Search found 111 matches

by Andos
Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:13 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: carbide rosette cutter
Replies: 1
Views: 2697

Re: carbide rosette cutter

Any toolmaker or precision engineering shop should be able to make one up.
What is the size of those carbide cutters? Once you go under about 6mm the price will start going back up!
by Andos
Mon May 17, 2021 6:08 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What a crazy year for repairs
Replies: 7
Views: 6522

Re: What a crazy year for repairs

Thanks Steve, I'll take you up on that kind offer.
I did start a thread on it a while ago - I'll have to pull finger, post an update and get some pics of its present condition.
by Andos
Sun May 16, 2021 7:50 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What a crazy year for repairs
Replies: 7
Views: 6522

Re: What a crazy year for repairs

Your videos have been a great help thanks Steve and I must go back and check them out again soon. Atm I have my brothers guitar which has cracks running up both sides of the saddle. I'm not the best of luthiers, it's pretty daunting. I'll start the repair with one of these :gui gotta relax into it!!
by Andos
Fri Apr 16, 2021 8:52 pm
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: How useful is the CF under the brace?
Replies: 15
Views: 30560

Re: How useful is the CF under the brace?

It has been a while since I've read the books, but I thought the purpose of the CF was to prevent the static string forces for collapsing the guitar. CF only has tensile strength, no compressive strength. So if you only put CF on one side of the the brace you only add stifness in one direction. In t...
by Andos
Sat Nov 28, 2020 3:02 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Great sharpening set up
Replies: 7
Views: 8740

Re: Great sharpening set up

Satisfaction be dammed. The machine is on the bucket list, but until then, one of those jigs looks easy to make and use. Thanks for the video.
I was planing some recycled rimu and found a old nail.
Took me 1/2 the night to hone out resulting divot - a drum sander is also on that bucket list.
by Andos
Thu Nov 26, 2020 7:22 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ancient Kauri
Replies: 4
Views: 5213

Re: Ancient Kauri

Kauri is really quite a boring wood compared to koašŸ„± This is the only seller of swamp kauri instrument wood I know of. http://www.rarefind.co.nz/gallery3/var/albums/Instrument-Woods/Backs/Indigenous-NZ-Species/GB-SWAUS-1407-25-2.jpg?m=1532400167 I'm only new to this game and I'm to scared of stuffin...
by Andos
Wed Nov 25, 2020 6:05 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ancient Kauri
Replies: 4
Views: 5213

Re: Ancient Kauri

Swamp kauri is what you're after. There is some on trademe atm. Or try the smaller Northland sawmills. I hope you have deep pockets!!
by Andos
Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:27 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Yairi Gakki repair - your advice please.
Replies: 10
Views: 10027

Re: Yairi Gakki repair - your advice please.

Richard, The binding strip is of the same wood as the sides. I'm hoping to save it and reuse it. At this stage I would rather avoid routing it off. Here's a virtual slideshow of the underside of the top. I did try a video but it wouldn't load. Starting at the bass side ltb 20201104_131905~2.jpg 2020...
by Andos
Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:46 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Yairi Gakki repair - your advice please.
Replies: 10
Views: 10027

Re: Yairi Gakki repair - your advice please.

Ty for your replays. Spot on Martin, It was build by Sadao and I was wondering if it is a cedar top. It doesn't look or feel like any of the spruces that I've handled, which is not many! 20201103_201518~2.jpg Mark, A few of pics from inside. The cleats look bloody enormous to me. But I've never had ...
by Andos
Tue Nov 03, 2020 7:04 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Yairi Gakki repair - your advice please.
Replies: 10
Views: 10027

Yairi Gakki repair - your advice please.

I've been handed this 1970 Yairi Gakki by my younger brother to fix up. He bought it 15 years ago because he liked the sound of it. Like listening to magic was how he described it. 20201103_201507.jpg A few years back he left it in a car. The top finish bloomed, 20201103_200855.jpg And split on both...
by Andos
Sun Aug 23, 2020 4:48 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Saddle position
Replies: 31
Views: 25295

Re: Saddle position

I feel for you. I've fallen into just about every amateur trap there is, and then some. Here's couple of ideas in no particular order. 1: Shim the neck so the 12th fret is 3 or so mm proud of the body. If you cant hide the shim, contrast it and make it a feature 2: Lift the top and move it a few mm ...
by Andos
Thu May 21, 2020 9:07 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What NZ woods are these?
Replies: 10
Views: 9959

Re: What NZ woods are these?

