Official Luthiers Forum!

Before bending your sides, raise the grain by spritzing them, both sides, and let them dry. Then, as John How advises, sand them smooth. Then bend.

Raising the grain beforehand minimizes raised grain from spritzing in preparation for bending, if you're of that persuasion.

Pat

_________________
formerly known around here as burbank
_________________

http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Most probably take this for granted, but make sure you know how to sharpen your plane blades and chisels. Nothing worse than ripping out a chunk of wood with a dull tool.

Vince

I read a tip somewhere about using liquid hide glue when fretting. Put a little bit along the slots then put the fret in place and hammer into place. The glue acts as a lubricant. Much easier for me this way.

Also, Kincade (sp?) suggest running a file along the slot to bevel the edge to minimize chipout

Greg

_________________
Greg Hatcher
North Carolina

I cut the tenon on the tablesaw before drilling for the inserts, but I clamp the tenon with an Irwin quickgrip while screwing the inserts in.

_________________
Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Spend the extra cash for nice sandpaper. Some examples are Norton 3x or 3M Gold (which seems even better than the 3x to me). Buy a 12 slot file folder thing to keep your sheets organized.

_________________
http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Like Brock said, keep the first few simple.

Measure three times and cut once.

Spend $40 on a dial caliper and set of feeler gauges and your level of precision will greatly improve.

Don't feel you have to break the bank on tools and jigs for your first guitar. You don't need to spend $2k on a Unisaw to cut fret slots when a supplier will only charge you $10 for the service. Once you've built a few, you will have a better idea of what you really need or want. This will help you avoid buyer's remorse down the road.

If you're using reverse linings, prebending or spritzing with water helps keep them in one piece.

Slot your fretboard first and use it as a measuring stick when laying out your neck and bridge location. Add the proper compensation and you should have no problems with intonation once the guitar is assembled.

Read the archives. Plenty of inspiration in there.

Don't get discouraged. This is a very challenging hobby. Don't get too upset if you make a mistake, most things can be fixed. Plus you'll learn the most important skill there is; flexibility in the form of hiding/repairing (or sometimes even highlighting) a goof-up. And yes, you'll put a marker at the wrong fret location. If you haven't already, you will. Everyone has.

Have fun. If it's not enjoyable you want want to build more.

When shaping the fret board you can use the stewmac string action guage
http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/product/0670
in the fret kerfs to quantify your relief from fret to fret
and bottom E taper by sliding it right and left

Buy a GOOD quality 3" machinist square, don't skimp! Buy a GOOD quality 600mm hardened steel straight edge, don't skimp! You want to be looking at something like Starrett, or Boak etc. Now go round with your new square and straight edge and set up your machinery so it cuts straight and square. You should be using these tools quite often to check many things as you work.

Also grab some 16mm melamine, a can of spray adhesive, and some 120grit and 80grit 'cloth backed' abrasive. Cut some melamine to a 1/2 sheet size and glue 120git to one side and 80grit to the other, you want to try and find some place with a roll of abrasive around 300mm wide or wider and buy a piece from them around 600mm long. Do the same thing with a large off-cut of melamine to fit this longer sheet of abrasive (100 or 80grit is fine). This board is great for cleaning up all kinds of larger flat surfaces like the neck surface, underside of fretboards etc but also it is THE tool for flattening out the upper bout of the rims back to the transverse to avoid 14 fret hump after dish sanding.

It has been mentioned, but learn to sharpen. The plate glass and abrasive sheet system, or what some refer to as 'scary sharp' works great. This not only put a very good edge on your tools, but ensures that you waist none of the precious metal that is an E.A. Berg chisel.

Cheers

Kim

Don't use naptha to clean up the top before sealing (as recommended on a French Polish how-to website) if you have any tinted colors in the rosette - the colors will bleed into that beautiful spruce top you just spent hours getting perfectly prepped....

Also, before you close up the body, cut and fit your bridge caul and consider taping it in place with masking tape - makes installing the bridge much easier

There's nothing worse than putting a big dent in the body because it sat on a wood chip....or worse a fret cut-off. Even a clean work bench can have a chip or bump that can leave a mark
Use a towel or that no-skid rubbery shelf liner as a work pad while sanding or installing binding

Measure twice, cut once. Or is it the other way around. Serious i don't know how many times i didn't follow this rule and was lucky enough on most occasions to catch myself before i really messed up. I said on most occasions. There were those few times i wasted some good expensive woods by not obeying that rule...Mike

I wish I had known to put a tall shim of thin wood between the neck and tail ends and the mold, so that the top unsupported half of the wood doesn't split when pressed into the mold...

_________________
"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Do not rush into anything ! I would say , read at least two articles,((many) more if possible) on your next upcoming step. and do not proceed until you feel you understand the process. it is unbelievable how many " gotchas" can pop up in a build, and gaining from someone elses experience is priceless. Jody