Begininng Tele build, must have tool list

Probably get flamed for this, but here goes. If you were starting with a completely clean wood working tool slate to build a Tele. What would be on that list as "must have" tools? No fluff, and nice extras,(they show up later) just the basic "Tele Building for Dummys" version of a tool list. Doesn't have to be top of the line stuff, just good solid stuff that you will continue to use. Kinda like, "I wish I would have bought THAT router first, then I would have these 4 others laying around. Or, wish I would have bought THAT drill press fisrt, or THAT sander, or THAT planer. I think I want to attempt a buld, but have a clean slate on wood-working tools...and if it catches fire GOOD, if it doesn't, somebody gonna get some good tool deals.

1. (fill in the blank)
2. (fill in the blanK)
3. so forth and so on

#1 ROSS (RIDGID Oscillating Spindle Sander) or similar.

+1 on the Ross.

A good router, Porter Cable 690 seems to the choice around here.
It might be nice to have a router table to go with that.
Drill Press, A good benchtop should suffice, but a floor model will have a deeper throat. I have a Delta
Bandsaw, many to choose from, I have a Grizzly.
There are many other tools that will make things easier, but are not totally necessary.
Jointer
Table Saw, rarely used but good to have
Dust collection never hurts
Spray Rig, You can get by with rattle cans if you prefer.
There are quite a few DIY jigs that will assist you

If you are going to making your own neck, you will also need rasps, files, and scrapers.

The sky is the limit, but these will get you started.

Good Luck, Mike

Great thread. I'd also want to know some good places to get wood for newbies like me. Want to start playing, so all tho info will be a huge help.

Tool porn here.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools.html

As much and as many as you can afford/get past your wife:razz::razz::razz:

thread subscribed :cool: !

a 40" steel ruler and a micrometer..... are handy..

and for making those Teles alive,...a multimeter/soldering station... ;)

scour the garage sales/flea markets for hand tools... files, rasps, chisels, planes, honing stones, etc...

Aside from all the other items wisely chosen by previous posters you will also need......
A set of 6"calipers, steel not nylon .Digital versions can be had for less than 30 bucks.
You will not need the precision of a micrometer,save your money for a good 24"straightedge.
Some good clamps are needed.
Good lighting is a must too.
Safety glasses and earplugs for when it gets loud and the chips are flying.
Have fun

If you dig through all the build threads and ignore the guitars, looking at the surroundings, work benches, jigs, templates, etc, you can see alot of helpful items that alot of these guys are using that don't cost much money. The "bench dog" bench cookies($15) and black & decker "work mate"($68) seem to be in alot of threads. Both of these make life better.

You'll see alot of clamps. I've been clamp shopping lately and in my opinion they're very proud of the IRWIN's. You can buy 24" clamps at HomeDepot for $12........that'll save you some $$$ Just look for the orange clamps with the wood handles.

Im no builder but I know if you can save a little money here and there, it helps..........

Good luck

Jeff

1) Get a NEW credit card
2) Log onto Harbor Freight and purchase one of everything in the "shop" section for woodworking
3) Log onto StewMac and purchase all BUT one of everything.
4) Call a contractor and build a larger addition onto your garage
5) Begin work

Now, for the "rest of the story". I started by purchasing a 10" table saw,
a 9" table top BandSaw, a fixed based router and a drill press. Oh, and a
lot of sandpaper in grits ranging from 60 to 2000. I bought all of my tools
used, in the event I wouldn't like the hobby (silly me).

Here it is a year later and all those tools have now been "upgraded" and a
TON of stuff has been added to the list, but I built a pretty nice Les Paul that
I play twice a week every week, with the above. It really all depends on HOW
you want to approach building. There are plenty, fine looing guitars out there
made with hand tools. A jigsaw can be used instead of a BandSaw: a hand
saw can replace a table saw: etc. etc. etc. Be wise, however, and start
small with the least amount of money out of pocket and make absolutely
sure that this is for you. By the time you're 1/2 way through your first
build, you won't have to ask anyone what it is you'll need: you'll know it for yourself.

Good luck!

this is GREAT !! just the kind of input I need. You guys rock ! thanks for not flaming a greenhorn too bad :) I DO have an air compressor, maybe there are things that it would be good for? sanders maybe? I also have an electric hand held jigsaw. I have a DeWalt battery kit with reciprocal saw, hand grinder, circular saw, hand drill, probably useless. Someone gave me a 1\2 horse GE electric motor, new in the box, if that could hook up to something beneficial. I DO have a soldering iron. Please keep info coming, and THANKS to all. And Axedaddy, you said it brother, "what I can slip by the wife" eyes like a hawk....but an ass like a hippo (oops, did i say that). Confession, always had fear of leaving an appendage on the table with power tools....if that happens, gonna be some real deals on a fairly nice guitar collection and some lightly used tools.

Hey Loduck,

The ROSS has been a great labor saver for me. I use my Rokon radial drill press constantly. Good brad point drill bits and forstner bits are a must. A good router is also handy for reducing neck and body blank thicknesses with a simple sled jig. I'm not sold on a planer as I hear a 2" block plane will square up wood just fine and with a fraction of the required storage space. Many quality used tools can be found at estate sales. Go dig, it's fun!

Rob

I wanted to mention that making a neck would be WAY down the road from what it looks like to me, pretty complicated. Right now I think just learning some body work is PLENTY enough to scramble me little pea-brain.

