MP63

I tried both CA glue with dust and epoxy with dust. I liked the CA glue as it kept the shine a bit more. I fill the gaps with dry dust then add the CA glue to wick in the glue. One thing I like about CA glue, is that when using epoxy and the ooze comes out, it's hard to see exactly where the top of the MOP is and it might seat too low or too high. If the inlay is perfect epoxy works good too.

I just sold my Ridgid band saw. Fantastic saw, but I found I never used it. If you don't do productions and are just a hobbyist like me, you might not need a band saw. They are nice luxuries, but simple hand tools work just as good. You can cheat with just one little power tool though. Since I bought my Ridgid oscillating, spindle sander, the band saw never got used. A hand held coping saw, or if need be my Bosch jig saw did the rough cutting. The sander is simply the best tool I have ever bought. You still need to sand the edges of guitar bodies anyways, even with a band saw. So for all you people who think you've just got to have a band saw to make nice things, you can make do with a simpler set up. Good luck to all. Mike

When you're done, don't forget to blow yourself off, or dust yourself off really good. I try to eliminate any traces from enetering my home and affecting my family. You almost need to keep a set of clothes just for woodworking. Again, this is for people like me who have become so sensitive to various woods.

Benedryle, Claritin will help if you have reactions to certain woods, but only slight reactions. Those you take before. If you need to take them, then the wood is a no-no. Two big names if you find you are reacting to wood allergies: 1) Epinephrine. This will save your life. 2) Albuterol. This helps when your airway becomes constricted due to a reaction. Usually asthmatics carry that, like I do now. It's an emergency inhaler. Look for the signs to reactions to other natural products. That itching and hives from wood working? That's telling you that it doesn't like you and you should be ready for it to get worse. Hey, God made hundreds of woods so that you could have a choice. The world doesn't end because mahogany isn't doing you well. Have fun, but don't kill yourself over it. I have found a new appreciation and fondness for maple. Maple is my new friend! It's all good. Mike

I can't speak for the Stew-Mac slotting system, but Luthier's Mercantile system is used with the pointy, tapered end toward the template. It centers itself even if there is slight wear on it. Are they about the same? Mike

3-degree neck angle for the TOM style, Schaller roller bridge. Found out the hard way.

My plan is to make something simple...really simple. No planing of the face. First route the truss rod slot and attach the fingerboard. Then, cut the shape. It'll be small as it will be heavy if it is regular size. For some reason, I like small guitars even though I am 6'3" I like the necks wide, but the body small. I like sitting on the sofa as I play. I am a lounger and not a stander with guitars. Comfort is the key. As the headstock will be flat and no angle, I will build classical style on the tuner setup. That should be enough to be string-tree free. A Schaller all-in-one bridge with a top mounted pickup. Maybe the controls on the top edge of the body. I already have an old ebony 24-3/4" fingerboard ready to go. My purchase of this wood was to glue it up for a solid body that I would route out, but that became too much of a project for me. I already made a couple like that, so I changed my plans. I think this will be made rather fast, but as the weather gets colder, my garage gets cooler and wetter, as rain leaks like crazy in my old garage, I may have delays. I'll do what I can. I have never used zebrawood before, so i hope my skin doesn't get all funky with any allergies. That'll be the only real problem I foresee. I will definitely keep you posted on the build of this one. Thanks again, Mike

I have a nice big chunck of Zebrawood. It's been in the garage for nearly three years, sealed and ready for a project. I thought of making a small one-piece guitar. The whole thing from one-piece One pickup, with minimal features. I want the wood be the main focus. Any experiences with this wood? Not just what others have said, but real uses and lessons from it. So far there are no cracks in this piece. Thank you, Mike http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/IMG_1749.jpg http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/IMG_1748.jpg http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/IMG_1747.jpg

Thanks Rob. That is what I opted for. It seemed the easiest. The tuners line up for the bridge. No string tree needed. Thanks.

Today I got the results of my practical test... I glued two pieces of ebony from the same fingerboard to a piece of maple on oposite sides of the maple. After two days, I struck the wood with a hammer to see which end held up the best. The side where I used naptha to clean beforehand, held the joint the best. No separation at the joint at all. The non-wiped side held good, but showed a small area where the crack was at the glue joint. I will wipe before gluing, but will let it dry thoroughly first, of course. Thanks for the help.

