Search found 1152 matches

by Mark McLean
Mon Feb 24, 2025 9:34 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Butt join
Replies: 4
Views: 15295

Re: Butt join

Yes, it is a good idea to hollow out the flat face of the heel - the face that contacts the sides at the neck joint - so that you have a small surface area around the edge to floss for the fitting process. But that doesn't fix your 3mm height issue. To fix that I would enlarge the holes in the neck ...
by Mark McLean
Mon Feb 24, 2025 6:55 am
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: Guitar Body Mould Tips?!
Replies: 3
Views: 48689

Re: Guitar Body Mould Tips?!

On your specific question of whether it is OK to have an insert for a cutaway section I think definitely yes. Here is one of mine. An essential tip in doing the cutaway is the slot cut into the mould shown by the arrow in this photo. This allows the side that is bent into the cutaway to extend beyon...
by Mark McLean
Mon Feb 24, 2025 6:49 am
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: Guitar Body Mould Tips?!
Replies: 3
Views: 48689

Re: Guitar Body Mould Tips?!

Hi Tiana and welcome to ANZLF. Mould building is a rarely discussed topic, so thanks for raising it! Here are a few of mine hanging on the wall. moulds.jpg I throw them together fairly roughly and quickly from cheap and available material such as MDF sheets or plywood. They are definitely not pretty...
by Mark McLean
Tue Feb 18, 2025 9:50 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Please Say Hello!!
Replies: 24
Views: 41181

Re: Please Say Hello!!

That is why I asked where you are located. Someone might be nearby to you and happen to have the book or plans for you to borrow? Well I guess I was referring to myself. I have a copy of the Collins book, and the book by Francois Charle called The Story of Selmer Maccaferri guitars - which is the d...
by Mark McLean
Tue Feb 18, 2025 6:44 am
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: Rain stopped play...
Replies: 1
Views: 13490

Re: Rain stopped play...

Another patent-able invention Taffy. Nice one. I spent a while looking at the photos wondering about the functional importance of having two tuners installed while using this jig - but I am guessing that was just a random feature of the instrument modelling the system? Glad to hear that the biblical...
by Mark McLean
Tue Feb 18, 2025 6:33 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Please Say Hello!!
Replies: 24
Views: 41181

Re: Please Say Hello!!

That is why I asked where you are located.
Someone might be nearby to you and happen to have the book or plans for you to borrow?
by Mark McLean
Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:31 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Please Say Hello!!
Replies: 24
Views: 41181

Re: Please Say Hello!!

Hi Major and welcome to ANZLF. You will get lots of help with your project here, and there are a few contributors with quite a bit of experience with Maccaferri style instruments. Have you chosen which of the Maccaferri designs you want to do, and do you have plans yet? They are not too difficult to...
by Mark McLean
Sun Jan 26, 2025 8:55 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Introducing myself
Replies: 3
Views: 16073

Re: Introducing myself

Hi Martin. Share some good repair stories with us too if you like. Cheers, Mark
by Mark McLean
Sun Jan 12, 2025 9:21 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Suggestions for materials to "practise" with
Replies: 14
Views: 36585

Re: Suggestions for materials to "practise" with

Hi Johnny. Good on you for jumping in and giving it a go. I understand completely the thought that you can't start by working on any kind of nice timber, but don't go too far in the other direction either. For my first build (an acoustic) I bought a kit (from StewMac, or LMI - I can't remember now) ...
by Mark McLean
Sat Jan 11, 2025 8:11 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: dewaxed (hard) shellac on top of waxed shellac as sanding sealer?
Replies: 1
Views: 14596

Re: dewaxed (hard) shellac on top of waxed shellac as sanding sealer?

Generally speaking shellac is compatible with virtually any other finish including oils, nitro, poly and other varnishes. It can go under them or on top of them and not cause any problems. The only caveat is that some sprayed finishes (most notably nitro) may react poorly with underlying layers that...
by Mark McLean
Tue Jan 07, 2025 8:20 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Slow burn 17" archtop
Replies: 23
Views: 76809

Re: Slow burn 17" archtop

That top looks sensational. Love the f-hole bindings.
by Mark McLean
Sun Jan 05, 2025 10:02 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Last uke of 2024
Replies: 4
Views: 21635

Re: Last uke of 2024

Happy New Year Allen. Lovely work, once again. Could you occasionally show us an example of your stuff-ups and mistakes just to make the rest of us feel better? But seriously, you are really producing exceptional instruments these days, and raising the bar for everyone. What is your method for cutti...
by Mark McLean
Fri Jan 03, 2025 9:23 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Two electric ukuleles
Replies: 3
Views: 18294

