Search found 9388 matches

by kiwigeo
Mon Jul 14, 2025 7:32 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: A long time between drinks.
Replies: 4
Views: 225

Re: A long time between drinks.

Gezuz Peter...there some serious bling going on there mate! A beautiful instrument.
by kiwigeo
Sat Jul 12, 2025 4:12 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What’s your favourite neck carving technique?
Replies: 10
Views: 499

Re: What’s your favourite neck carving technique?

Frickin spindle moulders.....I'm shit scared of those things! Machines like that should only be operated by blokes with tattoos :?
by kiwigeo
Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:05 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What’s your favourite neck carving technique?
Replies: 10
Views: 499

Re: What’s your favourite neck carving technique?

Cheers guys! Have you ever tried knives to carve the heel or volute etc? I bought a set of violin knives with the intention of using them for heel and volute carving but only used them once. I tend to rough out using Dragon rasps. the dragon rasps don't chew off as much material as a chisel with ea...
by kiwigeo
Fri Jul 11, 2025 8:50 pm
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: Feathered braces v tucked braces
Replies: 6
Views: 865

Re: Feathered braces v tucked braces

If I were the maker of that guitar I'd be confiscating it off the owner. What sort of person leaves a Gore creation lying on the floor????
by kiwigeo
Fri Jul 11, 2025 8:38 pm
Forum: Tutorials
Topic: Brace yourself another repair...
Replies: 1
Views: 472

Re: Brace yourself another repair...

"made to be played"? LOL....Made to be Repaired.
by kiwigeo
Fri Jul 11, 2025 2:16 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What’s your favourite neck carving technique?
Replies: 10
Views: 499

Re: What’s your favourite neck carving technique?

1. rough out heel with bench chisel. 2. shape heel with dragon rasps. 3. rough shape neck shaft using spoke shave (flat sole) working along facets marked along neck shaft in with pencil 4. rough shape headstock/neck shaft with dragon rasp and small wood files. 5. final shaping of neck shaft working ...
by kiwigeo
Wed Jul 09, 2025 8:05 pm
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: Feathered braces v tucked braces
Replies: 6
Views: 865

Re: Feathered braces v tucked braces

"survived a drop from waist height onto a wooden floor, landing on the lower bout treble side binding and survived virtually damage free."

But has it survived the ultimate test of resilience.....a full on bar room fight?
by kiwigeo
Sat Jul 05, 2025 7:50 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Using Plastic Tub for humidity control
Replies: 6
Views: 2195

Re: Using Plastic Tub for humidity control

Matt_W wrote:
Sat Jul 05, 2025 6:57 pm

Ive heard a rule of thumb "A year per inch thick, plus a year" for wood seasoning, so a 2.5mm top is about 10 weeks? Hopefully i don't have to leave it that long before glueing up :lol:
Think that rule would apply for green wood.
by kiwigeo
Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:12 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shed* (Workshop) Advice
Replies: 18
Views: 4563

Re: Shed* (Workshop) Advice

I reckon most of the bad workshop fires involve paint thinners.
TomBicknell wrote:
Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:06 pm
Good point about the insurance, Nigel. There’s a number of fire resistant panels on the market, thankfully.
by kiwigeo
Thu Jul 03, 2025 12:54 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shed* (Workshop) Advice
Replies: 18
Views: 4563

Re: Shed* (Workshop) Advice

The issue here is cheap mainly Chinese made SIPs that don't meet the building code as far as inflammability rating of materials used in the SIPs. Of particular concern are panels with inflammable skins as well as internal insulating styrene that doesn't have a fire inhibitor added. Prior to construc...
by kiwigeo
Wed Jul 02, 2025 4:33 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Using Plastic Tub for humidity control
Replies: 6
Views: 2195

Re: Using Plastic Tub for humidity control

Its my understanding that an instrument drying out is generally worse than having it take on a bit of moisture. For that reason you try and build at a RH that is lower than that of the final destination of the instrument. 30-40% was always my target humidity here in The Adelaide Hills. As I understa...
by kiwigeo
Wed Jul 02, 2025 11:03 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Using Plastic Tub for humidity control
Replies: 6
Views: 2195

Re: Using Plastic Tub for humidity control

The cheapest and simplest dry box I ever saw was a cardboard box with an incandesant light bulb. Heat from the bulb was enough to keep the humidity at a reasonably low level.

