Official Luthiers Forum!

No deck here yet, but I've seen several designs that just use the
underside of a deep cabinet as the upper deck (reinforced underneath
with an additional layer of 3/4" ply) and the bench top as the lower
deck.  This strikes me as a good solution when you need to save
space.  Then like the Old Man does, cut your bars to fit the job
and/or shim underneath when the need arises.



I am loving the dowel idea, that was a new one for me.

RW that looks like a nice unit. You mention the wobble. That is easy to get rid of by adding ferrules over the 3/8 inch all thread.

By using 1/2 inch EMT conduit from the electrical section of home improvement stores it stabilizes the deck and smooths out the thread by covering it completely.

Some use PVC pipe or conduit. 3/4" EMT would work even better. Electrical Metallic Tubing can be cut with a hack saw or tubing cutter that plumbers use. Cost is three or four bucks for ten feet.

Nice job, great picture.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

RW or Warren,
Re-reading your thread you say you used cedar for slats. Most everyone uses hardwoods. Cedar may not have the strength of most hardwoods. Hmmm, now that I think of it, seems that some use spruce and pine rippings for gobars. The main thing is that it works, ayyyy?

It appears that you used a single 3/4 inch plywood. Many of us did the same only to reinforce it later with a second layer or in my case addition of small ribs to stiffen the deck.

Everyone enjoys showing off their deck. Mine has an adjustable top. I simply shove bolts through the pre-drilled holes and then made notations in Sharpie Pen as to which hole for each job. I glue braces, then back to sides, then tops. Nothing more satisfying than making and using a gobar deck. Good luck building.



My Jigs and Tools Page

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I studied with Ivon Schmuckler at eeds guitar making school. He has , what I
think, is the coolest go-bar setup I've seen. He built an entire bench with a
top over it. Here is a picture...

[IMG] ../forum/useruploads/jmanter/2007-09-21_130313_DSC00376.jpg[ /
IMG]

It was the Leeds guitar making site that recommended using cedar for the bars.

http://www.leedsguitar.com/pages/tips.html

Bruce, thanks for the tip about using EMT. I had looked for some tubing but couldnt find anything suitable at a reasonable price.

Arnt, the "shop" is nice right now but will be dripping wet for about the next 6 months here in Vancouver.

Warren.

I am at work right now and have no picture that shows mine, but I used 3/4" all thread posts and a nut and washer on both sides of both decks and loctite #6 to sucure the nuts in place on the lower deck. but not on the top deck. This allows me to adjust the height of my upper deck for various tasks. I allowed for just over 36" of max. deck height. The 3/4" all thread post really makes mine ridged. I covered the post with just foam pipe insulation cut to 20" lengths that leaves the area of the posts that I use for adjust exposed from the lowest possible deck height to the max possible deck height. I also have my deck on a 20" heavy duty lazy Susan. the ability to rotate my deck is very convenient to me.

I bought 20 x 6' sections of 3/16 fiberglass here.
I asked and they cut and shipped them to me in 2' lengths so I got 60 pieces for 75 cents each (plus shipping).  Good price!!!

Then bought 60 X 3/16 end caps for 15 cents here

I laminated 2 pieces of 3/4 plywood for both top and bottom.

I have 5/8 threaded rod (big) and am going to put small chain gears at the top of each rod.  Then run bicycle chain around all 4 and have one wheel that will adjust all 4 rods in sync moving the top up and down.

Ya...  I know...  Way too far over kill on mine, buts that's just how I am. 

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Rick Hubka
Chemainus BC Canada

Just be sure there is no way the sprocket will allow the deck to rise there by letting off tension and having a go-bar slip off a brace and poke a hole in a top. It is important that the tension on a rod not change once in place or you will experiance and explosion of go-bars shooting all over the place.

Ask me how I know this

Thanks for the tip Michael.  Good Idea!!!!

I'll now add a chain or gear locking mechanism.

OR...  How about a motor drive...  Just kidding...  I think?

Rick Hubka (from Canada eh)

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Rick Hubka
Chemainus BC Canada

Problem is that gear linkage have what is known as back lash purposely built into them. When engaged in operation the teeth of the linkage engage on one side of the linkage and there is relief between the the back side of the linkage. When not engage in motion this leaves a bit of slop in the linkage.

On a typical bicycle linkage this would be more than enough to allow slippage of the rods.

You need some way to positively lock the position of the deck when you get it into the desired position. Be it a pin or something. Frankly while this though is intuitively convenient, I would be afraid it would be mechanically and operationally a nightmare in the end. Don't take this too hard as it is just opinionated fore site.

If you wanted to do this right do it like a drill press table on a gack and pinion. Man seems like a lot of work either way.

If you wanted to do this right do it like a drill press table on a rack and pinion. Man seems like a lot of work either way.

Hi Peter,

Here is a pic of a Go Bar Deck that I built just recently. It is the Stew Mac hardware pack. Advice from a previous thread here was to add some 4x2 to the top of the deck for extra strength !!! I will be doing that. Very easy to put together and a pro job IMO.

Cheers

Alan

Hesh, with the tv pullout I thought surely you were going to upgrade your TV to a HDTV plasma for the shop!

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

This is my setup....
The photo pretty much tells the story.

I agree with Al Carruth about lots of long, soft, bars being better than a few stiff ones. My bars are 42" long. They are pine, .275" square.

Mark