.... Someone gave me a 1\2 horse GE electric motor, new in the box, if that could hook up to something beneficial. .....
Buff.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for_Finishing/Buffing_Wheels.html?actn=100101&xst=1&xsr=2080

Get some dust and sawdust control as soon as you possibly can. It'll pay off every time you buy another cutting tool, and the amount of clean-up time it will save will be enormous.

I built a body from a rough plank without a ROSS, table saw, band saw or drill press.

Took about 8 weeks, though.... :lol:

I used a jigsaw, router, handheld belt sander (clamped sideways to my workbench) and a drill guide for my handheld drill. I used the router a LOT (to thickness the blank and joint the edges for gluing, along with the more typical uses); hard to imagine getting along without one of those. I know some guys around here have built guitars without a router--or even without any power tools at all. :shock:

"Must-have" tools will depend on your skill-level, patience, etc. It also depends on your budget and workspace; there are a lot of things you can live without if you have to!

The 2 tools I've survived without, but really wish I had, are:
Drill press
Band saw

After that, the next most useful ones for me would be:
Router table (I'll be making one soon)
Spindle sander
Jointer
Table saw

In the luxury category I'd put:
Planer
Drum sander (the big ones you can feed a body blank through)

Regarding non-power tools, there are a lot of times when a chisel comes in handy, and you can never have too many clamps. :mrgreen: There are a kazillion other smaller doodads (scrapers, try square, brad point bits, respirator, etc.) that you'll probably just buy as you need 'em. Personally, I think that's the best way, because if you ever really made an exhaustive list of those things you'd be appalled by how the cost adds up. :roll:

Probably get flamed for this, but here goes. If you were starting with a completely clean wood working tool slate to build a Tele. What would be on that list as "must have" tools? No fluff, and nice extras,(they show up later) just the basic "Tele Building for Dummys" version of a tool list. Doesn't have to be top of the line stuff, just good solid stuff that you will continue to use. Kinda like, "I wish I would have bought THAT router first, then I would have these 4 others laying around. Or, wish I would have bought THAT drill press fisrt, or THAT sander, or THAT planer. I think I want to attempt a buld, but have a clean slate on wood-working tools...and if it catches fire GOOD, if it doesn't, somebody gonna get some good tool deals.

1. (fill in the blank)
2. (fill in the blanK)
3. so forth and so on

I've been reading the this forum for a while now and I don't think I've ever seen anyone get flamed. The folks around here are super nice and helpful as you can probably tell from the replies to this thread :grin:

+1 it's an interesting question and we all love discussing tools, right? :grin:

+1 on the friendliness of this forum. These guys have helped me get my tool collection started, and once I get my shed/workshop done I'll start my first build thread.

I've been reading the this forum for a while now and I don't think I've ever seen anyone get flamed. The folks around here are super nice and helpful as you can probably tell from the replies to this thread :grin:

YEP, nicest group of peeps any where. I was just trying to let every one know, that yes, I know I need the "Telecaster Building for Dummies" book, I just can't seem to find one :lol:. The info that everyone has contributed to me here has given me motivation, especially Torodurham, he has gone above and beyond to help with advice. I thank each and every one of you. Starting to think that I just may be able to do this!

My list is probably a little different: A few handplanes (Smoothing plane, a few different size block plane, a Jack or Jointer plane), a router, a drill press (you can get sanding spindles so you don't need to buy a ROSS), assorted router bits, a jig saw or band saw (depending on your budget and the space you have available), a handheld electric drill, a random orbit sander, assorted drill bits, and sand paper.

Remember to buy the best tools you can though. A good tool is a pleasure to use while a cheap one is well not so much.

Here are some sites to check out

http://www.leevalley.com/US/home/Announcement.aspx
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/
http://www.festoolusa.com/default.aspx
http://www.grizzly.com/

Get some dust and sawdust control as soon as you possibly can. It'll pay off every time you buy another cutting tool, and the amount of clean-up time it will save will be enormous.

I have a small shop vac, one of those cheapie 'bucketheads" from Home of De Pot. It jusy clamps on a 5 gal. bucket. So what would qualify as "sawdust control" ? Again my greenhorness shines thru :confused:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/326551-tool-question.html

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/326551-tool-question.html

YEP.....I knew these questions had to have been asked and answered before on here....thats why I was afraid I would get flamed about :0 Thanks for directing me. I still enjoying all the input on this thread, lot of excellent stuff from experienced peeps. If ya feel like posting, please do, I need all the help I can get.....still looking for that "Telecaster Building for Dummies" book :)

Tools can be replaced so get whatever works for you.
but before switching them on. make sure you have good ear protection and good eye protection. A dust mask is also important.

After those items, the next on my list would be a solid flat surface.

followed by

Dremel moto tool - variable speed
as many clamps as you can afford
cordless drill
router with flush cut bits
a square
band saw is nice to have
orbital sander (jitterbug)

Here is the work list I have pieced together so far from suggestions. Feel free to suggest or re-arrange in order of importance and necessity.
TELE BUILDERS MUST HAVE TOOL LIST
1. Porter Cable 690 plunge router OR Freud 3-1/4 hp plunge router
2. Fixed based router table (are they all the same?)
3. ROSS or RIDGID Oscillating Spindle Sander
4. Jointer or (or build a sled jig for router)
5. Delta or Rokon radial drill press (table top, floor model better)
6. Grizzly 9" band saw (or need other suggetstions for band saw)
7. 10” table saw (not a must, but handy to have)
8. 24"straightedge (need brand or type suggestion)
9. 40" steel ruler (is this same as thing as 24” straightedge?)
10. A good Multimeter
11. 6"calipers (steel not nylon) digital versions can be had for less than $30.00.
12. Precision micrometer (is this same as calipers)
13. Bench Dog bench cookies, at least 4 (these look handy, like a must have)
14. Clamps, clamps & more clamps (24" Home Depot for $12) Just look for the orange clamps with the wood handles. Maybe more suggestions needed here.
15. Lot & lots & lots of sandpaper, grits ranging from 60 to 2000
16. Good “brad point” drill bits and “forstner” bits (are a must??)
17. Maybe a good quality 2" hand block plane
18. Shop Fox buffing assembly (to fit electric motor I already have)
19. Dust control (need more suggestions here)
20. Spray gun for my air compressor (check into an inline water separator)

