Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hi Chris. Nope; no stain. I have finished this instrument with a few coats of Rustins Danish Oil, which is essentially colourless, but the fingerboard has had only a quick rub with "Lemoil" brand lemon oil.. Perhaps, if there is a slight colour cast, it is from the lights that I used when taking the...

Whoops! I intended to post this in The Gallery section, along with other posts.

Moderator(s), please move this, if you can.

Frank

Whoops! I intended to post this in The Gallery section, along with other posts. Sorry.

Frank

Here are photographs of the third of three ukuleles that I've recently made. Back and sides are Black Heart Sassafrass. Bindings are Blackwood. Head-plate and bridge are Indian Rosewood. Neck is Queensland Rose Mahogany. Soundboard is a European Spruce. Fingerboard is Blackwood. Second sassafrass 2....

Here are photographs of the second of three ukuleles that I've recently made. Back and sides are Padauk. Bindings and head-plate are Blackwood, from the Otways. Neck is Queensland Maple. Soundboard is a European Spruce. Bridge is Gidgee. Fingerboard is Leopardwood. Padauk - 1.jpg Padauk - 2.jpg Pada...

Here are photographs of the first of three ukuleles that I've recently made. Back and sides are Blackwood, from the Otways. Bindings and back-strip are Mountain Ash, from here in Emerald, in the Dandenongs. Neck is Queensland Maple, and the centre of the neck sandwich is Satrin Box, also from the Ot...

Here is a grab-bag of stuff that I've been making, on and off, for more than a year, and I think it's time I motivated myself to finish them! Works in progress.jpg Flamenco guitars. The two flamenco guitars have been constructed using a solera (work board) that holds the neck at the correct angle to...

Hi forum members. I only started making musical instruments after I retired, some 17 years ago. I've almost always only made instruments for myself, and my home is slowly filling up with guitars and ukuleles that, often as not, I string up and strum a few times before consigning to a case, and then ...

Hello folks. I'm probably going to be shot down for this long and complicated post, but that's OK, if perhaps even a small part of what follows might be useful to someone. Perhaps I should post it elsewhere. I'll preface what follows with the statement that I have spent my previous long working life...

Rubners, anyone?

https://www.rubnertuners.com/

I quite like, and use these for guitars and ukuleles.

Frank.

A quick addition to my post with regard to Queensland Walnut: Here's a picture of the parlour guitar I mentioned I'd made. It's not quite illustrating the visual properties of the wood - I can't seem to find a photograph that I might have taken, better showing the back and sides - but you can sort-o...

A quick comment about working with Queensland Walnut; I've made a classical and parlour guitar, and a ukulele, using this wood. It has a pleasing - if not somewhat bland - grain and appearance, and finishes very well. It's clearly a good choice as a tone-wood. I've not had a problem bending it. The ...

With respect to "drip bags" in hospital; these are invariably made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) - although the use of this material is slowly declining. PVC is very permeable to gasses like oxygen (20% of the air we breathe), which is precisely what one is trying to keep away from the liquids used ...

Hi, and thanks to everyone who has responded, and for your suggestions and comments. We went and bought a piece of Zebrano for the body, and a longer piece of American Maple, for the neck. As I suspected, the band-saw expectorated the pacifier, and kept stalling, as I tried to make long cuts through...

Hi fellow travellers! I've been a strictly acoustic builder for many years, but I've just been asked to help a young acquaintance to build an electric bass, and I find myself lacking in both equipment and full knowledge to complete the task! So, I'm looking for a little assistance in both of the abo...

Just to finish off this little thread;

I contacted Stew-Mac about this matter, and without any fuss or williwaw (use it or lose it!), they immediately agreed to send me a replacement set. They are covered by a "lifetime warranty".

Frank.

Thanks Murray.

On this basis, I've just purchased a copy.

Frank.

Hi Graham. Great to see that you've finally done it, by hook or by crook! I want to purchase an electronic copy, but I'm a bit unsure of whether I can! I hate to seem obtuse, but the MusicBooks Press website says the following; "The ePub version is available for iBooks and Kindle for US$9.99. It com...

Hi Ken, Martin, Thanks for your replies. Martin; the tuners were bought as a set of six, for a steel-string guitar. ("#4067 Waverly Guitar Machines with Ebony Knob Nickel, 3L/3R ($168.58AUD)"). And I discover that this was 10 years ago! It feels like only 5. Ken; Yes, I bought these from Stew-Mac, a...

Hi fellow travellers! A few years ago I fitted a set of Waverley tuners onto a steel-string guitar that I had made. At the time, the mechanisms - all six of them - seemed a bit stiff, but I assumed that things would loosen up a little with use. The instrument has now been returned to me because the ...

Hi Trevor. I'm not 100% sure about this, but I did a bit of sleuthing on the internet, because for no reason, I got interested! It seems that Fine Tools Australia is associated with the company Artesan Pty Ltd (which has a web presence as http://www.artesan.com.au); a so-called "family business". Na...

"I'm wondering where the 7 kg figure originated here? With additive force on the braces, given that for each brace there are multiple rods, is 7 kg overkill?" The 7 kg figure was just sucked out of my head! I'd never used a go-bar deck before attempting to build one. At the time, it just seemed like...

Hi Nigel. About 10 years ago, I decided to make a kick-arse go-bar deck, and naturally the issue about what might be the most appropriate rods needed to be addressed. I began with the following criteria in mind (and I've had pause to reconsider these over the years) but overall, I've been very happy...

This is really excellent; so many good ideas, and from a group of people who have proven in-depth knowledge and are known to be creators of really amazing work. Thanks for all your suggestions, from sublime professional tools and jigs shown, to the ridiculously cheap but no doubt very effective sugg...

Hi Folks. A quickie: I've always found it tricky - in fact, downright frustrating and aggravating - trying to inlay the typical 1mm rings that are commonly used as part of the rosette in a steel-stringed guitar. Y'know; you carefully cut a 1.5mm deep ring around the sound-hole to inlay mother-of-pea...