Official Luthiers Forum!

I am thinking of doing Kinkeads method for the single action truss rod. He uses a (3/8) brass nut (homeade frome round stock) at the end of the rod. Looking around, I cant find any, and ebayers want to sell 4 rods which would (last a lifetime)

Does anyone use this method and have 5" or so to sell, or does anyone want to go in on a long rod and split it 3 ways? Really I dont need a 30 inch rod...Im just so cheap...or does Stewi mac or LMI sell them that Im unawheres? LMI does a 90degree angle on their rods. I prefer Kindeads method, although it may be in danger of stripping out? Does anyone just bend single action rods to 90 degrees at the nut end? 

Also, I am thinking about shrink wrapping the rod, where do you get that, or is there another method? Kinkead uses candle wax, but he's a Brit, so quaint is to be expected I guess....

Gosh, yes, I am a cheap * b*stard, I know..... 

 

 

Inserting the rod in a plastic vinly tubing bought at home centers after lubricating the rod with a teflon type spray will help the rod not stick in the tubing and the tubing will prevent the rod from accidentally being glued into the channel where it cant move after you put the spline over it. I believe that stew mac and LMI rod type have a tubing already with it. Kinkead uses the wax for the same reason. I see no reason why it wouldn't work for you either. They sell rolls of shrink tubing on ebay but there not cheap about 45 dollar for hundred foot rolls.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

That should have been $15 dollars a roll not 45

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

You can get shrink tubing at electronic/electric supplies stores

Is this as "penny wise, pound foolish" as it looks here? Holy Toledo, a decent truss rod is just not very expensive to simply buy.   A bad truss rod is very expensive to replace.

The LMI truss rod is basicly a 3/16 steel rod with shrink tubing and a 90 degree bend, $12.50 or make it yourself for $3.00, etc...

Now, Tuners, those I wont make, steel rod with some thread and a nut and shrink tubing, yea, Ill do that.

But its the same for Kerfing, some people buy it, because its worth their money to do so. Not me, I would hope to be so busy building Im in that position, dont we all?

Should I get the $75.00 good top, or the $125.00 great top? Tomato-tomoto....?

Just wondering if the brass rod 'nut' has a tendency to 'shear out', and other issues with it.

 

Well most truss rods even the ones you buy have brass nuts. Some might be nickel plated but most are brass. So if you makes yours right it should work fine. The reason brass is used its easier to replace a stripped brass nut then it is to replace a snapped rod. With a steel nut that you over tighten you risk that.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

Monkeys have brass nuts, too...

Blackheart I have to agree with Rick and what would be on my mind is
where is the value to the customer here.  Even if your customer is you
or a non-paying customer what happens if a repair person or tech
encounters this home-made, non-standard rod years from now and does not
understand what the heck it is or how it works?  What if it breaks?



To me a truss rod is one of the most important parts of a guitar and if
it fails we are truly up the creek......... 



I understand the charm associated with hand crafting everything that
you can yourself but if this desire increases any level of risk for the
customer or puts your guitar at risk it seems unwise to me.

I have a Stew-Mac 14 1/4 "Hot Rod" double action rod that I won't be using and I would be happy to give it to you if you like.  Just let me know and I'll send it your way.

Is there an assumption here that you can buy continuously internally threaded brass rod? NOT! It doesn't come that way.   

If you are literally going to make brass truss rod nuts, you're going to have to buy hex outside brass stock, chuck lengths up in a metal lathe, part them off, drill on center with a tailstock mounted drill, then tap thread the holes.

OR you could buy hex through-threaded brass standoffs which are generally tin plated.

I know there are machinists here with more experience than I have, but I do a fair amount of metal working, and I have made truss rods and continue to make them when I can't buy what I need, but if I can buy them, I will and do.   

Guitar making is already hard enough...

Thanks Hesh, I think Im gonna stick with single action right now though.

Im talking about the anchor (nut) at the top of the neck, not the adjustable part by the soundhole. The rod runs up and down in the neck, with the rod going through roughly the center.

This method is outlined in Kinkeads book, but I understand there are lots of pro's here who could do their own book and dont know what Im talking about.(never read the book, whos this Kinkead fella?) 

The LMI truss rod single action uses a 90 degree kink to accomplish this, Kinkead uses a brass 3/8 anchor nut.

Whew, I may just bend me a 90 degree angle on this first one. $200.00 in W-A-S and T-A-S this week, and Ive yet to get the wood top for my NEXT guitar. How does that happen?