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Dharma66

New member
Joined
16 Feb 2014
Messages
3
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0
Location
Manchester, UK
Hi.

I feel like a bit of an imposter..

I'm a long way from any kind of wood worker!

What I have done recently, though, is pit together an electric guitar from parts. The body came with the basic shape, and I did some final shaping with a surform and rasp and sand paper. I then prepared it for a lacquer finish, which is in it's 6 week hardening phase right now.

Whilst doing this I realised just how satisfying it is to work with wood. At school, I did a few months of hacking at. It's of some hardwood with chisels, under the terrifying but somewhat disinterested scrutiny of Mr English, and since then, 35 years ago, till now, the must I've done is plane an eighth of an inch off the bottom of the living room door.

But now I have the bug, and for my next guitar project, I want to start from blanks, and ultimately build something with a through neck.

This means I need to learn how to use more than just sand paper!

I'm also thinking I might be better to start small and do some general woodworking projects that I can mess up gloriously without then having to weep over the waste of some large lumps of exotic hardwood.

And so here I am. I have a half decent bench, and that's about it. I'm reading through "The Foundations of Better Woodworking" by Jeff Miller, and am generally on the lookout for absolute beginners tips and advice.

I'm in the Manchester area, and if anyone knows where in this area (or on weekend courses maybe) I can get some direct tuition in the absolute basics (sharpening tools, holding chisels and planes, workshop safety, that kind of level), then I'd love to hear about it! I reckon a few hours on those basics could save me a great deal of time, money and fingers in the long run :D
 
Welcome aboard mate, mind those fingers, you'll need them for your guitars!
 
Welcome.

I am with you regarding woodwork at school, our master was a Mr Poole, an expert at flipping your ears :shock: , can still feel the sting now, and I am over my three score years and ten.

So preferred metal work, I learnt a lot from that master, he was a silversmith before taking up teaching, and it’s a small world, as his daughter is my wife’s best friend.

I now find working with wood a very relaxing hobby. :wink:


Take care.

Chris R.
 
Oh dear dharma, do you realise what you are in for now? All those must have tools that you had previously never heard of, the hours watching Norm videos, the constant quest for obscure bits of wood. And what about your poor family and friends? Listening patiently while you babble on about Butt Joints and Routers etc. and the Can you just knock me up a table request from friend. no, I am afraid its too late for you now sunshine, you are on the slippery slope to becoming a Woodworker!
Have fun and enjoy it. It is a most satisfying hobby.
 
Welcome.

Making your own guitar I something I would love to try but alas I think it's beyond me. Here are links to two guitar builders I follow on YouTube

http://m.youtube.com/user/CrimsonCustomGuitars

http://m.youtube.com/user/fletch123

There's a few hours of tutorials there, both are masters of their craft so they make it look simple.

If you search this site there have been a few guitar builds so there are like minded people who will be of great help to yourself.

Baldhead
 
Thanks guys.

I've seen the crimson link, and am a member of their website. In fact, after watching he series about building ā through neck, I decided I should maybe get a plane and some cheap wood and start practicing. I can't imagine planing flat and square is as easy as he makes it look!

This lead me to looking at No. 7 jointing planes, which is what he recommends to use for jointing the body 'wings'...

We have this thing in guitar circles caled GAS - Gear Aquisition Syndrome. It has now become apparent to me that wood working is not going to help cure me of my GAS in any way whatsoever!

Please tell me I don't need a £380 Lie-Nielson plane, and that a £90 Stanley will serve a beginner perfectly well... :)
 
Grahamshed":er2lbht9 said:
Hi, just want to say welcome.

Me too. Nice introduction by the way.

I don't see why you shouldn't try making guitar bodies in the 'wrong' woods to experiment with techniques. It's a pretty common strategy for doing tricky things, e.g using MDF to mock-up stuff.

You might use pine or beech as a less expensive substitute to some of the guitar favourites, at least to try things out. And MDF is handy for cutting templates, too.

There are quite a few really good luthiers who inhabit these parts, incidentally. Wish I was one!

Welcome, anyway.

E.

PS: My #7 is a £40 jobbie. It's about 90 years old, and shares plane irons with a 5 1/2 and a 4 1/2. It works really well. Secondhand is just as good, BUT you need to check straightness of the sole and for cracks (meaning not eBay, unless you can go see it for yourself). Flattening a #7 by hand is not going to be a joyful activity...

Pop over to the hand tools section for lots of real expertise!
 
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