Search found 771 matches

by blackalex1952
Tue Dec 17, 2019 2:51 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: New Luthier Tips du Jour video-What is torrefied wood?
Replies: 1
Views: 4175

Re: New Luthier Tips du Jour video-What is torrefied wood?

Very interesting and informative...Water has weight, so soundboards which remain dry and don't react to humidity variations as much would be lighter? Also, it is feasible that a torrefied guitar has less movement in it for the same reason and can therefore be built to finer tolerances. I have read t...
by blackalex1952
Wed Dec 11, 2019 11:19 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Alternative use for stainless steel clothes pegs
Replies: 2
Views: 4380

Re: Alternative use for stainless steel clothes pegs

There are a few suppliers. I bought them at an outdoor conference. These people have some: https://www.biome.com.au/1024-clothes-pegs I don't know what grade steel is in the ones I have, the company has a few types. I don't use them on the clothes line because the lawnmower doesn't like them! Cheers...
by blackalex1952
Thu Dec 05, 2019 6:55 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Alternative use for stainless steel clothes pegs
Replies: 2
Views: 4380

Alternative use for stainless steel clothes pegs

The stainless steel clothes pegs here in the photo are useful for liners if they are modified with a kink in the right spot so that they exert an even pressure for clamping. I just used them upside down ie using the spring pressure to apply an outward force in order to narrow a truss rod channel wit...
by blackalex1952
Wed Dec 04, 2019 1:25 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Wood Waste
Replies: 9
Views: 12389

Re: Wood Waste

I had a quick look at the .pdf article...nature isn't in any kind of hurry when it comes to the decomposition of wood it seems...but it eventually gets the job done. Go for a walk in a forest! On the subject of the bushfires, most of the really hot fires have occurred due to large fuel loads buildin...
by blackalex1952
Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:57 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Wood Waste
Replies: 9
Views: 12389

Re: Wood Waste

The amount of wood waste that a luthier produces is not that much when compared to a factory making Chinese cheapo guitars. I have wood heating at home and a lot of the wood goes into that. I also make firelighters out of the sawdust and chips collected in my dust extraction system. An egg carton fu...
by blackalex1952
Tue Dec 03, 2019 8:24 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Changes to Reg of International Trade in CITES
Replies: 5
Views: 7089

Re: Changes to Reg of International Trade in CITES

Common sense at last! It seems a little rare these days! Or am I just getting old and cranky?..no need to answer that, I have three daughters who have a few opinions! Cheers, Ross
by blackalex1952
Tue Dec 03, 2019 8:21 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Double cutaway acoustic
Replies: 15
Views: 17235

Re: Double cutaway acoustic

Now you'll have to learn to play both left and right handed!!!
-Ross
by blackalex1952
Tue Dec 03, 2019 8:19 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Trevor Gore Course- Principles of Modal Tuning
Replies: 22
Views: 26212

Re: Trevor Gore Course- Principles of Modal Tuning

I wish I was flash enough to attend one of Trevors courses. I have questions! Looking at the first pic' it seems from the sketches on the blackboard that Trevor also re designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge! With his skills, I wouldn't put it past him! LOL! There is a pic there with three bottles of wi...
by blackalex1952
Mon Dec 02, 2019 5:58 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Vox electric guitar neck
Replies: 0
Views: 8165

Vox electric guitar neck

Vox electric guitar neck restoration The Vox necks at the time were made, I believe, in the Eston factory. I have no idea what glue was used but it didn't respond well to heat. The issue was an up bow in the neck, attempts in the past by other "luthiers" had not really worked, mainly the reduction i...
by blackalex1952
Fri Nov 29, 2019 5:39 pm
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Stopmbox, footdrum and other foot percussion
Replies: 8
Views: 24627

Re: Stopmbox, footdrum and other foot percussion

I've been checking out some of these older threads and found this one...I began with a piezo which sounded terrible and was high impedance. Then I moved to loudspeakers, which I ended up modifying by supergluing an O ring around the speaker cone and then gluing the O ring to the timber. The idea was...
by blackalex1952
Fri Nov 29, 2019 11:48 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: 00 Acoustic build thread.
Replies: 39
Views: 49056

Re: 00 Acoustic build thread.

PM sent. I have also posted these pdf's in the jigs and fixtures page (here as well) for others to use. Cheers! Ross
by blackalex1952
Fri Nov 29, 2019 11:46 am
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: Radius curves
Replies: 0
Views: 19649

Radius curves

Radius curves. Print them actual size.-Ross
by blackalex1952
Thu Nov 28, 2019 7:10 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: 00 Acoustic build thread.
Replies: 39
Views: 49056

Re: 00 Acoustic build thread.

