Search found 705 matches

by peter.coombe
Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:10 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Taig minilathes - anybody heard of them?
Replies: 18
Views: 15637

Re: Taig minilathes - anybody heard of them?

Martin Any reason why a metal turning lathe? I know nothing about Lutes, but I have turned Hurdy Gurdy pegs on my Woodfast mini lathe without any problems. Also have turned small mandolin strap buttons, and a few other small wooden thingies. It was just a matter of getting a chuck with jaws that wou...
by peter.coombe
Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:20 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: OM guitar #2
Replies: 17
Views: 16696

Re: OM guitar #2

The rosette is a colourful piece of Myrtle that I sliced in the bandsaw and sanded to around 2.5mm thick in the drum sander. Cut the disk using the same jig I used to cut the rosette channel. At 2.5mm thick it is reasonably robust and stiff, and there is no danger of it falling apart. Myrtle is easy...
by peter.coombe
Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:19 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: OM guitar #2
Replies: 17
Views: 16696

Re: OM guitar #2

No 3 is going to be Indian Rosewood. This second guitar has some changes I made that I thought might improve the sound, but since I also changed the back wood I changed more than one thing at once so can't be sure what changed the sound. I suspect both, but need to be sure. No 3 will have the same w...
by peter.coombe
Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:16 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: OM guitar #2
Replies: 17
Views: 16696

Re: OM guitar #2

The Schertlers are well worth what you pay. Very smooth and accurate, they put the Gotah's on my reference guitar to shame. I have quite a bit of really nice Tassie Oak from Bunnings, probably enough for 6 guitars. About 5% is worth a second look, so you need to sort through about 20 planks before f...
by peter.coombe
Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:00 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: OM guitar #2
Replies: 17
Views: 16696

OM guitar #2

Doesn't seem long since I put up pictures of my first guitar. Well here is the second. Woods are Carpathian Spruce top, Tassie Oak back and sides, Qld Maple neck, Myrtle rosette, Indian Rosewood bindings, Ebony fingerboard, tuning knobs, headstock overlay and bridge. Bolt on neck, varnish finish. Ma...
by peter.coombe
Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:10 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Indian Rosewood direct from Mumbai - Review
Replies: 78
Views: 64987

Re: Indian Rosewood direct from Mumbai - Review

This vendor has spammed me occasionally for quite a few years now, so I have been readng this thread with some interest. I never respond to spam so never contacted him and won't in the future. A quick google search will soon tell you that Parekh Exports is not a specialist tonewood supplier, they ex...
by peter.coombe
Sat Mar 19, 2011 9:31 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: My first OM
Replies: 23
Views: 20468

Re: My first OM

I know that it is an OM but I was curious if you based it on a commercial instrument? Not really. I have 3 OM plans and they are all different. This guitar is based on things that I liked in all 3 plans, but mostly is based on the Grellier plan so has the Martin bracing pattern. I do have a Tim Wri...
by peter.coombe
Wed Mar 02, 2011 12:29 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: True SJ - # 9 lots of pictures
Replies: 21
Views: 22721

Re: True SJ - # 9 lots of pictures

Yep, he's a show off. Impressive.
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 28, 2011 8:19 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Advice for a newbie
Replies: 12
Views: 14777

Re: Advice for a newbie

Good advice from Kim and Dom. My experience in buying power tools over the last 17 years is that in the long run it pays to buy quality. If you are serious about this enterprise then don't jump in and buy cheap tools. Later on you will regret it because you will need to replace some if not most of t...
by peter.coombe
Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:21 pm
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: Om built rosette cutting jig
Replies: 0
Views: 6619

Om built rosette cutting jig

When I first started this guitar making thing I agonised about how to cut the rosette. After looking at the tools available at Stew Mac etc, I decided to DIY. After a few sleepless nights thinking about how to make this thing, this is what I came up with. I usually hate making jigs, but this was rea...
by peter.coombe
Tue Feb 22, 2011 2:20 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: My first OM
Replies: 23
Views: 20468

Re: My first OM

I don't know if UV light speeds up the process. I just go on the manufacturer's recommendation which is a minimum of 5 days. Yes I do make up my own seedlac/sandarac/mastic spirit varnish. It also contains some lavendar spike oil so the instrument smells of lavendar for a while. It is actually a vio...
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:31 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: My first OM
Replies: 23
Views: 20468

