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Private member DiscussionAcoustic Builds

Neck block for adjustable neck -thoughts on design

I've built a number of classical guitars with an adjustable neck and they seem to gather quite a bit of interest, so i'm currently in the process of looking to refine the design and build. It's quite a simple construction where the neck is held together by string tension and hangs on a pivot. I developed a 3d printed "socket" which acts as the interface between the body and the guitar and allows for some fine tuning of the alignment of t…

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Not really answering your question but I've done a version of the Smallman/Gore joint (I think it's really just Smallman but whatever) on all my guitars (nylon/steel/gypsy). I'm not particularly conc…
Private member DiscussionDesign and Testing

Node Atlas v1.1.0

Dialled in the Beta, much further. Now at v1.1.0 Echoing Christopher Alexander’s argument in the first half of “Notes on the Synthesis of Form” here. Parametric, Semi-Lattice Structures. Centres within Centres, interacting to form the whole. A living structure. Because of the dimension of time, and feature hierarchy, and methodology we end up with a Centre Oriented Semi-lattice Hyper-graph, or COSH for short. This will be available on the…

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Private member DiscussionCAD/CAM

Contriver Node Atlas

A visual dependency map for Autodesk Fusion. It turns complex Fusion designs into an interactive map of model logic, helping users understand how parameters, sketches, construction references, features, bodies, and other design elements relate to each other. Instead of digging through dense timelines, browser trees, and feature chains, Node Atlas gives users a readable graph of how a design is connected. It is built for designers, builder…

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Private member Discussion3D Printing

FretSander Spool Design Updates

Modified Feed Spool to have two sandpaper slots: one for 400 grit or lower and one for 600 grit or higher. Modified Take Up Spool slots to hold 600 grit and higher papers without slipping. Updated files are available in .zip download. https://dev2.loothgroup.com/loothprint/fretsander/ Images

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I'm loving the original version, can't wait to try this one out!! Thanks!!!
Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Measured drawing and assembly for Proper Variable Radius Sanding Jig

Doug Proper designed a sanding jig that supports variable concave and convex curves, described in the following Loothgroup article: https://loothgroup.com/post-imgcap/the-variable-radius-sander/ I built one and am impressed with how it facilitates preparing bridges, braces and also allows tracing any radius using the chord formula. I made a rough measured drawing and assembly guide to share, with Doug's blessing. First step, ma…

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Ian Davlin
Thank you John !
Private member DiscussionElectric Builds

Back in the business!

So after a small battle with an illness, I started building again just today! The first (old) own design since 2020. It seem like I'm breathing again! Images

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good to have you back again fresh and healthy!
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Builds

Wood-Body Resonator Guitar Construction – Materials & Suppliers?

Hi Everyone, I believe this may be my first post here, so just a quick introduction — I’m Andrew in Milwaukee, WI. I’ve been building a few years. My luthier eyes were opened first by Charles Fox in Portland which led me to the Gallop School. I recently retired from a tech career and I am now based in Milwaukee, WI focusing on acoustic builds. I’m currently exploring wood-body resonator guitars, and I’d love to learn more from t…

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Ian Davlin
Andrew, I'd like to talk to you about this question. Could we connect on a zoom call ?
Private member DiscussionCAD/CAM

2 Surface 2 Transition

Back at tinkering with the new Isoparametric Curve tool in Fusion. Scroll down to PICTURES LETS GO! If you want to skip this little walk through Autodesk Fusion memory lane, clearing up some of the UI conFusion. Why something so seemingly basic, is just being added today. 2009- Autodesk Inventor, hybrid modelling experiment, parametric and direct CAD in one hybrid system. 2011- Autodesk acquires T Splines Inc. an organic modeller still in…

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Private member Discussion3D Printing

Printed Vacuum Puck

Found this, will print later, saves a little design time. https://makerworld.com/models/1835300?appSharePlatform=copy Having made 3D printed Vacuum fixtures for CNC previously, I’d recommend printing as close to 100% theoretical density as possible, as any voids can and likely will lead to suction loss. Finer dimensional stability and layer adhesion with something with Glass Fibres will probably help. I’d avoid materials with additives th…

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Private member DiscussionFinish New Builds

Automotive paint?

