Hotrock

Hey guys, I got engaged at the weekend to my lovely girlfriend Caroline It's been a bit of a hardass year, with one problem after another (mainly financial - you know how it is). So we decided to end it on a high note, especially as we never get to spend Christmas together. I'm feeling a bit guilty because I didn't suprise her by getting down on one knee. I said at the begining of last week that we would go and get her a ring. She loves shopping so she had a whole week of looking forward to it. She actually said that I did it the best way, so I'm happy. Well I'm off again now to drink coffee and try to get the taste of champagne out of mouth when I burp. We went slightly over the top when celabrating last night and now I feel like this guy ----> Kaj

Sketchy Freeware too. I'm using the free version of WinTopo. It's not too bad for converting from GIS systems and pdfs. I convert dwf files using the paste special (then AutoCAD entities) command in AutoCAD.

Yeah, off ebay. I'm not expecting it to be fantastic, but I am expecting it to work for a bit. Got a feeling that I'll have to be very slow with it. It's got a 12" throat and the whole thing sits about 30 inch high. I'm really going to have to make something to put all these new tools on, I don't think that my wobbly workmate will do the job anymore. I'm not kidding, my *ahem* workshop consists of the spare bedroom in the loft conversion of my very small house. I think I must have about 2m x 3m of working space and I keep smacking my head on the ceiling. I'll try to get some photos up after christmas. Actually, I've got a photo of the bandsaw already (from ebay) but god knows how to post it

Well, I guess that would definitely increase ones dedication to a project Damn right it does He's a link to my mate that I'm doing it for (people will think I'm trying to plug him soon ) www.deltaresonatorguitars.co.uk they're currently all wood construction but not for long . If you have a look then check out the sound clips because it’s him who’s playing them. BTW. If anyone has any drawings in pdf format then I cannow convert pdf to dxf format for AutoCAD (I can also do the same for GIS systems, DWF, TIF, GIF etc. Infact I've found out how to convert any raster image into vector format). I'm sure it will be handy to someone. Kaj

I asked about this a while back as I'm looking for something special to do to my poished turd ocaster (which is already hollow - luckilly enough). The general concencus was to butcher a pig nose amp (or similar) and mount it in. Like normal, I've just got to get round to doing it.

I'm getting a £2,000 resonator for it. Pity I can't even do a cheap strat copy justice. Let alone one of his beauties

Ooops my bad.

MASSIVE POST WARNING....... .......YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Create a grid on AutoCAD (I’m using AutoCAD 2004 BTW, but this is going to be standard for all AutoCAD packages. My grid starts off with having red lines every 40mm (horizontally and vertically). Each of these large squares is dissected by a green line (horizontally and vertically) through the centre, splitting the larger squares into four small squares), each one of these smaller squares is dissected (horizontally and vertically) by black lines……. I’ve kept repeating my grid down to 5mm squares. I printed this out on A3 paper at 1:1 scale. The guitar is a bit bigger than an A3 sheet, so I had to stick a few together. I drew around the body of the resonator on cardboard to create a template. I didn’t draw it straight onto the grid (because I want to keep the template for future use, needed something a bit more versatile than paper). As the guitar is symmetrical I only draw around one half of it, marking a very clear (and accurate) centre line. I very carefully cut out the template. I have taped the template to the paper with the grid on making sure that the centre line is very accurately lined up with one of the red lines on the grid. Now you can load up the grid that you created on AutoCAD. Now you can check every point horizontally and vertically and make a mark on your drawing (it will help if the snap setting is enabled and that you have also selected “snap to nearest” setting). You can then connect all the points using the “spline” command. I found this method very tedious, boring and confusing, it also kept making my eyes go funny, so….. ….. I have kept the template taped to the drawing and now I take a measurement from the centre line to the edge of the template, using the grid lines to make sure that I’m measuring square. I then plot this distance on autoCAD at 5mm intervals along the centre line. You can make a quick line to the right length on AutoCAD by simply selecting “line”, clicking on the start point of the line, moving the mouse in the correct direction for the line and then typing in the distance and hitting enter. I then joined the tips of all these lines using the “spline” command. To do the sides of the axe (as typically the guitar is fatter at the back than the front). I marked out 25mm intervals on a long piece of masking tape (well actually someone else did this bit). He very, very carefully lined the bottom of this tape with the centre line of the sides of the guitar and stuck it round the entire length. He then measured the height of the side at each one of the intervals and drew it full size on a bit of paper. All I’ve got to do is transfer those measurements onto AutoCAD. Should be boring but effective (I’ve been putting it off for the last week). This was necessary as the sides do not see a uniform drop in thickness as they do not travel in a straight line. The first couple of guitars will be flat backed as we will be testing joining the sides etc. Then after a bit of trickery (either from myself, but more likely from a Solid Edge (or Pro Engineer) boffin – one of my mates) we’ll probably 3D model it so that we can but the curve on the back and then work out the new shape of the back that will be needed. Hope this rather long essay helps a little. If you need anything else then give me a shout. Kaj

Just read the first one of those new links and someting strikes me as odd.... .... She knew he was schizophrenic, but she bought him a semi automatic pistol for christmas. STUPID BITCH

