So it shall begin, and an ebay gripe.

[ClaptonWannabe2]

Dad brought over a couple oldish Craftsman hand planes. A small plane and a 14" plane. Both need a little attention but they are square and not marred up or pitted.

I'd like to find a "toothed plane iron" to try and follow what is recommended for thicknessing my back plates. Any recommendations? Ebay search yielded some Antique blades with antique prices. Heck if nothing else stew Mac (old faithful) has one for about 40 bucks. But it has 4 rounded teeth more of a texturing blade than teeth.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by ClaptonWannabe2

Heck if nothing else stew Mac (old faithful) has one for about 40 bucks. But it has 4 rounded teeth more of a texturing blade than teeth.

The only Stew Mac toothed blade I found on their website is this one: https://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tool...nt_Blades.html

It isn't what you want for thicknessing tops, backs or sides.

If you are new to hand planing, my suggestion is to tune-up what you have - the basics - and work with those a bit before branching into specialty items. Robcosman.com has a lot of information of "fettling" planes and their blades/irons.

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

The challenge with many guitar materials is that they are thin, flexible and easily broken. This limits the hand tool options for cutting out contours since the material must be supported adequately while cutting. One option is a coping saw used with a bird's mouth to support the wood.



I use a propane torch aimed inside a pipe. It allows considerable variation in temperature, is inexpensive, heats quickly and is easy to setup. I have no experience in using a heat gun for pipe bending.



Thickness sanding is where you find it. Not likely box stores. You might try local woodworkers or local exotic wood dealers.

Success with a hand plane depends largely on knowing how to setup the plane and sharpen the blade, both essential skills. Also be aware grain of direction. With any amount of runout, one half of the back will want to be planed in the opposite direction to the other. (Some do bulk removal on a diagonal. Some use toothed blades.) There's more to it than simply dragging a plane across a surface: lots to learn. There are a variety of good resources from which to learn.

Not sure if this is helpful or not: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maJCqbtN-6I

LMI offers thickness sanding services. For larger quantities, including resawing, I've used Chris Ensor, who is a remarkable builder and artisan. You may want to contact him; though with shipping and hourly rate, it would be better to send a decent sized order. I would google luthiers in your area that may have the tools to help you out. It doesn't make sense to buy such power tools if this is your first build, as you really don't know if it will be your last.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by LouieAtienza

It doesn't make sense to buy such power tools if this is your first build, as you really don't know if it will be your last.

What it really boils down to, I think, is what kind of experience the OP wants in making a first instrument. For example, one can start with a pre-made kit that involves primarily assembling completed components, or one can start from first-principles felling and re-sawing one's own wood and working from there. One can make an instrument using nothing but hand tools or one can make an instrument using many jigs, fixtures, automated processes and machinery.

Depending upon what the OP wants from the experience - and what budget he has to apply to it - dictates what sort of tools he'll need - and what level of knowledge and skill.

[ClaptonWannabe2]

I have to do this on the cheap. Piece by piece. Got nothing but time. Meantime my garage gets cleaned. Want to do this with hand tools until drills and routers are needed. Any machines I do buy have to be bench or table top. I can not justify the expense or space needed for a band saw that can resaw or planers and jointers. The cars must STAY in the garage.

I looked into kits. They are IMO a little pricey. And you are paying to have some of the fun of building taken away. I may regret that statement when I am trying to get a proper neck angle.

[ClaptonWannabe2]

Who is a good go-to for guitar plans?

I want the Martin OOO-28 plans with the 24.9" scale length.

I want to buy plans, not the PDF for the plans that I then have to take somewhere and have them printed properly.

[ClaptonWannabe2]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

What it really boils down to, I think, is what kind of experience the OP wants in making a first instrument. For example, one can start with a pre-made kit that involves primarily assembling completed components, or one can start from first-principles felling and re-sawing one's own wood and working from there. One can make an instrument using nothing but hand tools or one can make an instrument using many jigs, fixtures, automated processes and machinery.

Depending upon what the OP wants from the experience - and what budget he has to apply to it - dictates what sort of tools he'll need - and what level of knowledge and skill.

Just now paid attention to your video to realize that it is your channel. I will have to subscribe now. Do you still keep it active?

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by ClaptonWannabe2

Do you still keep it active?

I guess it depends on the meaning of "active".

I did a lot of video recording for a ziricote guitar I was making, chronicling many of the steps, eventually assembling/editing it into an hour-long video. Prior to that, I'd made a few videos intended to address a few of the aspects that are discussed in my Basic Guitar Setup 101 article.

If/when the spirit moves me, I'll pull out the camera and video tape something, but not on any regular or planned basis. A lot of stuff is already available on the interweb, authored by various people. Some of it is really good, some of it, not so much. I have no interest in repeated what is already out there and well done, and no interest in adding to the "noise". So, really, only when I feel I have something unique to say or show, I'll record it and publicly release it.

If there is something specific that you can't find or isn't available, we can discuss it. (This is a discussion board, after all.) If words won't do it, video is always a possibility.

Robbie O'Brien's video work is very good for guitar-related instruction: https://obrienguitars.com. As I've mentioned, Rob Cosman's instruction is very good for hand tool-related basics.

If the goal is inexpensive, avoid buying machinery and a lot of hand tools unless you plan to do a lot of instrument work. Most of the tools instrument supply houses are trying to sell you, you don't need. Some of it is "nice to have" but little of it is essential.

For example, an inexpensive way to sharpen tools is "scary sharp". Lots of information on it on-line. For the price of a $10 piece of glass and a few sheets of sandpaper, and, maybe, an inexpensive ($15) honing guide, you can get very sharp tools. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on water stones, diamond plates ... Nothing wrong with those, but expensive.

Anyway, I'm drifting off the topic of machine planers...

[ClaptonWannabe2]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

I guess it depends on the meaning of "active".

For example, an inexpensive way to sharpen tools is "scary sharp". Lots of information on it on-line. For the price of a $10 piece of glass and a few sheets of sandpaper, and, maybe, an inexpensive ($15) honing guide, you can get very sharp tools. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on water stones, diamond plates ... Nothing wrong with those, but expensive.

Anyway, I'm drifting off the topic of machine planers...

Funny you mention that. I will be shopping floor stores tomorrow for scrap or DC'd tile samples of quartz tile or whatever else is dead smooth flat to stick some sandpaper to.

[charles Tauber]

Float glass is cheap, widely available and is dead flat and smooth. It can be cut to nearly any size either by you or a professional.

[ClaptonWannabe2]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Float glass is cheap, widely available and is dead flat and smooth. It can be cut to nearly any size either by you or a professional.

Thanks. Lol

You know piece by piece and tid bit by tid bit you are going to wind up teaching me an online class. :-)

Today was a good day. Walked into a floor stood that had some flat tile they were going to toss. I was willing to pay for some but nope. My planing will need work. I was able to clean and put a bevel on some plane irons. But the practice planing was needed

[ClaptonWannabe2]

This is essentially going to be my first timer build thread. I will edit eventually.

God willing time is no object for my build. I realize my plane skills do not meet the needs of the back that I bought. Much tear out occurred. Fortunately I still have material to remove as I still have marks from the resawing bandsaw. Would card scrapers be useful?

Thickness sanders? I have called around and only found one place willing to try. He says he never has sanded that thin. So?? I'm willing to continue power sanding with palm sanders.

On thickness one plate is scooped in center. 5-6mm on the ends down to 2.5-3mm in the center.