Official Luthiers Forum!

Heres a simple addition to a parrot vice to hold the handle in position for fast twirling with a finger. Prevents the handle catching on the bench top and stops it rattling.
The rubber is 2mm thick and I cut the 10mm holes with a leather punch.

For those of you using go bars decks I have found sch 40 cut into strip going lengthways will work for go bars in most cases. If you cut the ends right you can slip a bit of heater hose or fuel line on the tip for cushion against the brace to protect from indentation.

What's 'sch 40'?

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Peter Havriluk

Sorry should have been more descriptive. Sch 40 pvc pipe like from the hardware store. 1 10’ stick of 2” sch 40 pvc pipe is usually under $10. Over cut your sections like you would for wood dowels or whatever your using on your deck then cut it on the table saw or bandsaw into about 1” strips lengthwise then shape the tip to fit your hose.

How are you cutting it? I’ve cut lining clamps out of it on my bandsaw, and it makes a terrible mess. Hate cutting the stuff. Do you have a tip there?

I see you say use the bandsaw, any jigs or just pushing it through freehand.


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Yea it gets pvc dust everywhere. It’s been a while since I sliced any but last time I did it on table saw. My saw is move able and stationed close to the roll up door so I get it about halfway outside. For the pipe I lay it out marking lines lengthwise then clamp 2 2”x4” down on either side of the saw and go to town but feed slowly and keep your eye on the line. I’ve also done something similar on the bandsaw but the table saw is faster for me. If you want them stronger cut another section a few inches shorter and center it with the first section & epoxy. I’ve not Han any issues other than the mess.

When PVC pipe breaks, it’s often sudden and it can throw sharp pieces. I would worry about using it in this application. Other than that, it’s an ingenious idea.

For gobars, I have been using some of the clear radiata pine boards from Home Depot sliced into 5/16” strips. Every now and then, one snaps across the runout. but they’re cheap and I just grab the next one.

I initially thought that could be an issue also but after I tried to break some intentionally I realized with fresh pvc with no uv exposure it wasn’t going to be a problem. But next time I need some extra bars I may give pine a shot.

Sounds like a good idea to me and if people would take a look at the post that I did here years ago showing various amounts of go-bar deflection and the resulting downward force generated on a bathroom scale they would know that only minor deflection is required to get maximum clamping force. This means PVC go-bars need not deflect much at all which also may take breaking for non UV exposed bars out of play.

We have evidence from archeologists that go bars were used by ancient folks using caves for the deck and sticks for the bars. I'm betting they learned about deflection and how more is not always more too.

Anyway good tip let's keep them coming please? Thanks.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Hot from the press.
When epoxying large surfaces together in a go-bar deck, pin them in place to stop them going walk about!!

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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.

Colin,...tell us the rest...you'll feel better.

I think it's like the Paul Simon song you sing on winter roads.

I'm thinking of replacing my cello top, so I'm regrouping as well. After carving the bass bar.

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Why be normal?

I'm shy......
Caught it in time!

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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.

These little brushes are cheap, disposable, sharp-pointed and…



… tiny. I find them helpful to apply things to tight spaces …



… such as brushing etching acid and adhesive accurately into a nut slot when doing a light-cured composite repair… also good for small touch ups and with water or solvents for cleaning tight spaces.

Not really a tip, but I tried some of the fancy Wypall #80 paper towels that Ken Parker uses to apply Epoxy with.
I used them to apply my final coat of un-thinned Zpoxy with great results. No lint, no tears. Really good paper.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

I'll second that, got a full box after watching the videos, but kind of slipped my mind for the tips.

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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.

Let’s hear more about the etching acid. Is it a big help getting the light cure stuff to stick?

Thanks!

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

I always use it, just to be safe. The manufacturer instructions for the composite I’m using say to etch first. It is relatively cheap and only adds 30 seconds or so to the process. I brush it into the slot, wait 15 seconds, neutralize with a little water/bicarb solution, and continue the process, next painting in the adhesive, zap it with the light, then composite, zap again.

The composite seems to stick fine so far.. however… I only got the gear to do these fills a couple months ago and am relatively inexperienced. Hesh has been doing this for much longer and if memory serves he has said he’s not convinced the etch is necessary. There is a recent thread about it in the repair section of the forum:

http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54494


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The dental composite I use for repairs uses a primer/adhesive and filler. The primer/adhesive is applied first then UV cured. Next the filler is applied and UV cured. I've never had any problems and wasn't aware of an etching acid. Like most things, there are probably several different systems out there.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Here are a couple of buffing tips:
Warm up the buffing wheel thoroughly on a piece of scrap before combing and applying new compound.
If you have a buffer with two buffing wheels, remove the one you are not using when buffing.
Saves getting the unexpected wrenching of the guitar out of your hands when it inadvertently touches the other wheel...
Also, when buffing the intricate curves around the heel of an electric guitar, try removing one of the doubled-up wheels to make a thin buffing wheel.
I just discovered this last week and it made a huge difference in getting into the tight spaces.

Has anyone used bamboo for go bars?
I may try that. There is a bamboo forest that I have been slowly whittling away at. The bamboo is around 30 feet tall and a couple of inches in diameter at the base, and the walls are moderately thick, so I'm thinking I can split it and make inexpensive go-bars from some of it.

Bamboo should work fine. It makes good fly rods.

After you cut the bamboo be careful of the razor sharp ends. Round over with some 80 grit sandpaper or a file. I assume the long split edges would also be sharp. Bamboo is surprisingly hard. Cuts hands easily.
Don’t ask how I know.

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Brad Hall
Mystic Dawg Guitars

CA Unbond

I realised that sooner or later I am going to stick a decent sized piece of skin to something when using CA glue, so bought some unbonding stuff - only a few years late!

I stuck it in the cupboard where the glues live. However eventually a light bulb went off - when this happens I am going to need to be able get at this stuff (I work alone like so many of us) and having it in a cupboard is not sensible.

It is now sitting well within reach of the bench!

Cheers Dave

Years ago I used bamboo go-bars. Rather than split large bamboo i used thinner shoots which didn’t require processing. You could buy them in huge bundles very cheap, sold as stakes for gardening. They were about as thick as an index finger.

They worked but I prefer everything else I’ve tried better - fibreglass kite spars, StewMac’s rectangular fibreglass bars, hardwood ripped to 1/4” strips. Pressure was inconsistent bar to bar with the bamboo. Splitting larger ones up as you describe might solve that.