Official Luthiers Forum!

...ok, so I haven't moved again or anything, but the shop's finally more-or-less presentable. Still needs plenty of work, mind, but I think I should get most of it done within the next week (namely: binding routing jig, table mount for router. Other improvements as time goes on, including thickness sander). Also, I got myself a pair of new old planes from a local vintage tools seller. Paid 55 euros each, which seemed fair for circa-WW II era planes, one possibly older. Let's start with the tools:

Union #6:

Record # 5 1/2:


On to the shop! Let's start upstairs, indoors, climate-controlled-ish place (as in, I monitor temp and humidity, and so far, last 6 months, it's been within acceptable norms, and for the last few it's been dead-on perfect for building, at a nice temp and 45-50% humidity). Top of the stairs, small homebrew 'bench' made of an old cabinet, some pine, and rejected planks from the kitchen we tore out. First the 'cheater' shot from when I'd just completed it and put various under construction instruments in place:


Current state of affairs, showing the other projects on the go (baritone acoustic, strat and tele on the right, woods for next few builds up top):


Then, opposite the 'clean shop' area, there's wood storage, specifically pre-cut acoustic sets, billeted sets for resaw, tops, and maple billets for electric tops, as well as a few assorted body blanks (black limba) that are pre-cut, not in large board form. Up top are the fingerboards, headplates and bridge blanks, mostly madrose, some EIR, some ebony:


Other room, just past the wall, lives some honduran

mahogany (neck blank stock), some limba, some binding and purfling, all mostly buried under a large supply of bracewood:


...and from there, we move outdoors, where most of the work is actually done in this weather:


Actually outdoors-outdoors, under a roof but no lock and key, are several large boards of quartered white limba in the rough. 7', six of 'em.


A sneek peek through the door shows the bandsaw (still not operating, phase converter I got is giving me headaches, so I'm going to simply go buy myself an idiot-proof one instead of trying to work out this second-hand one), the bench covered in bending forms under construction (3x), and lots of wood below and above, well, everywhere. Lots of African Mahogany, some honduran, cedrella, quite a bit of bubinga, plus a board of swamp ash:


The Saw. Blades on the way from Lou Iturra now, so I'm really hoping I get the phase converter sorted this coming week:


Artsy from-the-floor shot showing the large piles of 8/4 lumber under the bench:


...and the oh so cluttered bench proper, which will feature the press in the middle, router table insert on the right, and a combined router/thicknessing/electric guitar neck jig/go-bar deck setup in the left corner. Eventually. Thickness sander to go where the compressor's standing right now:


Well, that was it! It's compact, bit cramped even, but it's mine, and it's a hell of a lot more space than I've ever had to dedicate to this endeavour before, so I'm happy!

Looks a bit cramped, as you say, but decent light and lots of potential. Not enough room for others to come in and bother you a lot I would guess. Roomier than Hesh's first shop!

WOW you really know how to pack it in there!

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

Awright, Mattia, congratulations! Good to see you building again!

_________________
now known around here as Pat Foster
_________________
http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Wow, Mattia, that's quite a stash you have there. Happy to hear it's getting organized. BTW, how's that arm of yours doing?

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Hey Mattia. That looks like a pretty cool space to me! Nice stash indeed.

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

evening mattia, looks like things are taking shape. about your phase converter needs. what is wrong with the one you've got, and have your thought about building one yourself? if an electrical ignoramous like me can do it anyone can. i've built three or four over the years and they are really pretty easy. requires an appropriately sized 3ph motor and some capacitors, some wire and switches. compared to buying one the cost is about 20% of buying a new one, at least this side of the pond. you can put one together in an hour or so.

Michael: I've got an electronic unit (variable speed drive, really, not a phase converter as such) with a big 'ol filter/coil to go in front of it, only without a manual. Supposedly, I just need to wire up a 10K pot, few switches in the link, and then I'd need to construct some sort of enclosure for it and wall mount it somewhere. May give it one last shot, double-check all my wiring, before giving up entirely.

New one would cost a hair under 300 dollars, and be housed in a tiny, compact little package. Motors aren't all that readily available around here, and besides, a rotary converter would take up a little too much space for my liking. I'll try re-wiring tomorrow, see if I can get everything working, otherwise I'm buying a nice compact little unit next week, methinks...

Mattia

Wow! You got a real nice setup!

_________________
Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

That's a serious-looking wood shop, my friend! Nice planes, too. Good luck in getting all your machinery running properly.

Very nice, how long has it taken to collect all that nice tone wood?

Peter

Looks good Mattia! Wish I were that well organized. I too, admire your stash. Also I admire that union plane. It looks old, functional and well cared for. Something about that plane really speaks to me. Also see that you have a few Japanese back saws. What a tool. I cold not get along without mine.

Howdy, Mattia.
Your new digs look great, but I've searched your pics in vain for the TV that holds everything up. You've re-thought your shop strategy?


Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Looking good Mattia! Glad to see you have found some time to get it put together. I'll be waiting to see what comes off your bench.

_________________
Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Nice space Mattia! Nice wood stash too!

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Nice setup there Mattia.  Sometimes compactness breeds efficiency.  Looks like you are covered for your next few builds with that wood stash.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Thanks guys!

Steve: moved house, y'know. TV didn't seem quite up to the task of taking on the 70 sets of back/sides. But for old time's sake, here's the TV shot:


Peter: the wood stash is the result of about 3 or 4 years of 'serious' wood collection, and a significant portion of the back/sides is from the Zootman himself (about half, I estimate).

Should have the trio of benders done by the end of the weekend, then I just need to make a few spreaders, then I have to make an Williams-style jig, at which point I'll be ready for some more serious acoustic guitar making again. Stay tuned!