Official Luthiers Forum!

Well I knew when the hardware store had angle grinders on sale for 70% off I just couldn’t pass it up. Inspired by our friend Mario I went out and bought my angle grinder for under $25. I intended to buy a wood carving blade of some sort, but I decided before I did that to try a sanding wheel. So I bought a 60 grit sanding wheel for $10. I finally needed to carve a neck a few days ago and thought I would give this a try. Wow! This thing cuts through wood like a hot knife through butter. In 15 min I had taken the uncarved neck to where I just needed to clean it up with the rasp. This is the best $40 I spent on tools in ages and it is going to be a great time saver. You do have to be careful as it removes wood really fast. When I finally shut the grinder off I realized just how close I came to removing to much wood. I plan to try a few more with the sanding disc before I think about upgrading to a carving blade. The only disadvantage is that it throws dust everywhere. I suppose a carving blade would throw small chips which would be easier to clean up.

Here are some pictures of my neck carving tools. Angle grinder, drill and drum attachment (doesn’t get used to much), Nicholson rasps.






If your looking to speed up neck carving this is an easy and inexpensive way to start.

Josh

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Josh – good stuff. If you are looking for something more aggressive, Lee Valley carries the Kutzall, Arbortech and Lancelot blades.   I use a Lancelot for carving Archtop – top and back plates. I wouldn’t use a Lancelot for carving necks as its too aggressive for my taste and you have to be very careful that it doesn’t kick on you particularly as you approach the heel).   If you were able to rough carve a neck in 15-mins with 60-grit and found it aggressive – you might want to think twice about using a Arbortech or a Kutzall. (If you get one of these please get a good leather apron).

I agree its easier picking up shavings and chips from a Lancelot – but I still wear a good dust mask and good safety goggles are a must as its easy to get chips thrown into your eyes (major ouch).

Just my 2?.

I use the Lancelot, and a full face shield would be highly recommended <g> And yes, the chips are large enough that they are easily swept up.

If you want to try it, cut up a couple two by fours into neck sized chunks first, and practice on them. The thing removes wood at a crazy rate. Takes less than a minute to go from Lancelot to rasps...

Wear heavy leather gloves, too. The lancelot is one dangerous outfit. Low angle, and pretend you're petting the meanest cat in town. Be gentle...

Thanks for the good tips guys. I think I will eventually try the Lancelot blade. I have a small one room shop and now everything is coated is mahogany dust. The only way I can clean stuff off is to turn on the dust filter and blow the dust around the shop. Wood chips are much easier to deal with.

And I will be sure to get a full face shield before giving it a try.

Josh

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Josh - np - before you plunk down the cash for a Lancelot check out the Arbortech -- it's a little easier to control and removes material as quick. Anthony Z38762.9430324074

anthony, which Arbortech model do you have? I just peaked at their page and they have several, $45 to $120. I would like to speed up archtop carving..

I have both of the Arbortechs - the less expensive one is almost identical to the Lancelot, I only use it for cutting notches in framing for plumbing & electrical since I got the high end one. The Arbortech Pro (I think it's called) is great for roughing out tops & backs on archtops & cellos it cuts fast, doesn't grab & is easy to control. Eye protection is a must!

I've never really considered using my angle grinder for neck carving, but I use it all the time to rough out (and even fine-tine) my carved top (and back) electrics, just with a 60 or 120 grit sanding disk. Works great, but is still pretty darn agressive. And yes, messy.

Ah yes! The Arbortech (I believe it was formerly known as the Arbocycle)

I have the original Arbortech, it is a solid 5" steel disk with chainsaw teeth cut in around the edge that you bolt to an angle grinder. Few would remember but it was originally designed as a form of transportation.

From memory, to use the disk for this purpose, one would simply close their eyes, make a wish on exactly were upon the planet they would like to be transported to, hit the switch, plunge the disk firmly into anything within arms length, and off they would go flapping like a wet noodle in a stiff breeze behind it.

Around and around they would go, until, either they let go, run out of power lead, severed the power-lead or their limbs. At which point, they would hopefully have arrived at or very near their destination.

For some reason, this product just never got off the ground, well it did, but just not as intended. This was of course until a group of the worlds foremost marketing gurus and spindoctor's were bought together in an early 80's "think tank" environment.

The purpose of this meeting was to come up with a way to shift this large glut of vicious steel disk back into the market place at a profit.

It was at this meeting in 1984 that it was agreed by all present that the only possible way to sell this "disk with the disposition of a rabid ferret" for any level of profit was to target only the bravest and most foolhardy members of the general public. With this in mind, it was decided to reissue the disk as a woodworking tool.

Even though common sense has prevented me from ever used mine, this savage butcher from the darkness has had one positive side effect on my life. Indeed it has saved me a small fortune.

