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How to avoid "bench rash"?
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Author:  Corky Long [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:12 am ]
Post subject:  How to avoid "bench rash"?
As I continue to refine my process after about 10 guitars, and dial in on design preferences, techniques, etc. that work for me, one of the more frustrating challenges continue to be self - inflicted wounds (bench rash); mysterious dents, scratches that appear after I've finished the guitar, but am engaged in the last assembly steps. I've tried to do the obvious, such as keeping sharp objects away from my workspace at this point, pay attention, etc., but I still have issues on almost every guitar.

Am I just unconscious, or do you all experience this as well? What have you done to avoid it? Thanks.
Author:  Colin North [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
I can sympathise, the last thing I normally have to do is steam out all the dents before final sanding to finish. All right if they are just dents but not if the wood fibre is cut at all.
I have been meaning to look for some Knife Cut Stencil Film (peel off) or similar to give my tops some protection while not actually working on them.
Maybe a suggestion?
Author:  DennisK [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
I hear ya! This is one of the main problems with thinning plates by hand. The wood chips try to vacuum underneath the edge of the plate, and then on the next plane stroke you press the plate down onto the chips... dent. Same with carving braces. For thinning, I just watch for any larger chips, steam out the dents from the smaller ones, and then scrape the show face again at the end. For bracing, use an old t-shirt or scrap of carpet as a pad under it for the small chips, and again watch for the large ones.

But that's not all. I'm constantly handling the thing throughout the entire build process, and being human, it gets scuffs and dings occasionally. It's especially tough with integral necks, since you either have a big delicate box stuck to the neck, or a long delicate neck stuck to the box :) But as long as you save final neck carving for near the end, you don't have to worry about dents there, and as long as you use a nice hard wood for binding, that takes most of the beating on the box. Still, I'll be surprised if I ever finish a guitar without ever steaming out a dent on the top (well, maybe on a hardwood top :) )
Author:  Stephen Boone [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
When I am not actively working on the top I try to keep a piece of poster board, cut to shape, taped to it. This really helps. I am a lot less annoying about trying to keep things perfect after I saw how every single player of mine beats the crap out of my guitars. You do every thing you can to have a flawless product for your client and six months later the guitar comes back and it looks like it has been used as their cat's scratching post.
Author:  Ken Jones [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Corky -- Sounds like I'm in about the same place on my journey as you, and struggle with this same problem. I made up several pads that I keep underneath any finished bodies and necks. I just cut up some carpet squares, then wrapped them with old t-shirts, to contain all the annoying carpet fibers. I also had some rubber non-slip material that's used under rugs that I cut up into rectangles. I've also tried to be more vigilant about using poster board masks on finished tops when attaching the bridge, doing final setup, etc. Nothing worse than dropping a flathead screwdriver point down on a freshly buffed out spruce top, ya know?

Ken
Author:  Cocephus [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
At least one coat of shellac helps to keep me "honest" up to finish...
It`s the finish that gives me fits.
Some things I have done are to round over crisp edges on things that I use/abuse such as tools, fixtures, jigs, benches, you get the idea.
Coe
Author:  cphanna [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
I have a hard, smooth top on one bench--easy to sweep and I do it every few minutes if I'm working there. Before each new project I inspect it for dried glue or finish droplets, and scrape them off if I find them. I have a large carpet scrap on another bench. I shake this out vigorously before starting any new work there. I have a large square of mattress pad, too, and I cover tops, back, closed bodies, etc. with this pad when I am not working on them. This gets shaken out any time I'm going to cover a part with it. The other day I was shaving braces on a redwood top. It has quite a bit of induced arch, and I was very conscious of the potential for spruce shavings to migrate under the edge. I did this task in my radius dish, taking time to lift the top out and sweep the shavings off the dish and bench after every three or four chisel strokes. These are all basic things that you probably do, too. I just try to be freakishly meticulous about them.

I sometimes spray a couple of coats of shellac on the show face of tops in progress--just to provide a harder, protective surface. This can be sanded back later if necessary. Depending on your finishing method, you might not be able to use this trick.

Most importantly for me, I realized a while ago that I was causing a few fingernail dents while handling my tops, backs, etc. I got into the habit of making sure my nails are trimmed VERY short before any building session. I'm having much less problem with dents and scratches since I started doing that. I'm not a finger-style player, so short nails are no problem for me.
Author:  John Coloccia [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
I thought I was the only one that had this problem.
Author:  Joe Sallis [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
yesterday I picked up the guitar turned it round to look at the neck and smashed the soundboard against the corner of the bench. I'm quite happy beacuse on this guitar I've only done it once on my first i did it everyday! I'm hoping that some sort of sixth sense just developes and I just do it less and less.
Worst one was dropping a chisel on the soundboard which stuch up like an arrow. That's when i started masking the soundboard off with old projection screen material.
Author:  cphanna [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
You haven't hit your overhead light fixture yet? l must have done that a dozen times after I got the neck on my archtop. Not such a risk with shorter-necked instruments.
Author:  Pat Hawley [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
This is one of the reasons I went for the UV cured polyester finish. Prior to that, I couldn't get a guitar finally assembled without putting a mark on it somewhere.

Pat
Author:  MikeyV [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Once a build get going and I'm afraid to dent or scuff it, I have a yoga mat that I roll out onto a portion of my bench. These really add some padding, adn they're kind-of grippy, so they hold stuff as you work on it.

