Lex Luthier

and I could use some info and helpful hints

Anything in particular?

Yeah, I've seen that before, but couldn't remember the link.

You mean like these?

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/4gallery/4smoke.html

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/5ga...5spaltmelt.html

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/6gallery/6swirl.html

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/6ga.../6lacemelt.html

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/7ga...walnutmelt.html

http://www.conklinguitars.com/facebass/7gallery/73d.html

This seems to hardly ever come up, even on a woodworking forum I frequent it's not brought up very often. I have two shopvacs, one for each room of my shop for general clean up, but when I got larger sized tools, the shopvacs didn't do much so I thought about a real dust collector. I looked into one of these, but when I asked the salesman at the store if it could be mounted on a wall, he said no. Space was an issue, so I couldn't go with the regular design of dust collector, even with it's small foot print.

I decided to make one. My dad gave me a large squirrel cage motor from a restaurant's oven hood, which I'm assuming is explosion proof because it was covered with grease. The opening of the intake was 6", and needed to be stepped down to 4". I couldn't find any adaptors at tool outlets, so I used plumbing fixtures and LOTS of silicone. On the outtake, at first I installed a little filter cartidge that screwed right into the end where I had a plumbing fixture fastened, but I found it blocked too much air - dust collectors can only suck in as much air as they can blow out - so I changed my setup to what is pictured below. I have the outtake running into a garbage can. Inside the garbage can I have a cone made of paper. My theory is the cone creates a vortex and traps most of the dust, and what escapes gets caught by the furnace filter.

Image 1

Image 2

This is how I have the motor mounted.

Image 3

Here is the filter.

Image 4

Image 5

Here is the inside.

Image 6

My idea behind the cone.

When I took these pictures, it was the first time opening up the can since constructing it. There is a good amount of sawdust in the very bottom, which would have otherwise been all over my shop. I also found it necessary NOT to touch the furnace filter, as with use a layer of dust builds up, further blocking dust from escaping, and touching it caused clouds to puff up when I would then turn on the machine.

You may think the garbage can takes up as much room as one of those dust collectors, but not really, plus it only cost me about $50 to make.

BTW, it's quite as hell.

Brad point bits are actually meant for wood, not so much the regular twist bits.

From here everything looks fine. Guitars with arched tops need the neck set back, especially if they use a tune-o-matic type bridge.

I use the stewmac files, they aren't that expensive if you are going to cut a few nuts

Dido. You could try needle files though, that what I used to use.

I voted finishing. I can do a mean oil finish, but I suck with spray finishing. I find the whole level sanding portion tedious, though if I was better at it, I'd probably enjoy it. I don't fully understand the whole washcoat/sealer/primer/basecoat/topcoat thing, or whatever.

Is there some particular reason you think hide glue is unsuitable?

It may just be the availablity.

Of course this is the same guy that thought he'd help by sanding down my Earvana nut I spent $25 for lower action- with a palm sander that had 80 grit on it!

I'll just hold my tongue...

I would think it would just come off with a chisel, but that may depend on the type of tile. It cleans up with hot water, but that's when it's still a little wet.

1. Compared to the usual squire 6 mounting screw trems, what is the quality of the traditional strat trems from Stewmac? ( http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailp..._for_Strat.html )

Im asking because getting an authentic fender gold strat trem is $120US, as oposed to the 60 or so for the stewmac one. I know you probably get what you pay for, but is the fender one worth twice hte money?

I doubt the Fender one is worth $120 - you probably pay the extra $60 for the saddles to say 'FENDER', I'm betting.

2. Im gonna try out a set of Kent Armstrong Texas Vintage pickups from WD Music, and while im installing them I plan on neatning everything up and testing out a baseplate 'plug'n'play' system im working on, but im wondering if on these squires is it ideal to replace stuff like the input jack barrel? or if i just give the threads a drop of locktight and tighten it up should i be right? Same goes with the pots and pickup switch... are they alright on the squires usually after a clean?

I don't know about the jack, but I bet the pots are the small kind, which don't last as long as the larger ones because they have a smaller sweeper.

3. Does anyone have any opinions on these guys - http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners/Guitar,...nob_Tuners.html? Ive generally been pretty satisfied with the quality of gotoh aftermarket stuff, but ive never used these.

I was gonna put those on my American Strat, but I don't care about upgrading it anymore, though I think those would be fine tuning machines.

I wonder what Jose's opinion is on rock hard modern finishes compared to flexible nitro?? Id say he does a complete about face and says that the flexi nitro is better....

It's my understanding that nitro tends to not flex, and is known to check. My friend used to finish his guitars with nitro but switched when he noticed it would check, even on a new instrument. I've also heard Martin's finished in nitro do the same, my friend even has a Martin with finish checks in the top.

Just to clarify, what uses up bandwidth, exactly; i.e. what can the failure be attributed to?

Yes, if we all knew, we could stop a bit, or slow it down

Curtis

We'd have to stop coming to Project Guitar Forum to do that. It has to do with page loading, or something, not quite sure, but basically the more people viewing your website, the more bandwidth gets used up.

All that depends on a couple factors. The nut width depends on what you are comfortable with. The spacing of the strings at the 24th fret depends on your bridge spacing.

I've built two basses, both to similar specs, on can be seen here. The nut width is 1 3/4". The spacing of the bridge is 2 1/2". The width of the neck at the 24th fret is 2 5/8".

Along with the upgrade there will also soon be an Interactive Gallery for the "I donated in 2004" Group as a way of showing appreciation for helping here and on the site with your donations. You will enter and use the Gallery with the same user/password you currently have here on the forum.

