Search found 191 matches

by TallDad71
Tue Mar 19, 2024 6:06 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Carbon Fibre Threads
Replies: 5
Views: 319

Re: Carbon Fibre Threads

Thanks for your input John. I will be using the CF on my current build. Despite the messiness of epoxy and fibre threads, my main reservation, I’m curious as to its overall effect. Another logical conclusion is that the spruce will deteriorate due to cold creep, at which point the CF will take over ...
by TallDad71
Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:33 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Carbon Fibre Threads
Replies: 5
Views: 319

Re: Carbon Fibre Threads

Thanks for getting back to me Trevor. Despite a degree in Maths and a lifetime of computer coding I have a bent for understanding things holistically rather than technically. So I read that para and got confused at the point where you wrote "virtually eliminates Cold Creep" If CC is caused by consta...
by TallDad71
Mon Mar 18, 2024 5:07 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Carbon Fibre Threads
Replies: 5
Views: 319

Carbon Fibre Threads

I have Trevor and Gerard's amazing books and thought it's time to build a Falcate braced steel string guitar. The process of adding a single tow of carbon fibre sounded exciting so I thought I would experiment to see exactly what its addition does. So I built a brace 500m long 5mm thick and 13mm tal...
by TallDad71
Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:57 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Acoustic side height calculation
Replies: 3
Views: 1378

Re: Acoustic side height calculation

Side heights are difficult to use as the top is also radiussed(!) hence there is no straight line to measure to. I scribe, hand plane it rough. My dish has a 60cm diameter round piece of sandpaper in it, so I sand the kerfing and sides using that. I also use the radius dish on top of the sides and b...
by TallDad71
Fri Mar 01, 2024 7:17 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Laser engravers
Replies: 5
Views: 527

Re: Laser engravers

I bought one, an X1Pro 10W, last year . It's a game changer with caveats. My main use case is in cutting 3mm Basswood into accurate templates that I can then transfer to real wood and cut around. Great for brace layouts, inlay designs, bridges, sound hole decorations and logos. The accuracy makes it...
by TallDad71
Thu Aug 03, 2023 4:59 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: bracing
Replies: 30
Views: 41296

Re: bracing

So I'm about to start my next guitar build and I want to use some NZ timbers on it , specifically the top the neck and the bracing. I'm using black walnut for the back and sides and I wanted to use Pauduk for the the back bracing for some colour and strength but obviously that's not a kiwi timber a...
by TallDad71
Tue Jun 06, 2023 2:16 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: kerfed lining material?
Replies: 4
Views: 10545

Re: kerfed lining material?

I’ve taken to making my own kerf using 4-5 laminated strips glued into a jig the shape of the guitar. It’s a lot more faff, it’s much more fiddly to keep it compressed in the jig and it needs to be more than 17mm tall as it doesn’t go around the dish curvature of the rim very well so it requires tri...
by TallDad71
Sun May 28, 2023 7:16 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Chladni and VA tests ???
Replies: 61
Views: 79689

Re: Chladni and VA tests ???

Hi Alex, Good to see you coming over to the dark side :mrgreen: As John mentions your gain might be a bit high...the plots look a bit lumpy. Can you give us a run down on your equipment and your method? ie VA settings, mic, computer, where youre holding mic, how your holding the guitar etc. Ditto f...
by TallDad71
Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:41 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Triple 0 in Blackhearted Sassafras and Bunya Pine
Replies: 28
Views: 86338

Re: Triple 0 in Blackhearted Sassafras and Bunya Pine

That’s beautiful sassafras Bob. You must be very pleased with how it’s looking.

What made you choose which side to have on show?

The inside face seems to have more symmetry, the outside is nice but more asymmetric.
by TallDad71
Fri Apr 07, 2023 7:30 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Pore fill question
Replies: 21
Views: 34071

Re: Pore fill question

I’ve been using this for the last two years and have found it to be very reliable. Very easy to apply, very easy to sand back. Epoxy is bomb proof but just too much like hard work for me. That said I never use cellulose for a finish, I mainly go for waterborne products. Aqua Coat Clear Wood Grain Fi...
by TallDad71
Mon Mar 27, 2023 4:53 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: French polishing
Replies: 30
Views: 34751

Re: French polishing

What spray gun are you using? Full size or one of those modellers ones? I've been thinking of trying spraying if I could spray shellac that'd be ideal! Also, what's the shelf life of that Hard Shellac stuff? I bought into the Fuji spray hvlp system. I went for their best spray gun and it’s amazing....
by TallDad71
Tue Mar 21, 2023 8:30 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: French polishing
Replies: 30
Views: 34751

Re: French polishing

I believe hard shellac can be sprayed. Bodying is basically building up very thin layers of shellac. The final shine is achieved with the final pad sessions where you reduce the cut of the shellac mix. I'm not sure a spray gun can apply layers off finish as thin as you can apply with a pad. My thou...
by TallDad71
Sun Mar 19, 2023 6:47 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: French polishing
Replies: 30
Views: 34751

Re: French polishing

Has anyone experimented with spraying shellac?