Cheers!
Author:  Colin North [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
My record improved several notches after I made up storage unit under my bench with 3 carpet lined compartments for holding builds in progress. They go in there any time I'm not actually working on them.
Author:  Jim Kirby [ Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
I have problems with this and I'm concluding that it's from doing too many things at once.

This is a mirror of my life as an academic researcher, where multiple projects and assignments bear down on you all the time, and I should know better than extend this model of working into my model of how to spend my private passtime. So I vowed that starting this summer, I will not work on more than one guitar at a time. This guitar will receive complete attention, and will be living in a continuously cleaned environment catering to its every need.
Author:  JasonM [ Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
MikeyV wrote:
Once a build get going and I'm afraid to dent or scuff it, I have a yoga mat that I roll out onto a portion of my bench. These really add some padding, adn they're kind-of grippy, so they hold stuff as you work on it.

Cheers!

Not sure if it matters to you, but those mats are contaminated with silicone. Bad news for finishing.
Author:  Rod True [ Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Before finish, a coat or two of shellac on the top and poster/construction paper taped to the top has helped.

After finish, I have a big fluffy towel on the bench which the guitar sits on during rub out, fretting and final set up. That same poster board would be a good idea too, just have to make one with the bridge and fretboard extension cut out...

Other than that, just be aware of your surroundings and be careful...
Author:  David LaPlante [ Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
I have three separate work benches (surfaces) and I only do certain things on them.
The first is a regular bench with my vise etc. This is used for the heavier woodworking aspects of preparing components (necks, side bending etc.)
The next is a flat bench which I use for assembly, no vise, or tools nearby to fall on anything etc.
I have 18" X 24" pieces of carpeting that I can add to the surfaces of both these benches to protect the guitar.

The last bench, and separated from the others, is one which is used exclusively for finish work and final assembly (putting on tuners bridge etc.) which is completely covered in carpeting.

Clear your tools away every time you complete an operation, keep a bench brush handy to sweep debris off the surfaces. The carpet pieces can be tossed when they are too gummed up or dirty as well as beaten periodically to dislodge debris and dirt.
Author:  Ken Jones [ Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
So many great suggestions. Much appreciated!
Author:  Corky Long [ Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
What a great list of suggestions... thank you!!

And I feel a bit better about not being the only one who suffers from self-inflicted wounds!
Author:  Kim [ Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Corky Long wrote:
mysterious dents, scratches that appear after I've finished the guitar, but am engaged in the last assembly steps. I've tried to do the obvious, such as keeping sharp objects away from my workspace at this point, pay attention, etc., but I still have issues on almost every guitar.

Am I just unconscious, or do you all experience this as well? What have you done to avoid it? Thanks.


It's the North Koreans, they sneak into my shed when I'm asleep at night and do that to my guitars all the time...hopefully with the recent leadership change they will change their ways...it very annoying.

In the interim I use dimple foam where particle as it gives little bits of crap a place to go out of harms way and offers great protection against knocks and bumps.

Image

Cheers

Kim
Author:  Kitchen Guitars [ Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Same boat. A friend makes the shape of his tops and backs out of roll out flooring scraps and tapes them to the body at various phases. I have been using Foam core as of late. I also bought 20 $1.00 carpet squares. As they get glue and such on them I toss them on the floor. Eventually I'll have my shop carpeted :D
Also, I purchased at a hardware box store these cool 12" round planter bases. One side is Cork the other Masonite. I put them under the soundboard or back while carving the braces. Which is when most of my outside damage has taken place. They spin like a lazy susan while I carve and plane away.
Author:  Dave Stewart [ Sun Feb 19, 2012 1:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Pre-finish, one of my favorite tools is an old Weller "Expert" trigger type soldering gun with a 1/4" flat "spatula" tip .......I'm ALWAYS grabbing that thing, particularly during final sanding & detailing. Just wet a small 4-fold pc. of Tshirt, place over the ding & apply the tip for a 5 count. I call it the magic gun! (as in ..."what if you had a tool to put wood BACK!") Handles 80% of problems (& even if some fibers are cut, it swells the wood around so repairs are only half as severe). There are other ways to do it (regular soldering iron into bottle cap over wet cloth, etc.) but this is so handy...literally a 1 minute fix in most cases.
Other than that, all parts go on a carpeted shelf in a closet when not being worked on. Post-finish, first step is posterboard taped on.
Author:  James W B [ Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
I actually got thru this last build without any mishaps to the top.Just dumb luck.Then OF COURSE I cracked the peghead veneer installing a bushing.My record of building the un-perfect guitar is still intact.
James
Author:  Ron Belanger [ Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Thank goodness I AM NOT ALONE!! I am now using protective measures all the time - carpet pieces, poster board, towels, foam tiles on the floor and keeping my bench top swept and vaccumed after every step.
Author:  Corky Long [ Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How to avoid "bench rash"?
Thanks again, all. Great list of suggestions. And I'm encouraged that some of the suggestions are how to repair the dings rather than only to avoid them. If you guys (who've built a whole lot more guitars than I have) are fixing dings, too, I don't feel so bad.

It's clear that I need to rework my bench and storage setup. I think one of my main issues is that I don't have a convenient, safe, out of the way spot to store my works in progress. Those top shelves are wasted on other stuff (glue storage, etc.) that doesn't need the TLC.
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