ryanb

I agree with doing it in passes --- it's much safer that way. But 1/8" at a time is ridiculous. If you have to take passes that small, either your router is woefully underpowered or you are using some cheap-ass bits. Use a speed tht is appropriate for the size and type of bit you are using (and the material). If you are having trouble doing a "clean job" in multiple passes, it is probably something wrong with the template you are using (or your technique). You should be able to make perfectly repeatable routes in multiple passes (at least good enough to not need any more than a touch of sandpaper).

http://www.garrettwade.com/shopping/produc...roductID=107414

I'm going to agree with biliousfrog about the order. #1 clean/#2 dirty is the one that sounds skunky to me. Of those, I think I prefer #2 clean/#3 dirty slightly.

Sorry to hear. I haven't seen any e-books yet, but I will also keep an eye out. That book is a complete bargain -- the most bang-for-the-buck tool you will buy in this craft. The "everything for free" mentality these days really pisses me off.

Maybe I am reading your post wrong, but you can't use threaded pipe for adjustability. Pipe thread is a tapered thread, not a straight thread like threaded rod.

I've got the 6" Jet. It's a great machine. Very solid and accurate. It has a longer bed and longer fences than most of the competitors I have seen. Great deal for the price.

...With the key words there being "the right distance apart". Since the "right distance" often changes from one operation or build to another, it is a good idea to have some means of varying the distance -- which could be as simple as spacers or more complex like adjustable surfaces. Many designs use threaded rods and nuts for height adjustment. There are lots of ways to do it.

+1000. Thanks for this post Greg. This myth about string length and tension has propagated more than probably any other guitar myth. And I vote for string-through too, because I think it looks a huge amount better. But pick the one you like better.

A dust collector and a good broom. Trying to seal up all the holes is pretty fruitless, and may actually make things worse in the end. A good dust collector helps some, but not all that much. Most of the dust from a table saw is actually thrown up from the top of the blade. Wear some good eye protection and a dust mask and clean up when done.

You can do things to your Strat to make it look more like a Jem, but it will never really look like a Jem. There are some pretty significant body differences, even if you rebuilt the trem, trem cavity, neck and pocket, monkey grip, lions claw, output jack, pickups, etc., etc. Frankly, it would be less work to build a Jem-style body from scratch. But if you just want to mod up your current guitar, go for it. It's yours ... do whatever you want to it.

I don't think you have a lot of options but to sand it. But you will have to be very careful and patient. Don't load up the power sander with 60 grit and go at it, or you will cut through the ply in no time. Take it slow and even, switching to finer grits as you get closer. Even then, you may not be able to get all the sealer coat off without going through the surface layer (assuming you plan to remove it all). Chemical strippers and heat guns wouldn't work well here, and would need to be followed by sanding anyway. Keep in mind that the plywood will be pretty ugly anyway, so you should consider using a solid-color base under your burst (you didn't mention whether that was your plan already).

Yeah, you can probably take care of it with a simple fret-level. Worst case (if you really do have one fret too low) is you replace just that fret and level/crown. Don't see any need for a full refret.

I have a 12" Craftsman saw (different model), and I would have to agree with the recommendation that you look elsewhere. It is a good saw for many jobs. With a 6" resaw capacity and a small motor, it is about worthless for resawing, and it can't take a riser block. Yes, it does use a strange, Craftsman-only blade size (I think 91" in my case) ... and there is not enough adjustment to take a 90" or 93" blade. Craftsman has since stopped selling the blades, so I will have to custom order or make my own when my current stash runs out. I plan to add a serious resaw machine to it soon. You would be MUCH better off to spend a small amount more and get one of the many 14" models on the market with a standard blade size and that takes a riser block. You will be much happier in the end. Buy used if necessary.

The studs are not all the same. I don't know anything about the Tokai posts, but if the grooves are a different shape or the spacing isn't exactly right, the trem will not move smoothly and return to pitch. If the posts are not adjustable, you won't have any way to adjust the action. In other words, just buy a set of Edge studs and anchors. They aren't hard to find or very expensive. Do the job right.

