Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey everyone.  I have loved getting information from all of you in the last 6 months while I have been lurking about.   I'm just starting my first kit (thank you LMI), and have realized that I really dont have the means to get this thing built quite yet.  So....I know I have a thousand dollar budget right now.  I thought I would throw this out there just for fun...just to see what you guys think. 

If you had $1000 and were just starting out building guitars again,  what tools would you get?  (aside from Bandsaw/tablesaw/drill press)

Thanks for any replys! 

Welcome to OLF.  We had that discussion just within the last month.  Lets see Here it is.  It had a little different angle, but much of what was discussed will apply to you too.  I have no kit experience, but I bet the info on kits would tell you tools you need to complete the kit.  That info is probably on line. Good luck on your progress.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Why can't you get the kit built? If you bought a serviced kit then you should be able to build it with common hand tools and a few simple home-made fixtures.

Now to answer the what would I buy part of your question. I think I will deal with only hand tools because I believe that is where your first investments should go.

Assuming you do not have a good set of chisels. I would buy 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" and 1" This is not a place in my books to skimp either. Fine German chisels will last you a life time. Cheap China steel will do nothing but cause you more work. So that is $200 for a good starter set.

Cabinet scrapers, sanding blocks precision ground straightedges, finger and block plane. There is an other $200-400 depending on the planes you buy. I say get as good as you can afford. less work getting them ready to use. so lets say $400.

That leaves you with $400 to spend

10-15 8" Cam clamps and a good assortment of 1 and 3" spring clamps. The good steel ones That about $200-$300

That leaves $100 for dinner with the wife so she will still be there after all this stuff comes in. Trust me this first $1K is just the preface of the money pit you are about to fall into

Hey Rattle!

I just wanted to say, Rattle and Hum is one of my favorite DVD's, and I
have U2 by U2 right here on my desk. It's my night reading.

Check out the thread I started in the link above. Some people
recommend things that are good to have, and I appreciate the
recommendations. However, think about what you need to finish the
guitar. I'm about to make my first order off my shopping list from that
thread, and it will be the Stew Mac order. I'm still going to refine it a bit
in a week or two before placing it, see if there are less expensive options
for some things.

A nice wee hand drill really great to have. New ones arent worth their shipping, most old ones are all rusted and need work, however there is a guy on ebay who completeley restores the old millers falls hand drills to new condition...they are great and you get a quality old new tool for about $40. The Number 1, 2 and 5 are best.

 

 

Wow...thanks guys.  The unfortunate part of all of this is that I want to do this full time already - and I havent even started.  :-)  Thanks for the great welcome too. 

And wow..I didn't think about all that stuff.  Its good to know.  Truthfully, my budget is larger than the 1k, but the rest is spent sprucing up my shop so it will be fit to work in (insulation/windows/dehumidifier/sheetrock/dust collection) and 1k is all there is that'll be left.

I'm in the school right now that I figure if I can build my guitar with hand tools as much as possible without using anything fancy (drum sanders/vacuum clamps etc.) then I should be ok in the long run.  Would all of you say that's a fair statement?

Block planes, finger planes, I honestly don't know what these are so I guess I have to do more research.

Why would a hand drill be good to have?

[QUOTE=rattleandhum] the rest is spent sprucing up my shop so it will be fit to work in (insulation/windows/dehumidifier/sheetrock/dust collection) and 1k is all there is that'll be left

Why would a hand drill be good to have?

[/QUOTE]

How about a new SHOP thread with PICS for us shop voyuers....    We love seeing someone's shop coming together.

The little hand drills are wonderful for installing tuners. I have a 12Volt porter cable rechargeable drill and use it a lot too. Then there is the oLD and I mean old Craftsman drill press from the 40 -50's era, wow, that thing is almost as handy as my Delta 14 inch drill press.

Files, get a 6 inch and ten inch with handles, maybe a couple each. I turned my six inch into a fret shaping jig like Tim McKnight posted a while back. It's great. Or was that Michael that posted that? you need one at 90 degrees and one at around 30 degrees mounted in a block of hardwood.

Grab you some 1/2 by 1/2 aluminum angle at the hardware store and make you some fret levelers. USE psa abrasives on the bottom 220 320 and 400 grit.

Another vote for cam clamps. Oh, and cobble you up a go bar deck, they are fantastic, just ask Grumpy!

Get you a really good small phillips screwdriver and use it for nothing but tuner screws, then put it away.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

ahem, edit, Delta 14 inch bandsaw. Buy used ones if you can find them. It's amazing how long they last, and maintenance is cheap if it needs something.

I hope you are taking notes. Some great suggestions here. I purchased a Wagner power planer, $45 but haven't used it yet. They say they are great.

