tdog

idch......Just be careful......I don't want to hear of any injury reports!

Cheers,

Tdog

Okay, I figured out what I was doing wrong...duh!  I didn't notice that the depth guides were blocking the plunger....I  can get 3 cm with the bit fully seated, close to 4.5 if I want (but that's not necessary and probably not all that safe either)

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Keep that bit fully seated or ever-so-slightly pulled out....about 1/16in or 2-3mm. Longer router bits can be easily found if you need them. I have a couple 2.5in straight bits from Whiteside. They are surprisingly in expensive for the highest quality. Here is a link to Whiteside Tools.

http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/catalog/CatalogHome.asp

http://www.whitesiderouterbits.com/catalog/CTStraights.pdf

I'd like some pearl finishes and can only find a couple on reranch.  Any other sources out there?

Thanks.

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House of Kolor.......This is the stuff that is widely used in the custom car and motorcycle industry.....Expensive....It is a dry additive which is mixed with the paint.....If you are looking for rattle cans, you are out of luck with HOK.

The Lobo machines that I've seen, and it has been years, have all been of lesser quality......cheaply made......Are they still manufactured? Check it out closely for play in the bearings....Make sure the wheels are running true and it has good tires(the rubber that the blade actually rides on).....If you can, make a few test cuts......If all seems fine, it just might be what you are looking for.......But don't expect Northfield quality!

Watco isn't the toughest finish that you'll ever use.....and you'll have to build up 7 or 8 coats for that lusterous finish that is desirable in furniture.....But, it is very easily watermarked. so any sweat could leave spotting on the finish. The upside is that any marking is easily repaired with a little steel wool, elbow grease and another shot of Watco.

I have a new Kahler 5 string bass bridge with adjustable string spread.....Black finish....I paid $86.....I'll take $75 and ship it to the lower 48 free.

Also a new EMG H4A humbucker...this is the one with the Alnico magnet......I paid $75......I'll take $65 and also ship to the lower 48 free.

Both of these were intended for projects that never got off the ground. I figured I'd offer them up here before I decide to keep them or offer them up on Ebay.

E-mail me at tdog@nauticom.net

Don't confuse the Lacewood from Australia with the very similar looking Brazilian Lacewood. Braz Lacewood is very hard and dense and is a darker than the very soft Aussie Lacewood. I have a stash of the Braz Lace and have yet to use it for a fretboard, but its density leads me to believe it could work.

Aussie Lacewood=Silky Oak

Braz Lacewood=Leopardwood

Snakewood=Snakewood.......most commercially available stock comes from Surinam

Planetree is part of the Sycamore family.

http://www.righteouswoods.com/imported_hardwoods.html

Derek ......With a riser installed on your Delta, you have the same resaw capacity as the Rikon 18in......@12ins..... It does give you more power though.....Toss a 2hp motor on your Delta(I'm thinkin' out loud here), it should be able to handle it, There should be enough room to mount it in the housing.

http://www.redmond-machinery.com/bandsaws_new_wood.htm

but I have seen low quality lines from Porter Cable, DeWalt, Hitachi, Milwalkie, etc...

I don't know what models you are looking at, but all of the above mentioned brands are top shelf and will last for years. I own 6 P-C routers, 1 Bosch, and a couple Milw. grinders and hole saws. P-C is definately a better tool than Craftsman. If you only use Craftsman tools occasionally, you may not notice any difference between them and other tools, but if you use a P-C or other higher quality, more expensive tool everyday, it will hold up better in the long run....better motors and bearings.

The old school way is sometimes the best way if you have the tools in front of you.

I'm glad to hear that somebody is interested in hand tools. The "old school" tools are great to use and hone your skills. Too many people think that if they buy good machinery they will be great craftsmen...You have to learn how to work using the traditional methods before you completely understand your craft.

You will find that when you dull the edges of your planing irons, there is an art to sharpening them......the sharper the better......you should actually be able to shave the hair of of your arm with a properly blade or iron. Well honed tooling is almost effortless to use.

Good Luck!

Yo! chrisb....I can do the resaw if you want, but just buying the 4/4 pheart that you need would be cheaper than shipping back and forth.

tdog@nauticom.net

they're not quite as "industrial" from what I've been told, I like the general stuff, it's just plain bullet proof!