Installing the HotRod upside down makes a big difference if you are using a Fender-style, non-angled headstock, so you don't have to cut away a huge amount of the headstock wood. The reverse direction adjustment isn't a big issue for me, since I am the only one that will be adjusting it on my guitars at this point. (Besides, if you start adjusting and the neck moves the wrong way, wouldn't you just go the other direction??? Not hard to figure out. If someone is dumb enough to keep cranking it the wrong way until something breaks, they shouldn't be near a truss rod anyway.) I will keep doing it that way until I can convince Stew-Mac to build a reverse thread version (or start making my own). If you are going to install the rod with the adjustment at the body end, there is no reason to install it upside down. It doesn't buy you anything. But I would never build a guitar that way anyway ... definitely a PITA. The spoke-type heel adjustment IS one possibility ... if you don't mind the look of the exposed nut.

The sealer coats are probably polyester. The color and top coats are polyurethane.

Good idea. What are those things made of anyway? They work great.

Yup. Been there, done that. But you don't need the fret slot templates. Just stick it next to the guitar neck in question and mark off the fret locations. I use the inexpensive aluminum rulers from the hardware store. You just need to have one good straightedge to check that the other ones are really straight before you notch them.

Well, they do say right on the site that it looks "organic" (i.e. it looks like a pile of sh*t). I just know that I sure as hell wouldn't want to have to do a fret crown on one of those!

It is sandblasted through a template, then painted. The prototype at NAMM was Korean built, Japanese assembled, and the artwork looked pretty good. The production guitars are fully Korean built, and the quality of the artwork sucks compared to the NAMM guitar.

That's not a particularly unusual problem. There are a lot of potential approaches ... what works depends a lot on the individual situation. Some things you could try: 1) Just use heavier strings. 2) Level it out of the frets if it isn't that much. 3) Level it out of the fretboard and refret. 4) Do a partial (or full) refret with smaller fret tangs (less fret compression). 5) Heat press the neck in a neck jig to "slip" the neck-fretboard joint slightly and change the shape some. 6) Change the environment (temperature, humidity) and see if it comes back on its own (or maybe gets worse). etc ...

Check with House of Kolor, PPG, or DuPont. If you like the Cadillac color, you can probably find the match for that. I don't think any of them are going to give you the look of depth of a real candy apple though. You really need the metallic base coat, candy top to get that effect.

No, I don't use his method with a round needle file (I use nut files because I have them). The needle file may work well on larger strings and nylon strings as he shows, but it would be way too big to be useful on small steel strings. Note that, in his description, he cuts the slots primarily with a small saw. He only uses the round file to finish the larger slots. You aren't going to buy a set of six nut files for $40 new. If you can find that, you have one heck of a deal. But you don't need to have the exact sizes anyway. Somewhat undersized files for the string sizes allow you some room to work and shape the slot. Two or three sizes can do the job nicely. You can also rough out the slots with just an Xacto razor saw and finish them up a bit with guitar strings, torch cleaners, etc. Take a look at some of the related threads. But if you can find a round file that is small enough for your slots, then it should work fine too.

In the States, 220V extension cords are not easy to find and are very expensive (except for the standard electric range and air conditioner cords). Home Depot DOES have all of the necessary parts to make your own -- that's where I got the parts for mine. You need to figure out what plugs and cable you need, because there are a lot of combinations in that line. If you are buying the twist-lock NEMA connectors, be prepared to drop some cash. It's not too bad if you don't need a lot of amperage though. If you are looking at Home Depot, stay away from the extension cord area. You won't find anything there. You will find the connectors with the other plugs and switches on the electrical isle. The cable you will have to buy seperately ... probably by the foot, depending on what type you are looking for. The good, flexible, round, rubber-sheathed cable will run you around a buck a foot. You could also find pre-made cables or parts at on-line vendors such as McMaster-Carr or Grainger.

Do you need it ... I would have to probably say no. There are a lot of ways to do any job. In general, the longer the plane, the easier it is to make flat surfaces. There are other ways though ... like attaching sandpaper to a long straight board or level ... or a granite surface plate or glass sheet. For some jobs you need a short plane too ... like a block plane or even finger planes. It all depends on the job you are trying to do. If this will be your only tool for squaring off blanks and straightening edges, I would recommend that you do go a little on the longer side, like the #5 or so. Heck, for that price, I would buy the Groz myself if I didn't already have one that size. (BTW, the Groz planes will definitely work fine for guitar building.) Whichever one you pick, spend some time getting it well sharpened and adjusted, and spend some time practicing with it. Planes take some skill and practice to use effectively.