Spend some time getting shellac onto the guitar, reasonably quickly with a hvlp sprayer, then bodying to get a shine.

Repeat the process until satisfied.

I like French polishing but you sure can have too much of a good thing.
by TallDad71
Fri Jan 13, 2023 5:58 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Multiscale bridge over uncompensated bracing
Replies: 8
Views: 3866

Re: Multiscale bridge over uncompensated bracing

I like your solution a lot. It gives the player a reasonable chance of resting the ball of their hand on a comfortable part of the bridge and still access all strings equally.
by TallDad71
Fri Jan 06, 2023 7:57 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bridge length on WRC OM build
Replies: 7
Views: 10617

Re: Bridge length on WRC OM build

At a facile level, the bridge contract area is sufficient for a specific pull strength of the strings. The bracing underneath does not determine what contact area is required. A larger contact area could lead to more mass on your soundboard as the bridge is larger. The technical term for this is ‘ b...
by TallDad71
Wed Dec 07, 2022 5:39 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Frets causing back bow
Replies: 8
Views: 11798

Frets causing back bow

My fret saw is 0.5mm, my fret tangs are 0.5mm wide so why when I install the Frets do I get a back bow on my fretboard I wonder? I secure them in out of habit with titebond, I can see how that might not be necessary but can’t see why that would add to the back bow. Any thoughts and tips would be rea...
by TallDad71
Sun Sep 25, 2022 5:12 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Posting photos
Replies: 17
Views: 65925

Re: Posting photos

On a Mac just open the photo in Preview and select edit.

800 x 600 is a good resolution
by TallDad71
Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:01 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bluetop35
Replies: 10
Views: 7720

Re: Bluetop35

Woof!

That is quite simply beautiful!

Well done, I don’t usually get paint over woods but the balance there is perfect.
by TallDad71
Mon May 30, 2022 5:40 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: Target deflection for guitar tops
Replies: 4
Views: 11562

Re: Target deflection for guitar tops

My preferred technique was to join the two halves and cut the board to a specific sized rectangle and thickness it until it sounds musically perfect. I then support it at the top and bottom edges and place a 2kg weight in the centre and measured the deflection. I would repeat this with a 1kg support...
by TallDad71
Mon Jan 10, 2022 10:06 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shed advice
Replies: 16
Views: 19278

Re: Shed advice

We are separated by a common language.

In England this is a shed! Very jealous.
rowlinsons-6x4-apex-shiplap-garden-shed-with-1-window-588-p.jpg
by TallDad71
Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:03 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Visual Analyzer on a Mac
Replies: 3
Views: 3632

Re: Visual Analyzer on a Mac

Have you tried using the FFT Tools by Studio Six? They have an iOS app which is great for recording taps on your instrument. The Mac based equivalent will also display your data. Attached is a screenshot of two testing results, green is of a dozen taps across the back of a guitar, averaged, orange i...
by TallDad71
Fri Nov 05, 2021 7:33 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Neck Taper
Replies: 16
Views: 22925

Re: Neck Taper

Darn it!

The spindle on the safe t planer is bigger than the 10mm on the Proxxon chuck. I need a big drill press it seems.
by TallDad71
Tue Nov 02, 2021 7:33 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Neck Taper
Replies: 16
Views: 22925

Re: Neck Taper

https://www.proxxon.com/en/micromot/28124.php?search I have my doubts that Proxxon is big enough to handle a Safe-T-Planer. [/quote] From memory, I think the safe-t planer recommends using with speeds >2500 rmp which is much faster than you would normally think for such a large bit. [/quote] Thanks...
by TallDad71
Sun Oct 31, 2021 8:54 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Neck Taper
Replies: 16
Views: 22925

Re: Neck Taper

For some reason the safety planers make me feel a little uneasy.... The safety planer wont throw you across the room if you try a climbing cut like a router will. Lower the cutter by a few mms with each pass and pay attention to the direction you run the neck blank past the cutter and you won't hav...
by TallDad71
Sun Oct 03, 2021 5:34 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Craig Lavin video
Replies: 1
Views: 3002

Re: Craig Lavin video

Thanks for sharing.

I have recently got into marquetry and this was a very useful pointer. Unfortunately I don’t use much ebony, my woods are lighter so they require more precision, I think, as back filling will be easier to see.