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The Guitar Trojy is used as a clamping fixture to hold guitars through various stages of construction.It is made up of these main componentsThe sides, brackets,shelf, base,...
The Guitar Trojy will be the first in a series of many GuitarJigs articles.The availability GuitarJigs products is limited due to overwhelming demand; therefore, we have we have decided to make all of our jig, fixture, and template plans freely available here at SoundSalon.We will be submitting detailed lessons on how to construct each and every one of the products we make.You are more than welcome build the products described: for yourself; and ...
Trace out your mold shape on a stack of glued plywood the same thickness as your mold. Mark the centerline, as well as the fingerboard edge line. Cut and sand the material until it resembles the cutaway you want.Place the insert in position, clamp it in place, and mark the position with a pencil line.Next we need to ...
Start by stocking up on rubber gloves, Q-tips, and lighter fluid.Swab lighter fluid along the edge of the pickguard to soften the glue....
My old Dremel base (that I made in haste) needed replacement, so I made a new base in about 20 minutes.
First, I cut out two rectangular pieces of 3/8" Polycarbonate on the bandsaw, and clamped them together.
Two perfectly vertical 7/32" holes were drilled near the ends to hold the 1/4" threaded rod that will be used for depth of cut adjustment.
The holes on the bottom section are 1/4"-20 tapped, and the top section holes are drilled out to 15/64".
A 1/16" center pilot hole was ...
Using a Dremel rotary tool, and a 1/16" four flute end mill, I "plunge cut" close to the edge of the mortise to be.
I set the depth of cut, using the inlay itself....
This section requires me to inlay the frogs eye, though there is no entry point for the saw.I simply drill a small hole, feed one end of the jewelers saw blade ...
I approach every inlay section keeping in mind which exit point will reduce the chance of the section breaking, and/or needing further cutting/filing.
Hold the saw blade perfectly vertical as you saw. This will make the edges of your inlay square, easier to fit to other inlay sections, and easier to inlay.
I cut the printed line in half with the saw blade, leaving the half of the line bordering the inlay section. This ...
Before printing, I make sure the image lines are about 0.25 points in width, and that the image is to scale with the measurements of the original drawing. I also copy and paste the design so I get as many copies on a single sheet of paper as possible. This is economical, and ecological.
I print a few standard full sheets, and one reverse image sheet....
Start by tracing out the object to be inlayed.
Whether it's a bridge, fingerboard, headstock, etc., you can make a simple line drawing to work out your design on. It is handy to photocopy the line drawing for future use.
After sketching out the inlay design, I take a few digital photos of it with a ruler, or calipers to gauge its actual size, while working with ...
By Alastair Miller ·A common occurrence in the electric guitar world is to throw out an old patch cord when it stops working, and then go out and spend $20 on a new one. If you've got five minutes and a soldering iron you can save that $20 for something special, and in the case of this super cool old telephone cord style patch, a fix is a must!...
Flush cut the top and back to the sides with a hand held router, or a binding jig.
You can set your binding jig to cut into the side slightly to aid sanding and flattening.
Move your hand along ...
Start by taping your prepared binding strips together. Tape as many strips as you need, or feel comfortable bending.
The strips should be oriented in pairs, with their purfling strips touching. This will insure that you have strips for both the top and back of your guitar....
By Alastair Miller ·
Some of the more exotic tonewoods require a little bit of prep work before they're fit to build an instrument out of, like this african blackwood that came complete with wormholes and sap pockets.
The first thing to do, is pick out any old dried up sap and ...
By Sergei de Jonge ·
Photo #1 shows two or three anonymous tops sitting on the bench beside the jointer plane. Any good plane #6 or larger is fine for joining a top. I prefer a #7 or #8 over a #6. I use the plane sideways on the bench to shoot the joint. No special jig is necessary.
Photo #2 shows Alan starting to shoot the joint on both halves of the ...
By Alastair Miller ·
Here's my absolutely beautiful home made caliper's..... well they might not be the prettiest, but they do a swell job of measuring my tops and backs. They were an awful lot cheaper than buying a pair from your local luthier supply, and these ones come with a handy conversion chart.
I started this one with a chunk of 5/8" thick aluminum, a $15.00 dial indicator, and a thumb lever for the dial that the hardware store salesman gave me for next to ...
Start by laying out your braces on the back. You can use math or your eye to determine the correct spacing. It is wise to space the braces evenly.
Using a square... square the braces to the centerline.
With a Pencil (flattened on one side), mark the brace locations on the center strip. The flat side of the pencil should ...
Once the guitar frame has the correct top and back radius (and optional side braces), you can install the kerfed liners.
Make sure the gluing surface has been sanded and cleaned of any side bending resin. This sanding should be done before blocks are glued on.
You can final sand your liners before or after installation. If your liners do not have any significant markings (bandsaw, tablesaw, etc) it is advised to final sand them after they are installed. The clamps and glue can leave marks of ...
By Sergei de Jonge ·
When I started to make guitars in my own very sparsely equipped shop, I made the jigs for each guitar as I needed them. One of the first things I needed was a way to join tops and backs. I had seen them joined with a system of bar clamps, but bar clamps were expensive, and in these days I was chronically broke.
I had some scrap plywood, and I conceived a way of joining that I still use to this day. ...
By David LaVallee ·
Tough to make wood fit the mold without a side bending tool. My choice in side bending is the hot pipe. I didn't have one of my own, so I asked Mark Kett how to make one.
My contribution to the science of side bending is figuring out that a BBQ lighter has all the parts you need for a heating element (scavenging electrical heaters and ovens also works, water heater elements do not work).
Here is how you can make your own, only takes about three ...
When inserting or removing frets, it helps if the fret slots are beveled. The bevel allows the fret to be inserted and removed without disturbing the top level of the fingerboard that the fret rests against.
A beveling tool can be made out of many items you already have. I use the same modified three corner file I use to shape my fret ends....
When binding a fingerboard, excess glue often builds up near the ends of the fret slots. Cleaning the slots allow the frets to seat properly, and as close to the slot ends as possible.
A simple fret slot cleaner can be made out of any utility knife, by grinding a shallow hook into its edge. A belt sander (or sanding drum on a rotary tool) is a perfect tool for the job.
Completing this job while the glue is still gummy is preferred (within the first hour if ...
