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ryanb

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Everything posted by ryanb

  1. They spec 0.0015" per foot (not for the full length of the item) for the straightedges, but I don't see that spec for the radius beam (it may very well be the same). 0.16mm is 0.0063", which is still out of tolerance, but nowhere near what you stated. More importantly, if you checked against the Stew-Mac straightedge, how do you know how much of that difference is the beam onstead of the straightedge? The Stew-Mac straightedges aren't the most perfect things out there either (but they aren't meant to be a Starrett). Stew-mac has definitely struggled with the quality-control of some of their suppliers at times. At least they have the customer service part right. That's what the prices are paying for after all.
  2. Rikon definitely makes good equipment. I wouldn't have any problem recommending any Rikon gear. 650 CFM is the low end of the dust-collector market. (I have an 1100, and wish I had the space for another.) If you run it with only one machine at a time, it will do fine. Don't try to hook it up to every machine you have at the same time, because that definitely won't work. These collectors are mostly all pretty generic. Essentially the same model as that one can be found from Delta, Jet, etc. as well. As I recall, Lowes wanted $149 for the Delta version, so you might check around for prices (but 170 isn't bad). Remember to save a chunk of budget for the hoses, fittings, etc that you will need. If you are willing to spend a bit more, I would suggest looking into the "canister filter" collectors. Instead of cloth bags top and bottom, they have a rigid top canister with a pleated paper filter (like a shop vac), and a heavy plastic chip bag on the bottom. These are MUCH easier and cleaner to empty than the messy cloth bags. They flow a bit more air too. If you will be using tools that create a lot of large chips (like a planer or jointer), you can improve the performance a lot with a "chip seperator". It is a plastic lid for a steel trash can with fittings for the 4" hose. You put it in the line before the collector and it seperates the heavy chips (like a cyclone collector) before the smaller, lighter stuff goes into the collector. This saves wear on the collector (since the heavy chips don't get pulled through the impeller), greatly extends the bag fill time, and is often easier to empty.
  3. I have both of them. I haven't spent a lot of time looking through the new one, but it is very close to the previous version. Things are arranged a little differently, and some things are expanded a bit, but the content is very similar. The DVD is short. It has some info on evaluating electric and acoustic guitars (as if you were looking to buy), an extremely fast glossing over of intonation, and some stuff about how to install strings on an acoustic without destroying the bridge pad. That's about it. I see very little specifically about basses. If you have the previous version, there probably isn't a lot of reason to upgrade. YMMV.
  4. I haven't seen the thread you are referring to ... I take it you are trying to join steel sides and top. Are you building a resonator or something? Welding material that thin can be done but it is VERY difficult to do well. If you have a really good TIG welding expert around, it would be worth a try. Heat is going to be problematic. I would suggest you either just tack weld it and finish with bronze brazing, or just bronze braze the whole thing to keep the heat lower. That will hold up to the chrome just fine. You still have to be very careful with the heat though to avoid warping the metal too much. If you had a lip on one piece, you could even spot weld them then (again) fill with bronze. Practice on something else first.
  5. Real Ibanez logos are paint transfers. Stickers or waterslide decals under clearcoat are pretty much your only replacement options, unless you know someone who does screen printing.
  6. These are individual at StewMac ... maybe not the style you were looking for ... http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,..._6-In-Line.html WezV has posted about Sperzels being reversible ... you can take them apart and reassemble them the other way to suit your needs.
  7. No, they are definitely not compatible. I wanted to do the same thing, but the LMI templates do not fit the StewMac box. You could make a rig that will work with both, but that one won't. I think they may both work on the LMI box (with the question of the index pin size), but not the other way -- the StewMac box is too narrow.
  8. I prefer cam clamps to go-bars, but there are a lot of different things you could choose. Yes cam clamps are pretty easy to build, but I don't really see saving much money going that route after buying all of the materials -- especially if you put any value on your time to build them. You can sometimes find deals on them.
  9. I'll second that. I've used a lot of Weller stuff professionally and it is great stuff. All of the soldering irons sold by RadioShack are absolute crap! I've been there before. But you may not need to jump all the way up to a full station. You might just go get a 25 or 40 watt Weller iron (from any Home Depot, Lowes, or most hardware stores) and you can do just as well for guitar work. That will only cost you $20-$40 and last a lifetime. The soldering stations don't really add much value until you get into the professional electronic work with dense circuit boards. I can't comment on the ceramic tips since I haven't used them. My reaction is that they may work, but surely aren't necessary. Not sure how you tin a ceramic tip. You certainly don't need precise temperature regulation for guitar work. Stick with a brand name you can trust.
  10. Thanks for the reply Rich. Your comments are pretty much exactly what I expected. I have already been thinking of ways to address those very concerns for a setup of my own. I think I am going with the laminate trimmer approach, with improved guide bearings.
