Looking forward to the Jigs and Fixtures series Kevin! ..."Making your own jigs and fixtures will strengthen you as a crafts person" - I couldn't agree more.
I think the real trick is keeping your junk collection organized enough that you can find things or at least know where to search without spending hours each time you try to access it. I hope you offer some advice in that regards. Inspiring video, Kevin. Thanks for sharing.
I'm going to make my wife watch this video Kevin! I've been on this planet for 72 years now and been doing this for the last 50 years at least. I even had to build a 20' x 10' shed to take the overflow although I need a bit more organisation. You're right so much gets thrown away that could be utilised and the trouble with most jig/tool manufacturers is that their products are either too generic or too niche always believed that you know your needs best? So build it to match your need, also if you're skilled enough to make the project you'll be skilled enough to make the jig you need to produce it so no excuses and it makes it so much cheaper (I'm a fan of saving money being a Yorkshireman🤣👍🏼) Keep on keeping on and thanks for taking the time
Love that you’re helping “sever the umbilical cord from luthier supply houses”… But then you demonstrated your stash of goodies that you’re storing in a Stewmac box hahahahaha. That cracked me up. The irony. Good video man. Love watching your channel
I've seen people use some really deep clamps, and if I remember they used them to clamp the bridge on to the body. I think they had some kind of cam lever. I'd be interested in making some of those. I've seen a few people use some deep C clamps for a similar process, but if I knew how to make the clamps out of wood, then I could make them to fit different body styles, and etc. I tend to toss the items that you've shown, but that's because I've never had or really tried to store them. If I organized it and stored them away, it would go along way into it "being items I can use when I need them" vs "junk in the corner I need to toss". Thanks for the videos!
ive done the same since i was a kid!..mum had these itchy fibreglass type of curtains and i managed to get some polyester resin and i make a skateboard deck from the curtains!..
Good video! I'm a collector of old stuff too, and coincidentally today I'm sorting through and throwing away everything that's completely unusable. In the meantime I already have 4 full curver boxes for the container park.
This is a great idea for a series, Kevin. I am 100% with you already on hoarding bits and pieces you pick up or tear off defunct machinery. I pick up stuff like this also from the bins at my local recycling centre - another good source of potential parts and useful components. Looking forward to the series!
Something that folks new to building their own stuff I don't think fully appreciate is that you'll spend a LOT of time making jigs for projects. Some projects, I spend more time on the jigs than the actual thing I'm making. Jig making, as you said, makes you a better crafts-person. Beyond what you already mentioned, it also opens the way to making more and more complicated projects because you can make a jig to help you.
My wife already thinks I'm nuts because I save stuff. If she finds out I'm stashing even more little do-dads that she can obviously ascertain belong in the trash, she might just leave me. Of course, that would give me a lot of new storage space for stuff...
Keeping parts is cool. But for those of us who have very small shops, space is way too much of a premium to fill it up with parts. I keep stuff that I think I can use. But if I haven't used it in a year or two, it has to go to make room for stuff I do use. I live on the west coast. Sometimes I get jealous of you guys with huge cheap spaces. But then I see all the snow and slush. ;-)
Hey! good show,,again. Oh---man yes what a great inventory! You're not that far from us I'm gonna go visit if we need special stuff! LOL-LOL. Most do not understand that creativity is enhanced by the envisioning of the end product and what one needs to do so. I've had some folks refer to such collections as clutter, and it is upsetting to say the least. We bought some 4/40 1/4" machine screws the other day and they were $0.67 each.!!! $$$11.and change for 12 TINY--LITTLE machine screws. And the quality of the machining is bordering on sucks! Geeeze-wiz ridiculous/expensive hardware prices nowadays. You have thousands of dollars of good stuff! I cant buy the jigs that I need for custom fabrications in my local hardware store. Buying them from a supply house isn't always what one really needs because they make what "they think" you need. And get what 20 million guitars already are. Jigs are built for repeatability and most often for one job.
I agree, but you can go wrong in the other direction too. Sometimes the purchased solution is a better choice. What if you don’t have a shop with a pile of parts, you then have to buy parts, you may not have the background and experience to design and make some of these things. I’m a tradesman with 50 years working in shops and I look at some of the jigs and decide, it’s better for me to just buy it (and I have a pile of old junk). I have a son who is a welding engineer and an uncle with a tool and die shop, so I do make many of my own jigs and tools but sometimes it does make more sense to just buy the commercially available one. DIY is not always the best answer
I agree that it's often wise to buy pre-made jigs, especially when they solve a problem and do it well, case in a point, the Power Cable Omnijig. Still, makers often encounter unique problems for which there is no manufactured solution, and that's where the need to make tooling becomes important. I've noticed over the years, the development of a plethora of melamine veneered and anodized aluminum gadgets for about every common machine found in shops. I think they are solutions in search of a problem and they mislead new and inexperienced makers. They appear to solve a problem, but they really don't solve any problem , sort of like a calculator; it can't do mathematics for you. You have to understand it before you can get the devise to produce results.
