ryanb

I've had a number of those clamps for years now. They aren't really new. Woodcraft has been selling them for years. They are nice because they clamp both vertically and horizontally at the same time (good way to clamp up a maple top or similar), and you can make them up to any dimension you need. I was also thinking about the issue of glue sticking to them. Good old wax paper always works, but something more elegant would be nice. I am planning to use some 1/4" thick UHMW polyethelyne (the slick plastic stock sold for making saw fences, jigs etc., almost like Teflon) strips on the bottom of the wood. That would give a nice smooth, durable clamping surface that wouldn't be affected at all by the glue. I'm gonna get around to that project one of these days.

Yeah, use the tape trick or get a proper depth stop. The hose is just going to move and you will drill too deep. Better yet, use a drill press and set the depth stop. The holes will be a lot more accurate and uniform.

Probably not necessary, but it sure can't hurt.

The method you refer to is what Dan calls a "quick fret dress". He only uses it in cases such as a new fret job where the fret levelling (yes you still have to level the frets with a long flat bar as always) only removes a tiny amount of the fret top, because the frets are already pretty close to even. Because the flats are so small, you can get away with the technique of flapping the sandpaper up and down the board with the paper hitting the side of the fret and then riding up and over it to provide a slight rounding. It is a shortcut when you don't want to invest the time or effort into a full crown and polish -- but it won't give the same final result either.

You should be able to find the Delta specs here: http://www.deltamachinery.com/ Are you looking at the big Delta or the benchtop one? The benchtop one doesn't have a tilting table. The drums go from 1" to 3" diameter and are something like 6" tall. The floor-standing model (which I don't actually see up there any more) took drims up to 4" or 6" diameter and about 6-8" tall as I remember. I have the Jet benchtop model and I love it. I think it is a much better deal all around than the benchtop Delta. The price is good. It has drums from about 1/4" up to 3", each about 6" long. The table tilts if needed. It is quiet and has a bigger table too. http://www.jettools.com/

A decent quality locking nut is hardened anyway, so you will have a real hard time making much of a dent in it with a file, other than messing up the finish. Plus, you could introduce problems if the shape isn't right all the way back. 10", 14", 15" and 16.9" radius nuts are all pretty easy to find, so you would be better to just start with one that is right.

Dan uses the Dremel method for cleaning out existing slots when refretting, not for cutting new slots. He uses a bit significantly smaller than the slot too, or it will end up oversized as already mentioned.

Right. Do NOT enlarge the holes in the body. Plug the neck holes with dowels and drill new holes.

CA is probably your best bet for that one. Edit: Setch beat me to it.

The big manufacturers would of course use machinery to automatically do those jobs. In your case, do it any way you can. For the skunk stripe, mark out the radius needed and just sand it off, being very careful to get the shape right. Any inaccuracy will show up very clearly. The hole in the headstock is just that -- a round hole. Plug it with a dowel and then trim the dowel end to the profile of the headstock. Don't try to cut the shape first or it will never line up well.

Digital calipers work exactly the same way as dial calipers, except that the result is displayed on the LCD instead of on a dial -- making them a lot faster to read. They can be zeroed at any position, but they are normally zeroed every time they power up with the jaws closed all the way. Accuracy is of course a function of the quality of the tool -- which is just as true with dial calipers. The luthier mod discussed here doesn't affect the accuracy or calibration at all (if done correctly). As previously mentioned, just because a tool looks like the same one doesn't mean it is the same tool or same quality. Most of the stuff from Harbor Freight is worth exactly what you are paying. I have several of the HF calipers. They are adequate for the most part and will meet most people's needs, but they are certainly not of very high quality. In general, though, I agree that it is important to share these tool ideas and tips as long as it doesn't badmouth the good vendors. The most cost-effective solution that still meets the needs and works for you is the one you should use.

Find someone with a GOOD resaw bandsaw and you should be able to easily get four bookmatched pairs out of that 1/4" thick.

Think of this as your chance to do a fancy new custom fretboard ... cause the old one is firewood now.

Of course there are less expensive ways to acquire/build tools for guitar making. You can make a guitar with very limited tools if necessary. That doesn't mean one always should do so. Stew-mac isn't about the cheapest answer, but about service and convenience ... which you will find much more reasonably priced the more you use it. For example, why would you buy a hundred dollar diamond fret crowning file when you can get a several dollar triangular file from the local hardware and polish the edges? Because the diamond crowning file does the job a LOT faster and easier. If you have unlimited time, have no budget, or only plan to work on one or two guitars, you should go the inexpensive route with common tools. But don't discount the value of your time. A lot of those tools are worth every penny, and would cost just as much to build if you place any value on the time involved. (Yes there are some plain-out rip-offs too.) You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't think his diamond crowning file is worth every penny, and would set it aside to use a triangle file. As for the kits, I do agree that the kit contents aren't always the best choices. I'd say pick the special tools you really need -- or give you particular value -- and keep the rest fairly simple. You will learn what other tools you need/want as you go.

Floyd Rose does not make a 16" nut. The 15" nut does exist but is not easy to find (you might try direct from Floyd Rose). Most of their nuts are 10". Another option is to go for something like an Ibanez locking nut ... most of which would be 430mm radius. As you have discovered, finding a matching locking nut is often the hardest part. Usually the best plan is to choose the nut first and build your neck to match.

I agree. Use a plug cutter to core out the broken screw and fill it in cleanly with a dowel plug that won't show. It sounds like either your pilot holes were not deep enough, or your screws were too long.

I remember a spokeshave, but there may have been a drawknife too ... it's been a while.

He's asking what the Fender specs are. Every Fender neck (and compatible after market brand neck) is made to the same dimensions ... so that it will interchange onto any Fender body. (note that this is within the same product line ... a Tele is different from a Strat, etc.) So while there are lots of neck/neck pocket dimension combinations that can be made to work with a 25.5" scale, they are not all compatible with the standard Fender dimensions. If you want to be able to interchange with a Fender neck, cut your neck pocket to accept the shape and size of the Fender neck heel. Then position your bridge for the 25.5" scale. You will need to make your neck dimensions compatible with Fender's too. I don't have Tele dimensions handy though.

I saw a video of a Mexican luthier who carved out a neck blank with nothing but a spokeshave in about 3 minutes. It was complete enough to not need any files at all. Just a little sanding and it was a finished neck. He had lots of practice though.

http://www.mcmaster.com/

Use a sharp brad point bit.

I have one of those bases too, and I haven't had any problem with the rigidity of the plastic base, though I have heard a lot of people complain about that. From some things I have seen, I am led to believe that Dremel made a newer version of the base with a number of changes, so I may just have a newer one. It's not a bad deal for the price (I got mine cheap). I am sure the SM base would be better (and the SM base with Foredom tool better yet), but I find the new base completely serviceable for smaller jobs. If you want to do much inlay work, I would go straight for the better equipment though.

If the fret crown is sitting down in the groove you shouldn't be able to damage the crown at all. Maybe there is something wrong with your nippers. Does the fret stay flat in the nippers or does it roll over when you start to cut? Talk to Stew-Mac, they will probably swap out your nippers no questions asked.

It will be paint under the clear ... so there is no way to remove it without removing the clear first. You could try the black-then-clear approach or just refinish the whole peghead. Or leave it alone.

Just be REALLY careful around those piezo wires. They are very delicate.