  11. Rich, would you please explain specifically why you find this tool to be "total crap"? (I'm not disagreeing, just curious as to the weakness.) Lack of power, not stable, uneven cut, hard to adjust, etc. ?
  12. That seems like it just adds unnecessary complexity. If you are skilled enough to get good results that way, you are probably skilled enough to get good results without the template. But the ends justify the means ...
  13. You can use Titebond, or CA, or pretty much any other glue that suits your fancy. No need to dilute it, just use a small dab. Most glues don't bond very well to nut material, so it doesn't take much impact to break the glue loose.
  14. The PC 7518 speedmatic is as good as it gets for a table-mounted router. I use mine regularly and love it. I do, however, use mine with a precision router lift, not the standard base. Whatever you do, don't use a plunge base under a table. I haven't seen any plunge base yet that is sturdy enough for that job (or pretty much any other one either, IMO). Good luck with the Triton.
  15. Target has nice maple ones for $15-$20.
  16. Try this one: http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts....obert+O%92Brien That's the Robert O'Brien video for $39.95. It's pretty good. The Frank Finocchio DVDs are much better, but also a lot more expensive ...
  17. You won't have any problem with those bits on a single-speed router. As for the switch, that really is up to you. I don't consider it a problem at all, but I can see how it might be intimidating, especially if you don't have a lot of router experience. If you don't feel safe with that design, you should pick something else. It is important that you choose tools that are comfortable for YOU to use, so that you will be able to operate them safely. Another option to consider if you are looking for better control is the D-handle base from PC. That gives you a better handle and a power switch right at your fingertips. Several other companies have similar designs too. Trigger switches tend to appear on the lower-quality models (not always), but again, you need to find the design that is comfortable for you. Go find a good tool supplier and try out as many as you can. Good luck with your search.
  18. The PC is a great router. I have one and I would highly recommend it. (Though you might consider buying the kit with the plunge base for the few cases where that comes in handy.) The single speed business is not a problem at all. You aren't going to do anything in guitar building that will require you to have to slow down the router (as you would have to do with very large bits). Soft start is also more about marketing ploy than anything else (unless as mentioned your circuits are already overloaded, in which case you have other problems). PC fixed-base routers are small, light, solid, and build like tanks. You won't regret buying a PC. (You might want to pick up an extra base plate with a larger hole, however. The standard PC base plate, designed to accept the threaded guide bushings, is too small to hold a lot of round-over and similar bits.)
  19. Erikbojerik already mentioned it. If you don't want to route out around the pickup ears for the height adjustment screws, you need to use the right bearing router bit to undercut the sides of the pickup route to accomodate the ears. Of course, the pickup route still needs to be large enough to insert/remove the pickup through the hole. It's the same thing you did on the guitar in your picture, you are just doing it from the top instead.
  20. My experience with Craftsman routers has been that they are adequate, but far from the best stuff out there. I would take a Porter-Cable or DeWalt over Craftsman any day. Definitely make sure you get a router with a 1/2" collet -- Craftsman routers used to only come with 1/4" collets, though I believe some models now have 1/2". I also find that the Craftsman routers tend to be rather large (physically) and heavy for their HP rating -- especially the plunge models. I generally avoid plunge routers unless I particularly need the plunge capability for the current operation, because they are larger, heavier, and less rigid than fixed-base routers. That all makes them harder to control handheld.
  21. It is possible that the post holes do line up. I don't have a vintage Fender trem here to measure. But the two-post Fender trems I have here are not that close to matching the outer screw holes on the Ibanez 6-screw strat-style trem I do have sitting here. If you drill the post holes with a drill press, they wouldn't have to be centered on the existing screw hole, and you could probably make it work. But even without that (as I mentioned before) it is easy to plug the existing holes first and then drill the new ones anywhere you want. Those holes won't stop you.
  22. The Fender trems are NOT made of hardened steel like a Floyd. They hold up fairly well for moderate use, but can not handle the same abuse as a Floyd. That is why they had six screws to start with -- to spread out some of the load. As for the stud spacing, it looks to me like they are not the same (but I make no guarantees). But you could always plug the existing holes and then redrill holes for the posts.
  23. Surforms are kind of hard to use, but they cut better at an angle to the grain. Be careful because they can jump around a lot and they take chunks out fast. I surely wouldn't use it once I was anywhere close to finish profile. For another tool in the same spirit that works much better, try out a microplane. They cut much better and smoother. Don't force it though -- just let it do the cutting, so you don't crush the teeth. A rasp can do very well -- especially if you pick up one of the "hand cut" rasps from somewhere like StewMac or Woodcraft. The teeth are not all in a perfect line like a machine cut rasp, so they make a cleaner, more controllable cut. Spokeshaves work great once you get the feel for using them. Try them all and see what you like best.
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