Excellent Thread - I totally agree with the folks above - I have never had the pleasure of learning from such a nice group, as I have on this forum - these guys are simply awesome.

(in my opinion) your shop is your place to rest and relax, I know that was why I started building. I started by reading all the things I could find from Ron Kirn, Colt Knight and Jack Wells and they mention tools in many of their articles / posts or they have them in pictures as your looking through the threads.

The more pieces of scrap, and body blanks I worked on, or learned with, the more I learned about what tools I wanted. So this is what my shop now looks like after about 6 or 7 months in the building / learning process of making guitars - no particular order, but I do wish I had bought the ROSS and the 14" Band saw first!

1 - ROSS - Purchased in from Home Depot On-Line ( refub for $120.00)
2 - RIDGID Compressor
3 - 4 Spray Guns ( Harbor Freight
4 - Steel City 6 1/2" Free Standing Jointer
5 - Several 24" and 36 " Straight Edge Rulers
6 - Laser Line Level
7 - Digital Caliper
8 - Sanding blocks out the wazoo
9 - KREG Router Table
10 - Ridgid ROuter and Plunge Kit - 2 HP
11 - Hitachi 1.5 HP Router
12 - RIDGID Hand Router 1/4" ( The small trim router)
13 - 10" Craftsman Table Saw ( soon to be upgraded to the 10" Full Size RIDGID
14 - 14" Porter Cable Band Saw - Floor Model
15 - HD Porter Cable Drill Press - Floor Standing
16 - Lots of Templates ( Ron Kirn and my own made from CADs)
17 - Stew Mac Fret Press
18 - Stew Mac Fret Slot Saw and Fender Fret Template Guide
19 - lots of other goodies - drill bits, router bits
20 - 2" UP Spiral Router bit - this is my NEW Favorite tool - MUST HAVE !!

I rambled - sorry - I do enjoy my shop, and the relaxing time it gives me after work - have a ball with yours !

WOW avf925.....you are not rambling at all !!! that is just what I need......always did like the paint by numbers pictures, hahaha.....so books with pictures, diagrams with arrows, and lists with numbers always been a hit with me. :)

I had a file going for my first build and then started to modify it for my second so some stuff is definitely missing but here is what was left on the list when I realized I should have kept it seperate. Routers and bits were not included. If you put in the 4 digit number in the search at Stew Mac it'll give you a description. Great stuf to have for life in my opinion. A 16" bandsaw and a 16" planer and a Ross would be cool, but you can live without it too. oops the japanese saw for the mitre box is a must as well.Not everything but some stuff to consider:
Every tool got used and was appreciated.
Stewart MacDonald Fret Bender 0345 $89.90 1 $89.90
Stewart MacDonald Peghole reamer 0343 $105.43 1 $105.43 Large from 7.92 mm to 15.88 mm
Stewart MacDonald Double Edge Nut Files 4547 $140.98 1 $140.98
Stewart MacDonald Essential Fretting Kit 3125 $177.87 1 $177.87
Stewart MacDonald Franklin TiteBond Glue 0620 $10.26 1 $10.26 Carpenters Glues
Stewart MacDonald Fret Press Caul 4365 $51.67 1 $51.67
Stewart MacDonald 8" Wooden Radius Sanding Blocks 0405 $15.95 1 $15.95
Stewart MacDonald Aluminum Radius Sanding Beam 5641 $131.09 1 $131.09 16"
Stewart MacDonald Routing Bits 0565 $50.40 1 $50.40 3/8" and 1/2"
Stewart MacDonald extra bearing for 3/8" bit 1288 $5.90 1 $5.90
Stewart MacDonald extra bearing for 1/2" bit 1289 $5.60 1 $5.60
Stewart MacDonald Stikit Gold Paper Self Adhesive Abrasives 5770 $89.92 1 $89.92 all 4 grits 80,120,220,320
Stewart MacDonald Fingerboard Guards 3741 $10.88 1 $10.88
Stewart MacDonald Fret Slotting Miter Box 2232 $191.79 1 $191.79
Stewart MacDonald Dual Fret Scale Templates 4916 $40.85 1 $40.85
Stewart MacDonald Thread Cutting Die 4058 $4.99 1 $4.99
Stewart MacDonald Single coil pickup routing template 1096 $5.55 1 $5.55 Tele Neck
Stewart MacDonald Single coil pickup routing template 1099 $5.55 1 $5.55 Tele Bridge pickup

man this is GREAT !!

already got a call into bank for a second mortgage on the house.... hahahaha

I noticed the other day that Stew Mac has a few "lutherie school" packages.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Tool_Lists_for_Lutherie_Schools.html

Cool stuff.

I will say that I like LMI's radius blocks the best as they are 10" long and Stew Macs are only 8". A longer block makes a more accurate radius.