I would see if you could find funds for a nice PC 300 speed bloc or a 5 or 6 inch Random Orbital, mine are Porter Cables and they are great for finish sanding.

Gosh, the list is just so long. I really love cam clamps too. The little German ones Klemmsia are wonderful. try www.highlandhardware.com for those, best price and they even have a library full of articles for us luthier types.

Okay, gotta go string up a guitar, Good luck, hey, how about some pics?    Really.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

This thread has been really helpful for me as well, as I am basically in the same position.

Glenn

All good suggestions as was the previous thread on spending $1000

 

This is starting to remind me of the song by the bare naked ladies called "If I had a million dollars" 

I just spent a little over $600 today on one of the stewmac buffers and a few other odds and ends... $1,000 doesnt go far these days.

 

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Reguards,

Ken H

Planes?   Lie-Nielsen

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Aoibeann

StewMac sells a kit that has a pretty good list of tools that you need to complete the kit. I assume the LMI kit is in a similar state and could be built with the same tools.

Sorry --- I think the StewMac list is laid out in the instructions for their kit, which is available for viewing on their website.

I'd enroll in a night school wood shop course and not buy power tools until my hand tool kit was really complete. You should get a good working knowledge of power tools before buying, and you could use a great complete wood shop for nearly free this way and have access to perhaps tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools...real tools, good old iron, a dust collected environment, and probably an instructor who would be delighted that you want to tackle building a guitar.

If you're serious about wanting to do this full time, though, use that grand as a downpayment on going to lutherie school. Check out Roberto Venn; there's even financial aid available.   You'll build at least two guitars while there, too.

/\ Best reply so far.

Going to lutherie school is something I wish I did- the experience of having an expert looking over your shoulder, and the methods taught by someone who has built for years is an extremely valuable expereince and can hone/test your desire to build guitars too.

Alas my location prevents me from going to such a place...

If you want to do this for a living you should invest the $1000 in something that will fund you; anyone have any stock tips?

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Again..whoa.  I kinda like the name rattle (makes me sound like a kid - just starting out).  I'll be reading and re-reading this post for a while while I get everything setup.

So, I bought an old house a couple of months ago, and it had a 25ft x 50ft shop in the back built by an old cabinet maker 25+ years ago.  Granted, the house was a wreck, so my wife and I have spent the first few months only working on the house and getting it gutted (where it needed it), adding a bathroom, you know..no big deal.  :-)  Since then I have been drawing up diagrams on how I want the shop layed out, getting the dust collection drawn up.  (I'll have to find the pictures to post).  So...yes, the dust collection is expensive - but it'll be worth it. The 1k is what's left after all of the sprucing up so-to-say.

I appreciate all the help! 

Kurt

 

[QUOTE=Arnt] If you want to do this for a living you should invest the $1000 in something that will fund you; anyone have any stock tips? [/QUOTE]

You mean wood? Woah, I have a few on my wish list....

Fun stuff, but buying a bunch of wood is still putting the cart before the
horse. I say get what you need to in order to get a playable guitar.
Defintely buy some educational things, too. Some of the DVD's. I've
really gotten so much out of John Mayes' advanced voicing, and I have the
2nd Gourmet Guitars coming my way. Even though it isn't educational
per se, it is, because you get exposure to some great instruments.

Rattle, let me get this straight:
1) you want to be a luthier full time
2) you just bought a house
3) you are a student

Something has to give. Being a full time luthier is a real commitment, and you're not going to get there from here. You're not going to teach yourself this profession in any reasonable length of time. You're going to have to change the "here" in your life if you're not just blowing smoke about wanting to do this full time.   

Hey Rick!

Thanks for your reply, and I appreciate the concern.  :-)  Actually I'm not a student (been out of college now for a while) , so besides family responsibilities, I can devote all my free time to learning the trade.  Granted, in all seriousness, I know I won't be "good"  for 4 or 5 years.  For starts, I've purchased Robby O'brians DVD of the 'how to".  I figure  I can get my feet wet with that.  I think after that I'm gonna start pounding on doors of local lutheirs to look over their shoulders.  At least that's the plan.  Who knows how it will all work out though.

I'll post pictures soon of the shop.  Thanks everyone for the replys!

I am with Rick in first post about going to a school if want to do this full time. Even then, tough to get it and then keep going as a pro. On top of school if can find a good builder in area or willing to relocate, have the skills, do apprenticeship or build all the time in shop. Building full time isn't the problem, getting clients, brand and making money to take care of needs and family, that can be different story. I did Galloup and got start, wish would have done the 6 months and built more guitars and learned more!!!