Official Luthiers Forum!

I got one of the StewMac Z files for crowning frets. I really like it.

Which version did you get?

A Better X-ACTO Knife: We had a stash of 1970's vintage #11 blades that were just about exhausted when I showed up here to work a few years ago. The replacement blades I found (EXCEL brand) were made in China and were terrible, with soft, poorly-shaped, easily dulled edges...and they would barely stay in our classic, worn-out handles. After looking for better blades, I found an entirely new Japanese-sourced OLFA 9164 Ak-4 handle and blade selection (with the XB-157T blade mapping to X-ACTO's #11). The handle uses a very positive brass and steel clutch mechanism to hold the blade, has an acetone-resistant, faceted, non-rolling handle, and come with perfectly honed, defect-free assortment of blades of consistent sharpness. Highly recommended.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006O87TQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Link (Blades): https://www.amazon.com/OLFA-Art-Knife-Straight-5-pack/dp/B001KO75UI/ref=pd_sbs_229_23?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001KO75UI&pd_rd_r=YC71BC0Y37MV93XBAWCY&pd_rd_w=uSUTn&pd_rd_wg=sMe7S&refRID=YC71BC0Y37MV93XBAWCY&th=1

Any idea what the difference between Olfa's KB4 #11 blades and the XB-157T blades are?
Their documentation seems to be a bit lacking..
The KB4 is reputed to be some sort of regular high carbon steel.. Is the XB-157 stainless?

Reason I ask is that the KB4 blades are available in 100 packs...

Thanks

Roll of non stick baking paper.

I am not certain that anyone has established that the silicone oil which non-stick baking paper/parchment paper is infused with will transfer to adjacent surfaces during bending. We continue to use natural and bleached kraft paper in lieu of parchment for that reason, as well as kraft's ability to hold water and function as the moisture reservoir during the bending process.

What new tools and consumables have you discovered lately ? How well do they work in your shop?

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Head Mounted Magnifiers: The shop's options up through a few weeks ago were the coif-destroying OptiVisor or my surgical loupes. The OptiVisor - besides being the preferred device in some circles to achieve that 'just slept in my baseball cap' look - limits peripheral vision and has a limited number of close-up lighting options. Further, the visor and lens set is quite expensive - well over $100 for the visor and most useful magnification lenses. The surgical loupes are comfortable, but offer just one magnification and are a pain to flip up...and about $600 for a pair of middling quality. We've been trialing several options and have settled on a $13 eyeglass or elastic headband set with 5 included lenses and a nice, bright, easily directed pair of LED illuminators. The magnifiers can be worn without the batteries installed, or the 3 AAA batteries can be installed at the cost of between 3/4 ounce (Lithium) and 1-1/4 ounces of added weight on the bridge of the nose. Further, the magnifier can be worn over glasses with a little adjustment, although it can get a bit crowded on the bridge of the nose if the glass frames are bulky. The review video is linked not so much because of its stellar insights into the nature of the magnifier, but because the soundtrack is from one of my favorite 1980's cuts of all time - The Outfield's 'Your Love' off of Play Deep. Super-danceable, even if I did get tired of the refrain substituting for a better thought-out pickup line from the wit-challenged but romantically-inclined. These magnifiers are offered by a number of retailers on Amazon and Ebay - all seem identical and should cost about $13 per set delivered, with one-day service through Prime offered at that price.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Headband-Magnifier-Handsfree-Extension-Replaceable/dp/B077D5Z29W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522267819&sr=8-2&keywords=vorey

Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEwg9L7_eoI

I don't know why you thought I might use that for side bending.....

Also picked up 2 Shapton Ceramic Stones, 1000 & 8000 and its completely changing what I do with blades. Got a flattening stone coming in.

Aaron, I have not heard of these stones before. I was getting ready to order some King water stones but I need to check these out first. Do the Shapton stones have the same friable surface as regular water stones that keeps them from getting clogged?
Thanks.
Tom

We use a low speed 8" grinder - the less expensive one from Rikon is similar - to run two 8" x 1" sewn muslin wheels for polishing. The grinder is set on the corner of a work stand at 45 degrees...good access from both sides for both wheels. The medium Menzerna stick compound gives a very nice buff to nickel silver, EVO, and stainless frets prepped up to P800, and the 3M standard blue tape holds up to a good buffing session without much in the way of cut-throughs. While not all of the hand polishing steps are eliminated, the most tedious work is, and a level/crown/polish is usually an hour or less...even with taping.