I wish I could afford one of Stew Mac's aluminum radius beams.

As far as routers, I have the 2.25hp Bosch set. Got the fixed base bolted to my router table and the plunge base for freehand work. The fixed base also has thru-table height adjustment.

Forstner and Brad point drill bits - an absolute necessity.

Spiral upcut bits - not a necessity but they do make it much easier.

Nut files - not a necessity but they really speed up one of the most tedious jobs in building.

The most important tools... eye and ear protection.

As my father is a professional guitar maker I have always had all the tools necessary so probably take a few things for granted. I think that you should buy a good respirator first up. Check out the sundstrom sr90 or sr100. It has cartridges for lacquer and dust and a nice container to keep it in. Cost me $100 in Australia so you could probably get one in the states for $40

A couple of pairs of safety glasses UVEX or similar and a couple of Ear muffs- peltor etc. Good lighting, natural light is best. An understanding of wood- dont have to be an expert but do a couple of nights research.

I think that buying tools as you go and getting top quality ones is best.
If I was starting and had the money this is what I would get.

A festool router. Any good router will do. A laminate trimmer as well.
A set of chisels. 1" 1/2" and something small. Also a 1/2" wide dog leg.
A brad drill set. A 1/2" to 3/4" forstner bit.
A 1/2" patter router bit with a couple of bearings. a 3/8 or similar bit as well. Get CMT or something really good, crap router bits have no place.
A japanese saw- maybe a couple.
A dynabrade or festool or similar random orbital sander- You can get away with one of these instead of a ROSS or could get both. The random orbitals make sanding the tops and back so easy but really you dont need either.
A small soldering Iron and DMM.
A couple of sauce bottles for glue.
Some protective matting or carpet for bench.
Some scrapers would be great.

I will add more as I can think.

keep thinking nadurtha !!! :)

A Bowie knife
A good pair of chaps
and a ROSS

You really need one of those small refrigerators and a camera.

Oh, yeh.. beer fridge and the camera....

*remember the tdpri motto... Pics or it didn't happen.... ;)

Sandwich fixin's!

The biggest Swiss army knife you can afford :D

Just the bare minimum:
1. A table saw. Works as a bench as well.
2. Router. Several pattern and round over bits to go with it.
3. Drill press. Bits and sanding drums
4. Bandsaw is the first choice but a jigsaw will work.
5. Files, rasps and lots of sand paper.

you might look at it this way...

the bare minumum for most people is a guitar, an amp, mic, and some kind of recording device. an esquire does one thing well, but if you get a tele you have more options, but even a $79 guitar is better than no guitar at all. gibson, prs and gretsch make great stuff too. next you'd need an amp... if you want it really loud you'd need a full marshall stack but a deluxe reverb works well in most situations. a little practice amp is always helpful. and get some distortion pedals and an acoustic guitar. etc, etc.

conversion glossary:
esquire=porter-cable 690 router, fixed base
tele=PC690, plunge base
duo-sonic=laminate trimmer
$79 guitar=skil/b&d/harbor freight routers
gibson/PRS/gretsch=bosch/ridgid/festool
10 watt amp=hand drill
deluxe reverb=12" bench drill press
super reverb=14" standing drill press
twin reverb=16" standing drill press
200 watt marshall stack=18" standing drill press
distortion pedals=forstner bits, brad point bits
radio shack mic=9" skil bandsaw
shure 57/58=14" bandsaw
condensor mic=16" bandsaw
tube condensor mic=18" bandsaw
cassette boombox=palm sander or handheld belt sander
4 track cassette recorder=belt/round combo sander
2 track firewire interface box=ROSS
16 track firewire interface=16-32 drum sander
short scale bass=10" thickness planer
4 string full scale bass=13" planer
5 string bass=15" planer
6 string bass=16" planer
octave pedal=router planer sled
4 piece drum kit=4" jointer
5 piece kit=6" jointer
double bass kit=8" jointer
double 24" bass kit/6 toms/splash & china cymbals=12" jointer
spinet piano=compressor spray rig
upright piano=100 gallon compressor, 220 motor.
casio keyboard=$109 HVLP rig
kurzweil synth=$$$$ HVLP rig
acoustic guitars=handplanes, chisels
mandolins and fiddles=rasps and files
banjo=chainsaw
tenor sax=table saw
alto sax=circular saw
trumpet=sawzall
clarinet=jigsaw
flute=scroll saw

on the subject of sanding, what if I could have just one hand held sander.....would it be an air driven one? I have a compressor, or an electric one? Could use some model suggestions on a decent model or two. Thanks guys

on the subject of sanding, what if I could have just one hand held sander.....would it be an air driven one? I have a compressor, or an electric one? Could use some model suggestions on a decent model or two. Thanks guys
I have both, I like the power one better 'cos it has a dust extraction port.

Buck pocket folder, a piece of sharp glass to scrape wood smoth; and an old hacksaw blade could be handy if you plan to make more than one.

Seriously we take it all VERY seriously and meanwhile there is a whole gaggle of guys making it all very simple. Three stings a cedar box and a 1x2 neck, sheesh.

JR8-q8ChaPo

.....thats been my problem all along, I got 3 too many dang strings !!!!!!

I'm beginning as well; working on my first guitar right now. I started buying more specialized tools for guitar building back in April. I also build amps, pedals, and speaker cabinets (well, 1 cabinet with 4 others in the works) so I had some carryover. For example, I had a table saw, electric/cordless drills, borrowing a Skil drill press, and a crappy B & D sander.

