Posted on July 8, 2024June 20, 2025 by Dale Phillips Pearly Shells and Nichols Pearly Shells and Nichols by David Nichols from his 1984 GAL Convention lecture Originally published in American Lutherie #1, 1985 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, 2000 My shop recently did two guitars for the Martin Company which are elaborate enough that they encompass basically all the different techniques used in pearl inlay. We inlaid the tortoise shell pickguards, the rosewood headstocks, ebony fingerboards, and all edgebinding. I photographed many steps in this process, and we can look at these as examples. Here’s a picture of where I’m going to cut the pearl and do the inlay work (Photo 1). I have taken an extra liberty with our cutting board, drilling a series of holes in the back where I can stand all the little Dremel attachments that I’m going to need. When we cut pearl, it is either filed, or ground with the Dremel to an exacting contour after we saw it. It gives you a much better looking job if you touch up the sawn edges of the pieces before you put them in. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on June 13, 2024May 15, 2025 by Dale Phillips A Review of Indoor Air Quality Health Issues A Review of Indoor Air Quality Health Issues for the Home Woodworking Shop by Robert A. Edelstein Originally published in American Lutherie #86, 2006 Indoor air quality is an important issue for the luthier and woodworker to consider. While certainly not a glamorous topic, the benefits of learning some of the important concepts, (and making appropriate changes to protect your health), are certainly worth the effort. I look forward to my time in the shop. The pleasure of woodworking is tempered with chores, though, and I spend some time cleaning up the place before and after each work session. When I first walk in, it looks fairly clean. Upon closer inspection, I find a thin layer of dust is actually covering a surprising number of the surfaces. This became more apparent to me recently when my son and I remodeled our basement shop, and the tremendous amount of dust hidden in the crevices became visible. In addition, my son began to wheeze within a few minutes of entering the shop, and only fresh air provided relief. 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 September 22, 2021May 22, 2025 by Dale Phillips Shop-Made Bandsaw Dust Port Shop-Made Bandsaw Dust Port by John Calkin Published online by Guild of American Luthiers, September 2021 My old bandsaw was made before dust ports were added to every power machine, so I made one out of wood. It's a close copy of the heavy-gauge steel cover for the lower wheel but made out of light plywood. The dust port itself was purchased and screwed to the cover. A mahogany interface to accept the 3" vacuum hose was made to fit the port. The sides of the cover were kerfed to permit easy bending to match the original metal cover. I think the rest of the construction is self-explanatory. ◆ All photos by John Calkin
Posted on August 12, 2021May 26, 2025 by Dale Phillips Your Most Important Machine Your Most Important Machine by Teri K. Novak, D.C. from her 1995 GAL Convention workshop Originally published in American Lutherie #46, 1996 How many of you have back or neck pain at work or after your work day? In this workshop we will cover: 1) body mechanics, 2) the two main rules you should follow to avoid pain, and 3) how to apply the rules in your shop. Rule #1: All structures of your spine are under the least amount of stress when you maintain the normal curves. This means twenty-four hours a day no matter what you are doing! Fig. 1 shows what the normal curves are from the side. From the back, your spine should be maintained in a straight line. Let’s look at how your body is built to see why this rule is true. To have any body movement, (except the movement from gravity) or to change position, a muscle must contract, that is, get shorter. 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 April 8, 2021May 22, 2025 by Dale Phillips Hand Sander Dust Collection Hand Sander Dust Collection by John Calkin Published online by Guild of American Luthiers, April 2021 Shop dust is a pervasive enemy that can cause damage to the lungs and sinuses. One of the silliest inventions ever is the dust collection bag that is hung on many hand sanders in an attempt to convince woodworkers that the manufacturers care about our health. They don't work, they might even blow off of the machine causing a dust cloud of their own, and the irregular port sizes make it difficult to improvise a vacuum hookup. I broke down and bought a new DeWalt DWE6421 sander along with the DWV9000 hose-to-sander adaptor and a 20' length of 2" hose, all for about $110 from Amazon. The long hose is to keep me as far away from the noisy shop vac as possible, though I still wear earmuffs while working. The rig works very well, much better than even the powerful down-draft table I used at Huss & Dalton Guitars. It's not perfect, though, and a particle mask should still be worn for safety. All photos by John Calkin Remember that the filter in the shop vac will clog up and need cleaning long before the collection tub is full. As the photo illustrates, it is way too easy to put off cleaning it for too long. I intend to be more diligent. ◆
