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Intro to P.E.G.

Intro to P.E.G.

by H.E. Huttig

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #35, 1976



This is an abstract of an article written by Mr. H.L. Mitchell, retired Chief of the former Division of Wood Quality Research, Forest Products Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Not all material contained may be useful to luthiers. I leave it to the individuals to choose such things as they may wish to try and to apply to instrument building.


Wood is an exceedingly complex and variable material. You will know that wood shrinks and swells with changes in atmospheric moisture. This plus problems of checking, splitting, warp, and broken glue joints are all too familiar to you. Treatment with PEG (Polyethylene glycol–1000) greatly improves the dimensional stability of wood and eliminates many of the problems.

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Neck-to-Body Joint

Neck-to-Body Joint

by Garth Fleming

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #74, 1978 and Lutherie Woods and Steel String Guitars, 1998

 

This method of joining the neck to the body was discovered by a violinmaker friend and is effective and reasonably easy to cut. It’s basically a straight mortise and tenon joint with an angle (a) added, which gives it a locking effect like a dovetail joint. The sides of the tenon are cut and the angle a is cut. If a tight fit is managed with the female section in the heel block, it makes a reliable joint. ◆

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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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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.

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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. ◆