So far I've acquired a nice Hitachi router for $75 (fix/plunge base, collets, and other stuff which I'm not sure of the use), a used, no name 14" band saw for $45 (both off CL), a ROSS, built a table top router table, and have a Grizzly 3-in-1 fret file arriving on Monday. I bought a digital vernier caliper from Lowe's and a bunch of triangles, rulers and such free from my father-in-law's architecture firm. What can I do? Cut out bodies, necks, make templates, and about to be able to crown frets. I bought a pre-cut fingerboard because of all the other purchases were bought close together (throw in wood costs too and the guts for Vox AC10 I'm about to start). Slowly getting tools over different builds is my plan; 2 new tools (nothing big) a project. So nut files, planes, a spray rig, and whatever else job specific need arises. Sure my garage looks like a third world country compared to some of these guys basements but these limitations promote creative thinking until I get the specific tool. But I can almost build a complete guitar with what I have. Food for thought from one beginner to another.

SINK, I appreciate that. Took me for ever to figure out what ROSS meant in the sanding world. Remember, I am a greenhorn as green as they get, so I was looking for a ROSS brand or model sander every where and was to scared to ask where can I find one. Then I just happen to figure it out, so I need things drawn out with pictures and arrows. I appreciate you explaining in terms that my simple woodworking mind can follow, i am like a 2 year old when it comes to this stuff. But eager to learn.

I have a small shop vac, one of those cheapie 'bucketheads" from Home of De Pot. It jusy clamps on a 5 gal. bucket. So what would qualify as "sawdust control" ? Again my greenhorness shines thru :confused:

Something like this (http://www.cpodeltamachinery.com/delta-50-760-1-1-2-hp-single-phase-dust-collector-1200-cfm/dwwn50-760,default,pd.html?start=2&cgid=delta-dust-management)...

http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aaea_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-delta-Site/Sites-cpo-master-catalog/default/v1339746184177/product_media/dww/dwwn50-760/images/large/dwwn50-760.jpg

I have my basement fitted out with clear plastic ductwork and flexible hoses leading to all major machines. Blast gates allow me to select which machine gets connected to the collector at any time. It's much healthier and keeps my work space much cleaner.

wow thats cool Kev, thanks for the info....may be a little over my budget until I get settled in with my basic setup......guess I am going to be a shop-vac, dust mask, respirator guy until then

You can start off with about $200 for an extractor and maybe $100 for the ductwork, blast gates, adapters, etc (many places sell kits).

If you have an outside shed, then the need for this is less. If you work in your basement, it really keeps the dust down in the rest of your house.

I'm operating out of a 1 car garage and my driveway when the weather permits and my wife is watching our 1 year old. Most of my work is in the garage once he's asleep. So, for now, my "dust control" is a closely placed box fan blowing everything towards the garage door and a basic 3M respirator. I then sweep out everything later in the week. Running a shop vac would (probably) wake him up so I just deal with being a little dusty; though the mask helps tremendously.

I'm not far ahead of you in knowledge. Everything for me is self taught as shop class didn't exist in high school and woodworking was not anything my dad did or was able to do. Lot's of great information here though.

Watch Craig's List for power tools; great deals to be had.

There's not a basement within several hundred miles from Florida; I wouldn't worry about a huge dust collection system yet.

Used to know a guy in East County here in San Diego who built with no power tools at all. And it's not even that hard, it just takes a LOT of time.

I ain't doing that.

The first thing you buy before anything else are safety glasses, and you use them every time you set foot in your workspace.

For actual building, a router is the most essential thing. You could work around everything else with varying degrees of success - for example, there are a lot of good substitutes for a bandsaw.

But once you buy the bandsaw you'd never want to be without it again. It is a slippery slope.

A good sanding block. Files. Rasp/spokeshave. Some sort of drill, drill press hugely preferred. Full set of Allen wrenches. A good soldering iron. Table saw is pretty much mandatory.

I could go on.

SINK & KEVIN i am operating out of a small shed out back, just had to run the rats out and let them know I was opening shop. So it dont matter how messy it gets, sounds like a good fan blowing out the door with a mask on is my ticket for right now.

Arbiter, believe it or not, I DO HAVE A SPOKESHAVE....its an old family passed down tool. hahaha Supposed to be picking up a used 9" bandsaw, a table saw, a benchtop drill press, a router table, and a miter saw in a package deal tonight.

Big scissors, for double sided tape , sheets of MDF, thin and thick, and a parrot vice.

parrot vise?? thats a new one on me, but i am a greenhorn..,...thats what they made "google" for, I'll find out

well I'm off and running...picked up a load of stuff tonight.
Craftsman Table Saw
Craftsman band saw
Craftsman belt\disc sander
Craftsman drill press
Craftsman router table
DeWalt miter saw (sealed in box)
some of the stuff I probably didnt really need, but it came in a package deal for $350. Wouldn't split it up. Had owners manuals for everthing, extra blades for everthing It is all in really great condition, doesn't look used much. Miter never opened. Don't know if I paid too much, but looked like a good load of stuff for 350.00

Not a great fan of Craftsman power tools but sheesh, you got all that for $350!!! I would have bought it for that price too.

yeah never been a big fan either, but the miter saw still in the box gotta be around $200 I would think. All of it in great shape.

I mean, I could build a body with what I got right? Maybe i didnt get such a gpod deal. I dont have a joiner or a planer( still dont understand difference).... But peeps say i can build some kind of router sled jig and do the same as those?

