Go Bar Rubber feet

[Petecane]

I have constructed my Go Bar deck.
I am at a loss as to where to look for rubber feet that will fit 10mm diameter rods.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Pete

[Mark McLean]

At Bunnings you can buy packets of rubber caps in various sizes. They are in the area for goods known as surface protection, near the feet that you put on the end of chair legs, adhesive felt, and stuff like that. I can’t remember the brand name, but you will find them. There are black ones and white ones. Get the white ones. Black ones leave little smudgy black marks on your work ( DAMHIKT)

[kiwigeo]

I use hoop pine for my go bars. I sand the ends round and don't worry about rubber tips. When gluing up pre-shaped braces I use a caul with a v routered along it. If the braces are being shaped after gluing in then dents on the top of the brace aren't an issue. The V channel in the caul fits over the top of the brace and the go bars exert pressure on the caul. For other applications where I don't want to dent the component being clamped I just shove a scrap of cork between the end of the go bar and the work surface.

[Petecane]

Brilliant!
That solves my question.
Many thanks for the alternative solutions.
Pete

[kiwigeo]

Marvel at the pretty pictures on Stewmac and LMI's websites....and then go and work up a cheaper solution

Brilliant!
That solves my question.
Many thanks for the alternative solutions.
Pete

[Petecane]

You mean......?????......
Like this?

Good old Bunnings.
Didn't know they were also a Luthier supplier!..
Question
If I made a block of wood exactly the right height and located it directly under the bridge position can I use Go Bars to glue it down?
Pete

[kiwigeo]

I've never seen a bridge clamped up using go bars. I generally apply a lot more clamping pressure to a bridge than I'd be able to get from go bars.

If I made a block of wood exactly the right height and located it directly under the bridge position can I use Go Bars to glue it down?
Pete

[Mark McLean]

Yep, those are the caps I was referring to.
I agree with Martin that go bars are probably not the method of choice for bridge clamping. It might be possible, but I would be concerned (1) not enough clamping pressure, and (2) a tendency to skate around and end up in the wrong place. Go bars tend to produce some lateral force as well as downwards. You only need the bridge to move a few mm out of position and you have a bad result. Long throat bridge clamps (Stew mac, Fox brand) are the tried and tested tools. For ukes you could use shorter ones that you might get from other (cheaper) sources. Vacuum clamping is the ritzy way to do it.

[kiwigeo]

If your heart is really set on rubber feet for your go bars and youre too tight to buy the things.....you can always roll a few oldies and nick the rubber feet off their walking sticks

[Petecane]

I was waiting for that one Martin. Ha ha.
Point taken re go bars for bridges.
I didn't tell anyone but my first uke bridge pinged off after being set up for five days.
Clean ping off so easily fixed.
I used Gorilla glue instead of Titebond.
I mean pva type gorilla glue.
The bridge bottom was not as flat as it could have been due to carelessness.
These trees just do not know how to grow straight do they.
Onwards.....
I cannot afford a drum sander, I have not got room for one and I would not like the dust so I have gone for the manual approach.
This just arrived an hour ago.
I think the Canadians took a good look at the Stanley #112 and improved it beyond compare.
Holy Mackerel...this thing shifts the wood leaving it perfectly flat.
It is just beautifully made, weighs 4lbs and is a joy to use.
My other little Japanese one pictured also works very well but it takes me a day to scrape a plate with it.
I do not have a high angle plane so basically I scrape the crap out of it from raw!.
No doubt you all have a Veritas scraper plane but I am just in awe with it.
Rolls Royce of scrapers I would definitely say.
Pete

[Mark McLean]

Veritas scraper plane just went to the top of my shopping list.

[kiwigeo]

Congratulations Pete...you've just caught a bad case of TAS..Tool Acquisition Syndrome

I bought one of those Veritas scraper planes...but ended up using an old Millers Falls scraper plane I picked up at an old tool sale. I found the Millers Falls had a slightly more flexible blade and the blade was easy to work a hook into. Most of my planes are Veritas...including 5 block planes. The only odd one out is a Lie Nielson No 4 I bought brand new for a steal...that plane is an absolute Rolls Royce of a tool.

[blackalex1952]

From rubber feet to the plane truth in this thread...rubber feet are available from Clark Rubber if you can find a shop! Bunnings also. The white ones don't leave a black smudge, but given time they go hard and slip off the work rather than grip. Martin's (Trevor Gore's) cauls are a good solution....of course the question: Martin where did you get the hoop pine dowels from? Cheers! Ross

[kiwigeo]

I usually source the dowel from my local hardware shop but Mitre 10 and Bunnings have the same product.

Martin where did you get the hoop pine dowels from? Cheers! Ross

[Petecane]

Bunnings have 9.5mm hard wood rods and also the 9.5mm white rubber feet to match.
Why 9.5 instead of 10?...I cannot answer.
Anyway they work fine
Pete

[kiwigeo]

Bunnings have 9.5mm hard wood rods and also the 9.5mm white rubber feet to match.
Why 9.5 instead of 10?...I cannot answer.
Anyway they work fine
Pete

9.5mm a closer match to 3/8" than 10mm.

[Petecane]

Got it!
Pete