Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hi, i'll put that comment to one side and try to get on top of things....so brace yourself...
Taff

Hi, After many years of using my old binding router setup shown here, I finally bought and set up a factory-made unit. As seen in the early photos I am prone to over-engineering some jigs. There are a lot of photos covering putting this jig into service, so I will have to break it up somehow. 1. Old...

Hi, I would say that the mandolin looks very unique, all the different features come together well.
Taff

Hi, that's a beautiful looking guitar.
Taff

I feel a bit of a nut, really.
Taff

Hi, Martin I don't wish to harp on it but are you calling me a lyre?
Taff

Hi andos, I’m glad you got the harp info you was looking for. Unfortunately a customer saw the plans I had and took them off me. Sorry about that.

Hi, you are welcome, Mark. Yes, I have been a Makita fan since my early days and still use my Makita thickness Jionter I bought in 1979. I have 11 Makita tools in the workshop, but these have now been overtaken by 17 Ryobi corded and battery tools. None have let me down and the up to 7-year warranty...

Hi Andy, thanks for your interest. I have just gone through the roll of plans and there was not much there on harps, but you are welcome to what is pictured here if useful. You would be able to get further details off of the net, maybe. No charge, I could mail them to you. Taff

Hi Martin, damn, I thought long and hard about posting the banjoes, but I thought the wood top one would give me a pass as it has a thin cedar top with guitar-style bracing :( . Over the years I have built many different types of stringed instruments, whatever a customer commissions I'll build it. A...

When I not working on guitars… A while before covid kicked in a guy asked me to build him a Cigar Box Guitar. I thought, a what???. I had never seen one, but I knew what a box looked like and how to build a guitar. Easy Peezy. Long story short-ish. I did a bit of research, and I was amazed at the pr...

Hi, I agree with the solid top suggestion that the rosette is not inlaid. That screw in the top cross brace from an earlier repair looks a bit agricultural, but I have seen Maton braces repaired that way in the past.
Taff

Hi, this is a subject I ponder at times, and I have worked out some strategies. As a repairer mainly I have found that music that suits my mood, the instrument I’m working on, or the task, will influence my choice. But mainly I do not have any music at all, especially when building. And if I do its ...

Hi, thanks asgilbert and yakka. I failed to mention this build was jinxed from the start, from the first set of sides splitting when bending and having to be replaced, to compressor failure mid spray session.
Cheers Taff

Thanks to all who help with the running on the forum. Everybody have a merry Christmas and a great new year.
Cheers Taff

Hi, the other week I finished setting up my new binding channel router. But having fitted a fine depth adjustment device to it meant it was now a dedication machine. I like that idea, but it meant I had to buy another router/trimmer. Some time ago, in an effort to save on my growing number of router...

Hi, here is a more recent build, Cassie, a Dreadnought-style guitar that was a commission that came with a short list of customer requests. As with all my guitars, this one is named after a gold mine in the Charters Towers goldfield region. The top is Englemann spruce, back and sides Mahogany, ebony...

What a shock to hear this sad news, RIP Frank. Frank's knowledge and skill knew no bounds, and he shared so much so freely. I learned so much back in the day that has continuously guided me through my instrument repair and building journey. He caused me to put “try another way” into my luthier’s too...

Hi, last week I also received an incorrect order of purfling, their response was, we'll send you the correct items, and if I can use the incorrect purfling keep it free of charge. Happy customer.
Taff

Hi Martin, I think you are dead right there. I have done many repairs on Cole Clark guitars and I have photos as you see here of them all. Really bad work and I think at times design flaws that should have been thought through better. As a repairer, I repair but also remedy the problem, which at tim...

Hi, at the time I remember I did consider making a couple of spruce saddles to span the strip and tightly glue them to the top. Similar to the checked-out braces in the photos, but I did not have to.
Taff

Hi, I should have explained, the strip in this case was firmly glued, I just filled a void between strip and the inside of the top that caused the buzzing with glue. Must have been three years ago now. The original epoxy type glue was still holding the strip.
Taff

Hi again, I found a heap of photos but no info on the glue. But looking at the applicator I made up I think it was Titebond. It worked ok anyway. The problem was up near the tailblock. Not much help sorry
Taff

Hi, yes I have come across that issue, I'll have to check back records to see what it was I have done.
Taff

Hi, very nice build, I do like the binding detail and rosette.
Taff