polyester also, but on American Fenders it's polyurethane. Polyurethane is used on all necks.

I'm not sure what the body will be made of. It may be plywood, or it may be multi-piece poplar or agathis, possibly laminated with birch on the top and back (for the sunburst models)...whatever it is, it probably won't be pretty.

If it's breaking right at the tuner you have a sharpness around the hole where the string enters the tuner shaft. Take a look at it.

If it were me, and this was the problem, I would take a small file, or a counter sink bit (by hand) and remove the bur/sharpness that's breaking my string.

While working on it today, I took this pic:

I thought I'd share it because I think it's kinda cool.

(I'm using the spotlight to detect any irregularities in the arching, and scraping them out.)

I don't know where you are from but it is quite easy to get a sponsor in the form of a regional music store to front the cost of an "exclusive" locally made axe. Ask around. All they can say is no. Or, heck, yes!

If you have a viable plan, which you do, you take it in and find out what they sell or can get for the project and ask them if they would like to promote an in-store exclusive axe. They provide the materiels that they can, you supply the labor and talent. They get to put it in the front window as an exclusive and use it in advertising. It is actually quite cheap for them as advertising needs a "catch" to work. Players from all over will want to come in and see this one-of-a-kind beast. It works, I tell ya! Eventually you do get to play it, sell it, whatever. But for now, you don't need to come up with all the cash.

I've never heard of that. Have you done this? The closest that I have done to that is consign instruments. I've also heard of stores buying the instrument from you when it's done, then selling at a mark up, but never heard of them sponsoring, or supplying materials.

"I'd be careful and check the credentials of anyone who offers or accepts a commissioned job for you."

Dido. I've seen three separate cases of 'luthiers' making their first sales through forums, with not so pleasant outcomes.

I wouldn't see it a problem to start a thread (or just use this one) to ask us if a particular member is a good choice for the job.

Also, be aware that even if someone has '*******Guitars' as their name, that doesn't necessarily make them a professional, ask any of the older members...

I would check out LMI for 'boards. They offer a larger selection of woods, as well as many different scales on their pre-slots.