Thank you for showing this! Now I won't feel as bad about all the boxes and boxes of bolts, metal strips, bearings, shafts, pipe etc. and etc. that was collected over the last 50 years. It is exactly true....... these kinds of things helps creativity. And besides...it is fun to take things and repurpose them. Now, what to do with all those great scraps of wood that are too small for anything......
Love it Kevin! Looking forward to seeing where you go with this! Thank you for your hard work. Your videos have really helped me as I start down the guitar building road 😊
Great idea for a series. I am on the fence about starting my first guitar build, don’t want to do a kit, but also don’t quite know what the most important jigs would be. If it’s going to be a multi part series, may I suggest starting with the ones you think are the most bang for your buck?
Maybe you could get everybody to make vid's of their stuff,,,, man do we ever have a collection, not so orderly, and a lot of piano hardware. Then if one sees something in someones stuff that they don't have to fabricate a jig might be able to barter or purchase the stuff one needs! I'm just semi joking. (prolonged) LOL! Maybe call it the bright Ideas channel or something.??
I enjoy your videos, but the sound volume is so low that I have to crank it WAY up to hear it at all, and then the commercials are ear splitting, insanely loud. 😒
I like to know why they went from tail pieces to bridges is there a pro and con of that question whether is the tail piece better or bridge better or vice versa
A guitar top that incorporates a tailpiece is quite different from one that employs a glued down bridge. It can be thinner and therefore, louder, but it operates differently as well. The to with a tailpiece and moveable bridge tend to move up and down more easily (monopole and dipole response) allowing for lower frequency enhancement. I made one of these two years ago and while it was not successful in my opinion, it has an interesting volume combined with a slightly hollow, nasal character. The sound is not at all bad, but is reminiscent what might be described as a very high end "Stella" with better bass and sustain.
I made a video on that several years ago and recently deleted it. It seriously lacked quality in every regard. there are some good videos out there, but I may do another one. Thanks for sort of suggesting that.
Looking forward to the Jigs and Fixtures series Kevin! ..."Making your own jigs and fixtures will strengthen you as a crafts person" - I couldn't agree more.
I think the real trick is keeping your junk collection organized enough that you can find things or at least know where to search without spending hours each time you try to access it. I hope you offer some advice in that regards. Inspiring video, Kevin. Thanks for sharing.
This is one of the more interesting videos you have done. Tool and jog making is as much a part of woodworking as a saw or drill. Please continue.
I'm going to make my wife watch this video Kevin! I've been on this planet for 72 years now and been doing this for the last 50 years at least. I even had to build a 20' x 10' shed to take the overflow although I need a bit more organisation. You're right so much gets thrown away that could be utilised and the trouble with most jig/tool manufacturers is that their products are either too generic or too niche always believed that you know your needs best? So build it to match your need, also if you're skilled enough to make the project you'll be skilled enough to make the jig you need to produce it so no excuses and it makes it so much cheaper (I'm a fan of saving money being a Yorkshireman🤣👍🏼) Keep on keeping on and thanks for taking the time
A fellow Yorkshireman after my own heart. Making jigs is as much fun as making the guitars for me !
I totally agree. I just completed building my thickness sander.
Love that you’re helping “sever the umbilical cord from luthier supply houses”… But then you demonstrated your stash of goodies that you’re storing in a Stewmac box hahahahaha. That cracked me up. The irony. Good video man. Love watching your channel
I've seen people use some really deep clamps, and if I remember they used them to clamp the bridge on to the body. I think they had some kind of cam lever. I'd be interested in making some of those. I've seen a few people use some deep C clamps for a similar process, but if I knew how to make the clamps out of wood, then I could make them to fit different body styles, and etc.
I tend to toss the items that you've shown, but that's because I've never had or really tried to store them. If I organized it and stored them away, it would go along way into it "being items I can use when I need them" vs "junk in the corner I need to toss".
Thanks for the videos!
Love the idea
Looks like my workshop and very much what I do, I have both wood working and engineering facilities at home.
ive done the same since i was a kid!..mum had these itchy fibreglass type of curtains and i managed to get some polyester resin and i make a skateboard deck from the curtains!..
I'm going to show this video to my wife! I knew there was a reason I have so much junk! 😂
Junk is good, especially if it's free!
Good video! I'm a collector of old stuff too, and coincidentally today I'm sorting through and throwing away everything that's completely unusable. In the meantime I already have 4 full curver boxes for the container park.
This is a great idea for a series, Kevin. I am 100% with you already on hoarding bits and pieces you pick up or tear off defunct machinery. I pick up stuff like this also from the bins at my local recycling centre - another good source of potential parts and useful components. Looking forward to the series!
you don't know what you don't. need until you don't. need it!!!
Something that folks new to building their own stuff I don't think fully appreciate is that you'll spend a LOT of time making jigs for projects. Some projects, I spend more time on the jigs than the actual thing I'm making. Jig making, as you said, makes you a better crafts-person. Beyond what you already mentioned, it also opens the way to making more and more complicated projects because you can make a jig to help you.
My wife already thinks I'm nuts because I save stuff. If she finds out I'm stashing even more little do-dads that she can obviously ascertain belong in the trash, she might just leave me. Of course, that would give me a lot of new storage space for stuff...
