Official Luthiers Forum!

   Great idea! Thanks for the pics, Hesh.    I've always coveted one of those radiused blocks... Must resist... TAS.... Must resist ... TAS...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Thanks for sharing Hesh, great tool!

Hi Hesh! I bought the straight leveler a while back..the 1" X 2" square tube...works well, but I still want the kind you have...maybe next commission...looking good though, and by the by, I love your website!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Looks great Hesh
So I guess you are fretting now with the board attached and glued.
I was using the 2 sided tape so I could fret off the neck, but with a level
fretboard.
Since you have Jaws2 fretting must be easier with the fretboard glued on the
neck
Thanks

Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Hesh:

The guy I built my guitar with used a dremel sandpaper drum (the tiny one) and lightly sanded the tang down on the frets over the body to accomplish the same thing. Then used a drop of CA on those frets. They go in easy and with very little hammering, which of course reduced the chance of any top damage. Just another idea.

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

Hesh, that sand bag reminds me of my old gunsmithing/target shooting days. I looked for mine the other day but it seems to have disappeared. Guess I will have to make another one one of these days. Looks to be pretty handy.Jimmie D38865.5427546296

Hesh,

Thanks for posting this. I also just purchased a radius block from Stew Mac and can't wait to try it.

On a side note, how do you clean the dust from the fret slots?

Pete

Hesh

Where did you pick up that straight edge and how much?? I have been resisting buying a machinist straight edge because of the high cost (Stew Mac).

Any alternatives to a machinist straight edge?? I use a steel yard rule now and think I ends up ok but always thinking I need something better.

Hi Rich

You got to get yourself a good straight edge, I know they are expensive but then most things that are manufactured to very fine tolerances are.

I have a friend who lives near by me who make guys for a hobby and I help out with his builds, on Thursday I had to remove and reset the bridge on his latest build as he had used a long ruler and missed the centre line because of the flex in the ruler, he has worked so hard to get this build to be the best he has done, and was very frustrated when he arrived, but very happy once we got it sorted.

When I checked out his ruler, it was quite clearly the cause of his problems.

Rich,

I bought me one from Lee Valley(where else do i shop huh?) i think they were about $35-$40 IIRC, beautiful thing to have in your shop, not only for guitar making but also for tool alignment.

Serge

Lee Valley seems to have the best deal on a 24" steel straight edge currently. They've got some less expensive aluminum ones that look pretty good, too; but don't be fooled--get the steel.

I've got the aluminum Veritas straight edge (purchased at Lee Valley) and love it, so I guess I was fooled . The difference between the steel and the aluminum is only 0.002 inches over the length. Now if you are setting your bridges and measuring at more than 1/256", than my hats off to you, my eyes are getting up there in years. Use the aluminum straight edge for its intended purpose, don't abuse it, and it will work just as well as the steel.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

[QUOTE=Don A] I've got the aluminum Veritas straight edge (purchased at Lee Valley) and love it, so I guess I was fooled . [/QUOTE]
Yup, too bad.    Actually, you're probably right about the usefulness of the Veritas aluminum edges. Their accuracy standards beat many other steel straight edges.

Straightedges = essential. Mine's an absurdly heavy, absurdly accurate (I believe .05mm over its 18" length?) straightedge. I find my regular steel rule is fine for locating bridges, but there are plenty of things you need to actually check for flatness.

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] Thanks every one.

Andy yes I am counting on, but have not tried it yet, the Jaws II being able to live up to it's promise and fret, and reach every fret on the neck and body.

I am also thinking about Michael Payne's idea of ever so slightly widening the fret slots over the body to reduce compression and bow back at the sound home. I think that he also uses epoxy for these frets only to counter the wider slot.[/QUOTE]


Jaws II won't get the entire fret board. At least not for me. I have a somewhat different block and bracing going on. So for me many of the same reasons jaws I doesn't, jaws -II doesn't work. It does do a bit more than Jaws-I and yes, you can probably get one fret over the heal ( which Jaws-I couldn't) and you may be able to get one or two over the body, but inevitably you will either have to pound and use a backing weight, or glue in some of the other frets. Lately I have been widening the slots over the body and gluing the frets in with medium CA. No need for epoxy. works great.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Another use for StewMac's aluminum radius sanding tool is as a caul between a drill press fence when adding side position markers after the fretboard is joind to the neck. you need some shims to set every thing level but the back of the aluminun radius sander is is square enough to index aginst the fence.