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Your link lists a bunch of tape... which one did you try? Always open to new ideas.

Mike

I just bought some wood-turners tape from Rockler to try. It seems a bit heavier than carpet tape, but as you know, all carpet tape is not the same. I'm hoping it'll be easier to separate the backer from the tape, and hold well enough. It's expensive, but the roll is a big one.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I'm not sure which one it is. I ordered it from McMaster. The tape just says Intertape on the inside.

The McMaster item number is 76405A13 (1" x 36 yds $7.93/roll)

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Hi Kevin,

I forgot my camera at the shop, but I made a quick render of the essentials to get the idea across. I have two blocks, one at about 10"
long and one at about 22" long. They're both made from 1.5"x3" chunks of mahogany I had around that had defects making them
unsuitable for necks. The handles are actually sawed-off heels from prototype acoustic necks



Anyhow, the main thing that's different about them VS the normal plastic type push blocks you get is that there's a ledge at the back
which is used to push the work through the jointer, and in the case of smaller or thinner stock the block covers and supports the
backside of the work completely. This means that if you feed smoothly, you can run a very thin piece of stock across the jointer
without it vibrating and it'll give a good cut.

As I use thinner stock, the support at the back sometimes gets jointed down really thin (ie: 0.08"), so I just joint it off completely and
CA on a scrap of something in the 1/4" range to replace it. You don't need much ledge back there to work, 1/8" is fine, but I don't like
using it if it's much thinner than that.


Having a really good two-handed grip on the 'stock' (handles of the block) does wonders for your feeding smoothness and control of the
cut. I never liked running thinner stock like fretboards over the jointer because the support on the back of the stock can never be
perfect if using regular short blocks. I used to use two blocks with one working as an 'outfeed pushdown' to keep constant pressure on
the cut, and I got good at it, but with the new blocks a complete newbie can make a clean cut on a thin piece of stock.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

On the topic of carpet tapes...well, I could go on all day. I use a lot of the stuff for some operations (though rarely to hold down parts, actually!).

Finding stuff that'll release well can be a problem. In the future, I'll be using the masking tape idea thrown out earlier on low-grab parts. If you're looking for the strongest stuff, though, go to a carpet place and ask for 'seam tape'. It's meant for joining carpets together at the seams and it is most certainly meant for permanence. I'd use it for putting jigs and stuff together...removing it is a challenge to say the least!

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Bob,

Thanks for sharing your push block design.

I never thought to put a tote on the front like a hand plane - great idea.

I'm definitely going to make a set.

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

That tape is activated with heat from a special iron. It would be impossible to use them for jigs, unless you get the pressure activated adhesive type.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

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