The problem of course is finding an incandesant light bub these days.
by kiwigeo
Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:57 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Oregon myrtle and Italian spruce J45-ish build
Replies: 6
Views: 3053

Re: Oregon myrtle and Italian spruce J45-ish build

Anyone with the balls to post up warts and all photos of his very first gets my full respect.

You're doing fine for a first build.....looking good.
by kiwigeo
Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:43 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shed* (Workshop) Advice
Replies: 18
Views: 4563

Re: Shed* (Workshop) Advice

I want to build it out of insulated panels - think what coolrooms are built of. The basic version is two sheets of Colorbond with 50mm of polystyrene between them for insulation, but you can get versions with PIR foam, which dramatically improves the insulation. They're self-supporting so you don't...
by kiwigeo
Tue Jul 01, 2025 3:18 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shed* (Workshop) Advice
Replies: 18
Views: 4563

Re: Shed Advice

We're using the word "shed"......a term that conjures up images of cobwebs, dust and piles of stuff you should have thrown away years ago.

Workshop is a better term....
by kiwigeo
Tue Jul 01, 2025 9:45 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shed* (Workshop) Advice
Replies: 18
Views: 4563

Re: Shed Advice

Wayne writes up a detailed plan complete with full scale drawings before eating breakfast each morning :D

Love the attention to detail.
by kiwigeo
Mon Jun 30, 2025 8:00 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Slow burn 17" archtop
Replies: 24
Views: 83932

Re: Slow burn 17" archtop

Looking good mate. Nice score with that Stanley plane.
by kiwigeo
Mon Jun 30, 2025 5:01 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shed* (Workshop) Advice
Replies: 18
Views: 4563

Re: Shed Advice

If humidity is an issue then you have a choice of controlling same in the whole shed....or isolating a small part of the shed (ie a cupboard) for humidity control at critical stages of guitar construction. I obsessed a bit about humidity here in The Adelaide Hills and started off with a dehumidifer ...
by kiwigeo
Mon Jun 30, 2025 3:37 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Backstraps
Replies: 1
Views: 2598

Re: Backstraps

Had to do a double take there. Thought the thread title read "jockstraps" :shock: .
by kiwigeo
Sat Jun 28, 2025 6:38 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Englemann & flame maple archtop
Replies: 7
Views: 49658

Re: Englemann & flame maple archtop

lamanoditrento wrote:
Tue Apr 01, 2025 4:30 pm
Although I do normally know the pallet of woods I want to use.
Pallet loads of tonewood.......LOL
by kiwigeo
Sat Jun 28, 2025 4:38 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Baritone uke
Replies: 11
Views: 4695

Re: Baritone uke

Nice work Wayne....a unique looking instrument with a lot of "personality".
by kiwigeo
Fri Jun 27, 2025 3:08 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bass uke bridge intonation
Replies: 3
Views: 7154

Re: Bass uke bridge intonation

Alan McFarlen will know.
by kiwigeo
Sat Jun 21, 2025 12:41 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Archtop considerations and hello
Replies: 11
Views: 10034

Re: Archtop considerations and hello

malcolmw wrote:
Sat Jun 21, 2025 11:22 am
Will have to see if i can borrow it from the BGMS library. There are a few things to decide, including soudhole size and back stiffness - lots of fun!
I have a first edition of The Books up for sale on Buy and Sell.
by kiwigeo
Wed Jun 18, 2025 7:00 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Reliable Freight Service Adelaide to Brisbane - Recommendations?
Replies: 7
Views: 4551

Re: Reliable Freight Service Adelaide to Brisbane - Recommendations?

That's what happens when you let WAS get out of control.
by kiwigeo
Wed Jun 18, 2025 1:59 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Your experience of being a luthier in Australia/New Zealand, and moving a wood stash over there.
Replies: 6
Views: 5488

Re: Your experience of being a luthier in Australia/New Zealand, and moving a wood stash over there.

Nick wrote:
Wed Jun 18, 2025 9:25 am
Go west young man :wink: (West of NZ that is)
I think most of New Zealand is already over here in Oz..last one to leave please turn out the lights :mrgreen: