Visiting Luthier Challenge.

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

If you were invited to build an archtop guitar in a friend's shop that is equipped with a drill press, a bandsaw, a jointer, a table saw, and a chop saw, but really nothing else, what tools would you purchase to build a simple archtop guitar? This would be an absolute bare bones tool purchase, since I already have everything back home out west. 4, 3, 2, 1, and go.

[JC Whitney]

Clamps galore, scraper, blade(s) for a homemade gramil, and few chisels. Pipe and torch for hand bending.
Perhaps more importantly - a good radio / speaker system.

[Bryan Bear]

Not an archtop guy so I can't help too much with specifics there but I will offer what my thought process would be if someone asked me to make a flattop at their place. I would sit down and take notes as I think out making a guitar. I would visualize me doing every step and take note of the tools and fixtures I am using. Write down each one that you see yourself using and for which task. Then look over the list of tasks and tools and think about how you would do it without that tool or fixture. How did you do it when you were starting out and didn't have that option? What other ways could you accomplish it with you skill set? Does it need to be done? Can it happen without that particular thing. That will start to form a list of must haves and optional ways to accomplish things (hopefully some of those tasks alternatives will be covered by the same tool). Don't forget to ask yourself if buying ready made parts like slotted fretboards are a good option.

If I was having trouble figuring out how to get around something without a big tool investment, I would ask myself how did violin makers do it hundreds of years ago?

Lastly, I would try to pick tool purchases that would eventually compliment my tools back home instead of doubling up whenever possible.

[Michael Lewis]

Finger plane(s). You have to carve the shape into the top and back, and carve out the insides.

[Greg McKnight]

Definitely finger/violin planes, but an angle grinder with a sanding disc would be fairly inexpensive and save a lot of time carving.

[Simon Magennis]

… an angle grinder …. would be fairly inexpensive and save a lot of time carving.

Yeah. Those itsy bitsy finger planes are only for wimps. This Australian violin maker shows how real men carve the tops. Would be even easier with an arch top as it is so much bigger and doesn't need all this delicacy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2n1W5THyGQ

Nice bit of work with a spade too.

[Hans Bezemer]

Ok Simon, your post just made my evening...

[Greg McKnight]

… an angle grinder …. would be fairly inexpensive and save a lot of time carving.

Yeah. Those itsy bitsy finger planes are only for wimps. This Australian violin maker shows how real men carve the tops. Would be even easier with an arch top as it is so much bigger and doesn't need all this delicacy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2n1W5THyGQ

Nice bit of work with a spade too.

Even angle grinders are for wimps to Mr. Chainsaw.

[Gilbert Fredrickson]

Wow. You have all been so helpful with this. I have an angle grinder. I had thought about a small adz and a convex plane, but the grinder is handy.

I'm totally stuck on a room addition and deck project. I promised someone a crossover guitar but I don't think I can do that with all of y tools 3000 miles away. The next thing I thought about, after the archtop, is a solid body. Parts are, however, fairly pricey. Then someone mentioned the grinder. I'm really good with a grinder.

I can make spool clamps and jigs. I need a low angle Stanley SW block plane and maybe the SW low angle Jack plane. I can justify the the block plane. Fretting tools can be justified. I have bar clamps. Two large and two medium cam clamps could be justified. I'd like to have another Japanese saw. I have no gouges at home. I do need a decimal 36" shop rule. So...good, so far.

[Mark Swanson]

To me, there is no such thing as a "simple" archtop guitar.

[Paul Kincaid]

You can do an awful lot with a drill press. I use a flexible rubber sanding disc designed for metal work mounted in a press to rough out my carved and archet tops. I use a pin router now, but you can use the depth stop to drill top thickness reference points to sand out the inside. A safe-t-planer can be used to shape and thickness many things.

The only power tool I would miss terribly is a hand held router.

Add a couple of scrapers and fretting tools and you could likely scrape by a build.