Joseph, I recall posting some radius curve .pdf files on this forum a while back. I may still have them on my computer so if you want them pm me and I'll have a look. Just print them out at Officeworks same size then trace to make a routing sled for the dishes.
by blackalex1952
Thu Nov 28, 2019 7:06 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bulloak
Replies: 8
Views: 14678

Re: Bulloak

This I have experienced when milling....not to mention the splinters. I assume that the Aborigines made very effective weapons out of the stuff!
by blackalex1952
Thu Nov 28, 2019 4:46 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bulloak
Replies: 8
Views: 14678

Re: Bulloak

Just to clarify I'm talking about the Buloke (my spelling mistake) Allocasuarina luehmannii...cheers! Ross
by blackalex1952
Thu Nov 28, 2019 3:43 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: 00 Acoustic build thread.
Replies: 39
Views: 49056

Re: 00 Acoustic build thread.

Use a 12 or 15 ft dish for the back in my opinion...I have made some excellent guitars (IMOP) using 25 ft and 12 ft, mainly OM's to the Grellier plan with my own bracing mods, ie forward shifted bracing and a modified X. But they don't sound like Martin clones, heaps of guitars around with that soun...
by blackalex1952
Thu Nov 28, 2019 3:39 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bulloak
Replies: 8
Views: 14678

Bulloak

Has anyone used Bulloak for fingerboards or back and sides...would it be tricky if not impossible to bend? Given the brittle grain I'm wondering how serviceable it would be for a fingerboard. My "experiment" has shown me that fretting holds into this timber, but how about subsequent re frets and gra...
by blackalex1952
Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:31 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: 00 Acoustic build thread.
Replies: 39
Views: 49056

Re: 00 Acoustic build thread.

I have built a few OM guitars and a couple of Loo's with 25ft top and 12ft back. They sound nice with strong mids and a tight bass. However, I have had comments from a couple of luthiers who say that the more arched soundboards loose a little sustain? I haven't tried other arching so I wouldn't know...
by blackalex1952
Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:07 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: A shout out to the moderators
Replies: 3
Views: 5426

Re: A shout out to the moderators

With the house build my workshop is currently packed up and out of action for at least the next 12 months....I badly miss the building.
Think of the luxury of the new workshop when it's completed! Cheers!Ross
by blackalex1952
Fri Nov 22, 2019 1:04 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: A shout out to the moderators
Replies: 3
Views: 5426

A shout out to the moderators

I was searching for a post by a luthier I know through this forum when I opened the "members" page. It lists the number of posts by each individual member. On glancing at this I noticed that one of the moderators has clocked up 9782 posts! !! Mutliply that by the time it takes to write those posts a...
by blackalex1952
Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:50 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: packaging tape for binding
Replies: 12
Views: 13717

packaging tape for binding

I am looking for a source of the reinforced packaging tape to use for binding work...any recommendations? What are you using and do you find that the tape is strong enough by itself or do you still bind with stretchy cord or rubber as well? Cheers! Ross
by blackalex1952
Wed Nov 13, 2019 11:49 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: fretboard radiusing router bits
Replies: 18
Views: 22692

Re: fretboard radiusing router bits

Kiwigeo wrote:
building up the shoulder muscles on my right arm
All along I thought you were doing that with beer!
by blackalex1952
Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:32 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: fretboard radiusing router bits
Replies: 18
Views: 22692

Re: fretboard radiusing router bits

I'm not too worried re chatter as I intend to make light passes, using an adjustable fence on the router table, along with a jig to hold the work using double sided tape. Then I intend to radius the fingerboard with radiused blocks, ending up with a 12" radius at the nut end and a 16" at the soundbo...
by blackalex1952
Sun Nov 10, 2019 1:37 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: fretboard radiusing router bits
Replies: 18
Views: 22692

fretboard radiusing router bits

I just bought one of these radiused router bits for my fingerboards...I'll report back when I have tried it! https://www.amazon.com/Yonico-13005-Radius-Guitar-Radiusing/dp/B06W2M7892/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=fretboard+router+bit&qid=1573274843&sprefix=fretboard+router&sr=8-1 They are available in a f...
by blackalex1952
Sun Nov 10, 2019 1:26 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Acoustic Bridge Types ...
Replies: 9
Views: 9113

Re: Acoustic Bridge Types ...

The theory as I understand it: if the strings are tied off at the tail of a guitar or uke, then the instrument would fall into the archtop category, where the bridge is restricted to a verticlal up and down motion, as distinct to a combination of vertical and rocking motion for a bridge which has th...