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ponch
14-02-2015, 01:25 PM
So being laid of has had an effect on my tool acquisition syndrome. I'm slowly but surely gearing up to my first full custom build and have seen a whole shed load of tricks and ideas for tools and jigs to get the job done without going into debt similar to Greece.
So, how about we share our own home made ideas. Maybe we can learn a bit.
I would start but I'm more or less useless, so the only tip I have is that tru oil also comes in an aerosol, available from wherever you buy your tru oil from, although maybe has to be special ordered, and makes application suuuuuuper quick and painted, but you get the benefits of a penetrative oil finish with the build qualities of the to, and zero streaks.
I do have an idea for a tool though but need jarrods help, hopefully he'll stop by.

kells80aus
14-02-2015, 01:38 PM
I feel your pain Andrew, After nearly 30 years in IT and earning a nice respectable dollar or two, to be reduced to land of the fiscally disenfranchised is a task in itself.
Funny you mention Greece, I found a few bits of kit on Fleace bay made by GMI in Greece. Slotted straight edge for doing necks, and fret rocker.

My last home made item was the ubiquitous folding mirror to fix my Epi accoustic. Now I am waiting on the brace jacks to turn up frm StewMacs(sometimes you have to buy stuff). before that was the set neck lolly pop stick which bsically was a 2mm thick right angle plate from the green shed that I could screw into the neck slot and onto a stick.

For those unusual colours try rustoleum. Dunno what in it but it has to be toxic. I did my Yellow DC junior with that stuff. wet and dry and turns everything it touches yellow.

The next item I am looking at is an acoustic bridge routing Jig, I'd rather build my own then pay Stewmac $200.

PK
Jack of all trades, master on none.

ponch
14-02-2015, 07:40 PM
Nice work mate, would be great if you could snap some pics whenever you get a chance.

dingobass
14-02-2015, 08:09 PM
I reckon that about 90% of the tools and jigs needed for building can be home made... Its how we did it before StewMac came along :)

Neck straight edge can be made from a $2 steel rule from any cut price shop... Just mark the fret placements and attack it with the edge of a flat file...

Andrew, spray on t..t..tr.. Nope, cant bring myself to say it.... But make your way to the Naughty Room Bar, i am sure Wokka has a nice cold pint waiting for you :-)

ponch
14-02-2015, 08:13 PM
Mate in between acrylic on the ex, 2k on the ib7, fw and sinners oil on the tele and strat, then Danish oil and poly on the prs, I'm in shock I never was escorted there earlier!
My next tool idea is a radius sanding block for fretboard, but I need jarrods help I think..... Perhaps a multi sided radius block on the cnc.....

ponch
14-02-2015, 08:21 PM
What I was thinking was a 4 sided block, one side with a gibby radius, other with a f type, other a flatter shape like an ib and another one. If that was even possible. Basically taking the sm radius gauge idea and extending it into a sanding block.

dingobass
14-02-2015, 08:22 PM
Mate in between acrylic on the ex, 2k on the ib7, fw and sinners oil on the tele and strat, then Danish oil and poly on the prs, I'm in shock I never was escorted there earlier!
My next tool idea is a radius sanding block for fretboard, but I need jarrods help I think..... Perhaps a multi sided radius block on the cnc.....

I missed that... Make it six months :)

ponch
14-02-2015, 08:24 PM
But I do have my blue dt ready to make things right haha. I've got a heap of silver ash that's really pale and is begging for a stain. I'll be using that as my first build with the maple pbg neck I have.

dingobass
14-02-2015, 08:26 PM
Anyhooo, back to business..

Great idea with the radius block, just make sure you get the J-rod to make it out of a very well seasoned chunk of Jarrah..
Timber blocks have the nasty habit of warping and shrinking if made out of softer timbers....
My Radius sanding bars are from StewMac... Over $100 bucks each but well worth it if you are building and repairing heaps....

pablopepper
14-02-2015, 08:40 PM
I filled a couple of old pillowcases with about $3 worth of rice. They look daggy, but they come in very handy. They keep whatever you put on top of them very still so you can have both hands free, act as makeshift weights, I use one as a neck stand, they are perfect for supporting the neck while fret levelling.

