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Jeff, Good point. The back cracks on my project were very tight and required no clamping for closure.


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Re: fractions and decimal inches... fractions make a great deal of sense in a world without plastic rulers at 2 for $1.50 at Big Lots or with large families ("...we need a bigger pie, not more slices!"), but other than carpentry, where visual division by 2 is still accurate enough for most rough framing, something decimal seems more practical for the finer measurements in luthiery. I do setups in thousandths of an inch, although apparently 32nd and 64th inch are also common for steel string work.

While the usual 5R grad rules (6" and 18" in decimal inches) are on my little garage shop bench, we always had one of the Stanley 12' engineer's tape measure (33-272) on each bench at Greenridge (grads in 10th and 50th on one edge for the first six inches; 10th after that, and traditional 16th/32nd inch on the other edge). That made for very quick scale length measurement, etc., and I suspect the decimal inch standardization in the shop was more aerospace standard practice than anything else. There was the practical matter that Imperial/SAE grads were a little finer than the 1/2mm grads on metric rules, but that seems like less of an issue with $25 decimal inch/fractional inch/mm calipers used for many measurements.

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For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan

This is how I make using hide glue on an x-brace a little less frantic. The use of little index blocks makes placement a breeze - you’re not dealing with the part skating around while installing go-bars. Simply install a go-bar at the intersection, one at each end and fill in the gap. I’m using a hairdryer to pre-warm things before applying the glue. I also use a 2oz needle bottle to very quickly and easily apply glue to the part.

Works for me, M

Never thought to post it, but I do the same with the blocks. Actually I use scraps of oilboard or what we call hardboard.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I'm currently experimenting with similar blocks to hem in where the braces go, but instead of wood, I'm using nonstick material.

I do sorta the same thing, from a tip someone posted here on the forum. I dry fit the braces, then hem them in with go bars. Then you just butt the brace assembly against the go bars and boom. With the added advantage that you’ve already got the go bars situated. Just need to lift them and put them on top of the braces…

Sometimes the slot for a fret is too narrow, and if it is an ebony fretboard with bindings, it can be a bit hard to make the slot wider. You may not have the right tool. An easy way out is to file down the width of the fret tang to make the fret fit to the slot. Stewmac sells a tool named "Fret barber" for this. I have it, but I didn't like it. So I made a small invention.

Two round diamond cutters are mounted with a spacer in between, as thick as I want the fret tang to be. The diamond sprinkled edge of the diamond cutter discs are ground down to smooth metal, I used a hard rock for that. With this tool, I can thin down the tang real quick by dragging the tang between the two discs, grinding the tang from both sides.

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New will change the old,
turn to ashes or gold

http://www.gammelgura.se

Thanks for this. I'd really like to see pics to illustrate this post. I'm sure it would make it even more useful.


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

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Pierre Castonguay

For those of you using a Sonicare toothbrush, I'm hoping you save the brushes when you switch to a new one. The magnets are some strong little suckers! I pry them off the brush with pliers to use them for crack glue up, hanging plans on the back of a steel door and leave them on the brush taped to a stick to pick up the dropped screws on the floor (that happens more often than I like at my age).

Check them out. Also, the brush is good for cleaning out corners around neck joint and bridges, especially with the extra vibrating handle that sometimes comes in the set. Oh, and no affiliation with the company........

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Aaaah… now I see. I should have guessed what a digital protractor is. Or looked it up. Thanks!


Pierre
Guitares Torvisse

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Pierre Castonguay

Saving time, I never tape down the fretboard, instead I put the tape on the fingerboard guard. Works perfectly if you ask me.

To protect the top from fret saws and slipping fret files, I use one or two simple pieces of sheet metal. Usually I just keep one in place with my left hand while doing the work, but they can also be clamped through the soundhole.

To save my thumb when doing a lot of crowning of the frets, I modified the handle of a "Micro Detail Sander". With that, I don't strain my thumb as much.

A last tip is to use a straight single cut metal file to bevel the fret ends. Using the "Fret beveling file" ALWAYS ends up with a "carved ski" effect on the fret ends along the sides of the neck. That is probably the least useful Stewmac tool I have ever bought... Even with a perfectly straight file, I have to file a bit more on the ends of the fretboard to get a straight line. One sheet metal is perfect to protect the top from the file.

The BIGGEST time saver though is the Stewmac Erlewine jig, with that the amount of frets to file down and then reshape is minimal

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New will change the old,
turn to ashes or gold

http://www.gammelgura.se

I finally got a wide wet spray pattern out of my HVLP gun.
I had a Husky regulator at the end of my hose.
I dropped it yesterday and broke the gauge. Upon inspection, the regulator was just a ball valve.
So, adjusting it to 20 psi just cut the air flow.
I used the compressor regulator set to about 20 psi today and I can get a wide wet coat spraying lacquer.
I found that I no longer need to thin the lacquer. I also discovered why a large air tank is required.
I need to let the compressor recharge after 30 seconds. Mine has an 8 gallon tank.
Total game changer for me.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

This looks interesting to me. So the compressor is set to 20 psi, the gun airflow knob is fully opened, and no regulator. Is that right?

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Posting to push the spam down the thread stack, forgive me please.

I do something similar to Michael on my backs. I fit the braces into the linings first, picking spots along the linings where I can make clean cuts with respect to the kerfs, and use a flush cut saw to match the height of the brace ends to the depth of the reliefs. Using double-sided tape I stick the back onto the braces. Then I remove the back with the braces and place index blocks with gobars snug up against the braces. With the blocks precisely indicating the locations of the braces, they'll fit into the reliefs precisely. I remove the double-sided tape and glue the braces to the back. This way, I can eliminate a lot of trial and error and I think I get a better fit.

I got the idea from some of the classical builders of old (I think Romanillos, who just passed away did it like this), but they glued the back onto the braces and sides at the same time with hide glue, then afterwards heated the backs from the outside to set the glue. Evidence for that way of doing it shows up where there's discoloration across the backs where the braces are, and around the perimeter, from the heat.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Great tips guys. Keep 'em coming

Yes, correct. The regulator on the tank is set to 20 psi, no regulator at the gun. Gun airflow knob fully open.
Now I get full air flow at 20 psi.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Most gun regulators are not true pressure regulators. I had to do a bit of research to find a real one. Its not cheap, but it works great. A regulator at the gun is more accurate too because it takes the friction losses of the air hose out of the equation.


Motor Guard Gun Regulator

Thanks for the link Barry,
I gave up trying to find a real regulator.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

My stupid invention.
I was frustrated with the coin cell always being dead when I used my calipers.
Even though I turned it off, it would turn on if jostled.
I soldered a switch and a AA battery holder to the coil cell contacts. I left slack in the wires so the calipers can be extended.
It is ugly, but has worked for several years.
I have not thrown it into my pond as I usually do with crappy tools.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Sorry, got a quick vid instead of a pic of my new candling light.
http://youtu.be/fdcw3NxCZj0sw

Edit: here’s a pic of the led light strip in the table saw miter slot.

Simple and right to the point.

No pics, but when nipping off fret ends I angle the cutter to just under the fret end bevel which reduces the time required filing the bevel.
I use 20 degree, so cut at about 15.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I was thinking of this thread when I was doing inlay yesterday. Make a little masking tape 'fan' on your Dremel and it blows the dust and chips away as you work.