The Luthier Community

Hi Raymond,

Getting close now!

Are you familiar with "Vix" bits? They are self-centering drill bits. That might allow you the best of both worlds: the precision of a drill press to align and drill the holes on the bridge, and then (using the Vix bit), the ability to use the bridges holes to align the drill bit to drill through the top, without damaging the bridge holes.

Dennis

Hi Raymond, beautiful guitar!

Boy I wish I'd been following this thread earlier, I might have been able to save you some grief.

I used the Hybrivar finish on a banjo a couple years ago and if it had one outstanding quality it would have been to establish witness lines like no other. Luckily for me I'd only done the banjo rim itself and I made it work for that. Finished the neck in good old nitro-cell out of frustration. Hybrivar didn't seem to have any of the advertised qualities I'd hoped for. Mine will be used up on baseboard trim or something. I think I'll accumulate enough finishing material to do all the windows and doors in my house just by experimenting in the luth shop.

Sorry to hear you too had a bad experience. Maybe we should start a permanent thread about tools or products to avoid like the plague.

Hi Ray

This one is turning out quite well - considering the rough start in bending the padauk.

Pretty wild decorations too. Bet Olivia will love it.

Steve

Nice looking guitar you have there Raymond.

Olivia is a lucky little girl.

Lefty

Thanks guys. I think Olivia is pleased, but she's mostly pleased that I'm finally finishing it. Not that she is anxious to play it or anything. She just didn't like that Ben's was done and her's wasn't. I let Olivia choose a lot of the bling, so I know she'll like how it looks. Too big and heavy for my tastes, but whatever makes the customer happy.

Dennis, I think the Vix bit will do the job nicely. I'm thinking I will make a backer board with the same radius as my tops and then I can custom fit the bridge, mark the bridge pin holes to perfectly line up with the neck, drill them on the drill press and use the vix bit to drill the holes through the top. The neck alignment just never comes out the same after the finish.

Steve, thanks for the complements. I had a tough time bending this one and the Maple. Made me start to doubt myself. At least the next one is going to be EIR...

Brian, I think a section for product reviews is a great idea.The Stew Mac brushing varnish worked well, and I've heard great things about some other coatings from Target, but I'll stay away from that one in the future.

Lefty, thanks. Olivia would say that I'm the lucky dad, which is true.

Raymond

Well I got in the zone I guess and the next thing I know the guitar is finished and I don't have any pictures of how it got there...







Camera changed the color on this one (same sheet as the first four)


I like the way it sounds but Olivia is planning to hang it on the wall in her room so I suspect it will become a piece of art rather than a player...

Raymond

Very, very, VERY NICE, Amigo!

E

Hey Raymond it looks great. Can I ask what bit you use in the dremel to cut out the soundhole? I have a bit I got from stewmac I used for the rosette channel, but I dunno if its deep enough to cut all the way through the wood.