What's you your workbench?

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Sun May 10, 2009 7:22 pm

I've got one of these on my workbench. Compact, cheap to run, but prone to stressful breakdowns.

I'm working on a scaled down classical for my kids, & my daughter also requested a heart-shaped soundhole (like Jim's), but I still find the round ones tricky. Still early days, thinning down the sides. Jim, how narrow did you make the fretboard? And, are you using standard tuners?
Regards,
Steve

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sun May 10, 2009 7:40 pm

Best use for a child IMHO.

My Kiwi niece's plans to visit me were soon put on hold when I remarked that it was a great idea as I needed a workshop slave

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Sun May 10, 2009 10:21 pm

Good on ya Steve. I used a 610mm scale as I don't want it to slack at standard tuning but wanted it a little easier for her to deal with, so at the nut I went 48mm and 18th fret I ended up about 56mm and yes just you run of the mill classical tuners and a standard sized head stock.

That annoying piece of equipment you have on your bench will get more expensive to run as it gets older.

Jim

WaddyT · Post by **WaddyT** » Mon May 11, 2009 11:54 pm

Here is my #2 Classical getting closer to the final steps of construction.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Tue May 12, 2009 5:23 am

Looks as good as the first one Waddy. You tiddied up the workbench a bit from the last time I saw shots of one of your projects. Expecting Hesh to drop by?

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Tue May 12, 2009 5:45 am

Looking sweet Waddy, I love your rosette!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue May 12, 2009 5:48 am

sebastiaan56 wrote:Looking sweet Waddy, I love your rosette!

Echo that comment! Do you make up your own rosettes or are they "available"?

WaddyT · Post by **WaddyT** » Tue May 12, 2009 6:20 am

Thanks, folks. It has the usual rookie problems, but the overall look is OK. The Lacewood was a pain in the ...., but SSII helped.

The rosette design is mine. This one is the third in this top, and it even has a couple of little gaps in it. This guitar has been a challenge - 3 necks (Operator Head Space errors), 3 Rosettes, ripped the back off once after gluing, had to make two separate sets of wheat, among other things. I'm glad to get it close to done.

Here is the rosette of this one and my #3 - still awaiting the solera.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue May 12, 2009 6:55 am

WaddyT wrote:

Niiiiiice.

I'm impressed.

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Tue May 12, 2009 7:11 am

Love it Waddy, very, very classy work mate but if your going to use my work bench after hours you could at least ask first, and there's no point in deniging it bucko, I would know that mess anywhere.

Cheers

Kim

J.F. Custom · Post by **J.F. Custom** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:12 am

WaddyT wrote: This guitar has been a challenge - 3 necks (Operator Head Space errors), 3 Rosettes, ripped the back off once after gluing, had to make two separate sets of wheat, among other things.

May I be the first to say you have the patience of a... patience of... patience of something or someone very patient indeed

You know, those necks - if unusable for another classical, could still be ripped down for mando's or uke's.

Glad you stuck with it, the reults are worth it. Congrats Waddy it's looking fine and the rosette works a treat!

Jeremy.

Deano · Post by **Deano** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:56 pm

Just got some necks on the go.

A bit over the top maybe..

All i got are these electric blackwood necks..

Deano

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Tue May 12, 2009 5:27 pm

thats very pretty Dean!

WaddyT · Post by **WaddyT** » Wed May 13, 2009 12:12 am

Kim wrote:Love it Waddy, very, very classy work mate but if your going to use my work bench after hours you could at least ask first, and there's no point in deniging it bucko, I would know that mess anywhere.

Cheers

Kim

By the way Kim, could you tell me where I put my finger plane, I cant find that little sucker anywhere?

Thanks for the comments, guys.

Jeremy, the necks may well be usable for shorter scale instruments. On the two that I screwed, I had done my first V-Joint head joints, and then was trying to cut the slots with a table saw, and miss-cut the slots. Really stupid. I know I'm supposed to try new stuff on scrap wood.

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Wed May 13, 2009 7:41 am

That classical is looking pretty sharp Waddy.

And that blackwood neck is going to be a killer Deano.

James Mc · Post by **James Mc** » Thu May 14, 2009 4:53 pm

Well it has been over 20 years between guitars and has taken a while, but sitting on my bench is the little guitar I made for my better half. Flamed maple back and sides, messy KB pine top, silky oak trimming. Neck is laminated waratah, maple and silky oak. I don't like the fretboard, but the better half saw it when it came in the post and wanted it, picked it up on ebay for $5 (threw in a small bid when I was buying some bone and won it). I gave her access to my timber stash and let her pick anything she wanted, so the timbers are all her choice. all up the materials would have came to less than $100. Worst part was thinning the flamed maple with a plane... what a nightmare.

