Official Luthiers Forum!

Boy,

This guitar building is just like boats and jeeps. Just when you think you got everything you have to break out another couple hundred on tools and parts.

I'd love to get some advice on the following. Is a Fret Hammer something you really need? Is there anything else that will suffice? I'm also looking for inlay router bits. Does anyone have a reasonably priced source 1/32", 1/16" bits. And lastly I also looking nut files. What do you feel is the best value.

I figure I may as well get all three from the same supplier and save a little on shipping and handling.

Thanks

Peter

Peter-
Fret hammer: I've used a small (1 lb?) black dead-blow hammer for this and it works well. In Sergei deJonge's shop they use similar hammers with the 'white' plastic striking surfaces. Dead-blow hammers work better; it also helps to back up the neck with a bag of shot. When you are working above the neck join, a good steel weight held inside the body helps to back up the fingerboard.

Nut files:
There have been some threads on nut files- check the archives. The best price for the 'set of 3 with colored handles' seemed to be from Warmoth.

Router bits- I assume you're looking for 1/8 shank bits in these small sizes.
This place has been recommended to me:
http://www.american-carbide.com/
I've bought stuff from:
https://www.drillbitcity.com/index.htm
and from Micro-Mark:
http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229 &Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=60717

Hope this helps.

Cheers
John

BTW, generally I've found that buying everything from one 'luthier store' saves on shipping but you pay more for the items. It's a 'toss-up', but it is more convenient to buy at one place, for sure.

John

I don't hammer frets.

I bought stewmacs fret press caul that fits in my drill press and pushes the frets in snugly without any dents that need filed out. I made a mando recently and I didn't need to file the fret tops AT ALL!!! Man was I surprised!!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Ive read books where people have used ordinary hardware store equivalents of "luthier tools" with some success, and of course those fine woodworking stores have your nicer quality tools that can suffice for luthier purposes...
Im in the same boat really trying to outfit a shop is murder on the wallet! Ive had to make what I can in the way of clamps, calipers, etc, and even things like a thickness sander, but theres just no geting around some things that need to be bought from luthier stores.
Someone has a signature phrase caption at the bottom of thier posts that sums it up
"Anyone can order a custom guitar for 6,000.00 but it takes a real hero to build one for that price"...
or something to that effect
How true!
and BTW good luck on finding what you need - I always take note when people ask questions like these and file the info away for personal reference, when I need these things down the road.
Cheers
Charliewood

Charlie,

That is a great quote!!!!

Thabnks

Peter

Peter,

Martin mentions a fret press caul and inserts for pressing the frets in rather than hammering and this is a great idea. For my money, you just can't go past John Watkins tools and products. John is an OLF sponsor and the quality and value of his wares are exceptional. John is also a first class builder himself and therefore has a clear understanding of exactly what works best for us.

For instance John's arbor has a lightly spring loaded pivot so it will not flop around and will easily self center. The inserts cover a complete range from 6" to 20" radii with a number of halves such as 17.5" and 18.5" in between which allow the user to press frets into any standard or compound radius fingerboard.

You will see these inserts and the arbor listed on the link I provided, but while your there, take a good look at the lining clamps also because they to are excellent. If you have decided to build more than just a few guitars, these clamps are seriously worth considering, once you have made up your mind on the style of lining you will use.

FYI: I live in Australia and have never met John Watkins personally. I make this endorsement of his products for no other reason other than I truly do believe that they offer the benefits that all great quality tools should. Firstly they are flawless in function, secondly they will pass through the hands of many, many builders before, if indeed they ever, need to be replaced. As a bonus, they are also priced very well.

Cheers

Kim

Peter,

Greetings!

I like to cross utilize as many tools as posible. Like you stated in your post, you feel like all is well and then after reading a few things other folks use you feel like you need another few hundred in tools to get suited out.

I use one of my Drill Press and insert the Caul (StewMac) with the right radiused brass insert and press all my frets. Some folks believe this can damage your Drill Press, and it very well could, I perform this on a HF small $39.99 (on sale) Drill Press and it works fine. I started doing frets this way on this drill press 5 guitars ago and so far no damage. I have a larger really nice drill press that is set up with my Safe T Planer that I do all my thicknessing work on. This small drill press that I press frets on I also use do many other functions as well.

Mike
White Oak, Texas

A set of needle files will suffice for doing nuts, and you can get one for less than a large coffee at places like Princess Auto.

You can hammer frets in with just about anything. I use the Jaws from StewMac now, but I did an acoustic with a steel claw hammer and found it worked much better than the brass hammer I'd used previously. So, if you get a feel for it any hammer should do if you don't have/want a fret press.

For small bits precisebits.com is where I get mine, and I probably go through as many as anyone here except maybe John Watkins. If you're short on dough and only doing a couple inlays by hand, your dentist probably throws out a load of perfectly fine carbide burrs. They work great in a Dremel.

_________________
Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

[QUOTE=martinedwards] I don't hammer frets.

I bought stewmacs fret press caul that fits in my drill press and pushes the frets in snugly without any dents that need filed out. I made a mando recently and I didn't need to file the fret tops AT ALL!!! Man was I surprised!!![/QUOTE]

For a newbie this is a great post. the amount of fret filing and dressing is greatly reduced when frets are pressed as apposed to hammered plus a lot less stress on the neck because to pres requires a caul to support the neck. if you fret after the fretboard is glued to the neck. Just all in all I highly recommend spending the money to set u a press system if you plan on building regularly as in 3 or 4 or more a year. It should only cost about $200 or way less to set up a good system dependent on how much of the fixture you are willing to do your self.

You can get an arbor press from a local tool importer for somewhere around $30-$50, which can save quite a bit on a fret press setup.

If you want to use a hammer, (I still do, but not for long)
I agree with Todd, the small Stanley deadblow does a brilliant job. (If you can get past the hideous pinky orange day-glow colour)

I have a machinist's press I bought from Harbour Freight for about $20 that, with a little modification to the post, takes the SM caul.  For those without a nearby Harbour Freight.... http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyw ord=arbor&Submit=Go

http://www.harbourfreight.com/

Steve Walden