A joiner is used to level the edges of boards prior to 'joining' them together. A planer is used to put a flat surface on your stock or to create a desired thickness. Joiner blade are generally 4" to 6" (can go up to 12" or so) planer blades are longer, 10" to 20". If you get a planer, you want one 13" to accommodate a guitar body.

A joiner is used to level the edges of boards prior to 'joining' them together. A planer is used to put a flat surface on your stock or to create a desired thickness. Joiner blade are generally 4" to 6" (can go up to 12" or so) planer blades are longer, 10" to 20". If you get a planer, you want one 13" to accommodate a guitar body.

so I guess I am confused as to why you cant use a planer to also do the joiner task. Cant turn stock on edge in a planer? So if they made a joiner with 13" blades, you could use it to plane also?

A planer will generally only open about 6". It is really made to thickness the wood. It will keep the surfaces parallel to each other. The joiner is open on the top allowing you to put a good edge on very wide boards. I don't have a joiner. I use the table saw to put a straight edge on the pieces prior to gluing up the body. There are lots of different ways to work the wood. I think you should be able to make a good start with the tools you just bought. Good deal by the way. Make sure you set all your new tools up properly to get the best results. You can get manuals for most of them online.

edit: just saw you already have the manuals

edit again: You are correct, you can make a jig to surface your wood with a router. Just look around this forum to find a bunch of designs.

It's jointer with a T :-). You can plane both sides of a rough board with a planer. The problem is that if the board is not flat on the bottom, the planer rollers flatten it out while is going through, plane the board, and then it warps again when it comes out. Planer rollers with neoprene as opposed to steel sometimes can be better at the flattening but not perfect. If you have a really warped board, you want to joint it first on a jointer and then plane it on a planing device. If a wide board is extremely warped, it is sometimes better to rip it into two pieces before jointing so that you don't have to remove as much material.

When I make 1 pc bodies, I run both sides alternately through my dewalt 13" planer and take only small amounts off to surface them. I start with the board warp facing like a frown. That puts a flat on the middle, then I flip it and that takes some off the edges on the bottom, and back to the other side, and so forth.

Unless you are gluing up thick stock for a large turning, the 6" height of a planer will usually be enough.

so I guess I am confused as to why you cant use a planer to also do the joiner task. Cant turn stock on edge in a planer? So if they made a joiner with 13" blades, you could use it to plane also?

A 6" wide jointer is average. You can buy wider ones if you want to spend more money on them.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Parallelogram-Jointer-w-4-Knife-Cutterhead/G0609

Industry typically uses wider jointers since they usually process wider boards more often than the home center DIY guy.

thanks guys, thats what i need, good explanations......so if I could only have one, a 13" planer is probably the one? NOSMO, all the owners manual came with this stuff, just gotta make sure I sit down and read then all ;)

For those in the US - Harbor Freight is really the best place to get clamps - they have everything like a clamp from cool little toggle clamps to pipe clamps - all excellent. I'm impressed with their compressors too. I don't think I would by anything that has a blade there or is like a router or saw there though. The best money you can spend on guitar building is:

-Whiteside 1/4" and 1" flush trim/pattern bits - probably a good 2" bit with a 1/2" shank too
-A Porter Cable 690 router
-A ROSS
-A good Bandsaw, drill press and table saw - I think Ridgid stuff is a cheap as you would want to go - I'm slowly replacing these kinds of tools with JET gear though.
-From there you will develop preferences and that will guide you on the rest of the stuff to get

IMO - a jointer is not all that needed as a flat stone with some sand paper works extremely well. Also, with a good bit, a router does most of the planing you need to do, but I do love my RIDGID 13" Planer a lot and would not go without it.

MOJOTRO I like Rigid stuff, but just dont have the budget for it right now, plus I just got this cheapo Craftsman stuff in a package deal, might hate it. Took me forever to figure out the slang ROSS, why dont they just call it OSS....isnt it just a "Oscillating Spindle Sander" what does the R stand for?

MOJOTRO I like Rigid stuff, but just dont have the budget for it right now, plus I just got this cheapo Craftsman stuff in a package deal, might hate it. Took me forever to figure out the slang ROSS, why dont they just call it OSS....isnt it just a "Oscillating Spindle Sander" what does the R stand for?

The 'R' stands for Rigid.

The 'R' stands for Rigid.

no, it stands for random

I've never used the ridgid ROSS, but my Grizzly comes in handy quite often

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac255/hendersonisgo/IMG_0600.jpg

BTW, You really don't need a jointer, just a sharp, high quality plane.

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac255/hendersonisgo/IMG_0569.jpg

henderson, wow, that is one dang fine looking serious sander !!! Never used a hand planer, I'm real green at this.....what keeps you from continuing cutting it down more and more with a hand planer....guess i dont understand how they work yet. Thanks

well I'm off and running...picked up a load of stuff tonight.
Craftsman Table Saw
Craftsman band saw
Craftsman belt\disc sander
Craftsman drill press
Craftsman router table
DeWalt miter saw (sealed in box)
some of the stuff I probably didnt really need, but it came in a package deal for $350. Wouldn't split it up. Had owners manuals for everthing, extra blades for everthing It is all in really great condition, doesn't look used much. Miter never opened. Don't know if I paid too much, but looked like a good load of stuff for 350.00

You're off to a great start with that purchase.

I see a bunch of great suggestions, but a couple of these lists would cost to about 2 grand. For building a body, I consider these a must have:

A router. you really almost can't do without one. You can go cheap, but you might as well get a good one. A plunge router is better, one with a 1/2in collet is even better, a table is handy, but you really need a router and some flush trim bits.

