Search found 1072 matches

by Mark McLean
Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:46 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Heres "Madeleine"
Replies: 14
Views: 15194

Taffy, she is an absolute beauty. I love the customized detail which has just the right amount of restraint for my taste. Especially the end grain inlay and the one on the heel cap. I bet the guy will be stoked! He won't swap it for another D-35 in a million years. Please tell us more about how you ...
by Mark McLean
Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:41 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Project PIG the F1-11 'Matey'
Replies: 101
Views: 89197

Fantastic thread Kim. Thanks for taking us on the journey. The end result is a fantastic retro guitar, and you have taught us all heaps. I am impressed by your inventiveness and vision. In years to come someone is going to get hold of that guitar and sing the praises of the old Maton factory for mak...
by Mark McLean
Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:15 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Project PIG the F1-11 'Matey'
Replies: 101
Views: 89197

Thanks for this thread Kim. It has been fascinating and taught me a lot too. I have a Taylor Big Baby with a a similar neck joint - no heel and 2 screws straight through the fingerboard and into the headblock at the 16th fret. It makes the guitar a lot lighter and helps with access to the higher fre...
by Mark McLean
Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:43 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Some Stinkin Guitars
Replies: 17
Views: 17467

Far out! I'm sitting here with my sunday morning coffee and you give me that as a wake up message. Hesh, that is one eye-popping collection of guitar flesh. You do stunning work mate. A match of beautiful woods to great classic designs. What is that dark coloured top (no, not the black one) - is it ...
by Mark McLean
Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:52 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What's On Your Bench?
Replies: 71
Views: 51200

A beautiful package Rod. I recently made a Nick Lucas and I love the design. I am sure your Dad is going to think it is very special.
Mark
by Mark McLean
Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:54 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: New Luthier Tips du Jour video - Murphy's Law
Replies: 3
Views: 3724

Hi Robbie
Some of those tips are gold. "Straight to the pool room".

thanks
Mark
by Mark McLean
Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:26 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: a molly duker
Replies: 8
Views: 7634

Looking very good Rod. I love the blonde on blonde colour scheme. Molly duker??? Please explain........
Mark
by Mark McLean
Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:24 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Autumn Leaves II
Replies: 7
Views: 6583

Jeff, that is simply sensational. I think the inlay is among the nicest that I have ever seen. And the monkey pod IS crazy. I want to see more pics too
Mark
by Mark McLean
Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:27 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: radius dish in oz
Replies: 5
Views: 5942

I got one of these (made from MDF). I got a 16' dish (plywood) from them as well. They are fine, but they did seem a bit expensive to me.
by Mark McLean
Sun Aug 09, 2009 11:00 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Cool New Material
Replies: 7
Views: 7488

OK, I am starting to get interested. Dom - that is a nice looking top. What width did you use for the rosette, 0.047" or 0.064"? Have you put a black strip alongside the flexi-shell stuff or is that black accent part of the product? Does it have hard or flexible sides? If it has a little bit of give...
by Mark McLean
Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:41 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: numero uno
Replies: 13
Views: 13478

Great first guitar Liam, and with that shopping list for tools and jigs it sounds like you are going to be making lots more. It must be satisfying to come up with your own design for number one, and then pull it off. I'll look forward to your future posts.
Mark
by Mark McLean
Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:27 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: here is my #2
Replies: 24
Views: 22084

Dominic You asked about the soundhole binding. I followed the technique that Nigel Forster shows in this Youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f_t-wGo30o&feature=related The top was about 3mm in thickness and I added a reinforcement ring around the soundhole instead of using popsicle soundh...
by Mark McLean
Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:24 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: On Y'r Blocks
Replies: 10
Views: 8359

Yeah, that is way too slick. It is a shame to cover it up.
by Mark McLean
Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:40 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: here is my #2
Replies: 24
Views: 22084

Thanks for the encouragement folks. I will definitely lose the pickguard. I play fingerstyle anyway so I don't really need one. Nick - the L-00 is a great classic Gibson small body style that has been around since the 1920s in various guises. I think the shape is nice but some of them sound a bit we...
by Mark McLean
Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:53 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Number 2 Finally Finished
Replies: 17
Views: 18029

Hi Ricardo, I love your number 2. The timber choices are very elegant and the headstock veneers are a really nice touch. What did you use in the rosette? It looks nice but I can't get a good enough look to work it out. Great work. Will you be starting number 3 soon? This gets really addictive doesn'...
by Mark McLean
Sun Aug 02, 2009 10:55 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: here is my #2
Replies: 24
Views: 22084

here is my #2

Last week I finished my number 2 build. I learned lots more making this one and I think it is a much better guitar than my first effort. I still have a long way to go, but this is becoming a lot of fun. Thanks so much to everyone on this forum for sharing your hard-earned knowledge. It is a 13-fret ...
by Mark McLean
Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:37 pm
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: Saddle Slot Routing Jig
Replies: 2
Views: 11900

Nice one Allen. That is really clear and makes perfect sense. I have a similar jig for a Dremmel and I am sure I could adapt the sloping base idea to achieve the same result. Thanks for the tute.
Mark.
by Mark McLean
Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:17 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Thicknessing by hand
Replies: 47
Views: 36126

The Wagner Safe-T-planer is a very cost effective (<$50) way of getting backs, sides and soundboards close to final thickness, then you complete the job with a cabinet scraper. It is very easy to use if you have a drill press, faster and less effort than hand planing, and minimal risk of tearout on ...
by Mark McLean
Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:28 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Tim Nicol - Soprano Ukulele number 2
Replies: 22
Views: 20688

Yeah, it looks really cool the way that the binding on the body continues along the neck in a continuous line, and then onto the headstock. Nice touch.

The finish looks sweet also - is it oil?

Well done Tim
by Mark McLean
Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:18 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Zpoxy warning discovered-so what now?
Replies: 17
Views: 13752

Peter
I started on a rant and rudely did not say gidday, and welcome to the forum. It would be great to see some pictures of your dulcimers and hear a bit about them.
cheers
Mark
by Mark McLean
Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:47 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: rookie mistake?
Replies: 19
Views: 16640

Sorry Jeremy. We mean the same thing but we are using different words. Here is a picture just to be sure. These are maple with BWB purfling. If you arrange them like this you will get the right orientation of the strips after bending. I put two strips of tape close together on either side of the are...
by Mark McLean
Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:56 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Zpoxy warning discovered-so what now?
Replies: 17
Views: 13752

Why are we so sold on pore filling anyway? It was Bob Taylor who said, "A long time ago, some guy figured out that if you keep spraying and sanding a guitar, you can make it really shiny. We need to exhume that guy and shoot him!" Most guitar buyers now think that an instrument should have a finish ...
by Mark McLean
Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:34 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What's you your workbench?
Replies: 203
Views: 162606

Hey Taffy, that rosette and end graft are great. And the strap button is very clever. Tell us more.
Mark
by Mark McLean
Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:29 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: rookie mistake?
Replies: 19
Views: 16640

Sorry, I should have been clearer in my description. I did mean stacking them. If you have strips of 2mm thick and 6mm high it will be a stack of 2mm X 24mm. That way they all get exposure to the same heat but the increased bulk is a bit stiffer - it makes you slow down and avoid over flexing them. ...
by Mark McLean
Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:31 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: rookie mistake?
Replies: 19
Views: 16640

I don't know about that timber, and I do it on a bending iron. But in my limited experience with cocobolo, mahogany and koa I have found it best to tape all 4 of your bindings together and bend them in one go. When I try one at a time they snap like twigs. Lay all 4 on the bench. If they have purfli...