I discuss a selection of tools that have been a very welcome addition to my shop. These tools are not the "necessary" tools of luthiers, but rather, tools that make guitar building more efficient, more precise, or just plain fun.
The Tools:
- Rolling Pin Sander from Elevate Lutherie
- Robo-sander
- Japanese Curved Edge Mini-Saw from Stewart Macdonald
- The Radial Rosette Maker
- Shinto Rasp
- Komelon Speed Cut Saw
? Subscribe for weekly guitar making tips: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricSchaeferGuitars?sub_confirmation=1
New episodes are released every Friday at 10am
? Register for an 8 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
?Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic":
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
?Check out the online course: Tru Oil Finishing: A Method for Acoustic Guitar:
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/tru-oil-finishing-method-acoustic-guitar/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6rviJA3Ovc
In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, we talk about Hard Maple, (AKA Rock Maple, Sugar Maple), Acer saccharum. I also talk a bit about Birdseye figure and how to handle this wood, specifically for making guitar necks.
? All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com
? Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
? Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic": https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
? To commission an instrument from Eric: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/
? Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrg4M7ocPs0
I walk you through the process of designing a unique bridge shape for my new model of guitars. In this second part, I mark out the saddle location, locate the bridge in the guitar, widen the saddle slot and set the bridge pin holes so that they are evenly spaced and parallel to the saddle slot.
? Subscribe for weekly guitar making tips: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricSchaeferGuitars?sub_confirmation=1
New episodes are released every Friday at 10am
? Register for an 8 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
?Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic":
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
?Check out the online course: Tru Oil Finishing: A Method for Acoustic Guitar:
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/tru-oil-finishing-method-acoustic-guitar/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMc9ixICyDI
In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I discuss the installation of the soundboard braces and give a detailed overview of the various functions of the braces, plates and grafts and how they work together to encourage specific modal movements of the top.
? All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com
? Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
? Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic":
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
? See Eric's Available Instruments: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/available-instruments/
? Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL3x8hTeHPU
In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I am carving and shaping the neckshaft, the headstock and the heel. Also, I install the knife threaded inserts for the bolt on mortise and tenon joint.
? All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com
? Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
? Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic": https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
? See Eric's Available Instruments: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/available-instruments/
? Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toiIxYCyAOU
Video Transcript:
Okay, the sides are looking pretty good at this point.
The addition of a decorative endwedge will make the
seam at the lower bout disappear and it will carry the
design motif that you’ve established with the rosette
to other parts of the guitar.
I clamp a board so that it overhangs the workbench and
hang the sides on the board with the lower bout seam
facing up.
I mark the center at the top and bottom of the endblock
and carry both of those centerlines onto the side with a
square.
By squaring the centerline onto the sides from both the
the top and bottom of the endblock, you may notice that
you get two centerlines. This is a relatively common
occurance.
It simply means that at some point during
radius sanding you sanded a little heavy to one side or
the other and now the endblock is out of square, like
you see here. This is not an issue. Just know that you’re
true center is directly in the middle of those two lines.
It should also be mentioned that the seam between the
two sides is not a reliable measure of center.
Now let’s make the endwedge. I use the same material
that I used for the rosette. I find a section of the
material that I am using that has similar grain and color.
That’s where I will mark out my endwedge.
I use a straightedge to make two converging lines with
the grain or any interesting banding running relatively
straight down the center between those two lines.
The taper can be dramatic or slight. It is a matter of
taste. Just know that, in order to use this method,
you cannot have no taper at all. The wedge shape of the
aptly named endwedge has an important functionality
when it comes to fitting and gluing it in place.
I cut out the endwedge on the bandsaw, staying 1/16″
outside of the line.
The endwedge can now be planed down to the line on
the shooting board with a block plane. Keep in mind that
it is best to shoot the plane from the wide end of the
taper to the thin end, to avoid catching the grain and
tearing out.
I’ve decided which face I want to be the show face and
now I flip the endwedge over to find and mark the
centerline on the opposite face.
To make a lengthwise centerline on a tapered wedge,
first I make 2 parallel lines. I find the center of each line
and then connect the those center marks with a straight
edge.
I use double stick tape and 2 cam clamps to hold the
endwedge in place.
I carefully line up the centerline of the endwedge with
the centerline on the sides and clamp it in place.
I use the endwedge as a fence for making a saw cut
on each side. A fine toothed dovetail saw or, in this
case, a japanese dsouki saw, make the cuts. Take your
time setting the cut and be very careful not to
inadvertently skate off the line. The goal is to cut all
the way through the glue line o
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pspCGF-CyjE
I investigate an alternative tonewood for fretboards and bridges: Katalox. Then I show how I pull the fretboard, the bridge and the headplate from a single board.
? Subscribe for weekly guitar making tips: https://www.youtube.com/c/EricSchaeferGuitars?sub_confirmation=1
New episodes are released every Friday at 10am
? Register for an 8 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
?Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic":
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
?Check out the online course: Tru Oil Finishing: A Method for Acoustic Guitar:
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/tru-oil-finishing-method-acoustic-guitar/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmS_JV2f6qg
In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I glue the soundboard to the sides, discuss different options for the fingerboard, and talk about bending ebony binding strips in the side bending machine.
? All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com
? Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
? Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic":
https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
? See Eric's Available Instruments: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/available-instruments/
? Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em8ZKNDpb8U
In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I am preparing sides for the spring Guitar Build Workshops that coming up soon. Watch me as I thickness, bend and fit the sides to the mold.
? All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com
? Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/
? Check out the online course "Building an OM Acoustic": https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/
? To commission an instrument from Eric: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/
? Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://www.ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m97gN4ev_w