Keeping parts is cool. But for those of us who have very small shops, space is way too much of a premium to fill it up with parts. I keep stuff that I think I can use. But if I haven't used it in a year or two, it has to go to make room for stuff I do use. I live on the west coast. Sometimes I get jealous of you guys with huge cheap spaces. But then I see all the snow and slush. ;-)
Hey! good show,,again.
Oh---man yes what a great inventory!
You're not that far from us I'm gonna go visit if we need special stuff! LOL-LOL.
Most do not understand that creativity is enhanced by the envisioning of the end product and what one needs to do so.
I've had some folks refer to such collections as clutter, and it is upsetting to say the least.
We bought some 4/40 1/4" machine screws the other day and they were $0.67 each.!!!
$$$11.and change for 12 TINY--LITTLE machine screws.
And the quality of the machining is bordering on sucks!
Geeeze-wiz ridiculous/expensive hardware prices nowadays.
You have thousands of dollars of good stuff!
I cant buy the jigs that I need for custom fabrications in my local hardware store.
Buying them from a supply house isn't always what one really needs because they make what "they think" you need. And get what 20 million guitars already are.
Jigs are built for repeatability and most often for one job.
Thank you, Kevin, your hard work is invaluable !
I appreciate you and the content you’ve made available on your channel. It’s refreshing and inspiring. Cheers.
I agree, but you can go wrong in the other direction too. Sometimes the purchased solution is a better choice. What if you don’t have a shop with a pile of parts, you then have to buy parts, you may not have the background and experience to design and make some of these things. I’m a tradesman with 50 years working in shops and I look at some of the jigs and decide, it’s better for me to just buy it (and I have a pile of old junk). I have a son who is a welding engineer and an uncle with a tool and die shop, so I do make many of my own jigs and tools but sometimes it does make more sense to just buy the commercially available one. DIY is not always the best answer
I agree that it's often wise to buy pre-made jigs, especially when they solve a problem and do it well, case in a point, the Power Cable Omnijig. Still, makers often encounter unique problems for which there is no manufactured solution, and that's where the need to make tooling becomes important. I've noticed over the years, the development of a plethora of melamine veneered and anodized aluminum gadgets for about every common machine found in shops. I think they are solutions in search of a problem and they mislead new and inexperienced makers. They appear to solve a problem, but they really don't solve any problem , sort of like a calculator; it can't do mathematics for you. You have to understand it before you can get the devise to produce results.
Thank you for showing this! Now I won't feel as bad about all the boxes and boxes of bolts, metal strips, bearings, shafts, pipe etc. and etc. that was collected over the last 50 years. It is exactly true....... these kinds of things helps creativity. And besides...it is fun to take things and repurpose them. Now, what to do with all those great scraps of wood that are too small for anything......
Love it Kevin! Looking forward to seeing where you go with this! Thank you for your hard work. Your videos have really helped me as I start down the guitar building road 😊
Hi from hull, UK, looking forward to the jiggy mithings,
Yep I got the same boxes, do you want some more, not as organised though
Great idea for a series. I am on the fence about starting my first guitar build, don’t want to do a kit, but also don’t quite know what the most important jigs would be. If it’s going to be a multi part series, may I suggest starting with the ones you think are the most bang for your buck?
Video title "Hoarding can be your friend" LOL. On a more serious note; could we see how you constructed your heating element for bending?
My bending iron is one that I purchased from Luthier's Mercantile around 25 years ago.
Just making the jig is fun but when I end up using the jig and it works I find even more pressure in building whatever I am building.
Truer words never spoken! Sometimes I've wondered if i'd be happier making jigs than I would making the stuff I made the jigs for.
Maybe you could get everybody to make vid's of their stuff,,,, man do we ever have a collection, not so orderly, and a lot of piano hardware.
Then if one sees something in someones stuff that they don't have to fabricate a jig might be able to barter or purchase the stuff one needs!
I'm just semi joking. (prolonged) LOL!
Maybe call it the bright Ideas channel or something.??
I enjoy your videos, but the sound volume is so low that I have to crank it WAY up to hear it at all, and then the commercials are ear splitting, insanely loud. 😒
I like to know why they went from tail pieces to bridges is there a pro and con of that question whether is the tail piece better or bridge better or vice versa
A guitar top that incorporates a tailpiece is quite different from one that employs a glued down bridge. It can be thinner and therefore, louder, but it operates differently as well. The to with a tailpiece and moveable bridge tend to move up and down more easily (monopole and dipole response) allowing for lower frequency enhancement. I made one of these two years ago and while it was not successful in my opinion, it has an interesting volume combined with a slightly hollow, nasal character. The sound is not at all bad, but is reminiscent what might be described as a very high end "Stella" with better bass and sustain.
Kevin do you have any more info on your kerf cutting jig by any chance? Thankyou👍🏼👍🏼
I made a video on that several years ago and recently deleted it. It seriously lacked quality in every regard. there are some good videos out there, but I may do another one. Thanks for sort of suggesting that.
I will look forward to that Kevin if you get the time? 👍🏼👍🏼@@thepragmaticluthier