Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Jun 4, 2020 17:47:07 GMT -5
When you folks misplace your fret rocker. Where does it go? I'm just hopin someone else's fret rocket has the same mischievous nature as mine.
Someone could also reassure me that after 15 years my fret rocker was probably worn out and I should replace it anyway.
One of those instances that it just doesn't make any sense. The same neck I was working on yesterday is still on the bench and all the other tools are there too.
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on Jun 4, 2020 18:23:33 GMT -5
Went to stewmac. I really resent going there because of their prices. Often the best tools - okay... $30 is way too much for something with no moving parts. Ebay rocks. My old rocker will show itself out of jealousy as soon as the one one arrives. I bought 4, 3mm thick stainless steel for less than the price of one at stewmac. I can hone them level if there's a problem. Stewmac still has the best diamond levelers and crowning files I found so far but I'm hoping someone finds another source cuz they're damn expensive if I ever need to replace 'em.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Jun 4, 2020 19:05:35 GMT -5
Yeah, StewMac gets some things that I think are interesting ideas until I see the prices. That nut & saddle sanding jig is a great example. It costs something like $200! I use a granite block, and a 1-2-3 block with blue tape on it as a shooting board. Works great. Both together are less than a third of the price of that thing, and have way more uses, and it can be done even cheaper than that if someone wanted.
Watch the sales. Our shop just restocked crowning files when they had a significant sale last winter, and we probably saved over a hundred bucks.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jun 4, 2020 20:11:49 GMT -5
Oh yeah I know what you mean. Somewhere within 20 feet of where I'm sitting--in the limitless expanse of our known universe--is a 3" x 4" rectangle of stainless steel with laser-etched graduations known as a setup gauge. It's the one from Stew Mac and I bought it perhaps 15 years ago, when it was the only one available. I think I paid around $15 for it. It disappeared from my tool box about 10 years ago and has not reappeared on its own. I wonder if it somehow is folded up in a book here in the house because that's the only place it could be. I've looked everywhere...that it's not. And it's not something a dog would pick up and walk away with and bury in the back yard. You can get these now from other suppliers for about $12. One of the best purchases I've made on a guitar tool is a diamond 'butter knife' crowning file (just like the pic below, but without the logo) I bought from fleabay about 15 years ago. Up until that point I had been using a Gurian 'crank' file, but it was wearing out since it was tool steel and had lots of miles on it. The diamond file is extremely well made and still looks and performs like new, even after use on stainless steel fret wire. It was a no-name, but I suspect it was from "production overruns" going out the back door of the Chinese factory making them for LMI or Stooge Mac. I paid $20 delivered for it, and I'm sorry I didn't buy five of them.  |
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jun 4, 2020 20:19:52 GMT -5
wrnchbndr, check the pockets of whatever you were wearing yesterday.
I've been thinking of putting a metal detector in the doorway to my laundry room because I sometimes find small tools in the bottom of the washer when I pull the load out to stuff it into the dryer.
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sirWheat
Wholenote
For a better future, play Stevie Wonder for your children.
Posts: 318
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Post by sirWheat on Jun 5, 2020 7:04:47 GMT -5
I think that all my lost tools are holed-up somewhere in the house and have been ganging up on my whiskey while I'm asleep. Why else do I keep having to buy new bottles?
Seems there are more options now for luthier tools than there were not all that long ago.
If you're looking at anything at StuCrack that has a brand name on it it's guaranteed that you'll find it cheaper somewhere else. That said, they are a good business in my experience; good customer service in general and have treated me well the couple times I had a problem.
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Post by Pinetree on Jun 11, 2020 6:38:48 GMT -5
I have a couple of those magnetic strips over my workbench and everything has its place.
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Jun 11, 2020 8:45:26 GMT -5
If you're looking at anything at StuCrack that has a brand name on it it's guaranteed that you'll find it cheaper somewhere else. That said, they are a good business in my experience; good customer service in general and have treated me well the couple times I had a problem. Yeah. You just have to know enough going in to not be a sucker for every little gadget. The worst is when a customer brings a guitar and starts by asking about a particular tool (usually a Stew Mac tool) because they think they could TOTALLY do the job themselves if they had that tool! When they find out I don't own said tool they get nervous about leaving the instrument. Yeah... no fun. |
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Post by Leftee on Jun 11, 2020 20:17:52 GMT -5
Where do you guys buy tools, other than Stewy?
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Post by Pinetree on Jun 11, 2020 21:15:05 GMT -5
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jun 11, 2020 21:33:00 GMT -5
Luthier's Mercantile ("LMI")
and many I've made.
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Post by Leftee on Jun 13, 2020 8:43:12 GMT -5
Thanks!
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Jun 13, 2020 9:54:37 GMT -5
I like LMII as well.
Guitar work is a funny amalgamation of a bunch of disciplines, and the more you learn about those other disciplines, the more easily you can find good specialized tools. I've been slowly changing a lot of my methods to closer resemble hand woodworking as I prefer those tools. It took me a while, but you can get a lot of what you need for electronics just out of a Mouser catalog, but navigating one of those is a chore. The same can be said for machine work, inlay or dental supplies. One of the characteristics of StewMac is that they resell stuff from the other industries and do that part of the hard work for you. It is really nice that they do that, but over the years I've figured out how to shop from the other places.
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DrKev
Wholenote
It's just a guitar, it's not rocket science.
Posts: 416
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Post by DrKev on Jun 13, 2020 14:14:06 GMT -5
One of the characteristics of StewMac is that they resell stuff from the other industries and do that part of the hard work for you. Yup. I think of it as part of the markup. Makes the extra cost seem a little more reasonable (or less unreasonable). |
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on Jun 13, 2020 16:38:53 GMT -5
One of the characteristics of StewMac is that they resell stuff from the other industries and do that part of the hard work for you. Yup. I think of it as part of the markup. Makes the extra cost seem a little more reasonable (or less unreasonable). Do they mark up all that much? The things I've checked they seem to be in the right neighborhood. I haven't really looked in a while.
I'm still trying to find a good bench chisel in a 2.5mm or 3/32" size. It is shockingly hard to find. The best I could find was a Japanese chisel that was nominally 1/8" but seemed to be under spec by a bit that might work. I can find small dog leg chisels in those sizes, but not a good straight one. They're handy for strat nuts and saddle slots.
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sirWheat
Wholenote
For a better future, play Stevie Wonder for your children.
Posts: 318
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Post by sirWheat on Jun 13, 2020 18:53:55 GMT -5
I inherited my grandfather's tools. He was a machinist for much of his working years and did woodworking for a hobby. Anyway, I've found many chisels, lathe tools, etc. that he had crafted from files. He was said to have a good knowledge about metals; I do not but it makes sense that files would be made of good steel.
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