Excellent thread idea, Andrew.

ponch
14-02-2015, 08:41 PM
Good point. I wonder if we went to the trouble of writing the cnc programs if anyone else would be interested?

ponch
14-02-2015, 08:42 PM
Great idea pabs, consider it stolen haha.

Nickosaurus
15-02-2015, 05:08 AM
I know most of us know this but maybe for the noobies - wrapping sandpaper around a broom handle/anything else round to get into horns sanding etc.

ponch
15-02-2015, 11:18 AM
Nice one man.

jarrod
15-02-2015, 07:45 PM
I all ready make radius blocks for my self and who knows they be available through PB soon.

ponch
15-02-2015, 07:47 PM
Keeping my fingers crossed mate. Will try make one for myself as soon as we get set up again, but would love to get a well made one in the not too distant future.

jarrod
15-02-2015, 08:17 PM
I also make them 1.3 mm bigger on another block so you can level the frets in a perfect radius to the fret board.

ponch
15-02-2015, 08:18 PM
Stop it. I'm already gassing for more tools.

jarrod
15-02-2015, 08:27 PM
So the fact that I also do them 5mm bigger to radius a bone nut to perfection too would just about put you over the top

ponch
15-02-2015, 08:28 PM
And i'm spent.

kimball492
15-02-2015, 09:55 PM
Now Jarrod , how about four sided block with the above 4 radius's on it one block call it the Swiss army block do it in Jarrah just to compliment the Swiss knife / block theme . Or call it Jarrods Multi Block lol

ponch
15-02-2015, 10:04 PM
The block of destiny.

JayBoy
15-02-2015, 10:35 PM
Made a fretboard edge polishing tool:
1872

And a notched straight edge:
1873

kimball492
15-02-2015, 10:36 PM
Andrew the block of destiny sounds great Grasshopper I think you need to speak to Master Jarrod lol

andrewdosborne
16-02-2015, 04:47 AM
This is useful to keep drilled holes straight if no access to a drill press. Just raid the kids Lego or local toy shop and your sorted!

http://m.instructables.com/id/How-To-Drill-Straight-Holes-with-a-Hand-Drill-Usin/

kimball492
16-02-2015, 10:45 PM
Neck Shaping Jig how about this http://youtu.be/JCqzzDES5E4

stan
25-02-2015, 05:01 PM
This is useful to keep drilled holes straight if no access to a drill press. Just raid the kids Lego or local toy shop and your sorted!

http://m.instructables.com/id/How-To-Drill-Straight-Holes-with-a-Hand-Drill-Usin/

Cool jig, it actually wont matter if it is not at 90 degrees, it will still give a vertical position...

stan
25-02-2015, 05:21 PM
This is going to be a combination saw table and router table....

Same table, simply a different appliance underneath. Will hook in a start/stop/kill switch for safety.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj128/louisruby/004_1.jpg (http://s271.photobucket.com/user/louisruby/media/004_1.jpg.html)

kimball492
28-02-2015, 12:08 AM
A fretboard radius jig
http://youtu.be/BNm5G84ht5A

kimball492
20-03-2015, 07:51 PM
Fret position Jig

ponch
20-03-2015, 09:55 PM
That's a nifty idea!

stan
21-03-2015, 07:16 AM
some of those fretboard jigs are amazing, but it would be quicker to sand a fretboard with a block than to make the jig, and I dont see myself making that many (yet...)