Brad point and forstner drill bits. You can get by with a hand drill and a drill guide, but a drill press is probably the 2nd handiest thing to have. It will need a 7in throat depth (the distance from the post/pillar to the center of the chuck). It also does double duty as an edge sander with sanding drums.

Good score on the bandsaw, very handy, and if it's big enough, you can resaw tops with it. A jigsaw and patience works too.

A random orbital sander is a big time saver, no need to spend big bucks, the $20 Harbor Freight model randomly orbits just as well as the $200 festool.

Those are the must have tools. Before you even turn one on these are the MUST have pieces of equipment.

Safety glasses, or a full face shield. Ear protection, plugs are fine. A respirator. A good dust mask is OK for sanding & sawing, but you'll be painting those guitars, so a respirator for use with toxic vapors is a must.

You're off to a great start with that purchase.

I see a bunch of great suggestions, but a couple of these lists would cost to about 2 grand. For building a body, I consider these a must have:

A router. you really almost can't do without one. You can go cheap, but you might as well get a good one. A plunge router is better, one with a 1/2in collet is even better, a table is handy, but you really need a router and some flush trim bits.

Brad point and forstner drill bits. You can get by with a hand drill and a drill guide, but a drill press is probably the 2nd handiest thing to have. It will need a 7in throat depth (the distance from the post/pillar to the center of the chuck). It also does double duty as an edge sander with sanding drums.

Good score on the bandsaw, very handy, and if it's big enough, you can resaw tops with it. A jigsaw and patience works too.

A random orbital sander is a big time saver, no need to spend big bucks, the $20 Harbor Freight model randomly orbits just as well as the $200 festool.

Those are the must have tools. Before you even turn one on these are the MUST have pieces of equipment.

Safety glasses, or a full face shield. Ear protection, plugs are fine. A respirator. A good dust mask is OK for sanding & sawing, but you'll be painting those guitars, so a respirator for use with toxic vapors is a must.

Thanks so much Fred, GREAT idea about using drill press with sanding drums. Now if I can get the wife to stand there and move the handle up & down, that takes care of the oscillating part right??? (knew she was good fer sumthin)hahaha. I won the pool in the US Open today $470 bucks on a $5 entry, so router shopping starts tomorrow !! Since I have an air compressor, would you go for air orbital or electrical?

what keeps you from continuing cutting it down more and more with a hand planer.

What?

You set the depth of the cut and thats the amount of wood that's removed.

Here are some good planes (don't waste your time with cheap ones from lowes, home depot, etc.)

http://lie-nielsen.com/

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1&p=41182

no, it stands for random

I've never used the ridgid ROSS, but my Grizzly comes in handy quite often



Hey Brian - wouldn't that make yours a GROSS? :grin:

Hey Brian - wouldn't that make yours a GROSS? :grin:

I don't know, but the dust certain woods make on that machine certainly can be gross (eg. Spanish cedar :shock:)

Looks like the sander is on sale if anyone is interested
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Oscillating-Spindle-Sander/G1071

What?

You set the depth of the cut and thats the amount of wood that's removed.

Here are some good planes (don't waste your time with cheap ones from lowes, home depot, etc.)

http://lie-nielsen.com/

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1&p=41182

hahahaa WOW....those hand planes are more than the machinery costs.

hahahaa WOW....those hand planes are more than the machinery costs.

Not really, the #4 Lie Nielsen bench plane is $300. A good industrial floor standing planer will be a lot more than that. The plane is also a lot easier and cheaper to maintain.

Thanks so much Fred, GREAT idea about using drill press with sanding drums. Now if I can get the wife to stand there and move the handle up & down, that takes care of the oscillating part right??? (knew she was good fer sumthin)hahaha. I won the pool in the US Open today $470 bucks on a $5 entry, so router shopping starts tomorrow !! Since I have an air compressor, would you go for air orbital or electrical?

Electric is fine. that's one tool you can cheap out on. And why use electricity to power a noisy compressor to power a noisy sander? Got those earplugs yet? What?

I've been coveting a ROSS for a while, everybody seems to love them, but with your belt/disc sander and a sanding drum (google robosander, it has a bearing and will follow a template, like a huge, dull flush trim router bit), you can put the ROSS off for now.

As for the assisted oscillation, now I know what to do when Fred Jr. wants to help in the shop. I'll save Mrs Garvin for other oscillating tasks.:lol:

Electric is fine. that's one tool you can cheap out on. And why use electricity to power a noisy compressor to power a noisy sander? Got those earplugs yet? What?

I've been coveting a ROSS for a while, everybody seems to love them, but with your belt/disc sander and a sanding drum (google robosander, it has a bearing and will follow a template, like a huge, dull flush trim router bit), you can put the ROSS off for now.

As for the assisted oscillation, now I know what to do when Fred Jr. wants to help in the shop. I'll save Mrs Garvin for other oscillating tasks.:lol:

THANKS for the tip on the robosander...... I def gonna give that a try.... Sure cant beat the price! You guys never cease to amaze me with great tips, pointers and insight.

....other oscillatimg tasks,, hahahaha.

Speaking of hand planes, I came across a place in town selling several old ones. What kind and type would be good for a first plane? I'm thinking for using it to joint wood mainly.

Speaking of hand planes, I came across a place in town selling several old ones. What kind and type would be good for a first plane? I'm thinking for using it to joint wood mainly.

