Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Bosch Laminate Trimmer and Cheap Mando Family Letter: Bosch Laminate Trimmer and Cheap Mando Family by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #26, 1991 Concerning Bill Colgan, Jr.’s letter and the Dremel tool: it has always been a wimpy little router, but the new one really is a dog. My new one has the same problem as Bill’s. In the middle of cutting a saddle slot the chuck began whipping around, cutting a jagged slot. Adjusting the cut to almost nothing didn’t help. Dremel has always been very good about fixing or replacing their Moto-Tools (you have to have at least two, so that you can keep working while the broken/burned-up one is in transit), but this looked like a design flaw. I splurged on a Bosch 1608L laminate trimmer, and I couldn’t be happier. The Bosch is what all Moto-Tools want to be when they grow up. Woodworker’s Supply of New Mexico (among others) sells a kit of carbide bits, 1/16", 3/16", and 1/8" cutters on a 1/8" shaft. A brass collet adaptor for 1/4" collets comes with the kit, and once you have the adaptor you can use most of your Dremel bits. You have to make all new jigs, but it’s worth it. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Osage Orange Letter: Osage Orange by Rion Dudley Originally published in American Lutherie #36, 1993 Dear GAL, I’d like to express my appreciation to all who have contributed to the GAL over the years. I especially want Rick Turner and Harry Fleishman to know that their knowledge, opinions, and ideas have been a great help to my lutherie work. The recent publication of the information on alternative lutherie woods has inspired me to share my own experience. A number of years ago (longer than I wish to remember), Ted Davis wrote an article about his experience using Osage orange for a small-bodied Martin-style guitar. I read that article with great interest, and purchased some Osage orange that was nearly quartered from Gilmer Woods. The wood sat around my shop and collected dust for quite awhile. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Questions: Fret Shape and Tonality Questions: Fret Shape and Tonality by R.M. Mottola Originally published in American Lutherie #76, 2003 R.M. Mottola of Newton, MA answers Earles L. Mc Caul’s question regarding the effects of guitar fret shape upon intonation and tonality. The short answer is no effects whatsoever. There is a good (but highly technical) article on this subject by Steve Newberry in The Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Two, p. 106, “Fret Crown Radius: A Cause of Pitch Error?”
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Crystals in Wood Cells Letter: Crystals in Wood Cells by Bill Moran Originally published in American Lutherie #35, 1993 Dear Tim, In American Lutherie #33, Nicholas Von Robison has sent a signal, maybe unknowingly, that there are scientific activities related with lutherie that are not well known or yet fully appreciated as part of quality instrument assessment. I am referring to the growth of crystals in the wood parenchyma cells. Concern over acid rain also leads me to openly ask, what are the effects of acid rain on the crystal development and their performance, and who is doing the studies, if any? I hope this letter will catch the attention of the Wood Chemists and the true wood anatomists amongst the membership and that they also will respond to my questions. Mr. Von Robison appears to be well informed on wood chemistry and I hope he will publish related data or suggest sources for the details he has on these subjects. Microphotographs of wood samples taken under the electron microscope has shown that crystals are present, and separate spectrum analysis have been made of their mineral content. Information is sparse but I believe important since I am referring to the crystals in spruce and maple woods, although I do have reports describing the crystals in a number of other woods. This study includes unique measurement instrument construction, computer programs, resources, and time. I will be pleased to correspond with anyone pursuing study related to material in this letter.
Posted on January 10, 2010February 7, 2024 by Dale Phillips Letter: Remembering Robert Bouchet Letter: Remembering Robert Bouchet by Philippe Refig Originally published in American Lutherie #71, 2002 Dear Sirs, Coming back to Europe in 1973 from America where I had been working for some years, I had the nasty surprise of opening my guitar case in Paris, to find my Contreras flamenco guitar broken. One of the components of the heel had become unstuck. Cracks were wide open on the ribs on each side of the neck. In those times I used to keep my guitar with me in the cabin without having to pay for an extra seat. But that day they took my guitar just before boarding and put in the hold. I thought I was prepared for all eventualities: I had made a rain cover for the case and put polyurethane under it. I had pieces of foam in strategic places inside the case to keep the guitar steady. Well, apparently that was not enough. I was pretty sad when I saw the damage. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
