Any electric guitar builders here?

[wabbitpoo]

As in, any builders of electric guitars......

Anyway, I want to start making solid bodied electric guitars from scratch, and I am looking for advice on a suitable band saw for preparing the blanks.

Does anyone have any advice as to how to go about choosing one?

 

[marcros]

what are yoy preparing them from?

The first question to consider is what depth of cut you need.

 

[bugbear]

As in, any builders of electric guitars......

Anyway, I want to start making solid bodied electric guitars from scratch, and I am looking for advice on a suitable band saw for preparing the blanks.

Does anyone have any advice as to how to go about choosing one?

If you're just making one or two, you can cut them out without a band saw - bow saw or (power) jig saw would work fine. You're going to be extensively hand working the perimeter anyway.

BugBear

 

[wabbitpoo]

what are yoy preparing them from?

The first question to consider is what depth of cut you need.

Some form of 2" ish thick stock I guess.

 

[wabbitpoo]

As in, any builders of electric guitars......

Anyway, I want to start making solid bodied electric guitars from scratch, and I am looking for advice on a suitable band saw for preparing the blanks.

Does anyone have any advice as to how to go about choosing one?

If you're just making one or two, you can cut them out without a band saw - bow saw or (power) jig saw would work fine. You're going to be extensively hand working the perimeter anyway.

BugBear

Having repaired/resurrected a few now, and really enjoyed it, I would imagine I'll want to create quite a few, so hopefully I can "justify" a new tool!

 

[marcros]

what are yoy preparing them from?

The first question to consider is what depth of cut you need.

Some form of 2" ish thick stock I guess.

I would look at kity or inca machines. There are plenty of others that will do 2" cutting- in fact all but the smallest will. Axminster, record power, charnwood, jet will all do something suitable.

 

[wabbitpoo]

what are yoy preparing them from?

The first question to consider is what depth of cut you need.

Some form of 2" ish thick stock I guess.

I would look at kity or inca machines. There are plenty of others that will do 2" cutting- in fact all but the smallest will. Axminster, record power, charnwood, jet will all do something suitable.

Is the blade more important than the machine? ie can a good blade in some way make up for an average machine?

Come to think of it, what makes a machine "average" or "good"?

As I turn wood too, maybe I should get a bigger machine anyway..... :ho2 :ho2 :ho2

 

[marcros]

the variables are quite obvious when you look back. Quality of th table in terms of vibration absorption, flatness and general machining accuracy etc. Then there is the frame- this is the skeleton, so wants to be good and strong- lesser machines can skimp on this. The spring at the top needs to be strong enough to tension whatever blade it is meant to be able to- without flexing that frame (hence why frame needs to be strong). You are not asking for something that can cut 12" and tension a 3/4" blade, so the stresses that you are likely to put on a machine are much less- this is why you can get away with an average machine. There may be some other differences on "good" machines- bearings instead of cool blocks on the guides.

A decent blade can make up for an average machine. It can improve a poor machine to some degree, but if it flexes the frame and the table isnt flat, it is like putting lipstick on a pig.

A poor blade can make a good bandsaw useless until you change it- often the blade supplied by the manufacturer falls into this category. A used saw, where the owner proudly states that it hasnt been used much, and after 20 years is still on its original blade probably means that it cut dreadfully with the crap blade on and was never tried again!

I would go for as big a one as you can. The kity 613 would be a good buy. I think that has a 6" cut, but arguably may still not be that big for turning. depends what you do with it.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Though they tend to be related, I would think that in the case of guitar bodies, the throat capacity of the saw is far more relevant than the maximum depth of cut.

Regards Mick

 

[MMUK]

so hopefully I can "justify" a new tool!

Come on admit it! You just want an excuse to go tool shopping :mrgreen: (hammer)

 

[wabbitpoo]

so hopefully I can "justify" a new tool!

Come on admit it! You just want an excuse to go tool shopping :mrgreen: (hammer)

Aw, you noticed that, did you?

Thanks to all for the advice. I will take a look at the machines you mentioned, and will also ask on some guitar sites.

 

[deserter]

I make electric guitars, and have cut them happily with the smallest jet band saw for some time, I am now looking for a bigger saw but only as I want to be able to bookmatch my own caps now.


~Nil carborundum illegitemi~

 

[wabbitpoo]

yes I did wonder about bookmatching, and the additional burden that puts on bandsaw choice

 

[Kalimna]

If it's of any help, I have a SIP 01444 which I have used to bookmatch 8-9" afromosia for a hollowbody, and it worked well.
I used to have a basic Aximinster, which was a little underpowered but would have been fine for cutting out a blank (it handled 3" purpleheart ok).
So I think pretty much any model would do, and there are ways of getting around a shallow throat, if that is an issue.
If you are anywhere near Stirling/Alloa, you are welcome to have a play on my bandsaw.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[wabbitpoo]

If it's of any help, I have a SIP 01444 which I have used to bookmatch 8-9" afromosia for a hollowbody, and it worked well.
I used to have a basic Aximinster, which was a little underpowered but would have been fine for cutting out a blank (it handled 3" purpleheart ok).
So I think pretty much any model would do, and there are ways of getting around a shallow throat, if that is an issue.
If you are anywhere near Stirling/Alloa, you are welcome to have a play on my bandsaw.

Cheers,
Adam

Thank you, but currently in Nottingham, soon to be Anglesey.

I will take a look at the SIP.

 

[bugbear]

yes I did wonder about bookmatching, and the additional burden that puts on bandsaw choice

Yeah, that ups the requirement substantially.

BugBear

 

[Mike Wingate]

I build electric guitars and basses. I bought a Startright 352. I turn wood and have a Eumenia radial arm saw, but no table saw and manage well, albeit with a few bandsaw blade changes. I have been making ukuleles over the last 2 years and the bandsaw has been cutting logs to get the material sizes and shapes. I put on a 1/4" blade to cut tight curves in 4" stacked plywood to make a collection of jigs and forms.

 

[wabbitpoo]

thanks a lot for the info.

 

[wabbitpoo]

Hi

Though they tend to be related, I would think that in the case of guitar bodies, the throat capacity of the saw is far more relevant than the maximum depth of cut.



Regards Mick

Is there any way around this, if the throat isn't big enough? I have never used a bandsaw so can't really get my head around the angles and logistics involved

 

[bugbear]

Hi

Though they tend to be related, I would think that in the case of guitar bodies, the throat capacity of the saw is far more relevant than the maximum depth of cut.



Regards Mick

Is there any way around this, if the throat isn't big enough? I have never used a bandsaw so can't really get my head around the angles and logistics involved

I'd have thought a 2" diameter forstner bit in the apex of the curve could bypass the problem to a large extent.

BugBear