Regular forum members will be allowed to view but not upload since of course as anything it requires not only extra hosting but also a monthly maintainence fee which is paid through the donations collected.

You mean like the Advanced Support Section? How will it differ from that?

You can't use wood glue to glue metal to wood. The best would be epoxy. Other than that, that's all I'll say, I didn't know you had to glue in those types of truss rod, but just don't use wood glue.

I thought I saw something about another hurricane hitting Florida, but I thought,"wasn't there just a hurricane?"

Hope you stay safe.

No I ean the drill press. I made the boo boo.

Did the bit wander? You can use a scribe to mark a starting point so the bit stays inplace.

I also have trouble believing that if changes are made, it will result in a mass exodus of all the experienced people here to another venue. The idea of creating a new "If we're not going to play by my rules, I'm leaving, and taking my football with me" forum seems a truly unworthy way to repay Brian for giving you a place to get together in the first place, but people are going to do what they do regardless.

Not necessarily the experienced, but the 'older' members, and if that's what they want to do, bye.

As far as I know, I'm staying.

______________________

Oh really Matt?

Weren't you the one who left for, what, 6 months, while we were all still here?

Wasn't it, in fact, YOU who actually DID leave?

Seems kinda (actually very) hypocritical to me, beings as you just showed up again at the front door, couldn't even remember your username anymore and all while we were all still here the whole time, and now you're giving us all the big kissoff like that.

Would you mind spindoctoring yourself out of that one for me?

You have a problem with that or something? I dissappeared twice, for only a few months at a time, and it's not like I HAVE TO BE HERE. You make it sound like a crime that I left and came back, and it's not like I left because of these changes that are taking place. You just made a big deal out of nothing. What's up with you?

It's got closed pores like maple

Walnut has open pores like Mahogany, Rosewood.

I think walnut would make a great choice for back and sides of an acoustic, but i'm not sure it'd make a great top wood. I don't really care much for the sound of acoustics with maple tops, and i don't think i've ever seen one with a walnut top.

Why would you use it for a top? You'd use a softwood such as Englemann/Sitka Spruce, or Cedar.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's for clafiying(sp?) that Litch.

refuse to believe that any changes are being made simply to irritate the older members, or that there is some sinister cabal at work to ruin the forum in the interest of advancing some nefarious, unstated agenda, but without a little clarification, I've got to wonder what the hell is going on.

That would make no sense if it were true.

I also have trouble believing that if changes are made, it will result in a mass exodus of all the experienced people here to another venue. The idea of creating a new "If we're not going to play by my rules, I'm leaving, and taking my football with me" forum seems a truly unworthy way to repay Brian for giving you a place to get together in the first place, but people are going to do what they do regardless.

Not necessarily the experienced, but the 'older' members, and if that's what they want to do, bye.

As far as I know, I'm staying.

This may sound bad, but what are the main problems here again? Is it 'bad advice', or too many young people not listening, or the changes, which, to me, don't seem very drastic.

What EXACTLY is pissing people off?

EDIT:Well, ONE of the recent changes does seem odd to me...

What they have done is forced the long time members, and knowledgable people to form their own forum.

What forum? May I join?

3 years ago I had a young kid named Kyle, 9 years old come to me for guitar lessons.  After about 5 months I ended up going south for about 3 months and had to quit teaching him.  He was crushed.  He ended up going to another teacher that I recommended to him. 

Well, 3 years later he comes out to my shop for a visit.  They had just found out I was back in town (as I never thought to call them )  He was amazed with the guitars out there.  He has become a total monster on the guitar.  He wanted a Leviathan so bad it hurt.  So, I decided to call his mom and ask her if it would be ok if he came to work for me over the summer.  She started crying saying how he looks up to me like no other and how when they left the shop he told her all he wants to do when he grows up is "be like Jeremy"

He was more excited than you can imagine when she told him the news. 

He has been coming out to the shop every day from 2 until 6 this summer and has worked his ass off.  At the very beginning I told him that I wanted him to design the color scheme and inlay for the 6 string guitar.  It was a bit of a risk because I knew this would be the 6 string prototype but I wanted to make sure it was a guitar that HE would fall in love with. 

On this guitar he has done ALL the body sanding including all the contours and bevels, he shaped both the back of the neck AND the fretboard radius.  He designed the paint scheme and drew the inlay.  He helped spray the color on the body and he also helped to cut the pieces for the inlay.  He wet sanded the entire body with 2000 and buffed it out.  Today he will finish assembling the guitar and be able to play it.

During this time he has also helped me prep many guitar bodies, he keeps the shop clean, and not only is he like a little brother to me, he is a great asset to the shop, I will truly miss him when he goes back to school. 

This kid is talented in many ways, when I give him a job to do he does it and does it correctly. 

He goes back to school next Thursday.  Currently he believes that this guitar is sold to a buyer in Chicago.  As it happens, I am going to Chicago at the end of september for vacation, or "to deliver it personally". 

Unknown to him, Leviathan #2, the 6 string prototype will be given to him this weekend as a thank you for all his hard work.

That is totally awesome!

That kinda reminds me of an episode of Orange County Choppers, where a kid named Cody was given the bike he worked on for the show after it was done.

Good Stuff LGM!

its also becoming extremely hard to find a 1 1/4" radius roundover bit in a 1/4 shank. everything is 1/2 and i dont have/ know anyone with a router that big. hmmm. problems problems

Then just do it by hand. Use a spokeshave and/or rasps & files. It'll be a fun learning experience. The more power tools you use to make your guitar the easier it is, but that takes away from the fun.