Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Woodsy23 wrote: Both showed that I was getting the 160 degree C temp,

Probably not hot enough, as above i have no idea what temp my 'iron' runs at, but i reckon it's a lot more then that. I'm estimating around 200C + .

I've bent pieces of NGR at 2.2mm and found it bent like butter even at that thickness (i was trialing thicker sides at the time). No cutaway. Just soaked in hot water for 10 mins then bent on my high tech iron - a pipe with a butane torch jammed up the middle at my normal precise bending temperature...

An interesting method for profiling the liners using a router and jig is as shown in a photograph on Michael Collin's website Considering the linings and sides can be profiled with a block plane then finished with a sanding stick in under 5 minutes, what's the point of setting up a jig and router? 8)

As per here: http://www.anzlf.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7334 I've had a few requests for my radius calculating spreadsheet, so thought I'd share it. Can be downloaded from here: http://toscanoguitars.com.au/Documents/radius.xlsx First of all i must mention this was made for calculating spacer heights ...

I have an excel spreadsheet that calculates exactly this, for an inputted radius. The beauty of having a mate doing a phd in maths .
Send me a pm with your email if you want a copy.
If theres enough demand i will put it online.

In truth, I wonder if creation of that curved profile on the sides makes much of a difference. . If clamping the edges flat on a fully radiused top i suspect you might leave yourself open to potential cracking due to the stresses. I do as mark mentioned. I have a 'sanding stick' that is radiused to...

To add to the questions-Is it faster/more efficient to have multiple builds going on at any one time? Definitely is. Mostly because as you pointed out in your post. I'm not lucky enough to have the space to do it this way. :( A good mate of mine builds 'parts' then assembles, then finishes. His yea...

1. How long does it take you to build an acoustic? (elapsed time or hours/days) I kept a bit of a log for my most recent classical build, was around 105hrs give or take a few. That's to the point of string up. I string mine up prior to final finishing or sanding and with only a rough setup (call it...

Here's what I did when sending a large stash by sea. Packaged up the wood in one big tight rectangle, the more 'precious' pieces on the inside, and the more plain dont care so much if get damaged on the outside, masking taped up tightly. Took it to a mate who works at the local woolworths who then w...

As per Trevors comment i put some candle wax on a plane sole and went at some highly figured blackwood backs. WOW!!!. Why am i only just discovering this.....
Now i need to get more candles.

Perry, love the null and void bit on your employment page...
I recently advertised for an accounts person in my daily business (not guitar related) had over 20 phone calls every day until i cancelled the ad.
I might steal this for the next job ad

Thought i'd let you all know: Not sure if anyone else has found this neat little app yet. Matt from AGMS showed me an app he's been useing for tap tests. It's available in the Google Play store for Android. Called "Spectrum Analyer" by Raspberrywood. I was skeptical on how good this would be, but to...

Just use normal binding tape. The brown (paper? Backed) stuff. Available from als or lmi.

As per Allen, (mostly) spanish style so top first in a solera.
For non spanish style i still do top first out of habit.

100% agree Jeremy. Ill try to do some tests on my stock this wkd. To ad to the king billy as a species: The AGMS at toronto has made over 300 guitars now. Assuming a third of these are falcate braced guitars; there's around 100 falcate king billy guitars out there. Im not saying that king billy is b...

Martin a just skimmed sections of your build thread, my guess is where you might have gone wrong on that first top is the top thickness?? If i read correctly you had it at 2.7, this seems a tad on the thin side. My engelman i do at 3.1 (assume finishes at 3.0 after sanding) in the middle and 2.7 at ...

King Billy pine for the bracing....I'd re-consider the choice of woods. You'll notice in my OM thread I ended up having to make a new top as the KB I used for the top bracing wasn't stiff enough. If you're dead set on using KB then I'd definitely do some stiffness measurements on the bracing stock....

Thought I'd do a build thread for a change. :D I have 3 on the go at the moment - A Fleta, a Hauser style classical, and a Falcate OM (kinkade shape). I have chosen the OM for this build thread as it's the most recently started so can be documented from the beginning, but might pop some photos from ...

His work manship is horrible!
Example: http://www.guitarmasterworks.com/images ... _inlay.jpg

And those heel caps. OUCH!

That Rosette's not very traditional Martin
...

Beautiful looking guitar (and no doubt sounding). Well done!

I've spent my weekend making a new bench

I recently bought a 12inch hafco from machinery house. Does the job for anything I need in guitar making and more. I cut out a new solera from 30mm marine ply only on Sunday with no problem at all. Cuts the scarf joint on rock maple like butter (probably the hardest cut/timber a luthiers bandsaw wil...

Yep, ordered mine. After a few years of GAL membership this is popping my big red book cherry!

Fretwork is an area I have NOT seen to be a problem with Cole Clark. If they are using a Plek, it is undoubtedly because it costs them less than having a human doing it. Spot on my thoughts exactly. From my (limited) experience their fret work is quite good. It would purely be a cost saving exercis...

Its not a knock off is it?
Back when i used to do repairs the things you are explaining were the dead giveaway of a chinese counterfeit. I'd see maybe 1 of them a month.