A StewMac kit is sitting on my bench

[Srick]

Well the StewMax membership has now paid for itself, and getting an extra 10% off the order for accepting texts saves another $40.

Then the obligatory trip to HF for 'stuff', Amazon for spool clamps, LMI for something or other.... And of course, I'll have all this great stuff on hand for #2. I better live a long and healthy life otherwise, my wife's going to have a lot of stuff to get rid of.

And just to jog your memory, a house is just a place for your 'stuff'

https://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac George Carlin talks about 'his 'stuff' as it seems the YouTube function isn't functioning.

[allmodcons]

I am also getting ready to build a Stewmac kit. 000 Rosewood. Like you,I am sweating that binding above all,lol.I have been on a forum reading binge and having built a few Telecasters from scratch,I feel like a "confident beginner" ....
Curious if anybody has seen a posting that lists what tools,jigs,etc. are worth buying/building,and items that you are better off just"biting the bullet" and buying... for someone that is an intermediate woodworker and is planning to build more than a few acoustics. Thanks!

[MaineGeezer]

There are a couple of suggested tools lists on here someplace. It somewhat depends on how much you're willing to do "the hard way" and at what point you say "I could spend the next five hours doing this, or I could spend $300 for a <nifty gadget> and do it in 5 minutes...I opt for 5 minutes"

I've eased the feeling I'm somehow selling out by doing a job by hand, once, then saying, "Okay, I've proved I can do it -- I don't need to do it again."

You do need a few basic tools.
A couple of GOOD chisels, and a way to keep them SHARP. If you can't shave hair off your am, it's not sharp enough.
A couple of GOOD planes, ditto about sharpness. A small block is plane is very handy. Used planes are frequently better quality than new. Old Stanleys, Baileys, etc. Just be sure you pay used tool prices, not collector prices.
Assorted hammers, files, screwdrivers, etc. Get good ones. Cheap tools are no bargain,
The more expensive stuff
a guitar mold
a side bender (although you can pay to get sides bent)
a binding machine (although there are cheaper alternatives)
a bandsaw (although I built 6 guitars without one)
a thickness sander (although you can plane a top, sides, and back to thickness, by the time you get down to 0.110" it gets a bit dicey)
Radius sanding dishes, approx. 15' radius for the back, 25' radius for the top.
More clamps than you would believe.
It helps to cultivate friendships with people who own tools you can borrow,

[Jhunt]

Hi all!

For my 70th birthday, my wife got me a StewMac OM kit. Fortunately, I have a pretty good credit card available for all of the required tools, and a StewMac preferred account to expedite the shipping of all of those tools. I don’t think that she had any idea of how deep this rabbit hole goes. I haven't had the heart to tell her that the $649 kit turns into a $1649 guitar.

I am already sweating routing the binding slot and finishing the guitar. And, some of you may know me from AGF where I am a long time participant and moderator. First purchase… hygrometer for the shop! Then… clamps…. Lots of clamps.

Nice to be here.


Rick

Central Connecticut

Hi Rick,
I just joined and grew up in Cheshire, CT. How is the kit coming along?

James

[phavriluk]

Before OP goes and buys everything from Stew Mac, he ought to realize that they're just about the most costly source of tools of all kinds. There's no exclusive guitar-making chisels, or straightedges, for examples. Buy what you need when you need it, and shop around. On a good day, a locally-accessible luthier will be able to do one-time jobs that need unique tooling.

[Srick]

Before OP goes and buys everything from Stew Mac, he ought to realize that they're just about the most costly source of tools of all kinds. There's no exclusive guitar-making chisels, or straightedges, for examples. Buy what you need when you need it, and shop around. On a good day, a locally-accessible luthier will be able to do one-time jobs that need unique tooling.

Hi Peter - believe me, I know that. And with the miracle of the internet, I am able to shop around. Good deals abound. But sometimes, you need ‘that tool’. For instance, I ordered the Alan Carruth inspired StewMac scraper and that one’s going with me into the afterlife. I DO like doing business with StewMac and appreciate all of the support that they offer.

Interestingly, they have recently dropped their prices on many items, so I’m guessing that they have felt the competition.

Rick

PS - StewMac makes a convenient foil and we all know the name. Ethan, my sales rep, is constantly sending me text messages <LOL!>. And who doesn’t know Dan Erlewine (who by the way, is a lovely gentleman and always ready to share)? StewMac has done a lot for our hobby\business and I respect them for that.

What Binford was to Tim Allen, StewMac is to me.

[Srick]

Hi Rick,
I just joined and grew up in Cheshire, CT. How is the kit coming along?

James

Hi James -

Check out the building blog section of the forum and you’ll see my progress. I am also mirroring it on AGF.

In short, it’s coming along just fine, but it is challenging. I’ve realized that we’ve come to expect an extremely high level of fit and finish in our instruments, and that sets our expectations and the bar very high. But I’ve also come to the conclusion that the first build (and probably for many after that) is not about building a guitar, but learning about “how to build a guitar.”

And of course, you can read all of the books, watch all of the videos, talk to all of the luthiers you know, but it will never prepare you for the inevitable “Oops” or “Expletive!”

I don’t know where you are now, but New England is still a very nice part of the world. Cheshire, as you know, has grown, but there are still quite a few farms through the region and still a lot of green space. Brian’s Guitars moved out of Hamden and into Cheshire. It was there that I was first introduced to Bethany Guitars (Phil Bronwyn) from of course, Bethany. Luthiers are nicely scattered through the region and of course, we’re within driving distance of Woodstock and the annual pilgrimage to WILS (the Woodstock Invitational Luthier’s Showcase) which is heaven on earth.

Best,

Rick

[bftobin]

I'd say don't get all the books. Start with one book because too many will confuse you. If you're in the Northeast, humidity should be a big concern.