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Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

LOOTHTOOL VL’s Precision Feeler Gauge Set !

LOOTHTOOL I've made some purchases on LOOTHTOOL, but it will not let me review. SO, the VL’s Precision Feeler Gauge Set is a rock solid 10 of 10 or five Amazon stars. Nice blades, EXCELLENT tool box, well marked, I'm thrilled!

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Absolutely worth a mention! Paid for itself in time saved the first week I put it on my bench. Thanks Buck for doing all the big thinking behind it...
Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Suggest an alternative to concave fret file

(for background context, I'm probably in the dozens of fret jobs so far, and no I don't let frets leave my house like this) When I got started getting interested in building guitars, I got the StewMac bundle of fret files/book, which comes with the concave toothed file. Over time, I ended up getting both the Narrow/Medium and Wide/Jumbo files. I don't do it often, but occasionally I do something like shown in the picture, where I'm clearl…

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What you're depicting in the picture above is what typically happens when a hollow (toothed or diamond grit) file that is too small for the size of fret us used to try and introduce a crown to fret th…
Private member DiscussionBUY! BUY! BUY!

WTB: waterslide

Does anyone know a waterslide decal maker who sells Fugazi decals in a fender font?

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Private member DiscussionShop Organisation

plectrum builder

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Private member DiscussionSELL! SELL! SELL!

Les Stansell Closing Shop - Selling Everything

An old friend of mine, Les Stansell, who has been building some pretty high-end guitars and ukuleles for over three decades has had to close his shop for health reasons and is looking to sell all his tools and equipment. I’m spreading the word to help him find a suitable buyer – hopefully a new luthier ready to set out on their own. If someone is interested they can contact me here and/or contact Les directly at [email withheld]…

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No. You'll need to contact him directly.
Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Tool for shaving back braces

I am retopping a guitar and while it's open I want to reduce the mass of the back braces. Since the sides are in the way, I can't figure out how to cleanly cut the excess brace wood away; anything I've tried involves the handle hitting the sides and preventing a controlled, clean cut. Is there a tool - say a "pull finger plane" - that I can pull from the edge to the middle of each brace to facilitate this?

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My problem in this parlor guitar is that any chisel I currently have is too long and I can’t address the middle third of the brace without coming in at such an angle that I can’t control the chisel pr…
Private member DiscussionSELL! SELL! SELL!

Looth tools for Sale

I have a few duplicate pieces of equipment from when I worked at two different locations, as well as a couple of items I no longer need. I'm located in Exeter, NH, near the seacoast between Maine and Massachusetts. Please note that I'm not interested in shipping; pickup only. Take it easy, pat

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Private member DiscussionTools and Jigs

Hackman Finland Wood Pecker chisels?

I picked up a set of these chisels a couple years ago at an estate sale. They were in a very sorry state but had clearly been used and loved. I gave them a good cleaning and sharpened just the smallest one, which took a very nice edge. I'm debating sharpening the rest in order to sell them along with my Narex chisels (which I haven't loved) and replacing them all with a couple Lie Nielsen chisels only in the sizes I really use. Anyone h…

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Hey @member the Narex chisels are ok. Out of the box they needed a good amount of sharpening and polishing, which I put off for literally years. But I finally used Rye Bear's method and got them to a…
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 DiscussionTools and Jigs

Hide Glue Pot

Does anyone have a good glue pot they can recommend. I'm planning to try some hide glue work. Regards, Gerry

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I made this 3d printed top for a wax pot a long time ago, I think the links are there. I highly recommend keeping the glue in squeeze bottles, it keeps the glue uncomfortably hot all the way to the i…
Private member DiscussionSELL! SELL! SELL!

Fret press for sale

I bought the StewMac fret jaws and am hoping to sell the heavy press. I can't imagine shipping it but if you're in Northwest Alabama come by and buy this from me. Buddy Guy is playing here at the end of the month and we have Jason Isbel and the Drive By Truckers playing here for Shoals Fest some time this summer.

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More pics
Private member DiscussionBUY! BUY! BUY!

WTB: Franks Crank Small for Mandolin

I’m working on many more mandolins these days, and I absolutely love my Frank’s Cranks by Frank Ford (Gryphon Strings) for guitar work. I’m hoping to track down one of the smaller mandolin-size string winders. If you have one sitting unused, please send me a message.

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Dan Erlwine and I spoke briefly about that before Frank's passing. I have a full machine shop and can reproduce nearly identical winders, but wanted Frank's personal blessing to do so. They are a bril…
Private member DiscussionShop Organisation

How do you all keep track of your builds/repairs?

Hey all. I apologize if this type of post isn't allowed here but wanted to share anyway. I've been building a tool called Looth specifically for luthiers and repair techs, and I'm looking for a small group of interested looths to help shape it a bit more before it goes public. I got tired of managing spreadsheets and decided that it could be simpler and more automated. The core idea is simple: one place to track every build…

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I've got some great feedback on this app so far. Anyone else using something similar or different? What is working for your shop?
Private member DiscussionCAD/CAM

“I live my life a 1/8 mm at a time”

Guitar neck topology is worth going microscopic. 🔬🦠 After building my starting surface from a wireframe network in the sketch environment; a system of 4-degree control point spline rails, tangent to projected isoparametric curves along the shaft — I can convert the NURBS surface to a T-Spline and start cleaning up the artifacts left behind by the original loft. In this demo I’m turning on Box Display, which feels strange at first because…

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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!!!