Official Luthiers Forum!

I am building the first of what I hope are many guitars.  This one will be a flamenco guitar.  I will start with flamenco/classical guitars then, eventually, go to steel string.  My problem is tools.  I have a pretty good workshop with bandsaw, table saw, scroll saw, spindle sander, lathe, drill press, router, radial arm saw, belt sander, etc. which are not indicative of my skills, I inherited them from my father/great uncle when they recently died.

What I want help on are the guitar specific tools, etc. that I will need to build a guitar.  I have a parrot vise and an electric bending iron but what else do I need?  For example, is the GoBar clamping system (approx $200) worth the price?  What about cutting a rosette?  I saw at Luthier's Mercantile a Drill Press Rosette Cutter ($192.35) or at Stewart McDonald a Soundhole Rosette Routing Jig ($47.88).  Then there is the fret cutting miter box and saw ($92.00).  What about the thickness planing tool for the drill or the Wagner Safe T Planer ($50)?

I can't get all of these, naturally, but I need to put a list together for my wife.  I'm at the point on my first guitar when I'm cutting the headstock and about to carve the heel block.  Then, I think I go to the soundboard and side bending.  Anyway, what are the useful toys...er, tools, that you recommend?

Rodney

I think a great stocking stuffer is the String Spaceing rule.



String Space Rule

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I like Lance's suggestion, and I'd add things like . . .

- Nut files
- A fret crowning file
- A fret dressing file to round the ends of the frets

You'll need these things to complete the first guitar and every guitar
after. I wouldn't move on some of the other options you mentioned until
you really know what they are, the options available to you, and can make
a more controlled decision on them. You might end up with a method
and wish you had gone another direction with it.

The above suggestions are great- the nut spacing ruler, fret rocker (#3770), and string action gauge (#0670) from StewMac are all good tools- I wish I'd had them years ago. The diamond offset fret file (#5054) is going to be on my list this year- at $100, about the only thing on my list!

I'd stay away from the 'jigs' at first- they are expensive and most of them are the sort of thing you can make yourself using the tools you have- it's a fun (for me) part of the hobby.

For rosettes and binding, a laminate trimmer is very handy- something like the Porter-Cable 309, which is popular. Then you can build a jig for cutting rosettes, and another for routing binding ledges.

The Wagner planer is good for thinning headstocks and neck blanks, though you can do the same jobs in some other ways as well.

For fret-slotting, many folks use the tablesaw and a circular fret-slotting blade with a homemade jig. One method uses an already-slotted fingerboard as the guide, so you could put the blade and a couple of slotted fingerboards (or the LMII templates) on your list. If I were just starting, I'd skip the slotting step and just order pre-slotted fingerboards.

And, of course, a gift certificate/gift card from one of the luthier suppliers (LMII, StewMac, etc) or even a general tool supplier (LeeValley,Woodcraft) can always come in handy!
PS- Are you sure your wife knows what you're getting involved in with all this?? If not, it's probably best not to inform her!
Cheers
John

Hi Rodney,

I'm a beginner too, but I can offer my opinion on most the tools you asked about.

Go-bar deck - Yes, you want one. No, you don't want to pay $200. The plans and jigs pages has at least one pictorial and there are others in the archive. I few medal rods, nuts, pvc pipe and birch plywood. You could buy the rod kit from StewMac, but I think that is overpriced too.

Rosette cutter - there are lots of options here, the LMI drill press cutter is a good tool, but expensive. If you have a laminate trimmer (you'll want one), there are plans on the jig page for a circle cutting attachment. Woodcraft and others sell other circle cutting templates.

Fret cutting miter jig - maybe later. Even with the LMI jig you'll need a fret scale ruler/template. There are online resources for fret calculation software. Again, I think there is at least one fret slotting jig on the jigs page. For the first guitar (or more), you could buy a slotted fretboard. It's not that expensive and CNC machines are a lot more accurate that I am and were setup by someone with a lot more experience.

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GregH
Fot Wuth

Well, John and I were writing at the same time. At least we have kind of a echo/delay effect going.

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GregH
Fot Wuth

A lot of great suggestions have already been given.

I would second the laminate trimmer suggestion if you don't already have one. So much can be done with the laminate trimmer that it would be a great addition to your shop.

Maybe get a couple of radius dishes. They would come in handy soon when you get the rims put together and could sand them before putting the top and back on.

Also, if you got the radius dishes, you would have the most expensive part of the go-bar deck already.

You might want the power fret slotting jig from LMI since you already have a table saw (requires building the jig).

Maybe a radius block or two for when you want to radius your fret board.

Or a fretting hammer or maybe the Jaws if you'd like to go that route for fretting.

Fret tang nippers would be very handy if you're planning to have a bound fret board.

The files that James mentioned are a good idea as well.

Cabinet scrapers are a cheap but useful gift if you don't already have some.

The list could go on and on......

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

These are great ideas!  I especially like the stocking stuffers because those are the things that I won't know about until I need them and then I'll have to wait a week until they come in. 

On the issue of my wife, I've not mentioned much about the cost of things. 

Thanks everyone.  I really like the ideas you are giving me.

Rodney

I have it on good authority that attorneys build good guitars. I know two, well now, three. Good luck on these choices. Just get the wish book down, er I mean the StewMac Catalog down and to to town until you bust the budget.

Amen on the Go Bar Deck. You can make a simple one for twenty bucks, I'm guessing, mine was way less and it's adjustable.

Fret Hammer, stew mac.
Stew Mac Rosette cutter for dremel
Porter Cable electric sander for final
Porter Cable ROS is great to level bindings
DeWalt DW670 for Bindings

1/4 inch Olson Bandsaw General Purpose Blades for your bandsaw. Great for everything but resawing.
Klemmsia Clamps from Highland Hardware.com
Chisels from Highland or Lee Valley .com

Free: wfret.exe software to layout frets
48 inch Rules Aluminum to make fret scales, that'll do 4 scales

7 1/4 inch Freud Diablo Blades for cutting braces on the table saw, get a couple, make a zero clearance filler
Stacks of sandpaper, 180, 220, 320, and in wet dry 400, 600, 1000, 1200
Stick on papers for the ROS, 100, 220, 320, Mirka gold is fine stuff.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

A couple of good books!  Its my Christmas tradition to receive on good book each year.  Easy for my wife, and its a gift that keeps on giving, you can never get everything out of a good book in one read.

If you're starting with nylon string instruments, I'd suggest The Romanillos book on Torres, and the Courtnall book on building.  They'll get you going well and inspire you all year long, and for years after, too.

I don't like getting tools as gifts.  Books, I love!

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

you will need a tool for cutting binding channels. I have just ordered one of the fleishman/swilliams jigs from blues creek for this task after fighting all of the other ways of doing it.

If you are looking for something inexpensive, look for a good center finding ruler. I have several sizes of them and boy do they come in handy!

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Reguards,

Ken H