M_A_T_T

Thanks. I also sandblasted it and painted it with an aluminum spray paint to get an anodized aluminum look (my original material of choice), then added some black square end cappers I found at homedepot. I have since added some rubbery feet to the ends of the legs so it doesn't slide around on my melamine topped workbench.

Here is one I made:

http://files.photojerk.com/mmaatt/misc/newcaliper.jpg

It started out with a wooden frame a dial caliper, but I found these cool digital indicators at Lee Valley, and was able to weld up a sturdy steel frame at my work.

http://www.piedrablanca.org/Images/balsa-trees-b.JPG

I've read they grow quite fast, don't live very long, and rot real quick after they die.

i wonder how many people know that balsa is actually a hardwood (no relevance to the post, just stating facts)

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Yup, it's a 'soft hardwood' . Softwoods are Pine, Fir, Spruce, etc - the ones that don't actually have leaves, but needles or scaley looking 'leaves' and produce cones.

Hardwoods have leaves, which they loose in winter, and produce nuts, fruits, or seeds of some kind.

....I think.....

Okay, this came up on a violin making forum about some guy who made these hidious looking violins out of balsa wood as an experitment. It got discussed and someone mentioned how Gibson used Balsa as a core material in on of there electric guitars, and the guy says how Balsa is a great tonewood for electrics....... I just posted that it ISN'T a great tonewood for ANY instrument, and that I've never heard of it being used....or am I wrong???

That shark guitar is the guitar that you  will be using that totally killer quilted maple on right Perry?  God I can't wait to see that thing finished

- Dan

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Yes dan. This guitar is to sharks, as yours is to international warfare.

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I remember seeing a pic of that quilted block. Are you, perhaps, going to utilize the liquid-like quilted figuring to make it look like the ocean?

so i bought this swiss made gouge from woodcraft the other day.  Its about 1/2 inch wide with a radius on it (cant tell you offhand) its pretty large... its not a small one at all...  I dont know if you can tell what im talkin about but i have 2 questions

1) is that gouge i described useful for carving guitars

and

2) if i dont have a good router at my house or much less an angle grinder what would be the best hand tool way to approach a prs STYLE carve... its not gonna be exact... but that the most similar example i can think of. 

Im thinking about investing in a nice fingerplane next paycheck too... i should probably open a new thread... but i just got off work and im tired

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1/2 wide is a bit small. A rule I've heard before is use the biggest tool you can (gouge) until you feel you will start messing things up. I found my 1" to be good for my violin, but my experience is limited.

If it were me, I'd get a larger one, I'm guessing at least a 1" for a guitar, and then some finger planes. With my violin, I went right from rough gouge work into finger planes then scrapers.

EDIT: I think with gouges and carved tops, you want to use a gouge simply for rough work, to honk out as much wood as quickly as possible, so use the biggest you think you can use safely. Fingerplanes are great for cleaning up the gouge marks and blening everything, they are so fun to use, then either scrapers or sanding.

The ones you linked to are too small to carve a top. I've been using 1" #7 bent gouge on a violin I'm making:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...cat=1,130,43701

The bent feature keeps my knuckles from touching the wood while carving. If you want to add the access curve like on the treble horn of a PRS, I think a rasp would be better. For the re-curve around the edge, where it goes down then back up into the main arching, a scraper might work really well, that's what I used on my violin.

I think a spokeshave would be difficult to use, not the right shape of work for the tool.

Also, read up on 'scary sharp' for getting your gouges deadly sharp.

Personally, I found these to be very helpful, too:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...680&cat=1,41182

You should drill them in ALL the way. I *THINK* the size of hole to drill for a standard neck bolt is 9/64"???? I don't remember exactly, and I'm refering to the neck bolts Allparts sells, yours might be different. I also clamped my necks into the pocket with a c-clamp, and drilled the holes completely, using the holes in the body as a guide. And the holes in the body should be slightly larger, you don't want the bolt grabbing the body at all, just the neck, you get 'joint suck' that way.

What are you looking for in a new router? I would suggest a combo pack of a fixed & plunge base as it's the most versatile. I would suggest one of the Dewalt combo packs, they make a 1 3/4HP and 2 1/4HP versions. I have the 2 1/4HP version and love it. Small, light, low center of gravity, which I found helpful when using the plunge bass, and has a dust port where I hook up my shop vac.

