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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 DiscussionJob Postings

Full-time luthier — Custom Shop & Production

Rask Guitars — Utah (relocation required) Rask Guitars is a Utah-based custom shop dedicated to building exceptional instruments — primarily high-end acoustics, alongside electric guitars and prototypes. We operate with a small, focused team where craftsmanship isn't just a standard, it's the entire point. We're growing, and we're looking for a skilled, experienced luthier who's ready to plug into a real production environment, contribute…

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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 DiscussionCAD/CAM

Fast & Curious 3: Parametric Drift

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWAuW40jAR_/?igsh=MW1jNDdoYzllMGFmMA== I’ve spent a few overly caffeinated days bouncing between modelling environments, different combinations of operations, tools.. subtle differences in how the coffee is brewed. In short… • Building Iso Curves in Sketch. Defining the surface structure and flow • NURBS Surfacing from curves, smooth intentional surface topology. • BRep Face to T-Spline in Form Environment. Org…

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Brett -- If you are doing free-form modelling, have you tried using Shapr3D software? I just started playing around with it and it seems to be reasonably intuitive and easy with which to get started.…
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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Ian Davlin DiscussionJob Postings

Northampton Community College Luthier Instructor

https://northampton.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NCC/details/Luthier-Instructor_JR3840 The staff and faculty of Northampton Community College share a single goal: to help students transform their lives through education. It's a goal that reaps rewards thousands of times over the course of a career. Employees at Northampton receive competitive compensation and an array of benefits while working on campuses located in a region with a very h…

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Private member DiscussionShop Organisation

Workshop Starting Kit & Organization

Hey there fellow Looths! I'm still learning and just starting my luthier journey, but I'm serious about it and want to design and build my own workshop. I have space for a 4mx4m (13x13ft) workshop. I know it's kinda tiny but I think it can do the trick since I want to work analog/by hand for most of the tasks. I plan to buy a drill press and a band saw. That's all for 'the big machinery'. I'm just curious if people have tips or 'things to…

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I personally don't like anything in the middle of the room because I will run into it(my stool is the only thing that floats around the room), and with such small space you need room to move. When I b…
Private member DiscussionSELL! SELL! SELL!

Nut files and fretting tools

Doing some workshop organization and found some tools I don't use. All are in excellent shape with very minimal use. Each item linked to the relevant product page: Japanese nut files. Mine have a bit of surface rust but they were used for maybe 2 guitars. $80 new, selling for $40 StewMac Gauged Nut Slotting File Set for Electric Guitar (for medium strings) and one of each nut file backer. Used on one guitar. $113 new for the files and $19…

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Everything is sold except the fret cutting saw blade!
Private member DiscussionShop Organisation

Tools in multiple workspaces

I'm wondering if people have advise on ways to be productive when having to work in multiple locations. Particularly curious about tool organization and portability strategies. I share one shop about 45 minutes from home, but also do some work from home. Mostly repair and setup stuff at home and building/more involved repairs at the shop. Some tools and supplies are simple enough to have multiples of, but for others it gets really expens…

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I guess the best way to describe my arrangement is that I have a clean shop and a dirty shop. The dirty shop (still at home) has a spray area, the table saw, the big bandsaw, most of the sanders. I o…
Private member DiscussionPaper Work and Drudgery

CRM/POS systems?

Hey all, curious if any of you use a system for managing estimates, invoices, and payments. I have four guys working in the shop so being able to organize workflow is important. We also need to be able scan a credit card when the customer comes to pick up their guitar. Currently (since outgrowing Square Invoices) we are using a free version of Zoho Invoice that can create a trello card for every quote. My guys LOVE using Trello. When th…

11 replies
11 replies
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I've been using RepairShopr for a few years and I really like it. Definitely worth checking out. It has CRM stuff, ticketing, parts, and inventory. It's got workflows to handle intake, estimates, work…