Official Luthiers Forum!

Sand don't scrape.

On my brothers GA, I noticed two hairs from my arm embedded into the dry lacquer. I whipped out my pocket knife and scraped until they released. Even four coats of lacquer isn't close to completely filling the low spots.

From now on I sand out lacquer imperfections, instead of scraping, which makes the repair of the spot much more difficult.

_________________
http://www.dickeyguitars.com

My last stupid mistake was just a week ago. I was making a rosette that would be 1/4" snakewood outer ring, 3/4" Ma. Ebony center ring, 1/4" Snakewood inner ring. Ihad the perfect piece of Ma. Ebony for the job, but when I cut the MA. ebony ring I cut to the inside of the OD line for that ring

Not to rub it in, but a few magnets and a straight edge can save a lot of
headache. This is what I do before drilling a pickup hole.



It would be nice if you could get a photo via a mirror and light, but from
what's been said so far I think the recommended repairs above sound
appropriate. Good luck.

_________________
Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

     I you use the same bit as the one you drilled th hole with you can drill through a piece of steel and tap a piece of spruce through the hole to get a dowel pretty close to the size needed, which is the way I'd repair it without seeing it.

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I once tapered and glued on a fingerboard, and when I went to fret it I discovered it was the wrong way round with the narrow fret spacing at the nut end! Out with the heat blanket and palette knife.

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

My lastest mistake was - When cutting the binding to match up on the end graft I cut the wrong mark and made the piece to short.I had to touch up the bend so the waist would fit easily. Bonehead mistake for sure!

_________________
Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

My dumbest mistake was thinking I would only build one.

_________________
Say what you do, Do what you say.

[QUOTE=Billy T]      I you use the same bit as the one you drilled the hole with you can drill through a piece of steel and tap a piece of spruce through the hole to get a dowel pretty close to the size needed, which is the way I'd repair it without seeing it. [/QUOTE] I'll do that in addition to the lamination. Thanks for the idea for making the dowel.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Shaving the back of a neck already attached to the body without measuring first.

Helloooooooo Mr Trussrod!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

I've made so many different mistakes over the last few years that it would take a whole thread just to list them all.

However, thanks to some great advice from our friend John Hall, I have managed to put the strings on the outside for every one I've built. Thanks John! Dave Rector39087.6424074074

_________________
Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Someone asked for pictures.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

[QUOTE=Dave Rickard] My dumbest mistake was thinking I would only build one.[/QUOTE]

HaHa! I think lots of us have made that mistake.

[quote]I'll do that in addition to the lamination. Thanks for the idea for making the dowel.[/quote]

Just rough cut the spruce to close the diameter and tap it through, it works pretty slick!

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

[QUOTE=Billy T]Just rough cut the spruce to close the diameter and tap it through, it works pretty slick![/QUOTE]
OK - How's this?

I'll wait for the glue to dry and sand it flush in the morning. With the dowel in there, the hole doesn't look so big. I think a lamination will do the trick.

I told my friend about it already and will show him the pictures. I explained that if there ever is a problem, I'll fix it. I really don't think it will be any issue.

I'll post more pictures as I work through the repair.

Any comments and suggestions are welcome, well, almost any.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

[QUOTE=David Collins] Not to rub it in, but a few magnets and a straight edge can save a lot of
headache.[/QUOTE] Dave,
Thank you for the great tip! I had some magnets about 3 feet away - Dooh!

Here is my first time with the magnets. Please see the traces below.

Does anyone think it is a good idea to try to place a UST in this guitar?
It looks like the angle I'll have to drill will be very
shallow, making it a very long hole.
I don't think the hole should be drilled almost straight down either, or is that OK?

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

I would drill close to straight down (and maybe tape a feeler gauge to the
brace just in case). Even though the element transducer does not like a 90
degree turn I've had good results by softening the curve with a small chisel.



Whether it be by file or chisel, whatever you can do to soften that 90 degree
corner to a softer curve will be helpful. Leave it too sharp and your low E will
overpower everything. Cut it too long and the low E will be quiet if the slot
drops off too close to the string. Still, I wouldn't shoot for the outside of the
brace. That's just drilling too far through too much wood, at too much risk
of problems both now and later (I'd hate to be the guy who had to reglue a
bridge glued like that).

_________________
Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

I slotted a fret board for a zero fret and then changed my mind. After cutting the zero fret off I soon discovered that I foolishly cut the wrong end of the board. Fortunately, the rosette was finished to a full circle and looked fine in full view. One less fret only hurts my pride.

Philip

_________________
aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

Made a plexiglass rosette cutter like the new version Stew Mac sells with micro adjustment, took me a while to build that one and was very proud of myself when the jig was completed or almost, one last bolt to install, i turn around too quick, my arm touches the jig which has the Lam trimmer attached to it and flies on the cement floor and breaks! Mike Tobey sends me a rosette cutter by the mail and boom, same dang mistake! built a jig similar to the one that Mike had sent me but this time, i did build a basket to hold the jig and trimmer while not in use! Ahem!