Re: Two electric ukuleles

Thanks for the tips Ian. What you describe for the finishing routing is much the same as I had planned, but I am always anxious when making it up as I go along. It is very reassuring to hear from someone who has actually made it work.
Cheers and HNY
mm
by Mark McLean
Wed Dec 25, 2024 10:08 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Veneer Softener
Replies: 14
Views: 37356

Re: Veneer Softener

The important thing to understand about using any of these things is that it is a pre-treatment. You saturate the timber and than leave it to dry. Then bend by whatever method you prefer. At least, that is how I use it. It doesn’t seem to cause any problems with finish that will be applied later. Ce...
by Mark McLean
Tue Dec 24, 2024 8:10 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Veneer Softener
Replies: 14
Views: 37356

Re: Veneer Softener

A traditional veneer softening recipe is 6 parts water, 3 parts alcohol (methylated spirits), 1 part glycerol (buy it at a pharmacy). Some recipes also add 1 part yellow glue. I have used this, Supersoft 2 and Rivergum brand from Carbatec. I think they all work, and in about equal measure. The home ...
by Mark McLean
Sun Dec 22, 2024 3:21 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Two electric ukuleles
Replies: 3
Views: 18294

Re: Two electric ukuleles

Hi Ian. Nice, individual and distinctive, a little bit quirky. Definitely worth putting your name on. I don't know ukes, and have never made an electric. However, I have been planning to do a blue burst/fade sort of thing like you have done. I really like that. I also use hand applied oil finishes r...
by Mark McLean
Mon Dec 09, 2024 2:44 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ladder Purfling
Replies: 7
Views: 20622

Re: Ladder Purfling

That is annoying! Might be worth an email or phone call enquiry? If they still won't ship overseas you can use a parcel forwarding service like Shipito - or get it sent to your cousin Randy in Minneapolis.
by Mark McLean
Mon Dec 09, 2024 5:48 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ladder Purfling
Replies: 7
Views: 20622

Re: Ladder Purfling

If it is flexible enough to do the inner ring of the rosette is should bend around the edge of the body without difficulty, even a cutaway. Gurian stuff has a good reputation for quality. Quite a lot of the purfling material that you see for sale on Stew-Mac or other sellers is actually sourced from...
by Mark McLean
Sat Dec 07, 2024 3:58 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: New member
Replies: 7
Views: 21440

Re: New member

OK, you will be good for tools then - but some luthiery specific things like a bending iron, fret hammer and nippers, bridge clamps, reamers might be additional purchases along the way. The Myrtle could certainly make good back and sides. You will want a softwood like spruce or cedar for the soundbo...
by Mark McLean
Sat Dec 07, 2024 1:29 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ladder Purfling
Replies: 7
Views: 20622

Re: Ladder Purfling

Hi Jack
Welcome to ANZLF.

Gurian Instruments is always a good place to look.
This one looks pretty close
https://shop.gurianinstruments.com/coll ... 3835074620
by Mark McLean
Sat Dec 07, 2024 1:23 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: New member
Replies: 7
Views: 21440

Re: New member

Hi Steve and welcome. We are here to help - always fun and challenging in equal measure for the first build, but you probably have a lifetime of skills that will assist you. I had none!
What are you planning in terms of guitar style and also timbers? What tools are you starting with?
Cheers
Mark
by Mark McLean
Thu Nov 28, 2024 6:23 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Where to get good veneers?
Replies: 39
Views: 81596

Re: Where to get good veneers?

Hi Jules It is true that using a really thin veneer for a rosette is a challenge because you are likely to sand through it as you try to level it after inlaying in the soundboard. You could glue a number of layers of the same veneer together to make a thicker piece. Or glue a single thin sheet on a ...
by Mark McLean
Wed Nov 27, 2024 10:08 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Pore fill question
Replies: 39
Views: 189703

Re: Pore fill question

If I don't spray stuff, would shellac - TM - shellac do the same. I guess this is a question I should answer for myself. Thanks for the inspiration.
by Mark McLean
Thu Nov 21, 2024 9:36 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Help with OSMO PolyX
Replies: 9
Views: 42499

Re: Help with OSMO PolyX

A small amount goes a long way. I just checked and found that I have actually been using a different brand of hard wax oil - Whittles Evolution. But let’s assume it has the same coverage as Osmo. Whittles claim a coverage of “up to 30 sq metres per litre”. Presumably that is for a single coat, and I...
by Mark McLean
Thu Oct 24, 2024 3:57 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Raised neck classical
Replies: 10
Views: 32065

Re: Raised neck classical

That looks really great Wayne. I love how this work can be put aside for ages and then you just pick it up again when you can! So, why the sound port on the treble side? Nothing wrong with that, but I am used to seeing them point towards the player. That one could be good for pointing towards a floo...