MIMF

Perhaps you could find some nails of the right diameter for hitch pins. Cut them to length with a diagonal cutters and file the cut end. Some guitar strings can be had with loop ends instead of ball ends, or you may be able to remove the "ball" from the loop in the end of the string.

I would suggest lowering the bit and taking a smaller bite on the first pass, then raising it to finish the radiusing. If that isn't possible because of the length of the bit and the range of depth adjustment on your router table, then affixing a riser to the carrier fixture. But definitely practice...

A quick search of the Library produces a number of posts about Rockhard. Apparently, the formula was changed somewhere about 2012/2013. Rather than distill the Library info for you, I'd suggest you just search the Library for "Rockhard varnish".

tape the razor blade leaving a narrow gap the width of the splint; that way there's little if any risk of accidentally scraping the finish. I usually grind a flat 90 degree edge on an old razor blade by honing on a whetstone. The little burr left on the blade makrs it just like a miniature cabinet s...

If you put a small mirror in the soundhole you should be able to see the underside of the soundboard, which would be unpainted, and make a guess as to what kind of wood it is. At least you might be able to determine whether it's a softwood species, such as pine, spruce, fir, or a hardwood such as ma...

Happy Birthday!! I'm in for the drawing.

Caley, the preferred method of dealing with separated cracks that can't be brought to close is to fill them with wood splints, not glue and sawdust. The cracks are opened a bit with a knife so that they are wider at the surface, narrower at the interior, then a thin piece of matching wood is prepare...

Oscar, if you are seeking fret positions for a 36" (or any other) scale length, you will find fret calculators in the MIMF library under "Programs, Spreadsheets and other programs". There are other programs available on the internet that will calculate the fret locations for whatever scale length yo...

I would imagine that a sack of steel BBs or perhaps lead pellets for an air/CO2 gun, if these are available to you in Canada, should suffice; but I can't, of course, say for sure, as I've never tried them for this purpose.

A Japanese-style flush cutting saw (I bought one from Home Depot) might work well and prevent any scarring of surrounding finish caused by tooth set.

Constantines is also a good source.

Bryan, perhaps you're thinking of Chuck Tweedy's April Fools Day post.

That's a really good idea, Steve. It's always best to do a test run on new procedures to make sure they work as you want them to.

Selmer guitars, and I believe also some other guitars of European provenance have the dots at the 10th fret and not the 9th. American guitars seem to be consistent in placing the dot at the 9th fret.

I should think that clamping pressure would be sufficient, but I'd sandwich the pieces between 2 sheets of plywood, probably 3/4 inches thick would do, so that the chambers won't collapse. Note, I've not tried this, but I have glued up laminated arched backs in a vacuum press; I believe that if you ...

Comparing photos of bowlback mandolins, front and side, I doubt that they "have a simple circular cross section", though I could be wrong about this.

I assisted my son in constructing a flat solid body guitar and that is exactly the solution that we came to: 2 wedge shaped pieces, one along each end of the FB and a small filler at the end of the board.

Since the support blocks are glued to the inside of the sides the hole is directed in an upward (towards the top) and inward (towards the center of the neck block) and thus can be drilled without touching the side provided the support block is located near the narrowest part of the waist of the guit...

Randolph, I believe Barry is saying that he drills through the support block at the waist towards the neck block, not through the side itself--the support block being glued to the inside of the side, a hole directed from the support block towards the neck block would not penetrate the side, and the ...

Put my name in. Thanks.