Thanks for the info. I may need to remove it and check it out. The drill press is just massive in weight and so solid. I was drilling the stud holes for a Schaller roller bridge. The test hole came out great with the 17/64" bit. The real hole was a bit bigger. No consistency on the chuck. The longer bits really show the wobble. Multiple tries at remounting seem to help a bit. I was using a German made brad point bit. Tell me about the crooked import bits! I just need to finish up some "non-critical" drilling, then I'll have a go at it. I used to use the drill press with sanding drums. I wonder if that screwed it up? Hopefully, the finish will snug the bridge stud up, or I can use Titebond to swell the wood and lock it in nice and tight. Thank you, Mike

I bought the drill press used. It is a Delta from the 50's. It is solid steel throughout. The shop said that they replaced/rebuilt the Jacobs chuck. Simple set ups but runs great. What is runout? Mike

This may sound like a silly question, but is there a proper way to mount a drill bit onto a drill press chuck? The reason I ask is, I was tring to drill to very close tolerances, such as a 17/64" hole, and found that the hole was not quite the same size. It came out slighly different everytime, no matter which hole I used to tighten the chuck. So, the drilled hole ended up too big on the final, actual hole. Hmmm???? I noticed the bit would wobble at the tip every time I remounted it. What's the key to this simple yet, puzzling delima? Thanks, Mike

There are three options I am debating on using in this guitar project of mine. Beside the cosmetics of it, are there any flaws in the performance of the guitar that might be foreseen? Anybody do something similar? The first one will have four regular tuners at the edge, and two at the head. The tailpiece will be used to keep the strings in alignment for the bridge, and the forth and sixth strings will help keep the tailpiece snug against the studs. http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/IMG_1616.jpg The second is with Steinberger tuners. Straight forward set up here. http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/IMG_1615.jpg This next one is the same as the four regular tuners, except with four Steinbergers for space saving. http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/IMG_1614.jpg Thanks for any help guys, Mike

Take it to a hardwood dealer or a cabinet maker and run it through a wide-belt sander. It will make it perfectly flat, ready for the finishing sandpaper.

Regarding Steinberger tuners, do you find that there needs to be lots of space for tuning? Can I mount them as shown in the picture I have, or does there need to be more space? I'm sure that the slack is taken out, so there isn't a need for multiple windings. That's the nice part of having the tuners in-line for the bridge. I got big fingers and won't mind the spce if it doen't need all the winding that regular tuners require. Once I drill, there's no tuning back. That's a bit intimidating. Thanks for all your help guys, Mike

I would redo it. If you end up sanding too much from the top, eventually, the gap on the back will start to show through as you get coser to the back. It will be a learning experience for you to repair it. Do it now while it is not attacjed to anything. I like to use a straight piece of oak (those 1" thick pieces from the local wood supplier), and glue sandpaper to the straight edge and use that for truing the edge. Wide strightedges with self-adhesive sandpaper work too. I like Irving Sloane's book Acoustic Guitar Construction for using simple tools. Sometimes, they are the best, and the easiest too!

What's the verdict on wiping down/cleaning fingerboards before gluing? I read where it was recommended that no wood prep is needed for indian rosewood fingerboards. The suggestion came from a fello on the MIMF forum. Years ago, the factory I worked at, did no prep to the rosewood fingerboards before gluing. Sanded them and used Titebond...on everything. For years I've been told to wipe the rosewood down with acetone prior to gluing to remove the resisns that will make gluing difficult. OK, which one is it? Does wiping down fingerboards actually do any harm? Thanks for the help. Mike

Yes, that same idea. The picture I have is with Steinberger tuners. The space I have on this particular guitar is limited. I want to use the six-in-line tuners that I originally planned on. I didn't realize how narrow the wood I had was. I drew the plans without knowing the exact size of wood I had. I had it close to 25 years, in the storage. I'm still trying to make it work. Thanks for that link, Mike

(I have a small piece of wood, with no room for tuners at the head, so I am trying to get them on the tail side of the guitar. I said that it was for the headstock, so that I wouldn't have to explain the set up. It always makes me give a big description of the design). The tuners are very far apart. I want to line up the strings before they go onto the bridge. I am trying to see what I can use to guide the strings without binding them. Having the tops of the tuners at the right height is another matter too. The original design wasn't for the Steinberger's. I want to be true to the original design. http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/MP63/IMG_1149.jpg This is what I have come up with. I want to add tuners to the edge. That will require me to spread them out. Originally, it was space that made the design choice. The wood was to short for tuners at the head. Then, I thought, tuning as I was playing would be easier too. "Give it a go," I thought. I've even contemplated using a stop tailpiece with Pro Tone studs, to align the strings. The locking studs will keep the tailpiece from falling back. I'm not sure if the strings will bind with the tailpiece.

I and mounting tuners at a sharp angle to the the fretboard. Meaning, after the string passes the nut, it will go close to an 80-degree angle sideways. (Picture an extreme Explorer headstock). What's the best way to direct the string to the nut? I want the string to straighten out before the nut, so it needs to wrap around something. I am trying to use strap buttons for the string wrap, but wonderd if there was a better way. Thanks in advance for any help. Mike

Where the cat combing his hair with it?

Hey, I used the search...and this was the first one that came out? Hmm...stand by to stand by....

If you're routing close to a body edge, try having a wood spacer or support of some kind that is equal in height to the wood being cut. That'll help with the router wiggling and leaning around too much, leaving cuts at an angle.

Yes it is. There a little story behind it. My uncle gave me the piece of mahogany over 20 years ago. I decide to finally make something out of it, hence the smallness of the body. There will be tuners on the tail end of the guitar. Originally the neck stock was just a hair short for headstock tuners, so I designed this unusual shape. Mike