Have a look at these though: fretboard radiusing router bits! In Australia, not that expensive and different sizes:

http://www.sje-tools.com/products/12-guitar-fretboard-router-radiusing-bit

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0779/0509/products/IMG_1949_cca11e1f-09f2-4b0b-821d-1b3dc82a908b_1024x1024.JPG?v=1424688281

dingobass
21-03-2015, 10:07 AM
Ok.... Think I might give these a try.
Thanks Stan :)

stan
21-03-2015, 12:38 PM
yeah DB, I saw them on the Electric Guitar Builder Resource page on FB.
The demos and vids looked good, thought they seemed to do what they claimed.
Would love to hear from anyone who has tried them

kimball492
21-03-2015, 06:13 PM
The Radius router bits great idea thanks Stan. Have you guys also tried these Radian 4 flute Router Bits
Much cleaner cuts .

Enter our first 4 flute 51mm router cutter. This is the cutter that launched Radian and is the cutter most craftsman will be amazed by. The quality of this product is immediately apparent as it emerges from its packaging, we use the same premium suppliers as the established router brands and don't scrimp on the specification. Our products aren't cheap Far-East made tools, and are designed for craftsmen who look for the best. This cutter has been developed to be very versatile, be extremely durable and leave a superb finish.

Features

Two top and one bottom bearing to allow flexible template use.
Four micrograin tungsten carbide precision ground blades.
More blades mean less sanding and finishing is required after machining.
Four cutting blades produce a very fine finish.
Great on hard timbers and end grain which can be difficult to finish.
Professional quality materials and workmanship.
The extra Tungsten Carbide gives great durability. Our cutters will go up to twice as far as a similar double flute pro cutters but are not double the price.

http://www.radiantools.com/docs/17/press/

dingobass
24-03-2015, 04:49 PM
Lovin those router bitz...
Need to convince the Minister for War and Finance.

Anyhoo, I got a annoyed yesterday when I knocked every bottle of super glue off the shelf. Again. Etc etc....

So I attacked a chunk of Tassi Black wood and made a rotating super duper space and time modulating glue holder.
Has dish for whip tips, holes for drop fill picks, glue spatulas and pipettes.

Took me 30 minutes.

SM are selling a boring old non rotating blob of MDF for $9? US....... Plus postage?.....

wokkaboy
24-03-2015, 04:55 PM
nice work DB, very cool idea and much better than Stewmacs !
If I had a dollar every time I almost spill the bottle of thin superglue or it tips over !

ponch
24-03-2015, 05:24 PM
It's like the greatest lazy Susan ever. Well done mate.

stan
24-03-2015, 06:04 PM
wow DB that is a cyclic, cyanoacrylic, circular , caddy!

kimball492
05-04-2015, 12:21 AM
Thought this was a great idea multi radii left flat on the bench you then move the fret board up and down the correct radius for your chosen Fretboard. The pictures say it all lol

kimball492
05-04-2015, 12:59 AM
Router Table

kimball492
30-04-2015, 07:04 AM
Neck Shaping jig http://youtu.be/pYRsyYFc4eA

ponch
30-04-2015, 07:19 AM
That router table is a great idea

kimball492
08-05-2015, 05:38 PM
Some great Tools and Jigs
http://www.sixgunguitars.com/Luthier_articles.html

keloooe
08-05-2015, 06:08 PM
KB how the hell do you find all these awesome ideas?

stan
08-05-2015, 07:05 PM
thanks kimball bookmarked that one

stan
08-05-2015, 07:08 PM
KB how the hell do you find all these awesome ideas?

he actually only exists digitally and lives on the interweb...

keloooe
08-05-2015, 07:27 PM
he actually only exists digitally and lives on the interweb...

Thought so!!! 7 more to go Stan!!!

pablopepper
10-07-2015, 07:28 AM
An excellent alternative for double sided tape and a solution for those looking for sticky backed sandpaper. Don't know if this has been mentioned anywhere before, but stumbled across this last night and thought it very interesting.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub6PsY4cgwg

Once again another Crimson Guitars video.

bargeloobs
10-07-2015, 08:54 AM
An excellent alternative for double sided tape and a solution for those looking for sticky backed sandpaper. Don't know if this has been mentioned anywhere before, but stumbled across this last night and thought it very interesting. An excellent alternative for double sided tape and a solution for those looking for sticky backed sandpaper.