Puriri is a green coloured wood, which looks like the centre. However it fades to a brown shade over time, depending on how much sunlight it gets.
Rewarewa has a grain structure very similar to London plane. Silvery white wood with very wide strong orangey/red medullary rays.
by Andos
Wed May 20, 2020 7:48 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Calling Taranaki/Manawatu luthiers
Replies: 0
Views: 5695

Calling Taranaki/Manawatu luthiers

Does anyone know who has a decent sized resaw in the Taranaki to Palmerston North area that is willing to rip down some 2m 250 x 50 planks to 250x 6?
I've got some pohutakawa and rata planks that are just a tad to big for my 14" bandsaw.
Cheers
Ando
by Andos
Wed May 20, 2020 5:03 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What NZ woods are these?
Replies: 10
Views: 9959

Re: What NZ woods are these?

We have a lot of home grown exotic timbers here so they may not all be native. I am no expert but here is my best guess 1, centre rosette, puriri 2 black maire sapwood 3&7 tanekaha or kaihikatea 4 black maire heart wood 5 matai (varies from a light gold to a deep red gold) 6 tawa, possibly tairere. ...
by Andos
Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:14 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Posting to NZ
Replies: 7
Views: 6675

Re: Posting to NZ

On the freight company I cant help you. But put lots of fragile stickers on it.
by Andos
Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:12 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Posting to NZ
Replies: 7
Views: 6675

Re: Posting to NZ

The quarantine service will more than likely want to look inside it to ensure none of your aussie creepy crawlies have hitched a ride.
Have you considered buying a uke case to freight it in?
by Andos
Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:50 pm
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: One good thing about the lockdown
Replies: 0
Views: 14544

One good thing about the lockdown

The garage that I use as a workshop has just evolved with little thought about layout. Over the years of very amateur luthiering it's degenerated into a messy crap storage area with little to no workspace. You have to climb over piles of crud just to get to the bench. As that is piled high with even...
by Andos
Thu Apr 02, 2020 6:24 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Building a Baritone Uke
Replies: 14
Views: 17383

Re: Building a Baritone Uke

Sorry Lillian, the manager looks incorruptible.

Forgive my ignorance if I have this wrong, I thought balalikas only had 3 strings and what you built is a hybrid.
A balalele maybe
It looks good though - deserves it own thread.
by Andos
Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:48 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Building a Baritone Uke
Replies: 14
Views: 17383

Re: Building a Baritone Uke

Nice
A balalika next?
by Andos
Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:43 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: StewMac fret blade arbor size
Replies: 9
Views: 9934

Re: StewMac fret blade arbor size

You could set it up in the drill press. Block of wood underneath it, clamp it down and drill it out to 20mm. The local engineering store should stock drill bits. Ask for a 1/2 inch parallel shanked, 20mm drill bit.
by Andos
Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:01 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bellied up top
Replies: 28
Views: 27001

Re: Bellied up top

You want to stiffen up the top without removing it and Martin has mentioned a few challenges you will have to overcome. How about leaving the braces as they are, glue a strip of CF on the top beside the brace and another over the peaks of the brace. A bit unconventional, but at least it keeps the to...
by Andos
Sat Mar 14, 2020 5:01 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: Twisting deflection
Replies: 3
Views: 7041

Re: Twisting deflection

The calcs shown in the book are for beam deflections where the length is substansually longer than the width. Deflecting the front panel by the corners doesn't give you the correct profile to use. You'll need to cut a strip off that is on the angle you want to check. Dissclaimer: I have never used t...
by Andos
Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:57 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Carbon fibre splinters
Replies: 2
Views: 4805

Re: Carbon fibre splinters

Ahhhhh yes. The blood trail. How to wipe off your freshly sanded soundboard before it soaks in!
by Andos
Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:07 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Western Hemlock as brace wood
Replies: 0
Views: 8997

Western Hemlock as brace wood

I ordered some sitka tops from Alaska but (stupidly) didn't order any brace timber. The old piano sound board i was going to use is not very well quartered, so Ive been hunting around for an alternative and came across western hemlock. From the Wood Database its not to far off sitka. Density 465 kg/...
by Andos
Mon Feb 03, 2020 2:06 pm
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: DIY plane blade query
Replies: 4
Views: 17921

Re: DIY plane blade query

If you want to design your own blade you'll need to use a better quality carbon steel than mild steel for reasons already mentioned. Bisalloy or gauge plate are 2 that come to mind.