MIMF

I've had good results using water-based colors called "Faskolor", which I picked up from a local hobby shop. Apparently this stuff is used for painting RC cars. There's a good selection of colors available, including some that change in different lights. I've used it with water-based finis...

I have the Delta 18", and rate it a solid "OK". The height adjustment is done via a belt, which is OK, but I do have to go back and true up the table more than I'd like. I'm considering changing the drive from a belt to a chain, but that sounds like a lot more work than i want to take...

I've used red Reconstituted Stone. Pretty easy to work with.

I did it once, but probably won't ever do it again. When the nut was tightened, the end of the rod dipped down so that the nut was rubbing the top of the guitar.

If indeed the bridge is too far back to allow proper intonation, you can find replacement bridges that allow for more adjustment range. One example is the Wilkinson roller bridge which has oblong post mounting holes and grub screws. There are other bridges that simply have more saddle travel. The ot...

I thought I was going to see the start of a beautiful plane collection, but this will do just fine instead. Nice work!

I'd posted a thread on the slotting jig I made:

http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2669

Any alternative that I can think of besides a sanding setup would be more expensive than a sharp plane. My favorite is a #6, although you could definitely get by with a #4 or #5, and some prefer a #7. These are available all the time on eBay and sometimes on Craigslist for between $20 and $50 for a ...

Another possible topic is planning and drawing, see what others are doing to come up with theirs. Could be anything from design sketching, old-school drafting, to 2D and 3D.

I'd recommend building your own road cases. You can get all the extrusions and parts online, and there's not much to building them. After having built a few traditional guitar cases, I'm inclined to never do it again, and the cost to build a road case is comparable to what it takes to build a more t...

I've built a couple basses using Doug Fir, with one just using it as the core wood for the wings on a neck through. The other was a two string with a Doug Fir Body. Both sound fine, and I like the light weight. It can ding pretty easily, and you'll find the occasional shake in an inopportune place, ...

I did find pinpegpickups, and they have it in stock as of this morning, so ordered a bit. On the string spacing at the bridge, this is my first crack at an EUB, so I'm going by what I'm seeing out there on other instruments. Most notable example is the NS Design models, which are 3.66". I've se...

I'm working on a project and need an undersaddle pickup for it, around 4" long. I'd planned on using a Fishman Presys+, cutting off the existing piezo cable, and attaching a longer piece. However, none of the places mentioned online sell it in reasonable amounts. One sells it by the inch but is...

[quote] RM Mattola had an article in American Lutherie documenting his build of a bass mandolin. It was ginormous and looked absurd, but he reported it sounding like a pitz double bass. /quote] I was going to suggest taking a look at his "Canotto". IMO, it's probably the only way that you ...

IIRC, Warmoth trimmed fret ends using a router. Could be old information, not sure what they do now, but I believe I read this in AL. I've never tried it since I don't build anywhere near that rate. Am I the only person here who looks at that video and cringes at the basic shop safety stuff? Or am I...

What sort of bracing do you have under the hood with that small bridge footprint?

They have a simple X Brace pattern, 90 degrees with two finger braces. I'm trying to remember if I've used "Musser Bars" on any of these.

You might want to consider using Douglas Fir for the top, as I've found it to be pretty durable. Not sure I'd push the durability envelope on any wood top, though. I've built a bunch of these guitars, designed to fit in a Strat gigbag and fit in overhead compartments easily. It's not really short sc...

I've used it for a few steel string bodies and necks. It's OK, but I don't think I'll ever use it again except for decorative lines. Just found it to be a little wooly/pulpy for my tastes. Seems to be OK for necks.

There's not a pivot "point" Sure there is, but I didn't explain it well. If you take a side view of the body, neck, and fingerboard/frets, etc., then group everything on the neck/fingerboard/headstock/etc (everything except the body and bridge), then you can set a pivot point at the preci...

The nice thing about working this through CAD is that you can group all of the layers/elements of the neck/fingerboard, assign a pivot point where you want it, rotate the group and measure the resulting angle. Since I've made neck angle miscalculations before, I've made it a habit to draw out a thor...