Music is the universal language
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14
Lutherie - the making of guitars
Axes Follow Me
I stopped collecting axes about 15 years when I realized that I had more axes than I could use. If I were a large guy I suppose I could swing an axe in each hand, but I am not Paul Bunyan, though my father was, he could swing a double bitted axe with each hand and run chainsaw while holding it in his mouth.
There is a quiver of axes in my shop, here's a short list: my grandfather's Kelly double bitted axe that he used back in the 1930's and 1940's when he was a logger; my father-in-law's double bitted axe he had made for him by a blacksmith back in the early 1930's when he was cutting wood for mine tunnels in Colorado; and my Collins boy axe that my father bought for me when I was ten years old. There are more axes in the quiver, but I want to talk about how axes find me now that I don't look for them.
My wife and I are renovating a 110 plus year old adobe house, everyday we work on it I am thankful that I was a professional carpenter and a historic preservation carpenter. I love to work on old houses, I always learn a trick or technique from those old carpenters that originally built the houses.
After we removed the ceiling latillas and the dirt that covered them, I put down a tongue and groove boards over the vigas and while I was doing that I noticed something sitting on the adobe wall just next to a roof rafter. It was a single bit axe head. In the next rafter bay there was a shingling hatchet.
I took these downstairs and showed them to my wife, she proceeded to laugh and said, "I guess axes just follow you around! They always find you!"
The single bit axe head is in great shape, a few dings and dents from use, but it wasn't abused. From what little research I have done on the Internet, apparently the "P" means it was made by the Marion Toolworks. I haven't weighed the head yet, it is probably close to 2.75 pounds.
Finding the single bit head means that I now three smaller axe heads to helve! I might ask a blacksmith friend if he wants the hatchet for use in his blacksmithing demonstrations. I might grind the hammer head on the hatchet a bit, maybe reshape the bit also, but that means I would have to make time to do that. Right now I have a house to work on and a classical guitar to finish!
Now, get out into your shop and make something!
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
New Substack Post - In Search of the Best Finish for a Classical Guitar: Revisted and Revised
Varnishing, is really time consuming, taking almost as long as it takes to build a guitar…
Antonio Marin, master guitar maker, Granada, Spain.
I posted a new to read Substack, this afternoon, revisiting my search for the best finish for a classical guitar!
The above photo is of a requinto that I made this year!
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
Walnut Handle for a Fretsaw
A very long time ago, when I first started making musical instruments, I bought a Deer brand, made in Germany fretsaw from the now defunct Luthiers Mercantile Incorporated, to saw fret slots in the fret boards of the mountain dulcimers I was making at the time. The saw had a "gent's saw" handle on it and I didn't like the handle, it wasn't very ergonomic. Aldren Watson had a plan for an open handle in his book, Hand Tools, and I like the look of it. I took a piece of black walnut that a local sawyer gave me and I fitted a handle to that saw. The saw was easier to use with a new handle. I still own that saw.
I do own a very expensive, custom made fretsaw that works well, though I have to reset and sharpen it after cutting slots in just two ebony fretboards. The saw is a little too heavy for my taste and the handle is hung a little too low, when I deepen the 13th through 19th frets on a classical guitar, the lower part of the handle hits the side of the guitar. That is not a good thing. I have thought about re-handling that saw, but I won't because I know if I do re-handle it, it will lose much of its resale value.
There is a luthier supply company that sells fretsaws that are made in Sheffield, England.
The saws aren't sharp upon arrival and I have to give the teeth more set so they will cut proper sized kerf required for the fretwire I use. And the saw blade is backwards, the teeth cut on the pull stroke, but they are not filed and shaped like a Japanese saw. I was always told by old time carpenters that that fancy bit of folded brass on the saw's back is supposed to help keep the saw cutting straight, and they said there was no need for a Westerner to cut on the pull stroke.
I took one of the saws and dismantled it. After looking it over, for the price a person has to pay for these saws one would think the fit and finish would be better, and the blade be of better steel.
I shortened the brass back bar and trimmed the saw blade, which it hindsight I didn't have to do. Next time I do this I will leave the saw blade saw and then do some tricky ripsawing on the handle to make the blade fit.
The completed saw handle mounted on the saw with split nuts. Please note that the saw's teeth are properly oriented to cut on the push stroke.
If you have any question and you want an answer, please send it to me at highcountrylutherie@gmail.com
If you put the question in comments, I won't answer it. Thanks!
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
New Substack - Building a Guitar Without Instructions
Check out my latest Substack post!
New steel string acoustic guitars in progress, will be available for sale by the beginning of summer!
Stayed tuned for updates!
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