In the background you can see the huon, KB pine and blackwood Flamenco that is getting there slowly and to give a bit of size comparison there is a pic of it next to the Simon and Patrick that I'm about to try and restore. Photos aren't real flash... due to the flash but my work space doesn't have great lighting.

Cheer
James

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Thu May 14, 2009 5:08 pm

James,

20 years between guitars, well its turned not too foul mate! How does it sound, the King Billy looks cool, but I wonder about the sound. Im with you on the fretboard and bridge but Im not the customer. Should keep you in the good books for a while!

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Thu May 14, 2009 8:21 pm

I have a huon pine log that I obtained from my Dad. It's been in the shed for about thirty years so should be dry enough by now, and thanks to Bob it migrated from Hobart to Sydney earlier in the year.

Now it starts its adventure. Now then, tree ... wanna be turned into something nice? Yeah? Ok then.

I'm intending making a double bass from this pine for the back and sides. Huon pine is too dense for soundboard wood, but I'd like to try it for back and sides.

I have to prepare it to take to Gilet's workshop to have the slices cut. My bandsaw only has a 7" depth so I can't cut the full 14" depth I need for a bass back.

First I set up my bandsaw with a ridiculously dangerous blade, and made sure it runs smoothly.

I had to brace the table to support the weight of the wood. First we trimmed one long edge to see what the wood was like underneath and to give us a known base to work from.

My friend Angelo helped take the weight of the log as it came out the other side.

We cut off the end, too, to reveal the grain lines, and drew them in clearly.

I need to make sure that I get as much of the "vertical" grain as possible for the centre of the back, for strangth and stability. The top two slices will be fine.

We tried several arrangements to see what the optimum cutting strategy would be to allow a bass-sized slice to be taken, and to minimise wastage of this rare and fragrant timber.

I marked my planned cuts with a pencil and will have chat with Daryl to see what he reckons.

I'll have to get a couple of slices off it for ribstock, too.

*I* reckon I'm going to have to try a huon pine neck and scroll, too. Butr it'll have to be a laminated one. Hmmm. I'm thinking a single black stripe down the back.

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Thu May 14, 2009 10:17 pm

Awesome Matthew, I think we will all be looking forward to seeing what your skilled hands can do with such beautiful wood. So glad such a magnificent slab came to you, your oldman must be thrilled to know he is coming along with you on this build.

Cheers

Kim

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Fri May 15, 2009 6:10 am

I'm with Kim on this one Matthew, thanks for the 'mini' toot on the resaw. Cant wait to see the finished product! I know I enjoy hand carving archtop guitars but surely you employ "mechanical" methods when you're getting up to this size?
& there must be a better way of cutting your nails than usuing that large blade.

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Fri May 15, 2009 7:51 am

I thickness my ribs with a hand plane and carve the arched top with gouges and thumb-planes. I have yet to find some wood for a top for this one.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sun May 17, 2009 4:10 pm

I've been plugging away at these 2 guitars everyday now for the last month, and finally have the boxes closed up and the first session of pore filling has just been completed after the photo shoot.

German Spruce tops from Tim Spittle.

Opportunity grade Indian Rosewood from Allied Luthier. Nothing wrong with this stuff. Especially at the price we all got it for. Cocobolo Binding from Bob the Zootman. I was really skeptical about the customers choice, but now that it's installed, it's growing on me. Probably wont see too many identical to this pair.

Detail of that Herringbone purfling that I've been installing.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sun May 17, 2009 4:35 pm

Nice work Allen. I agree that Allied opp grade IRW is exceptionally good value.

ozziebluesman · Post by **ozziebluesman** » Sun May 17, 2009 8:06 pm

Beautiful work indeed Allen.

Cheers

Alan

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Sun May 17, 2009 11:39 pm

sebastiaan56 wrote:Hi Tim,

a bit of Google uncovered this http://windsorplywood.com/tropical_woods/nyatoh.html

The safest thing to do is to donate your stash to the forum and see if anyone can produce a nice instrument with it, same with the Sapele come to think of it.

Seriously, it looks nice and if worst comes to worst will make very attractive necks. Does it have a tap tone?

I followed your advice so you can ban me now.

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