Official Luthiers Forum!

Does anyone have a nifty jig or information about a set of nifty jigs for making that beveled arm rest similar to what Ryan or Laskin makes.

John

John talk to Tony Karol over at Mimf (or you can google his site), he uses some jigs to do his and is happy to share information. I've thought about doing one, after healdsburg I'll do it just to say I can

-Paul-

_________________
-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

John,
I'm planning on doing this on my next Acoustic, so I did lots of research on the MIMF Library. I found tons of information and saved it off as a word doc. If you want I can email it to you tonight. Send me a message at tl507362 AT yahoo.com if you want a copy. It doesn't look that difficult to do, but it does look difficult to bind.
Tracy

Thanks Paul and Tracy.

Yes indeed Tracy. I really would like to see the results of your research. In fact, you should consider posting it in a permanent format in this forum. I will send you an e-mail.

John

Tracy, you might want to check with Deb before posting that on this site. I'm not sure if she has copyrights on the stuff on MIMF.

Wouldn't want to get Lance into trouble over something like this.

_________________
Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Good point Dave. I'll hold off on posting it here. If you want the information, I'll email it to you. John, I'll probably send it later tonight if I can find the document. I'm going to see Laurence Juber tonight, and I'm so excited!
Tracy

I remember reading something about reposting stuff you find on MIMF... she forbids it without permission.

_________________
Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

The copyright is held by whoever wrote it in the first place, technically, but it's been published at the MIMF in an online for. I think legally, you need to conact the writer(s) of the piece, unless you're only quoting bits and pieces in a framework of your own (ie, to illustrate one of your points in an original work; referencing, like), but the polite thing to do would be to ask everyone involved, from the author to Deb.

I worked it out last night without any really special jigs or fixtures. It really seems pretty simple. The only stumbling blocks seemed to be the purfling channels that were cut inside the sloped binding and the kerfing inside the sloped part of the binding.

If you make the top exactly to the profile you want (rather than making it overly large like I normally do and trimming it after its glued) you can cut that purfling channel before you glue down the top using the top as a guide in the beveled area. (no special templates required)
The inside blocks probably ought to be solid in the beveled area and the top probably ought to be glued down before the back so that those internal blocks can be lightened up after the top is glued down. The bevel itself can be cut with a rasp or chisel, taking care to keep the top edge of the sides square, then the bottom edge of the binding must be cut on an angle to match the top edge of the sides. A little judicious use of sandpaper here used as a floss would work quickly enough.

I am going to do this on my next guitar and take pics and post the results of the effort. (If it works out as easily as I think it will)

Thanks all for your input.

John

Something that looked pretty funky to me was a recent (but still expired) discussion on the MIMF about cutting the inner portion of the arm rest on a bandsaw.

Basically, the person (I forget who it was) made a block the shape of the armrest portion, fitting it perfectly to the inside of the side first. Next, he tilted his bandsaw table to his preferred angle (wasn't 45 degrees, but I can't remember what it was exactly), and freehanded the curved, angled bevel section, leaving a 'flat' gluing area about the size of normal lining. Basically cutting the corner off, and 'fairing in' the edges, a la Laskin. Finally, again using the bandsaw with the tilted table, he sliced off a roughly 1/4" (or so) slice off a section that's pretty much finish-shaped, fits perfectly (except for some dish sanding, perhaps), and is only as thick as it needs to be all the way through, meaning it's as light as it can be.

Took a few practice pieces to get right, apparently; once you've made the first one, that can be used to template rout other blocks, I suppose.

To me, that looked like a very, very elegant method of doing it all. Still doesn't address the issue of binding and purfling, but your pre-glue solution would be applicable here as well, I'd think. I've been fiddling with this question on paper for a while now, because I'd like to build a guitar with one at some point, and while the top ledge binding seems not-too-evilly-complicated (not too hard to make a guide to follow. Fidlly, but not impossible), but the side mostly just seems like it would require cutting by hand, carefully, with chisels.

Mattia,
Actually, you were the one who started the thread on the MIMF! I have that thread saved off in a word doc. It has some pics of the process, but only a few. Terry Lowell sent me a Private Message to send him the doc, but I cannot read any private messages, as I'm getting the catastrophic error. If anyone wants this doc, you will need to request it to my private email at tl507362 AT yahoo.com. Great info John and Mattia!
Tracy

Heh. Now you mention it...

I'm still trying to decide whether to put the arm rest on the next guitar I make that I'm not selling/giving away (two of the next three are being built to order at material cost, the third will be a clone of my first). The medium jumbo I'm building could probably use it, since it's big, and the guy I'm buidling it for, well, isn't. But it's already getting a wedge (done one already, not that difficult) and a side sound port, so that's plenty of potential areas for messing things up. The other's a parlour, and it seems a mite excessing to put a rest on one of those. And the third, well, the third I'd like to try to sell, just to recoup my materials investment. So adding funky features like arm rests might put people off. But it might not.

Oh, the decisions!

I say go for Mattia. On my next, it will be a cutaway, soundport, and arm rest. This will be done using the Olson SJ plans body shape with a venetian cutaway. I don't know why I do this to myself, but I just think it is so much fun to try new things.
Tracy

I thought I would pass along some info to all of you who are possibly thinking of doing a Laskin or Laskin style arm rest. Since I am also interested I emailed Mr. Laskin to see what his policy is on other builders using his design. He does hold a copyright on the armrest and ribrest bevels. However he is more then willing to let other small builders use the design if they 1) send him a picture of the finished guitar 2) explain to their customers that this is their version of the Laskin Armrest. Since he does hold a copyright and it is his design you may want to get his permission before using it. It seems like it would be the courteous thing to do. He is great with email and my experience is he will probably respond within 24hrs.

Just thought I would pass that along.

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