Just because they're old, doesn't mean they're quality. If you see anything prewar stanley, miller falls, or record, buy it. For stanley, the highest praised planes were their bedrock planes. These can be identified by their unique body shape and are prized because of their superior frogs. The bailey style stanleys are also very good, but many feel that the bedrocks are better.

If you're looking for a plane to joint with and don't have much experience with a hand plane, look for a jack plane or better yet, a jointer plane. I've done joining with just a smoothing plane, but it took me a while to really develop the skills with the tool before I was able to actually make a good joint.

Beware that with an old plane, usually comes restoration. Plane restoration isn't the most difficult thing in the world, but it's rather time consuming and messy.

Good luck and let us know what types of planes you find.

BTW, You really don't need a jointer, just a sharp, high quality plane.

http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/ac255/hendersonisgo/IMG_0569.jpg

Those Lie-Nileson hand planes cost a lot more than a quality electric jointer.

Not really, the #4 Lie Nielsen bench plane is $300. A good industrial floor standing planer will be a lot more than that. The plane is also a lot easier and cheaper to maintain.

You also forgot to mention that you need several different sizes of hand planes to accomplish all the different jointing and planing tasks a machine will do. I have several nice Stanley planes, and I seldom find a use for them now that I have my big 8" grizzly jointer. About the only hand plane I use anymore is my low angle block plane.

Just like to add that there is nothing wrong with using handplanes. They work great, especially when you know how to use and maintain them.

You also forgot to mention that you need several different sizes of hand planes to accomplish all the different jointing and planing tasks a machine will do.

Well yes, many different sized planes are helpful, but you don't need every sized plane to accomplish every task. Theoretically, you could get away with only a good quality Jack plane and a low angle block plane for just about everything. To get a lie nielsen block and jack plane is around $490: a grizzly 8" jointer is about $1000 with freight. A jointer may be easier to use and faster, but it won't do as good of a job of jointing as a hand plane (that's a different discussion). Also, if you take good care of your planes and something happens ten years down the line in which you can no longer build guitars, you could sell lie nielsen planes for just about what you paid for them. After ten years of use, maybe you'd be lucky to get half of what you payed for your jointer.

It's really just personal preference.

[If you are only building one go as cheap as you can. I made the tele copy from most of the tools I already had. The drill press was a welcomed addition.IMG]http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3776012431901&set=a.3746542215164.2147143.1024541088&type=1&theater[/IMG]

So while visiting a friend tonight, she mentioned her father used to do woodworking.... He passed away 10 years ago and left all these tools.... She said i can use what i want. So while looking thru all this piled up stuff i discovered a dewalt 733 planer.... I think thats twelve and half inch capability...... Thats too small right? Dang the bad luck !

So while visiting a friend tonight, she mentioned her father used to do woodworking.... He passed away 10 years ago and left all these tools.... She said i can use what i want. So while looking thru all this piled up stuff i discovered a dewalt 733 planer.... I think thats twelve and half inch capability...... Thats too small right? Dang the bad luck !

It'll do for now. You can plane 2 pieces and glue them together to make a body. Just sand it after it's glued.

Thanks Nosmo.....being a green-horn, I thought you had to joint&glue BEFORE going thru the planer. A jointer is what I was looking for when I found the planer. Never found a jointer, I guess he might have used a router to true up before gluing. I have SO much to learn !! Thanks everyone for the help.

Hey Loduck, FWIW have you tried looking through antique stores? In a local town only about 10 minutes from where i live, there are probably twelve or so antique places, and almost all of them have things like antique power tools. i found a 4" Precision jointer by Rockwell and it actually ran. You could hunt through there and maybe find some of the tools you're looking for.

Hey Loduck, FWIW have you tried looking through antique stores? In a local town only about 10 minutes from where i live, there are probably twelve or so antique places, and almost all of them have things like antique power tools. i found a 4" Precision jointer by Rockwell and it actually ran. You could hunt through there and maybe find some of the tools you're looking for.

Thanks halo.... Been scouring shops and pawns. Her dad left a lot of stuff, most of it real old. NOW i find out after just buying s lot of stuff. Still need a good router, he left a two craftmans, one of them a plunge. Might try to score that, but most peeps say get a better one like a Porter.

Yeah from what i've heard the porters are some of the nicer ones, but so is Bosch and Dewault if i remember correctly. I also recommend to always look for auctions, i saw thousand dollar tools go for pennies on the dollar. It's sad, but really good at the same time.

You must definitely do not need a jointer, a band saw, or a table
saw to get started.

As others have already said, you can easily get by the with
following power tools:

1. hand-held drill
2. drill press
3. router
4. jig saw

If you get a Porter-Cable 690 for the router you can
build an adequate router table for $10 or so.

If I were to add a 5th it would be a ROSS.

This is pretty much the best thread of all time, and just when I'm starting to think about building semi-seriously.

A "practical" lady friend of mine bought me this small screwdriver for xmas a few years ago... it floats around on my table, easy to spot... I love it... best gift ever :lol:

I've dismantled/assembled heaps of guitars with it... it's so damn handy... l/r ratchet,too..from doing tuner screws, PU's, PG's, bridge/neck screws... and every other thing with screws...:smile:

and the nail clippers are great for electrical/soldering wires.. for snipping and stripping ... I often grab for these doing small jobs at the table here before I go looking for proper cutters/pliers.....:roll:

you can have too many tools sometimes and they ALL can't live on the table......:lol:

This guy seems to be getting by on considerably less than the lists detailed in this thread.

Apropos of nothing, this is how I would like to believe that all Tele's are made... minus all of the relic-ing nonsense.

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