Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone!

I would like to hear about what your favorites tools to carve tops and back of arch top guitars and mandolins are. Don't be afraid to get specific with manufacturers names, I'm trying to figure out what to invest in.
On another note, I'm looking for advice on what are the best oils to finish a solid rosewood telecaster neck.
Thank you!


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I've carved three so far so am still a rookie but find these D'Angelico planes from LMI are my tools of choice for the carving.

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- Keith

I have mapped the contours with Mottola's tips.

(http://www.liutaiomottola.com/PrevPubs/ ... rching.pdf)

Then routed the steps with a pin router or jig for a handheld router and connected them with a die grinder and flap sander. Above mentioned planes for fine tuning. Some use a chain saw wheel on the die grinder. The GAL journal had a nice series on Archtop construction a few years ago.

Inside via the Benedetto multiple drill holes and die grinder.

Air sander with a soft pad and various sanding blocks and Carruth type scraper for final shaping.

Lots of work and really messy. There is no crime in using CNC services to hog off the bulk of material and do the fine tuning yourself.

I have only built six archtops so I hope some of the more experienced carved top builders will chime in.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Thank you very much for those precious info, much appreciated!


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I have only made 2 and have begun the third, but I use a drill press with a safeT planer to cut to drawn mapped contours and cut along the lines. I need to keep redrawing the lines as I lower the cut. I use a laminated chipboard plate clamped to the drill press base for this, so the top or back cannot tilt easily. I discovered this is important unless you are tireless and very strong. I also clamp a stop so that I can only cut in from the edge a controlled amount. ( in case the safeT plane digs in.)
I have a set of templates copied from the Benedetto book.
Next I use a small block plane to smooth, then a Bosch oscillating rotary sander.
To hollow the inside, I use the outside shape as my guide as follows.
I then have a wood cone covered in leather on a thick dowel I place on the drill press base in the centre hole. I use a router in the drill press and lock it height to trim a few mm off the inside at a time, then lower and lock it again. I check thickness after each cut until I have it down to 7 mm then sand.
Someone I know has a home built copier, the once he has one correct he traces that to copy a second, third etc.

I hog out most of the material with a Lancelot carver(EXTREME caution should be used when using this tool) on a 4" grinder. Then I switch to a 36 grit disc,then finish up with the round bottom planes and scrapers and random orbit sanders.

I can carve a plate in about 2 hours or so .

I used the same tools as brad, including a spoon shaver to carve out the seats of elm sycamore for chairs.

I had time and materials, but very little cash money back then. I made my own tools. What you see first is my thickness caliper, followed by two views of my planes. I am preparing to use them all again on a new guitar.