Official Luthiers Forum!

I know this has the potential to absolutely open a flood gate but how about a short list of essential tools needed to complete a kit guitar. I'm embarassed to say that I have a shop full of just about any tool needed to completely repair any car involved in a collision but when it comes to luthery, about all I have is general carpenter stuff.

Joe, for my first kit I had very little specialized guitar building tools. Your choice of tools will depend on which route you take for your first.

StewMac has a great instruction book on-line and if you use their techniques you'll need different tools than if you choose another technique. For instance they use spool clamps for gluing on the top and back. On my first I made my own. On my third I made a go-bar deck.

So choose your route first then gather tools accordingly. You also don't need to get everything at once. Just get stuff as you need it. Like the first thing you will need is to build some kind of spreaders for your form. Do you have a form? you don't need one but they're nice.

Next you'll have to glue on your end and neck blocks - go but some clamps. Then you need to sand your sides - go buy some sand paper. Then the linings go on - go buy some clothes pins. You get the idea.

_________________
Thank You and Best To All

Joe...Here's a shot off the top of my head. I'm sure others will chime in.

1) SHARP chisels
2) Block plane...SHARP iron
3) Lots of clamps
4) Engineer square
5) Straight edge
6) Dial calipers and accurate rules
7) File & Rasp
8) Laminate trimmer or Dremel
9) Mold
10) Sanding dishes
11) Gobar deck

There's more but I have to run!

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

You know that if you were dedicated enough you could do this with a pocket knife, a rasp and some rope. I'm not that dedicated.

What I would consider the very basics isn't that much really. A couple of chisels and a means to sharpen them. Hand plane or jointer to true up the plates before they are glued. A bucket full of small clamps for gluing the lining to the rims. Clamps for the bridge and for the head and tail blocks. A Gramil or Sloane style cutter, to score a line before you cut the binding ledges. If you are going to cut them out with a router, get a Gramil. If you are going to cut them any other way get a Gramil. A fine bladed saw. Rope, rubber bands/tubing or a Go Bar deck.

There are a bunch of jigs that go with all this to make life easier of course. A shooting board if you are hand planing your joints. A contraption to hold the plates when you glue them, which can be no more than a board, a handful of carpet tacks, a spacer and some weights, ala Sloane. If you don't cut out your binding ledges with a chisel, then something to go with your router to keep it from eating your would be guitar.

_________________
Aoibeann

12) Fretting tools...hammer, crowning tool, file
13) Cabinet scrapers
14) Various glues
15) Etc. as you find a need you'll know what to buy

I guess it's not so short. In general, buy the best quality tools available...don't buy crap!

The most important thing to have won't cost you a dime...PATIENCE!

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Joe, the best pplace to check is Stew Mac. You can download the PDF instructions for their kit guitar and it has a list of tools needed. From there, the rest of the tools become "convenience" items...or as we tell our wives "necessities"

_________________
Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]
Many of us bought things twice or more..... because we didn't buy the right things or quality level in the first place.
[/QUOTE]

That's how we keep the economy going!!!

I built my first with carpentry tools:
tablesaw and sawsall to rip sides and back
random orbit sander to sand to thickness and finish sand
small hand saw to cut kerfed liners and other stuff
full size router to cut rosette and binding channels
scraper to flatten and true sides
belt sander to shape the neck
cordless drill for tuners and peg holes
chisels and block plane for bracing
Propane torch and 1 1/2" copper pipe for bending
Piece of wood with a slot for fret shaping


Throw in some clothes pins and a flat work board to joint the top and back.

There are ways to get by without forms or a gobar deck and radius dish. Read every website and book you can find.

Have tons of fun!

Kurt

Well, I am afraid that once again I have to recommend Frank Finocchio's video series as well. Frank's video's will take a lot of the mystery out of the building process and you can also see what kind of tools you'll likely need to build a guitar. No, I don't work for Frank, I just think the videos are well worth their price.

The above lists will work well to get you started as far as the tools go though.

_________________
Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

[QUOTE=joe white]

[SNIP]
I'm a recovering tool junkie (automotive) so this is gonna' be baaaaaaaaad

[/QUOTE]

Joe, sorry, but you aren't going to get my in the way of sympathy here. Lots of encouragement yes, sympathy no.

I'm beginning to think that we need to get a support group started for our significant others who must deal with our obsession. Being the partner of a wood obsessed tool junkie can't be easy.

_________________
Aoibeann

Joe...You know I will help in any way I can...advice, tools, jigs, benders, molds, sanding dishes, etc. Feel free to design your guitar with any wood or appointments you fancy. Just don't try a 12 string fresh out of the box. You'll make mistakes and that's part of the learning process. On my first, every time I'd call John Hall for advice on correcting my most recent blunder he'd always say the same thing..."If it's not in splinters, we can fix it."

Are you having fun yet!

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Joe,

I will 2nd the recommendation for Finocchio's videos as he demonstrates building an outside form as well as most other building procedures. The videos can be rented from smartflix.com. However, he doesn't show anything about neck making. The John Mayes videos are also very good and comprehensive.

CrowDuck

_________________
Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.