www.KitGuitarsForum.com

All three daughters and families showed up over the weekend for our family Christmas celebration. One of my daughters owns her own guitar repair shop (brooklynlutherie.com) and she is almost as much of a tool fanatic as I am. She gave me one of Frank Ford's string winders and it is a beauty. Mine has a Koa handle. note in the photo that the handle is tipped in from the head - this is so you don't have to move your whole arm when you wind strings - just your wrist. This is a great idea and works really nicely. Happy dad.

Ed

That's nice Ed. I have a couple the type on the left side that I carry in my cases.

Here is a photo of my homemade winder. It's made of acetal (Delrin). The handle rotates. It would be nice to add a bridge pin puller, somehow.

MaineGeezer wrote:Here is a photo of my homemade winder. It's made of acetal (Delrin). The handle rotates. It would be nice to add a bridge pin puller, somehow.

A pin lifter on the end of the stem would be a worthwhile invention. Does the black tuning button holder have a soft rubber lining in the pocket to gently grip the tuning button? My hard plastic one flies off-head easily, if I'm not careful.

PS Ed, does your daughter sell the winder? I enjoy reading her lutherie articles in Stewmac and online.

MaineGeezer wrote: Does the black tuning button holder have a soft rubber lining in the pocket to gently grip the tuning button? My hard plastic one flies off-head easily, if I'm not careful.

No, it has the same problem, such as it is. It's mildly annoying, but not sufficiently so to make me want to try to do anything about it.

Dan

Frank Ford makes them himself and sells them through his shop, Gryphon Instruments. Here is the page from their website:

https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/product ... s-acrylic-

Ed

MG-Is there a good place to buy chunks of Delrin? Can I use the same cutters that I use to mill metals? Thanks, Bob

There are several sources for smallish blocks and rods of Delrin on eBay. If you want something specific and eBay can't deliver, you can probably get it from McMaster-Carr http://www.mcmaster.com

You may find that McMaster's prices to be as good as, or better than, eBay prices. Generally not, but it's worth making sure.

One thing about ordering from McMaster: they don't tell you what the shipping charges are going to be. In my years of ordering from them though, I've always found the shipping charges to be "reasonable."

As far as machining Delrin: yes, woodworking cutters, or milling cutters you'd use on metal, are fine. It makes long ribbon chips, which can be a nuisance, but other than that I find it very nice to work with.

Thanks MG. I see there is a bunch on eBay. I'd like to try making one of those string winders. Frank's are very nice, but I can't see buying several to fit different buttons. Plastic ones work just fine, but it would be fun to make a couple of custom ones. Have a great Holiday Season.--Bob

I just added a drawing of the socket and a general assembly drawing, fwiw.