Hi -- I am planning to have a maple Thinline Tele top painted by an automotive paint shop. They've made a glossy and a matt sample for me and it looks great. I wonder if anyone has any experience with this, and specifically: - if I bind the top first, will the paint stand very proud above the binding once I scrape the paint off the binding? - the matt looks terrific, but it looks like it will burnish and get shiny in spots or line…

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Cool vid denoting that nitro from auto suppliers was used. Maybe of some help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i16aEeWxXjo
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Builds

GoBar deck adjustment

Hi folks, I thought you might be interested in this approach to having easy height adjustment for a GoBar deck. I learned this tip from my buddy, Don Parker. He lurks around here too from time to time. :) The basic idea is rather than having a booster platform on the base for use when gluing braces to plates you bring the roof down lower. There is a 3D printed spacer in black in the pics. I linked to a downloadable STL and 3MF of…

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Just FYI, as far as I know, go bars have the same clamping strength no matter how much they are bent. If you want a different level of force, you need a heavier go bar. Or vice versa.
Private member DiscussionCNC

The Nerd pickup winder

Hi guys, here’s something I’ve been working on: a fully automated, programmable pickup winder. The software is still in alpha testing and there’s still a lot to design, but this is what it looks like so far! Images

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And there's the name for your new pickup company: Nerd Pickups.
Private member DiscussionAcoustic Builds

Trevor Gore on tucking top braces into linings

I'm reading the Design book of the Gilet/Gore set (2nd Edition) and ran across something that surprised me. Under "Top bracing layout - guidelines" (Section 4.4.8, pp 4-52) Gore writes, "Brace ends that are housed into the linings stiffen the edge of the soundbard considerably and so constrain its mobility. Unless you are chasing a particular effect, it is generally not very beneficial to house the lower bout braces into the linings." My…

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That makes a lot of sense -- thanks. And yeah, I build for fingerstyle -- especially with OMs -- so that may be more of what I want. I'm building just for myself right now, so I only need to please my…
Private member DiscussionCAD/CAM

What would you like to see in a luthiery Fusion360 plugin?

As one does, I got distracted designing a fretboard for my newest acoustic build and thought 'Wouldn't it be great if there was a plugin to do this automatically?' Several days and 1000 lines of Python later, it's definitely possible. But then I thought "What else might be interesting as part of a plugin like this?" So I'd love to hear what you think, including: - Is this something you think is valuable (irrespective of price) - If it is va…

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Not sure what a script would do differently than Austin's parametric fretboard? There have been updated versions of the parametric fretboard which are available for free on Austin's discord, made by…
Private member DiscussionElectric Builds

Venturing into the unknown...

Hello friends - I am a bass guitar builder who is considering building a neck-through Flying V-style guitar with a 25.5" scale length and a Floyd Rose tremolo bridge. I have not built any neck-through instruments and would appreciate any guidance on where to begin with respect to laying out the design, in particular, getting the neck angle right and the headstock angled properly. Any resources are welcomed and if someone has any interes…

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Private member DiscussionShare Your New Builds Content

Acoustic Guitar

Hello! This is my current build! https://www.instagram.com/p/DMO6PqXRAkg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MWdhbW4wdG51bDJ4ZQ== "Here’s a quick check-in on the two guitars I’m currently working on. The bodies are getting ready for binding(arm bevel too!), while the neck is in the middle of headstock design. For the tiger-patterned guitar, I’m planning to inlay Jakho-do (Korean tiger-and-magpie painting) with mother-of-pearl. The other one…

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Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

The first tool to measure longitudinal neck torsion/twist - the LTwist® gauge

Dear looth community/colleagues around the world, During 2023/24 I have developed a digital gauge to measure so-called longitudinal twist of (bass) guitar necks: the LTwist® gauge. Just to be clear, this is about the "cork screw" type of deviation along the length of a neck, not the bow of a neck. I think there is no need to explain how a too severe neck twist can make it difficult or even impossible to set up a stringed instrument (guita…

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Private member Discussion3D Printing

Introduction

Hi Thought I'd say "hi". I've just joined the group. I'm Rob, I'm based in Yorkshire in North England. I'm mainly interested in elictric guitar and electric bass building and playing. I've built around 5-6 guitars/basses through 3d printing. I've two Prusa MK4's and been printing for around five years. The design and build of them is logged here https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/485214-a-3d-printed-six-string/ And https://www.basschat.co.uk/t…

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Thanks. Looking forward to learning and hopefully contributing. Not sure I can contribute a great deal to traditional guitar making but interested in how 3d printing can help. I know a little about 3d…