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OK, I think I have lots of ideas for optimizing my deck. Thanks for all your input. I feel confident as I go forward that nobody is gonna be shy about jumping into the fray and answering my questions! And I love all of your innovative versions, especially Colin's!

I love seeing all of your work! Cheers.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Lookin` good Steve.
If you`re gonna be using wood go bars, you might wanna line the underside of the upper deck with 80 grit paper to minimize them slipping. Then you`ll have a flat surface sanding board, too.
If using fiberglass rods with the caps, maybe not. You`d wear the ends out in no time.

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Steve it looks good but I must tell you that the flex in 3/8 all-thread is too much in my personal experience. I built my first just like yours but built a new one using 3/4" all-thread. I just found that the 24" column height was too much for 3/8" all-thread to be as rigid as I wanted them, and yours looks to be taller than 24". I agree with the others cover the threads with PVC pipe or at least pipe insulation I use 1" foam pipe insulation about 2" short of the full height. This allows me to adjust the upper deck 2" lower for some glue-up operations.

Also 3/4" ply upper deck will deflect so I also laminated an other 3/4" piece to the upper deck and lower deck because I mounted mine on a lazy Susan. if your lower deck sets flush on whatever base supports it 3/4" ply will be fine there.MichaelP38965.5337615741

MichaelP and all: Thanks for all of the excellent suggestions. I have done some mods and now have 1.5" on the top and bottom panels and lowered the overall height. The inside material is ply so the glass rods should have sufficient purchase on the surfaces of the ply. If, as you say, Michael, the 3/8" all-thread is too wimpy, I will just have to drill out the holes and upgrade that. I like your idea of leaving some rod exposed to permit adjustment of the top to the operation being done. The rod covering must wait for next weekend, I am afraid.

Fortunately, even building this thing twice, it will be less expensive than buying one! I just reorganized my shop. Here is a piccy for y'all.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Nice looking shop there Steve. Can't wait to see some more progress piccy's.

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Hey Steve, I too am a 24 inch 3/16 fibreglass guy. I started with wood but REALLY like the fibreglass rods. For the all thread (we call it ready rod here!) I just pulled some old garden hose over them. Works great! For the deck top I am just using a lattice affair to stiffen it up.

Lookin' good!

Shane

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Canada

Nice shop Steve!

Hey Hesh, you've got competition for Neatness!

Steve--Another way to stiffen the assembly in lieu of going to heavier all thread is to cut four equal lengths of pvc pipe or any kind of tubing round or square. Install these pieces around the all thread, set the top plate in place and then tighten the top nuts. The larger the tube diameter the better as it will really stiffen the gobar deck assembly. This also serves as protection from the all thread.
Nelson

Oops! I didn't read the posts above thoroughly and see that tubes have already been mentioned. I really don't think that heavy all-thread is necessary though especially if you use like 1 1/2" or 2" pvc pipe.

Might also mention that even cardboard mailing tubes would greatly stiffen the assembly.


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