Official Luthiers Forum!

I'll be shortly starting another build - a classical for one of the students in my lab. In trying to decide how to proceed, he chose to buy an LMI kit so that he'd have a pretty good bound on expenses. (I've been building the first few pretty much at cost, for practice. This will be classical #3. I'm just shaping the neck on #1 right now.) I was happy to steer him this way, because I wanted to see Robbie's DVD.

Robbie - Great job. The presentation in still photographs allows an amazing amount of material to be crammed onto the one DVD, and I didn't feel that the presentation left troublesome gaps anywhere. Directions are clear, procedure is laid out well. I definitely do a few things differently, but it's still a pleasure to see the alternatives.

Two questions:

(1) Where do you find the table saw blade that produces the nominal 2mm kerf? Is it a standard commercial blade, or available from some supplier?

(2) I've searched high and low in all my catalogs for some Guitar Builders Whoop-A**, but there is none to be found. Does this mean that I've still got to hang on to my big orange plastic-coated hammer?LanceK38850.9347916667

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Jim,
Thank you for the compliments on my classical DVD. I am glad you are finding it useful. To answer you questions: You will find that a circular saw blade in the thin kerf version is about 2mm thick. Depending on your arbor size and how far you can raise the blade out of your table this is a very inexpensive way to go. If you need a different arbor size and/or you can't raise the blade high enough with the 7 1/4 inch circular saw blade then you can usually get thin kerf 10 inch blades from most anywhere.

Your big orange hammer should get you out of many a tight spot. But having the industrial strength can of guitar builder's whoop a$$ at the ready really puts the fear of God into some of the more difficult steps of the guitar building process and things tend to go a little smoother. Most of the time just having it on the table next to the guitar under construction is enough to solve the problem. My publisher was selling the whoop a$$ stickers for awhile. I am not sure if he still does but I am sure you could get you one if ask. His name is Eric Howell and you can find him at http://www.apprenticepublishing.com/
good luck with your build!

I got a copy via Technical Video Rental and it is a great teaching method. Great work Robbie. Great plug in for the OLF.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Thank you Bruce! I find the OLF very useful and just had to get the word out somehow. What better way than to promote it in my DVD's?

Holy cow, I need to get a Whoop A$$ sticker, since I've seen Robbie use this stuff in person!

Robbie's DVD are helpfull too! I have a couple of his DVD's..... a nice addition to any video library!

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

[QUOTE=Robbie O'Brien] Jim,
You will find that a circular saw blade in the thin kerf version is about 2mm thick. Depending on your arbor size and how far you can raise the blade out of your table this is a very inexpensive way to go. If you need a different arbor size and/or you can't raise the blade high enough with the 7 1/4 inch circular saw blade then you can usually get thin kerf 10 inch blades from most anywhere. [/QUOTE]

I just checked the Freud Diablo blade in my circular saw, and it fits the bill to a T. I would have guessed initially that it would have had a different sized arbor hole than a table saw blade. Problem solved!

Thanks for the encouragement on the build. I just got another commission today, for a flamenco. I'll have to pester OLF for advice on this one - I'm not sure where to go in terms of mods to a classical on this, other than weight, and getting the action to look like my electric guitar. Another thread, another time.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

muito obrigado Peter!

Robbie, what's the run time on the Classical DVD? Just curious. I may need to rent it a second week.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Just over 3 and 1/2 hours Bruce. Over 1400 pictures as well.

Aha, a circular textbook. Robbie, it's great.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com