Now I have to make a traditional acoustic.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by HCG Canada

what model drum sander do you have now??

I have a Delta. With the infinitely variable speed, variable self-feed, easier sandpaper attachment, way better than the home-made machine I had.

I don't so much need a drum sander over a planer

You'll feel different once you have one.

GET DUST COLLECTION to go with your sander.

[gitnoob]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

GET DUST COLLECTION to go with your sander.

Good dust collection seems to be a bigger investment than a drum sander.

I just got a little Jet 10-20. I don't plan to use it very often, so I'm thinking of putting it on a rolling table and using it outside with the dust output going straight to a trash can. Not ideal, but at least the dust won't permeate my garage.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by gitnoob

Good dust collection seems to be a bigger investment than a drum sander.

Part of the reason I bought the Delta is that they threw-in the dust collector. Not the best collector, but adequate. I also have a industrial room air-filter. Between the two, a dust mask is almost unnecessary.

[printer2]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Looks remarkably similar to the one I made years ago, but that mine was a "floor model". When I made it, oh, close to 30 years ago now, the smallest abrasive planer was over $20k - a wide-belt. At that time, most luthiers made their own.

A few years ago, I dismantled it and purchased a commercial drum sander that I like much better. Most luthiers I know have done the same.

What you've made looks great and will work well too. You may need to slow the drum speed down, though - looks like the pulley ratio will have it run a bit fast.

I was looking around the web trying to find out what would be a good fpm speed for sandpaper but could not find anything. I did pick up a pair of sheave with the same diameter to use but someone turned down the 3/4" shaft on the motor to just over 5/8's, the one I bought did not fit so I gave this motor a try. Probably swap the positions of the two to get some reduction instead. Thinking of picking up a motor I saw for $20 a couple of weeks ago if it is still available. So far I have about $25 into it.

The next thing to build would be a dust collector, I have a couple of vacuum motors that we use at work, another low buck project. Going to be hard not resawing some wood and sanding it before then though.

[printer2]

Couple of radius dishes almost done. Not the kind of thing that I would want to do too often.

[printer2]

Got the drum on the sander trued up. Put some paper on it and had to see what it could do. Have a cedar fence board that is more or less quarter sawn. Was thinking of splitting it in three and trying it out for a top. Screwed up on the cut and was a little thin in one place. Part of the reason I am trying out my new toys with less than guitar quality wood, to get a feel what I need to do to get it to work. The band saw is a pain to set up but at least it gives me the capability of doing this type of stuff at home. Really need a dust collector, might be the next project.

Changed to this motor, only 1/4 hp but seems to work well enough, cost a whole $10. Still have to do an elevation control, used a bolt and threaded rod coupler to test it out.





And my cedar board.

[printer2]

Took a little adjusting of the band saw but I managed to get some presentable pieces from another fence board. Going to try my original piece.

[printer2]

Cut the salmon cedar plank.



had some drama with the oak sides, didn't notice my guide slowly shifted, blade wandered quite a bit until I noticed. The width of the piece should be the same as the narrower end.



Took a lot of sanding to get the piece I was splitting back flat even with the sander. I was a lot more careful doing the next cut. Sill have to sand them down to size but I have three sides in case I break one, or with luck and all goes right one will be the center of the back. I have two vacuum motors for my dust collector, hard to see it as a priority when I have a guitar to build.

[printer2]

So that old piece of oak pallet I was going to use as the fretboard got run through the sander, again, and again, and again...



Red oak I see.



The neck wood has been been a little concern as it was somewhat thin. I decided to an a thin strip between it and the fretboard. I wanted the grain of the wood to show in the back so I did not want to add it to that side. Another trip through the sander, I'm really starting to like that thing.



Tomorrow I should be cutting the back pieces and working on how to bend the sides.

[printer2]

I have to patch a couple of rough spots, not sure if I want to route it out and insert the patch in or sand it smooth and lay in a section with the edges being tapered up. Kind of a pain but I want to keep the bookmatched sections together.



And for the little guy I am thinking this for the back.

[printer2]

Patch turned out ok, will be on the inside bottom anyway. Still have to crape off some glue.



Started on the dust collector. Going to have two blowers sucking through the filter which will be in its own box. A pipe from the box will suck a vortex (or cyclone) collector which dumps into a 5 gallon pail.

[printer2]

So I am walking down the street and a piece of mahogany jumped up in front of me. No really. Well, except for the jumping part. The buss I was waiting for was taking to long to come so I decided to walk four blocks to my connecting stop. At the side of the road was a table leg broken off at the tabletop.



Can't decide yet if I want to use it for this guitar as the neck or my next one.

[printer2]

So it is decision time. I think I can cut out a neck from this table leg which would be one piece other than a small addition on the end of the heel. Or I can cut this guy into strips and maybe get two necks out of it using scarf joints and a stacked heel.

[printer2]

Doesn't look too bad.

[arie]

just curious, are you purposely trying to make a guitar from found objects?