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Thicknessings t/b/s
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Author:  Matthew Luce [ Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Thicknessings t/b/s

Is there any way to get t/b/s's to final thickness without a drum sander? Some ideas I had were.
1. Plane
and
2. A flat surface with 120 grit glued on just rub it back and forth until thickness.

Author:  Glen H [ Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thicknessings t/b/s

1 - yes. Read the cumpiano book
2 - theoretically yes, but results would probably disappoint you, assuming you survive that long trying.

or
3 - Don't buy a kit from LMI. Just pay them the small fee to join and thickness the back/top/sides. That's what I did on my first couple.


good luck

Author:  stan thomison [ Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thicknessings t/b/s

I think Bob and others will sand to very close or to final when buy from them for a small extr charge. Plane and Wagner as said will work. I contacted a shop in town lived in before had sander and rented time on his machine. He is or was a fiddle maker. If not try school shops or cabinet shops. If can't find one and can't get a sander, send it to me I will take it down for you and send it back.

Author:  Greg [ Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thicknessings t/b/s

Before my thickness sander I worked up quite a sweat getting to final thickness. I used a thickness planer to get to .130, then hand held belt sander w 80 grit to get to .100 - 0.105. (Do this outdoors. It is dusty. Wear a dust mast, googles and ear protection.) Then marking the plate/rib with pencil crosses a random orbital sander with 120, 180 nnd finqalyy 220 grits. I initially used a caliper but then made a thickness gauge as seen on many luthiers sites and forum threads. The pieces were workable but i know there were ticker and thinner areas. My hat is off to builders not using power tools. I am now blessed with a thickness sander. It takes a week of hard work off a project. I get high watching stock go in one end and out the other. If there really is reincarnation I want to come back as a thickness sander. It gives me joy. I think I appreciate it all the more for the hours of DUSTY work I had been doing.

Author:  j.Brown [ Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thicknessings t/b/s

A saf-t-planer followed by a nice sharp cabinet scraper for the b&s. A decent hand plane (a 4 1/2 is my favorite!) will work wonders on spruce.
-j.

Author:  matti [ Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thicknessings t/b/s

Hi fiddlernut,
I am sure this isn't the smartest or most accurate way to do this but I used a small surform ( google it to see what I am talking about) on the top back and sides to get em all to the about right thickness. It was a lot of work but I felt more comfortable using that than i did using the toothed plane blade i had made. I used it pretty much the same way as you would a toothed plane, and after I had the T B & S to about the right thickness I used an orbital sander to remove all the marks left from the surform.
I know that it probably isn't recommended but its all I had available! and I was quite happy with how it turned out in the end. ;)

but I feel since its my first build I should have to do stuff the manual way, it'll just make me appreciate whatever drum sander may come my way some day :D

Matt

Author:  matti [ Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Thicknessings t/b/s

ahh so I guess it is actually called a pocket surform, to be more exact

Matt

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