Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Beautiful guitar Steve - that’s a fine sounding flamenco!

Maple fretboard on a classical…. ridiculous! I love it! Actually everything about this guitar works beautifully, esp like the rosette and matching inlay. Great to see such creativity and a very modern classical

Haha this did make me laugh, Robbie. Some tips for this really quite serious topic tho…. the following lines may prove useful: 1. It’s often cheaper in the long run to buy a better quality product… 2. Safety is important. This tool is really much safer and id like to keep all my fingers. 3. It’s ver...

Thanks for the info Jeremy I was told that the earliest the Laguna would be back in stock was the end of Jan 2022, so I’ve just now placed an order for the Timbecon machine. There was another similar-spec’d machine available locally (digital readout built in, 4inch dust ports, etc) but it was $500 m...

Thanks guys - helpful advice

The Jet 22-44 looks like a good unit (and I’ve considered it as there’s an older one advertised second hand for a couple of grand) but I think my limited working space means I need a 16-32 size that I can shift around as needed. The Carbatec branded model (not in stock) works to a minimum of 3mm acc...

Hi folks I’m looking for a new 16/32 size drum sander and it seems there’s pretty limited availability at the moment. Does anyone have experience with Sherwood brand- sold by Timbecon? Price seems ok and it comes with dual dust ports. My previous unit was an older Jet Performax 16/32 which worked pr...

Yep, that sounds brilliant! Could listen to that all day

Love the look of this guitar. Simple but not simple at all. And that dark Blackwood... beautiful.

Do u have a sound clip of this one or a similar build? Would be interested to hear how it sounds.

Soprano ukulele Spruce (Engelmann) / Mahogany / ebony bindings It's been a little while between builds due to moving to Brisbane + setting up a workshop again, so I took on a 'smaller' project... a soprano ukulele. I still haven't got all the machinery sorted yet, so it was mostly back to hand tools...

Nice Trent, definitely a unique look to this instrument... Very cool

Just as an aside noting the reference to kitchen sink.... I did actually cut up one of those a while back for the Corian and have been using that for a while now for saddles....

Could it be celery top pine?

Beautiful guitar! That does look like some pretty special spruce.....

Congratulations Trent, that's very exciting!

Thanks for the responses all, I do have some hide glue sitting around but havent tried it yet. I don't think I could wick titebond into the cracks, so CA glue it is.

Do any of you think that laminating the back is required in this case? I was seriously considering that option, so am glad I asked!

Hi Brains Trust A while back I purchased a set of cocobolo which, while pretty, has some issues. It had a twist, was poorly sawn (5mm to 9mm in places), and has several small (bookmatched) cracks. I've managed to straighten it out and glue it up, and am now hoping to stabilise the cracks before thic...

Wow, that's a fantastic looking instrument! Great job on the build.

Getting there. Stud wall with a sliding door to stop the draughts and dust + noise reducing insulation between rafters. Now to choose a colour for the workshop... Have also purchased a portable dehumidifier. Posting now before plugging in the dehumid just in case it doesn't work as planned! On track...

I use a bit of bar soap in the holes to lubricate. Seems to work...

Thanks Ross for the great explanation of how dehumidifiers work. I was thinking an air conditioner as well just to keep the room cool when working. I'm planning to wall off the staircase shortly with a sliding door at the bottom and a wall alongside it. That should stop the dust going up into the re...

Thanks guys, I'm going to try to control the whole space. As I understand it an air cond unit will be needed and maybe a dehumidifier too. Do U think all walls and the ceiling will need additional insulation? If so what product is best for this?

Thanks Alan, that's a neat solution.

Trent - Google tells me that is only 9 minutes from my house ... Would be great to visit someday!

Thanks guys for the advice, sounds like there are a few workable options. It may come down to what materials are available on gumtree at a reasonable price etc. Looks like I can get some quite large (2.7m high...) freezer panels etc at a good price, which may open up the idea of converting the carpo...

Really nice.... That's a classy looking instrument!

If U can imagine it without the clutter..... Here's the workspace