Official Luthiers Forum!

I was wondering what any of you thought about shaping the braces using a dremel with the right angle attachment (mini drum sander).

Mike

Shaping as in Scalloping? If so I do not like the idea at all. you can let it get away from you way too quick. I scallop as means of top tuning. I want to do as little as is needed. This requires taking a little at a time. Plus the sanding drum tears at the fiber a good sharp chisel cuts it clean.

I dunno, it didn't sound like a bad idea to me. With a little control it might work. Besides I've seen more abrasive tools being used on the forum. If you go this route though you might want to step it down to a 12" or 14" bar for doing braces.

_________________
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

More sawdust

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Bad idea. What's wrong with chisels and planes? It's not like this is strenuous or time consuming.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Yep bad idea and it's very difficult, at least for me, to get consistent results with something as aggressive as a Dremel sanding drum.

I would guess that 90% of my brace shaping is down with finger planes.

Bunch of dinosours.

Mike (point taken)

That's old news.........



I just carve my braces in the matching radius dish, the 80 grit paper holds everything in place nicely.

Todd, Hesh, could you post some pics of the tools?

Mike

Sure Mike buddy.

I probably use fewer tools then some folks but it works for me.

The finger planes you see below do the majority of my shaping. The 18mm LMI chisel is my favorite and the only one I use these days for carving braces.

The green plane has been replaced by a LN model makers plane that I like better but the green plane is a very nice tool too.

That LN Model Makers plane does not look like what I can find for sale. Do you have the model number?

Also, model numbers for the finger planes.

Thanks!

Mike

Mike the LN model makers plane is not in my pics because I just bought it after the last build was done.

The finger planes are the 12 and 18mm Ibex planes.

Here is a pic of the LN MM plane.

OK, thanks!

Thats the model maker plane. You use that for "big shaping"?

What is that other plane in your pics? It looks like one of the LN models.

Mike

The only Ibex I see at LMI is a 10mm.

Mike

Pilgramsprojects on Ebay has all the sizes.

Arnt posted a tutorial on tuning up these little planes. From looking at mine, all I needed to do was to clean up the cap a bit. I haven't done much with them yet, so far I really like it.

_________________
Aoibeann

OK, Todd, that looks pretty cool. Don't spose you have oodles of unused time laying around to draw that up?

Mike

Well, I did not have all the greatest tools, but I did make do. Got most of the scalloping done...sanding looks good. Give it a night to rest, review, shape a bit more and finish sand. Will try to post a pic Monday night.

Will say this, I must have got it close, cause when I dangle it by the sound hole and tap it, it rings.

Mike