@booIt could be you have Indian ebony, which is similar to Indian rosewood on the Janka hardness scale, but it’s very much the exception.I haven’t tried working the Sundari yet, but in terms of appearance and feel, once it’s on…   Read more»

Saying that, I’m loathe to use ebony because they are such an endangered species (the growth rate of the hard heartwood is incredibly slow) so if I want the ebony look I’ll try Rocklite Ebano first. I have a sundari…   Read more»

@boo most ebony species are considerably harder than rosewood. 

If you want to do fancy inlays, ebony is probably a better choice than rosewood, the bits you have to fill won’t be as visible.
 

All those little bits and pieces that come with a new tool, they all get carefully put away “somewhere safe”. @tv101 I really don’t know why physicists spend millions on telescopes and LIGO to observe faraway black holes or billions…   Read more»

@darrenkingPerhaps the best argument is that you can achieve better consistency.Chris of Highline guitars is of the opinion that using a fret press, along with precision at every other stage of fretting, means he can achieve a consistency which means…   Read more»

@boo, on a more serious note, I haven’t followed every post so you may have answered his already. Is that a mist coat so you could see where you’ve sanded.

Why do you weirdos  guys call it a skip?  @mattbeels isn’t it obvious? 😀 Etymology The origins of calling a rubbish cart a skip (most often found in Australia, New Zealand and the UK) come from the word skep, used to refer to a basket. Skep itself…   Read more»

I’m not going to paint anyone’s gear in something they aren’t going to like just for my amusement.  @booBut what about for our amusement? Don’t we count? Stop being so selfish and break out the sparkles!!😉

@boo this may help, it’s from the Stewmac manual.Really not much modification needed, if you start with these https://www.tooled-up.com/facom-hinged-tip-slip-joint-locking-pliers/prod/212012/

I can’t believe how expensive those things are, it is just a modified pair of pliers. This is pretty much the current model, minus the cauls and the Stewmac l…[Read more]

Ordered.I think I’ll have to build one of the instruments in tribute, don’t know what I’ll do with an 8 string bass though, haven’t even learned to play a 4 string yet!

There seems to be a hell of a lot of specialist tools that just aren’t necessary @tejAvoid watching Stewmac videos with Dan Erlewine. They have a tool or jig for every problem you ever thought of, every problem you hadn’t…   Read more»

The two main advantages I can see with a fret press are the noise, and that it’s possible to achieve a consistency which will require less fret dressing.Hammers are cheaper, take up less space in the workshop, and also are…   Read more»

You can always make a shiny surface satin or matt by sanding it back with some very fine wet and dry or a Scotch pad.  @booThe problem with doing that on a guitar is the player basically polishes it every…   Read more»

yup – I’m just looking for some suitable air-powered brushes now

@tv101Ask Darren to design one, it’ll be CNCd out of 18mm plywood, but really ingenious.

@darrenkingA set of guide bushes for your router is a sensible purchase anyway, so I don’t even see requiring them for this jig as an extra cost.

@tv101, me too. Especially as I currently have a huge stock of foam brushes!

@cliveoThey’re also only stocking the gloss at the moment. Brite Tone is also available in satin and matt

@tv101Why guess? They tell you

• Easy to Use – Can be Brushed or Sprayed. Self leveling.