Woodworking

Back in the day, when almost everything was made from wood, there were specific names for the people who made products in a variety of categories: cooper, wheelwright, bodger, woodcarver, patternmaker, boatbuilder , cabinetmaker, carpenter (who seemed to build anything and everything), and there were many more. Things as different as wooden spoons and boats are all made by woodworkers. Among them the lutherie has always been the exclusive realm of woodworkers because it shares the most delicate skills of all those specialities and also of other crafts not dealing with wood.

• General

  • Joints

  • Bending Wood

  • Decoration

    • Rosettes

      • The Tiled Rosette of the Flattop Guitar. Step by step instructions for making the tiled rosette, sans making the actual tiles.
      • Binding the Soundhole of the Flattop Guitar. Step by step instructions for installing wood binding in a round sound hole.

  • Finishing

    • Stain options
    • Finish options
      • French polish
    • Guitar Finishing Using Wiping Varnish. Detailed instructions for selecting, applying, and caring for wiped varnish finishes.

• Specific for Stringed Instruments

  • Scroll and Pegbox

    • Carving a Scroll and Pegbox. Violin family instruments use traditional peg boxes with scrolls. Here are step by step instructions for how to carve one.

  • Neck

    • Building the Neck Blank for Steel String Acoustic Guitars. Step by step instructions using a scarfed neck joint and built up heel.
    • Carving the Neck for Steel String Acoustic Guitars. Step by step instructions for copying the neck profile from an existing instrument or designing your own profile.

  • Neck Joint

    • Bolt-on Neck Joint for Acoustic Instruments. Step by step instructions for implementing the simple and effective butted bolt-on neck joint, as used in Taylor, Seagull, and other guitars.

  • Frets

    • Metallic Frets
      • Installing Frets. Step by step instructions for installing frets in new fretted stringed musical instruments.
      • Dressing Frets. Step by step instructions for dressing frets. Dressing operations include cleaning up the fingerboard surface, levelling the frets, fret recrowning, fret end dressing, and sanding and polishing the frets.
    • Gut or Nylon Frets
      • Fret Knots.

  • Box

    • Building the Top Plate of the Flattop Guitar. Step by step instructions for building the top plate of the flat top guitar. The photos show the construction of a classical guitar top but most everything here is applicable to the steel string guitar, too.
    • Building the Back Plate of the Flattop Guitar. Step by step instructions for building the back plate of the flat top guitar.
    • Closing the Box. Step by step instructions for attaching the completed top and back plates to the completed rib, lining and block assembly.

  • Ribs

    • Contour Maps of Domes. The plates of modern so called flattop guitars are really domed and that means the depth of the sides of the instruments vary along their length.
    • Building the Rib Assembly. Step by step instructions for building the garland; the ribs, blocks and linings of a stringed instrument. The techniques outlined here are specifically for flat top guitars, but can be simplified for use with other instruments. Side bending is discussed in detail, as is shaping sides to fit instruments that feature a tapered body and domed plates.

  • Bridges

    • Attaching the Steel String Guitar Bridge. How to locate and glue on the bridge of a flattop steel string acoustic guitar.
    • Installing Bass Bridge Adjuster Wheels. Step by step instructions for installing aluminium action adjuster wheels in the legs of a double bass.

• Specific for Flutes

  • Make your own Flutes
    • Fife dimensions
    • G Flute from PVC Plumbing
    • Native American - like PVC Flute
    • Calculating Flute Finger Hole Positions
  • Make your own wind chimes