How tall is your Go-Bar Deck?

[thebolo]

Hi,

I'm building my own go-bar deck, and was wondering how tall you guys have yours? I was going to make mine two feet but that is seeming a little short. It may not matter, but I was just wondering. Thanks in advance.

[Kitchen Guitars]

My Blues Creek Gobar deck is 21.5 inches inside work height. I am using 24" Fiberglass rods.
My small parts/restoration Gobar deck is 15" and I used Birch Slats for my rods

[enalnitram]

mine is about 34". I use mine to clamp tops and backs to bodies and I wanted some more space in there. i used ripped SPF as go bars and it works a little better when they are longer.

[arie]

since you are building your own, figure out what the tallest thing is you'd like to clamp. then figure out what rod sizes are available (if you're going with fiberglass) or some standard off the shelf length of wood. build in some adjustability to control tension and multiple work heights, ie: a rosette or a body and radius dish combo.

myself, i have the lmi version with the fiberglass rods. i believe the rods are 24" and the guide posts are 36".

[marioed]

When I built mine I used 36" long 5/8 inch threaded rods for the corner posts. The upper & lower decks are 3/4 inch baltic ply reinforced with 1" by 2" red oak braces in an X pattern across the center of the decks on the outside. The holes for the corner rods go through both the the deck and the oak. The inside space is adjustable from 0" to 32", this allows me to use the go-bar deck for gluing the top and back to the sides. I use 24 inch fiberglass rods and just adjust the height of the upper deck as needed. The decks are held in place with nuts and washers.

One point to consider is reinfocing your decks in some way. I worked with a luthier for a while when I first started building. On the original go bar deck he had built the decks had started to curve after years of use. When I was building mine he passed on the tip about reinforcement.

Regards,
Ed

[thebolo]

Thanks for all the answers. I am making the top adjustable so I can do the bracing and glue the top and back onto the sides. I am making my own bars to.

@enalnitram. What is SPF?

Thanks for the help guys.

[nashrb]

SPF = Spruce-Pine-Fir

[Brackett Instruments]

I'll have to measure mine, but....make yours tall enough. You can use something to take up space for thin stuff easier than you can make is bigger once it's done.
Notice the "box" I'm using as a spacer in this picture.

[thebolo]

SPF = Spruce-Pine-Fir

Are they laminated or just use one or the other?

[enalnitram]

SPF is what gets stamped on construction grade lumber. it could be spruce, pine or fir. the pieces I made my go bars out of, I bought at menard's for about a buck apiece. they were 1"x2"s, and are canadian spruce. I ripped them on a table saw, 1/4" x 5/8". they work great. I made my go bar deck out of the same stuff, but 2"x4"s.

my whole setup cost about $20.

[thebolo]

I'd never heard that before. I found some oak that is working really nice. And I got the stupid thing all together. I am not a really great welder, and yes for what I made welding was required. Thanks for all the help.