Official Luthiers Forum!

Just to balance out this excellent thread:
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11726 &PN=1&TPN=1

For me:

After taking a rubbish Dremmel and SM binding attachment combo to my firts build it has to be in a #1
-Routing the binding channels
#2
-Sanding Ebony/RW

I guess i may add finishing here too but I have only just started that so..watch this space.

SANDING SANDING AND MORE SANDING,
followed by cutting the binding channels, and finally, letting'er go

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

For me it is cutting the neck joint and fitting the neck then doing the binding. Hate both of these
Tracy

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Yep, me and Tracy are in the same boat...it's fitting the neck. It's just time consuming, slow and somewhat nerve wracking.

I don't hate it, but I don't rush to get started either.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Worst is when it is time to quit working and clean up, so you can start back next time. 

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Yep, neck fitting for me too..

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Programming....    

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John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

Smart Alec!  

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I hate binding the guitar...I use tape and my fingers are always pretty sore
afterwards.

Sanding down an ebony finngerboard blank. I always come out looking like an extra from "Germinale" or "How Green was my Valley"

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I have to agree with all the sanding involved, unless it is part of an important shaping process. Binding doesn't bother me, but I haven't mitered any purflings yet.

Finishing is my biggest nightmare but I will try till I get it right.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Hesh, you have to flick gently.  Squashing is not allowed on unfinished guitar tops. Maybe blow or suck the next one off with the vacuum.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Cleaning up the binding for me.

Also gluing the bridge on always makes me nervous. I once glued a bridge in the wrong spot and I'm always afraid I might do it again  . The great thing about those kind of mistakes is that you only make them once (hopefully) 

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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

Most unpleasant part..... definately cleaning the shop!  Actually it is making jigs.  I need them, but hate spending the time making them.

Hesh, never suck!!!Especially bugs. My most dreaded task is binding.I`ve been using a dremel to cut them and it`s dang near impossible.I did miter the bindings on my current build and it went okay,could have been better.Hopefully on the next build it will be more enjoyable,since purchasing a binding jig from Brock at the swap meet.Well for me it`s off to a family reunion this Saturday,so no guitar building for a week.I`m not sure I`ll know how to act.
                             James W B

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

No it`s not.It`s actually my wifes family in Deer River Minnesota.If it was in Ann Arbor I would definately holler at ya.I`m sure I`ll be getting up there again pretty soon.My daughter says they are gonna need another bathroom.
                                  James
                       
       

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Fitting a dovetailed neck joint has got to be one of the most frustrating things I have done yet. #11 is a dovetail, but you can bet I will go back to bolt-on's afte this one.

that remioneds me.... gotta buy one of those bolt-on templates....

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Reguards,

Ken H

For me, I hated cutting the fret slots by hand and installing the frets.  I bought 3 pre-shaped and pre-slotted fb's to reduce some of the work...

The neck joint is a close second.....

Laurie

 

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] It used to be binding for me but no longer. Now with the proper jig for me, a Williams jig, it was stress free and my results were finally excellent.

So the single most d***ded task in building a guitar for me is the final sanding. This includes any gap filling if needed, smoothing out the waist, shaping the bindings, rounding out the edges of the sound hole and a final, 220 grit flossing of the neck joint.[/QUOTE]

Hesh:

I have to ditto the Williams binding jig. The binding on my No. 2 build went perfectly...in fact, I was totally surprised by it all. I used a Ribbecke set up the first time, and it wasn't nearly as stress free. Truth is, binding was no big deal.

I am surprised however to hear your dislike of sanding. With the Festool setup you have, I would think final sanding - through whatever grit you desire - would be a snap. Have you looked into that Grizzly tube sander. Might consider one, makes quick, excellent work of the waist areas. Just a thought.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

for me i think it's got to be jig building. it's critical to the task and final outcome, but because i have such limited time to actually build guitars it always feels like too much time away from guitar wood.

and then beyond the jig building, i hate any part of the build for which it feels like i don't have the right tools. i've tried that dremel and stewmac thing on the binding channels and it made me mad. now with the right tools, there's a real pleasure in routing the channels quickly and accurately.
phil

[QUOTE=Dave White] Sanding down an ebony finngerboard blank. I always come out looking like an extra from "Germinale" or "How Green was my Valley" [/QUOTE]

Whereabouts are you getting your green ebony??

[QUOTE=Bill Greene] [QUOTE=Hesh1956] It used to be binding for me but no longer. Now with the proper jig for me, a Williams jig, it was stress free and my results were finally excellent. 

Hesh:

I have to ditto the Williams binding jig. The binding on my No. 2 build went perfectly...in fact, I was totally surprised by it all. I used a Ribbecke set up the first time, and it wasn't nearly as stress free. Truth is, binding was no big deal.[/QUOTE]

I have had the same experience. Binding has gone from dread to no big deal, thanks to the F/W jig.

Peter

Using epoxy to cover up a mistake.