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Some while back there was a thread/tutorial about making precise thin wedges. It may have been written by Todd Stock. I have looked for it in the Tutorials and other sections without success. Does anyone know where it is and can direct me to it?

Thanks,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

It was Todd Stock, and think it's been disappeared along with the rest of them and the writer.
I've just had the same problem with one the "tips" (and probably will have others) from Todd's posts.
I didn't save them on my computer originally because "I'll always be able to find them again". Little did I know.....
Maybe someone did save it, or at least can recall the method.
Something about double sided taping the material for the wedge to a block , and a known thickness of wood being used to prop up the back end of the hand plane being used the taper the wedge material, twice the distance from the end of the block as the end of the piece being tapered?
Imagine----
0.500" 0.25" 0.0"
I i (zero)
------------------------------
Rubbish representation, but maybe you'll get the idea.
Edit - woops! Sorry, spaces vanished when I submitted........

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

viewtopic.php?f=10137&t=39797

Unfortunately Todd's post is no more which is a shame

Todd has vanished ?

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

I may be wrong but I think his tutorials are still on Youtube.

...actually I think that one may not have been video in which case it's probably gone. You could try contacting him.

A sad, sad, day indeed...........!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

As Colin said if a block that is twice the desired height of the thickest part of the wedge is placed at twice the desired length of the wedge, using the block as a guide for behind the blade of a plane, when planing you will in up with the desired slope for your wedge.

A wedge follows a rise over run formula for the slope. For a wedge that tapers to zero -- Desired height / Desired length so (2 desired height) / (2 Desired length) gives you the same slope. Thus the placement of the guide block.

If you want a wedge that does not go down to zero then place the block of a height twice the difference of the thick end and the thin end twice the desired length away. Stop planing when the thin side is the correct height.

This is what I remember of Tod's tutorial.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Thanks, everybody. I think I have enough information to do what I want now.

Best wishes,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

I have a video shoot this weekend and we can do a video on this. Good topic

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Cool

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

John,

Will you post a link when the video is available?

Thanks,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

One thing to think about here is that if the wedge you want to make (like I did last week for angling/shimming a reso neck) is longer than half the length of your plane sole, you need to adjust where the shim is, and its thickness.

ie .. I needed a 6 inch shim, that tapered to zero from about 120 thou ... so with the above mentioned formula, I made a riser that was 240, and placed it six inches away from the end of the shim stock .. took the first stroke with the plane and it fell off the 240 riser because there was a 6 inch gap between the shim and the riser .. so I had to make another riser, only 180, and place it 3 niches from the shim being planed .. then it worked out with the 14 inch sole jack plane I was using .... If you only have a block plane and are trying to make this shim .. good luck ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"