LGM....Bullet proof is right! As for industrial, they may make another line aimed at contractors. I haven't even seen their catalogue in years......General is a company that still makes 'em like they used to.

www....How's it goin'?....I have a General Lathe, a real big one! She'll turn 20in over the ways and has an 8ft bed....It is a great machine and has made me lots of $$$$ over the years. General has great stuff. I had to call the company in Quebec once.......I forgot that French was the primary language in the "Great White North"! "Bonjour, le Company de General"

I have always used a standard length 1/8in bit (DeWalt in this case) on any Tele that I've built. If you are using a Tele type bridge, the string through holes will line up perfectly with the holes in the bridge.....that is if everything is correctly drilled. Drill carefully, slowly about 1/8-1/4in at a time so you can clear the chips and avoid clogging the bit. If it clogs, it will have a tendancy to wander and not give you a truehole to line up with you ferrules in the back......The length of the bit will just be enough to poke through the back of the body....A max of about 1.75in.

Here ya go...These are the best planes being produced today. I don't think $50 will quite do it!

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/tool.html?id=8

jch4v...The learning curve is a bitch, but think how much you've learned! Mistakes happen so that one may add to the pool of knowledge.....Keep up with the great attitude.

Greg

Skibum.....It all depends on how much you want to spend. I have some very nice stuff suitable for a 1 piece top. I'm not going to let this stuff go at bargain basement prices. If you are interested .....contact me and lets see what we can do.

Here is a link to a pic of a bass I built using a slice from the same burl........

http://www.geocities.com/tdog197/Hardwood_Studio_indexa.html

...Or if you want, try this guy.....

http://www.exoticburl.com/

When you introduce water or steam to otherwise dry wood, you are actually only using it to soften the wood fibers. It is not replacing the water that was once in the cell structure (which was lost in the air or kiln drying process).

that just doesn't happen

...I beg your pardon, but it surely does......And after this post I'm no longer commenting on any safety concerns.

I'm sure that will be just fine with some people.

I called Delta about this and they imediately sent me a new blade, free of charge.

More than likely the one that was sent by Delta was also a cheap Taiwanese blade.....The blade that came with it probably had problems with its kerf to begin with.... Delta manufactures very little product in the US any more.

I know I trash the use of any 9in bandsaw for cutting out bodies, but I don't understand how you are able to keep the body stable and flat while you are making the cut, and forget about having enough clearance from the throat to make tight radius cuts. Personally, I sometimes wonder if my 14in Delta is too small and should I use my 36in Powermatic.

The stability concerns I have raise a safety issue. When you are cutting a body, you are dealing with a 20in x 14in block of wood weighing @10lbs. With a small table, and the laws of physics, this could allow the block to become unbalanced and possibly lift off the table placing your digits in harm's way.

I'm not going to change anyone's mind, but there are more things to think about that the cost. Safety doesn't appear to be the first thing one anyone's mind and it should be.

Don't get too exited about these things...They are files that are used to clean the tips of oxy-acetylene cutting torches. These files are inserted into the tips to clean residues that are built up. They are not stiff files and tend to bend easily. You can find these in your local welding shops or hardware stores for $6-9 depending on the length you want.......so its not even a great deal.....I don't think they will do the job of cutting string slots

I think the machine for me was quite suitable as a stepping stone. When I grow up, I hope to have a nice 14" saw.

My uncle was given a 14in Delta bandsaw by his father (my Grand Dad) in the early 1940's....That saw is still in use to this day and my uncle is now in his late 70's......So if you by good stuff the first time around, it will serve you well if you take care of it and the cost to use it, is next to nothing.

Wes......You have to keep in mind that most of these guys on their first project have little or no woodworking experience and would have no idea how to judge if they are placing unnecessary force on their machines and tooling. Cost is certainly a factor and I totally understand financial concerns when trying to tool up a shop, but I hope everyone buys the best tools that they can afford, so they don't have to buy them again!

You're one of the PG'ers that, I believe, offers solid advice and insight.....keep up the good work.

Once I find the floor in my building/shop, I'll give you guys a tour. I finished my last art projects for the year and I'm just now finding my table saw!

might be $119 well spent

The debate rages on! 9in bandsaw vs scroll saw vs 14in bandsaw. I my opinion, unless you are cutting out wooden jewelry, small craft items or anything but thin stock, it is a waste of $119. I have the 9in Delta and don't use it for anything but the above mentioned tasks. Tabletop bandsaws were never designed for the purpose of cutting out guitar bodies from 8/4 stock. Sure, it can be done with the perfect combo of a well tuned blade and perfect tension adjustment, but the stress you would be putting on the motor and bearings could be enough to trash your saw......The upper guide bearing itself costs over $25, and that will be your first part to fail.....and if you have to replace any of the machinings around that bearing, you are lookind at another $20+......I know, I made the repairs on the saw that I have which was given to me in the above described state of disrepair.

Mikas jig looks like a good one for its intended purpose. Torque should not be a concern here.....The Popular Mechanics design with the single upright tube looked like trouble.