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Glass Jars for Spray Guns

Glass Jars for Spray Guns

by Tim Olsen

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #91, 1978



Commercial spray guns, such as the DeVilbiss type MBC, typically use aluminum cans to hold the juice. Aluminum cans are lightweight and unbreakable. They are also expensive and inconvenient, in that they must be labeled; the contents can not be viewed without uncorking the cans.

By substituting glass jars for the aluminum cans, many advantages can be realized:

Jars are cheap.

Jars are clear, allowing one to observe the contents instantly, and to check for sediments, precipitates, jungjills, farfles, and other forms of grungus.

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It Worked for Me: Danco Bend-O-Matic

It Worked for Me: Danco Bend-O-Matic

by Daniel Fobert

Originally published in American Lutherie #90, 2007



Here are some pictures of my DANCO BEND-O-MATIC. I took on this project to advance my elementary machining skills and to get a laugh. My object was to be able to introduce a piece of fret wire into the BEND-O-MATIC, have a powered mechanism start automatically, bend the wire to a predetermined radius, and stop when the bend was complete — all without turning a crank.

It was a great hit at last December’s LINT meeting (Luthier’s Interactive of North Texas) — at least as much as my one-handed 9v powered cam clamp. Everyone with a camera phone was maneuvering for a picture.

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Separating Glued Joints

Separating Glued Joints

by Nick Hayden

Originally published as Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #7, 1975

 

Here’s a good method for separating glue. I’ve taken so many tops off without breaking, it isn’t even funny.

First of all, you have to get white vinegar, then heat it up. It has to be hot.

Work it into the glue joint. Use a razor knife and a small brush. The glue will turn white and you can work it loose.

I told this to Bill Spigelsky, and he couldn’t get over it, when he tried it. ◆

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Foam Cases

Foam Cases

by Reagan Cole

Originally published as Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #62, 1978



These paper-styrene laminates are very strong. I can safely sit on a board made up of 1” foam and two sides of cardboard.

It is most convenient to use cloth hinges, elastic, snaps and velcro in your closure system.

Styrene laminates also make good forms for laminating forms in vacuum presses. No deformation, as gas pressure in the foam “cells” equal outside air pressure.

Suitable glues for styrene foam cores include: white glue, yellow glue, hot melt, pet, ether based impact adhesive (“Styro Bond”). Eposy works, but won’t cut with a hot wire.

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Guitar Outline Formula

Guitar Outline Formula

by Leo Bidne

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #79, 1978



From taking several measurements of various guitars, I’ve discovered only slight differences from one to the next. These differences seem to contribute very little to the finished sound. The question is, what is the reason for making a guitar the shape that it is? What are the determining factors, besides the obvious ones? Can there be a “formula” that produces an “ideal” outline? This is what I set out to find.

What I came up with, rather independently, so closely resembles, at least in dimension, the existing standard outline of the classic guitar as introduced by Torres, that I wonder if a similar technique may have been in use in the past, in some modified form. This formula, based on the string length, may be of no use to acoustical science, but it’s as fun as a math game, and twice as surprising. Although the information below describes how to derive an outline for a classic guitar with a string length of 65CM, joining the body at the 12th fret, it can also be used, with slight modifications, for other instruments, such as the flattop, the acoustic bass, the electric guitar, etc. Once the outline is established, the depth of the sound cavity can be adjusted with the sides, helping to establish the instruments sonority, as well as adjusting the soundboard bracing.

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