Once again another Crimson Guitars video.

Now that's a handy little trick, will definitely be trying that one.

Here's one I was telling Wokka about the other day, it's more than likely been done before but I hadn't seen it so I'll take the credit hehehe.
The problem arose when I was sticking down binding. Because we have quite limited supplies in the little town where I live the only masking tape available was 15mm wide stuff, which isn't really ideal for sticking binding, especially round the horns where you really need to pinpoint the pressure.
I simply marked out a centre line on the tape then followed round the line with a nice deep cut with the Stanley knife.
It's a two for the price of one deal because not only do you get the correct thickness tape to work with, you also get twice the bang for your buck, if you're someone who likes to have all the tape cut to size and laid out before you start binding.
This got me thinking, and it's absolutely perfect for masking a fretboard for leveling too. I actually divided the 15mm tape into 3 for this job and it's perfect for masking the higher frets and makes a hugely tedious job soooo much quicker and easier.
If you live in a big city with heaps of hardware and specialty stores then this method is probably irrelevant but it's a great quick fix when you're in a bind (haha see what I did there)

kimball492
15-07-2015, 07:36 AM
Not so much a jig but a couple of videos to show how to deal with a twisted or bowed neck

http://youtu.be/cfVePAgt1H8

http://youtu.be/1v5i8sEJ2LQ


I hope it works for you good luck.

pablopepper
27-07-2015, 07:28 AM
Been wanting to do this for ages. Laser cut notched straight edge. A step up from the hacked up metal rule I have been using.
http://i.imgur.com/flbgZe4.jpg
Scale lengths for both standard F type and G type. Works like a charm. Working on a bass version now.

stan
27-07-2015, 03:59 PM
that rule rock Pabs, I want one!

wokkaboy
27-07-2015, 04:02 PM
wow thats way cool Pabs, what would you charge to cut one for me please ?

bargeloobs
27-07-2015, 04:04 PM
Yes, very very cool.

pablopepper
28-07-2015, 08:22 AM
wow thats way cool Pabs, what would you charge to cut one for me please ?

I don't know. $15 + postage? I hate trying to put a price on stuff. Pm me on facebook if you want one.

wokkaboy
04-08-2015, 09:36 AM
fret ruler arrived in the mail yesterday, cheers heaps Pabs looks excellent. Tested it on both F and G type necks and works a treat

stan
04-08-2015, 10:04 AM
glad to hear it Wokks, mine is on the way

keloooe
04-08-2015, 05:31 PM
Nice stuff Pabs!!! Maybe I should get one too hehehehehehe....

stan
04-08-2015, 05:47 PM
mine arrived today, great quality and spot on.
Craig is a pleasure to deal with.
Send him a PM Pest, you wont be disappointed

keloooe
04-08-2015, 05:57 PM
Yeah but right now I'm broke haha!

wokkaboy
04-08-2015, 06:05 PM
hey Pest a fret ruler is only handy if you build guitars, the Frankenpester must have a solid layer of cobwebs on it !

Good work Stan, they are cool hey. Can't wait to use mine next fret level.
Luckily Pabs mentioned there were 2 of his picks he cut in the parcel, I ripped it open so quickly to see the ruler I binned the wrapping but just retrieved the picks. They look awesome Pabs I'll road test later

dingobass
04-08-2015, 06:25 PM
Nice one Pabs :)
Might be getting you to knock up a few DB custom Bass scale ones for me in the very near future..

GeneralKaos
05-08-2015, 12:51 AM
Nice one Pabs :)
Might be getting you to knock up a few DB custom Bass scale ones for me in the very near future..

Yeah, 34 and35 inch scales would be the ticket!

pablopepper
05-08-2015, 08:29 AM
Nice one Pabs :)
Might be getting you to knock up a few DB custom Bass scale ones for me in the very near future..

Anytime, let me know what scale lengths you need and I'll have them ready to go.

kimball492
23-10-2015, 12:40 PM
A neck alignment jig saw this on a buddies page. Not my invention but a great idea.