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Tom Krebs DiscussionDiscussions

Proper Work Station Additions

Hey all, I have been working with the work station for a few months now. I love it. I found a few little things that have helped me. 1. A mic stand to support the main beam. I bought the Total Vise version and it didn't work as well. 2. Rockler Bench Cookies as rear cross member supports. They have the correct 5/16-18 inserts in them and screw on easily. Now the thread rod has a sort of hi/low setting by just flipping it for acoustic or…

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Excellent ideas. I use a cymbal stand instead of a mic stand for mine. Yes buy the neck support I agree. Can you post the link to the thumbwheels from Amazon?
Private member DiscussionDiscussions

Guitar Bouzouki full build

Some of you might enjoy this - a full recent guitar bouzouki build. It's about 35 mins long. Plenty of woodworking tips in there for the eagle eyed. Give it a watch, the tunes are great. Nigel

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That was AWESOME!!! I've always wanted to build a cylindrical top guitar. I had envisioned it exactly how you executed it! I did have some emails with Johann Brentrup before his passing as he had descri…
Tom Krebs DiscussionDiscussions

Air Filtration Hood Setup for SM Buffer

We just ordered the StewMac buffer. Looking for ideas/photos for a hood(s) to remove all the particles flying off. We have a 4 inch 1250 cfm dust collection system. Thanks for any input. Tom K

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Doug's solution is a lot better than mine. These do a pretty good job of catching the fluff when raking out the buffs. They are attached with a single bolt with a lock nut and swivel back out of the w…
Private member DiscussionDiscussions

Magnifiers - inexpensive and invaluable tools

I am a retired dentist. One saying we had was, “You can’t fix what you can’t see.” And another was, “The day you start working with magnification will be the best and worst day of your practice.” The worst because you will see what you have been missing, and the best because you will never miss it again. So even though I have my Dan E. Model visor loupes, and my retired dental loupes on throughout the day, sometimes, it’s not enough. I pi…

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P.S. - I used it this morning to assess how complete my epoxy pore filling was. There was no guessing - I could see the evidence. You could also use your iPhone to magnify - I think on mine the magnifi…
Private member Discussion3D Printing

OG Proper's Relief Gauge Parts

Hey folks! I picked up a neck relief gauge from Doug in one of the earlier batches, maybe the introductory run? Some of the small feet caps that thread onto the moving legs of the tool have cracked, broken, or become worn down. I contacted StewMac about purchasing replacement parts, but they don't sell subparts for the relief gauge and otherwise won't help me. They appear 3D printed, so I was wondering if anyone with the means to print s…

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Ha! Mine took a freakish heicopter dive off the bench first day i had it and shattered the feet on each end ( flat style ) and i had hoped to sorce some replacements as well! Definitely looking to sou…
Private member DiscussionDiscussions

Factory Friday

It’s Factory Friday! I’ll be in the shop today from 2–4 PM Eastern for the weekly open office hours. Drop in, hang out, ask questions, talk tools, guitar building, SMF, or whatever you’re working on in your shop. No agenda. No presentation. Just shop time. Join at www.stringsmicrofactory.com/factoryfriday See you this afternoon! ✌️

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Private member DiscussionGeneral Business

I was on a Podcast about my guitar business.

Here it is. I thought it turned out ok. Hopefully it's a help to someone. ☺️

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Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Has anyone tried the DL action finder?

Trying to see if anyone has tried this device by chance and if so what was your experience with it.

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I wanting to see what someone's experience was with it before purchasing because its close to $200...the software you get access to with purchase is nice though.
Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Bandsaw methods

After several years of fighting with my bandsaw blade jumping off every few inches of cut (it needs a new bearing on the top wheel), I decided to try something bass-ackwards. I put the blade on with the teeth facing the 'wrong' direction. Not only did that solve the problem of the blade jumping off, but it has made the cutting of pickguard material much smoother. Has anyone else experienced this kind of situation? Do you have any other…

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I just rebuilt an old Delta 14". If you want to replace the bearings, it's relatively simple. Supplies: --Bearings, say from Noma Bearing --Rubber tires, say from Carter --Home made block to tap in bearin…
Private member DiscussionShop Organisation

Physical management of work-in-process instruments

A growing work flow in a small shop means I have in-process guitars stacked all over my work surfaces. I need to protect them and keep all the pieces together but also to have them readily accessible, and cases are less than ideal for that. Never mind the caseless guitars. I'd be grateful for advice on containers/stacking/shelves to protect and organize the growing mess. Thanks!

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If you have the room to go 48 inches deep, this was our solution. Stores lots of projects and all the drawers slide out. Just like at the morgue.😉🙃 Of course you don't have to make it as tall as we d…
Private member DiscussionCustomer Relations

Would any of the Council of Elders be willing to speak at a SIMSCal Meeting?

Hello to the Council of Elders! My name is Joe Byron, and I am president of the Stringed Instrument Makers of Southern California (SIMSCal). We have been around for over 30 years and have a large number of members and followers. Our membership includes both professional and non-professional luthiers. SIMSCal meets 4-8 times per year (both live and virtually), and we share tips, processes, stories, and show off our work. We frequently inclu…

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Ian Davlin
Speaking on behalf of myself, I already have. I had a great time too.
Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Non-CNC cauls for Stew-Mac sound hole clamps

I don’t have CNC capabilities so I could not duplicate Dave Slimmer’s version ( https://loothgroup.com/loothprint/bridge-clamping-cauls/). Got a 12x18x1/2 inch HDPE cutting board on Amazon for under $10 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D3LQVA), drilled a row of 1/2 holes about 5/16” deep with a Forstner, cut the HDPE into 5 sided chunks so I could orient by touch, and free handed the brace grooves on the band saw. The clamp swivel pads are 1…

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Yeah, I think the current concerns with microplastics is impacting cutting board prices.
Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Not exactly a tool or a jig, but...

The tuner app I’ve used regularly on my smartphone for years has slowly become bloated with useless features, heavy, and totally impractical. I tried a few alternatives, but I didn't really like any of them. Since we are the kind of people who prefer to just build things ourselves when we need them, I decided to built my own tuner: completely free, ad-free, and actually effective. I even threw in some links to my social media. I think I'l…

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I haven't uploaded it to the Play Store yet. If you want to test it and know how to install unknown apps on Android, I can share the APK file on GDrive