Cool they might be but I had to pay for them so presents they ain't All the stuff is from NuTool. They're not DeWalt quality but they seem well worth the money (well only the router tables arrived but that seems good). They all look kind of generic and I think they're the same as the ones you get as shops own brands. Oh, I forgot to mention that I got a bandsaw too. It's a table top jobby but it's got a 12inch throat (just like my girlfriend - he he). Only cost me £16 + £15 for delivery. I'm a happy man with toold, but a happy man without a motorbike

Well I've been thinking and I've decided that I'm going to take guitar building a little more seriously. So I've been power tool shopping I've just bought myself..... ..... A new router, router table and bits so I can now give my mates router back. ..... A thicknesser (It's only 10 inch so I'm going to have to start building 2 piece bodies) ..... A jointer/planer for nice square edges ..... A little cheep pillar drill so that my old man can have his back I decided to buy these as I had my performance bonus last month and my christmas bonus this month so I actually had a little bit of money in the bank (by money I mean overdraft). I also sold my motorbike too . Anyway I had to tell someone. Just got to get myself something bigger than the spare bedroom to work in now. mmmm, think I might have to build a shed

Surform? I've got both and used both for shaping the neck. I cut down the top and bottom of the neck to shape with the half round rasp and then used the surform to take off the majority of the wood between these two points. I did the final bits with both of the tools and sandpaper to finish. I also use the surform (and sandpaper) in place of a plane as I'm more than totally useless with a plane (as is my plane which I now use as a sanding block). Oh and surforms are wicked for leveling the top of tree stumps so that you can hammer a bird table to it. Kaj

Furry muff, Good luck with it (both of you). I'm currently CADing up a National resonator to be laser cut. What I've done is draw a multi coloured grid on AutoCAD and printed it out full scale. I have a cardboard template of the guitar and I've stuck it onto the grid so that I can plot it out on the computer. Keeps making my eyes go funny though so it's taking a bit longer than I expected. Anyway, good luck with it. I didn't get to build an axe in design and technology. I cast a load of nuts for rock climbing instead

Why do you need to CAD it, is it being done on a CNC? I spend alot of time CADing (being an engineer and all) but I find that a paper and pencil is often my prefered method for things like this.

Back to the Ti: I know someone that made a ring from a billet of Titanium. He started off using his lathe at home with a standard tool steel tool. First attempt: Broke tool Second Attempt: Broke tool Third Attempt: Broke tool because it heated so much and melted off the holder Fourth Attempt: More of the same and turned the Ti blue etc etc Either way he's done it now (6th attmpt) but it did involve buying a new lathe and a special tool. I still haven't seen the ring but I hear it's a bit blue as standard coolant just doesn't cut it

Wait until he's 16 and buys a drum kit

Nice one Dave I'd love to have a kid, it'd give me an excuse to make loads of new stuff Hope the litle tykes well. I think you should call him Dimebag in tribute to da man.

dude. It appears that I'm definately not your neighbour, being 7800km away (according to AutoRoute) but welcome anyway. Kaj

I've been doing trapezoid inlays on a fingerboard that I've thickness planed (very dangerously, using sanding drums, a pillar drill and some bits of wood clamped to the drill). When you're doing these, don't cut the fret slots first as you will take big chunks of wood off between the inlay (hole) and the fret slot when you're chisiling the hole out (seems so obvious now)

Well then, I'll go through my (I think you'll agree) comprehensive range of equipment: 1 Half finished Les Paul double cutaway project 1 Dodgy strat copy that is now a half finished project (got drunk and attacked it with a router - I wouldn't recommend it) 1 Amp that came with the dodgy strat copy (It's aweful, I use it to stop things falling over and haven't plugged it in for about 2 years) That's it but I'm hoping that by the end of 2005, I'll have finished the Les Paul and have built an amp (using one of Ansils kits). I also hope to have my effects board half finished. See, put's all your rigs to shame doesn't it. I bet you wish you had my setup

Oh man I've just confirmed it through a couple of other sources. Not good man, not good at all.

Aye, nuff said I think What if you used very weak magnets? Less effect on the string (maybe less magnetic flux for signal strength) who knows. I really should try to stop thinking, nothing good ever comes of it

Alright then guys, I’ve just been thinking about pickups and I would like to know your opinions. What do you think it would sound like if I (you or anyone else) made some very long thin pickup coils with each coil being about 100mm long and 10mm wide. Pole pieces would be through the centre of the coil. The pickups would sit along the length of the string, rather than across them, picking up the vibration on a long length of the string. Obviously the magnets would be underneath the pole pieces and there would be trouble fitting it all in, but this is only a bit of a thinking exercise. What do you guys think then, possible idea for a super crisp clear high output pup, or just plane useless? Kaj

Neither is aint

Emergency Emergency My resonator building buddy dropped some bits off for me to CAD up a while back. What I've done is to CAD up most of it but then I lost a piece (well actually I think I gave it back, but he thinks I've lost it ) There is a piece of steelwork on National guitars that goes behind the errr...... holes. I don't know what the holes are called but they are the ones up by the neck. They consist of a lattice style steel structure. Does anyone know if there are any plans anywhere that has these? I have a piece of paper that he drew around but obviously all the lines are going to be slightly bigger than in actual life. Cheers dudes.