Hey guys
I was wondering what material you like using for head and tail blocks. I've heard and read that mahogany gets used a fair bit, but if there is any (cheaper) alternatives that would still work well?
Also has anyone made their own scraper blades before? If so could you kindly share how you did it.
What do you find yourself spending more on: tools, wood or something else such as replacement parts?
Oh, one more question: How do you work out where to place the bridge?
Thanks very much, so far I am really liking the support and sense of community around here. hopefully once school's done I can start my first build...
More questions
- Cookie man
- Myrtle
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:56 pm
- Location: Adelaide, SA
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needsmorecowbel wrote: Markus it doesn't count when you briefly duck out the shed, make a fly fishing rod, then catch a trout from your hand carved canoe, package it (with the hand made vacuum machine) and then take a photo with your home made electron microscope....
Re: More questions
For tail blocks I've used all kinds of wood. Qld. Maple, Mahogany, Blackwood and even spruce. Now I'm using some quality plywood as it's a lot stronger and very unlikely to split should the instrument get dropped on the tail.
I'd hate to calculate how much I've spent on either wood or tools. It would be a tough call on which was more.
The bridge, or more exactly the saddle is placed according to the fret scale plus the compensation for that particular scale, type of strings and instrument. There are various ways of figuring this out, but a real handy one is on Stew Macs web site.
I use jigs to accurately place the bridge in relation to the nut and the fret board for all my instruments. Worked out some quick simple methods so that when we've got over a dozen students we can be sure that the bridge goes in the right spot without any fuss.
I'd hate to calculate how much I've spent on either wood or tools. It would be a tough call on which was more.
The bridge, or more exactly the saddle is placed according to the fret scale plus the compensation for that particular scale, type of strings and instrument. There are various ways of figuring this out, but a real handy one is on Stew Macs web site.
I use jigs to accurately place the bridge in relation to the nut and the fret board for all my instruments. Worked out some quick simple methods so that when we've got over a dozen students we can be sure that the bridge goes in the right spot without any fuss.
- charangohabsburg
- Blackwood
- Posts: 1818
- Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:25 am
- Location: Switzerland
Re: More questions
Only once when I was in Peru because there was no way to buy less stiff scraper blades than those used for stripping old paint.Cookie man wrote:Also has anyone made their own scraper blades before? If so could you kindly share how you did it.
It worked well but cost more than three scraper blades (which was what the kitchen palette yielded).
Markus
To be stupid is like to be dead. Oneself will not be aware of it.
It's only the others who suffer.
To be stupid is like to be dead. Oneself will not be aware of it.
It's only the others who suffer.
Re: More questions
Old handsaw blades, make good scrapers.
Ifyou can get one from a 2nd hand place, or auction, it would have a lifetime of scrapers in it
Ifyou can get one from a 2nd hand place, or auction, it would have a lifetime of scrapers in it
Regards
Alastair
Alastair
- woodrat
- Blackwood
- Posts: 1155
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:31 am
- Location: Hastings River, NSW.
- Contact:
Re: More questions
I found some very heavy duty spring steel strapping on a building site some years ago. It was about 1 1/2 inches wide and was blue like a gun blued gun barrel (usually a sign of good steel) . It has made excellent inexpensive scrapers as it is very good steel.
"It's never too late to be what you might have been " - George Eliot
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