Re: My first OM

Damn, you picked the only visible boo boo. :)

Peter
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:26 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: CITES and the Lacey Act
Replies: 10
Views: 11486

Re: CITES and the Lacey Act

Yes well I think most of us don't keep receipts for 15 years. I think it is unreasonable for anyone to expect us to keep receipts for longer than that required for tax purposes which is 7 years. I am in a similar position. I have two big lumps and a smaller lump of Brazilian Rosewood, purchased 16 y...
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:00 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: My first OM
Replies: 23
Views: 20468

Re: My first OM

The varnish finish is complicated and has taken me many years to perfect and I am still perfecting it. There is always room for improvement. It is not a violin varnish, nor is it a trade secret. It is a beautiful finish that feels wonderful, but does take a long time to fully harden (months). There ...
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 21, 2011 1:23 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: My first OM
Replies: 23
Views: 20468

Re: My first OM

I did finish the neck and body separately and then bolt it together. The finish is a varnish finish, same as I use on the mandolins, but phew, a guitar is a heck of a lot more work and I really went through the sandpaper. End result is nice though, the varnish has such a lovely feel to it. I am not ...
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 21, 2011 1:11 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: CITES and the Lacey Act
Replies: 10
Views: 11486

Re: CITES and the Lacey Act

Yes I read this article. Moral of the story is don't even think of using any CITES listed wood in your instruments unless you are certain it will remain in Australia. That is not such a big problem but the other problem is that it seems to assume that we can predict what will happen into the future,...
by peter.coombe
Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:50 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: My first OM
Replies: 23
Views: 20468

My first OM

Well here it is. Finally all the problems have ben fixed and I have been brave enough to take some pictures. Pretty damn pleased with the sound.

It is guitar #1, serial #133.
by peter.coombe
Thu Feb 17, 2011 6:33 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: what do you lot make of this.
Replies: 6
Views: 6221

Re: what do you lot make of this.

Yes, things would get very interesting. The Lacey Acy does apply to interstate trade and I did read somewhere that USDA and US F&WL do intend to implement the same rules for interstate trade, but at the moment do not have the resources to do that so it is not being enforced for interstate trade. Per...
by peter.coombe
Wed Feb 16, 2011 11:20 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: what do you lot make of this.
Replies: 6
Views: 6221

Re: what do you lot make of this.

Yep, Randy Allen used to supply me with slotted fingerboards and has been doing so for around 15 years. No more, and I am disappointed because he has always been good value and good service. I have just been corresponding with him after trying to order some guitar fingerboard blanks because I believ...
by peter.coombe
Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:42 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: High humidity
Replies: 26
Views: 19416

Re: High humidity

Point taken, and more time would have been better, but I did have the humidity down to 45% the day before for most of the day. I also put the top next to the heater all morning before starting to glue. Desperate times! I did not glue any mandolin tops because they are more than twice as thick as a g...
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:25 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Screw ups
Replies: 8
Views: 7076

Re: Screw ups

Ha, ha, you are right. Now changed. Well the bridge is off, and the holes have been plugged. Now just need to clean it up and fix the finish damage. Looks ugly at the moment. There was more damage to the Spruce and finish damage than I would like, despite lots of masking tape, and I am not sure I ca...
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:15 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: High humidity
Replies: 26
Views: 19416

Re: High humidity

Well yesterday it dropped to 40% outside and stayed at 42% in the workshop all day. Finally!! Yesterday was a mad scramble day to do some gluing. Unfortunately today it is up around 55% again. Sigh.

Peter
by peter.coombe
Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:07 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bridge and bridge plate wood
Replies: 23
Views: 24404

Re: Bridge and bridge plate wood

Graham I have made Red Heny style mandolin bridges and they certainly do change the sound very much for the better, so he is certainly on to something. I think he has changed his opinions about Ebony as a bridge material more recently, but he still mostly uses Maple. The earlier Ebony bridges he mad...
by peter.coombe
Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:26 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bridge and bridge plate wood
Replies: 23
Views: 24404

Re: Bridge and bridge plate wood

Thanks Bob. There is some useful info there.

Nobody else?
by peter.coombe
Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:53 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: High humidity
Replies: 26
Views: 19416

Re: High humidity

Well I discoved the limits to the heater and air con combination. Started raining again and it went up to 54%. Need to wait for another day.