Over the years, instead paying to hire a horror flick to scare myself into a lather of cold sweat, I need only to peek into that little dust covered box at the back of the shed. Upon doing so, I am instantly sent screaming back to that moment in time when I looked on in terror as a once talented free form wood carver ripped the vile disk through his left hand releasing most of his fingers to dance across the shop floor until they lay there in a motionlessly bloody mess.

Then, with my horror fix satisfied, I close the lid, breath the fear, shiver a little and open a beer. I sit there thinking of ways to rid the world of this evil menace. And, that night I will go to my bed for yet another sleepless night spent tossing and turning with anxiety.

You see my dilemma is that I can never sell or even consider giving this abomination away, I simply could not face the consequences should the unthinkable occur. Nor can I just dispose of it anywhere on earth because of the Jamunji factor, we all know what happens there.

So I live on in my own personal hell of melancholia and torment, drinking and lamenting that day when, as a brave, but foolish and naive young man, I sort to tame the beast.

So, take head my friends, be happy with your lot and embrace your saw rasp hold close your file, but please oh please stay well clear of the ARBORCYCLE.

Other than that, the newer model looks pretty good

Cheers all

Kim larkim38763.2714236111

Anthony

I was getting the Arbortech and Lancelot blades mixed up in my mind. I had to pull out the Lee Valley catalogue and look again. It was the Arbortech I was looking at and not Lancelot.

Thanks

Josh

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Kim, maybe some folks should not use power tools at all <bg>

Yes, it is scary, but if used correctly, neither the lancelot or arbortech are that dangerous, and they do not grab one bit, if used correctly.

What I'm afraid you did, as i've had the horror of seeing someone else do, is use the end of the disc as the cuting edge. Wrong! You must use these things at the lowest angle possible, and always on the pull stroke. Just as with a chainsaw, never, ever feed the rotating end into the work.

Hi Mario,

You are of course spot on about using the tool correctly, that day I referred to in my yarn really did occur. The guy I mentioned in my BS story in truth did not actually loose ALL his fingers permanently but he did make a horrible mess of his hand and lost a good deal of movement and control once the micro surgeons had stitched all the bits back. I am certain it is still an ugly mess many years later.

This guy was indeed a talented free form carver, he had used the arbortech extensively, so much so that he had become foolishly complacent. That in itself, as I am sure you all know is a recipe for disaster and the biggest cause of mishaps with power tools.

He had removed the metal guard from the grinder so he could see in finer detail as he worked. (STEEERIIIIKE 1!) (NOTE: The first release of the arbortech wood carving tool was in the south west of Western Australia. Arbortech received strong support from the local media and, unlike my fictitious ramble, the product really did take off as intended. In fact it's success as a potential export item put the little home town of it's inventor, from memory a town called Kirup, on the map. Back then, the arbortech did not come with the clear lexan guard, you just bolted that nasty little sucker right on and off you went).

Our carver was busy working a 4 1/2" angle grinder with this first series arbortech held only in his right hand, (STEEEERIIIIIKE 2!) as he rotated and supported his large work piece hung on a swivel from a gamble with the other. (STEEEERIIIIKE 3!, fingers, your outa there!)

What resulted was so horrible to wittiness that I can tell you this, the only way I will ever use that tool again is if I catch some SOB harming my kids. I know what I witnessed was 100% user error, that can not be disputed. But for me now, just the sound of that thing spinning in the grinder makes my skin crawl and any level of comfort I once had with the thing flew away as fast as you can say hamburger mince.

Great tool, no doubt. But if your not comfortable, you really shoud'nt use one of these, but I guess that goes for most power tools and machinery.

Any how, just in case no one picked it up, I made up that bit about the arbortech first being a form of transport, that was just the Aussie com'in out in me, they really started out as a dental tool

(Edit) Sorry Josh, very rude of me, please accept my apologise. I must learn to keep my stories out of other peoples post. I think your flap disc is a great option for those of us who suffer Arborphobia.

Cheers

Kim larkim38763.4851967593

Like I said, some people should not use power tools <bg>

You guys are nuts!
Maybe it's because I started woodworking well before hand power tools were
so cheap, but I'll take the control and enjoyment of edge tools any day. I'll
bet that I can come pretty darn close to the same time you spend with a
grinder with my drawknife, spokeshave and a couple of files. Plus, I don't fill
the air and my lungs with dust- I only have to sweep up those pretty
curlicues that are the best kindling for my fireplace I know of.
-C

_________________
Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

[QUOTE=Chas Freeborn] You guys are nuts!-C[/QUOTE]

Hmmm...must be a crazy Canadian thing

Josh

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I want a Lancelot blade too, sounds like fun! huh?

Josh, your in good company using the sander. John Howe posted a link to Kevin Ryan carving a neck. All you need is a downdraft dust collector. Here is a link to the thread.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Thanjs Don, it was great watching those videos!

Serge