What are you using them for?

I f-ed up the varnish, basically. Spirit varnish likes to re-dissolve previous coats if you're not careful. I tried to blend out some streaks and created that uglyness as in the last picture. I got so angry I wipped the varnish brush at it in frustration and knocked it off my workbench. The damage - loose bassbar, three top cracks, separation of the top from lower corner all the way to the other lower corner, and a split end block from the endpin-mounted holder. I ended up removing the top and have repaired everything aside from re-attatching the top. I'm currently awaiting replies to a post on a violin making forum about one particular repair I don't really want to do, but hopefully don't have to do, and then I'll put it back together and strip the finish off the top and try again. As I've said before, it's all apart of the learning process!

I am not a professional woodworker.

Neither am I, but my Veritas have TOTALLY been worth the $$$.

If you were to invest in just one decent plane, what would people recommend?

The most versatile is probably the Veritas Low Angle Jack n8rofwyo posted, I really like my Veritas #6 foreplane, though. I was actually going to get the low angle jack, but bought an extra blade for my #6 instead, and will play around with re-grinding the front edge to a different angle or maybe toothing it for more versatility.

You should really get a high quality tool. First of all it takes skill to be able to easily plane a board/edge flat, and a poor tool will make that harder to achieve. As said cheaper new planes need alot of work, but older ones can be better and bought for less.

If you are interested, I actually have four old planes, one no name and three stanley/baileys I'm unloading (because of my Veritas). Two #4's and two #5's. They aint pretty, but they'd be cheap. The Stanleys are all Type 19's, made from 1948-1961.

I might be able to spend $150 TOTAL, if there was no reasonable alterantive for less.

Christmas is coming...

I *THINK* 25-30 degrees is the norm? That is just the bevel angle though, your edge should be another 5 degrees or so, and then a micro bevel of a few more. I *THINK* that's it. Anyone else?

That pic is my oscillating spindle sander setup with my resaw fence to thickness violin ribs. Worked very well.

Yeah, routers are NOT sanders.

What would be the issues when using it, provided you can get your hands on it???

Probably the same as with using bone, the small being one of them...

We just got some ivory figurines, a shoe horn & a letter opener from a passed on relative. The carvings are awesome, here is a pic of one of the carvings, which is about 3" tall:

The picture doesn't even begin to show off the detail, the guy actually has wrinkles on his face, and even the bottom has the arch of the foot and toes carved in!

I'd hate to have to cut up something like this for some nuts!

My original oil varnishing method didn't work so well. I had to let it cure, then I re-started with spirit varnish, but that had a rocky start too. Seems to be going well, for now...all part of the learning process, I guess.

http://s11.invisionfree.com/Stringed_Instr...ndpost&p=864864

If you're being really really cheap the tools required are...

One set of cutters

A plastic faced hammer

A fine file glued to a block

A good straight edge

A small triangular needle file with ground off "safe" corners

A file glued into a block at 35 degrees (theres a  tutorial for this on the main site)

Thats what?...£25 worth of tools.

Just don't get them from StewMac, or ANY online guitar place if you want to be cheap about it. A local hardware store should have most of that, though a GOOD straight edge will be probably £25 alone.

I'm also using hot hide glue on my current project and have not has any problems like this with it. I have an idea though...

If this is an electric guitar neck, there is a truss rod channel down the center, correct? I have heard of hide glue having incredible strenght as it contracts and cools, so my theory is that you applied glue to either side of the truss rod channel on the neck, then applied the fingerboard and clamps, and what has occured is the contracting of the hide glue on either side of the truss rod channel, pulling the fingerboard in two opposite directions, therefore splitting your fingerboard.

On a side note, does anyone know of a way to stop time so I can finish my bass before finals roll around?

http://www.gocarlo.com/lagalerie/images/de...profile-512.jpg

Guitar of the month? Am I allowed?

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Of course. I put a ukulele in back in the summer and I've seen a lapsteel in there, too.

Beautiful!

Oh yeah, I was wondering if you are going to stick this in GOTM? I'm sticking my violin in when finished, probably January.

Does Pg Suck Without Wes?

No, but it does suck with threads like this...

I thought I read somewhere about using a clothes hanger to hook the wires???