I want a nice floor stand that's attractive and sturdy. Rather than spend $150 on a commercially made one I decided to put my woodworking tools to work and see if I can build a better one and save some money in the process!
First, I got an African Mahogany 2"x4" from the local Rockler woodworking store. $42. Not bad for the massive, flawless, kiln-dried piece. The one is probably nice enough for guitar making. Apparently, this is the more dense of the Khaya varieties. Trouble is, I can't shape it because it's 2" thick... but, I have been needing a jigsaw so I picked up a Bosch. I read online that you can't scroll hardwood with a jigsaw but I simply can't be spending $300 on a bandsaw right now so I gave it my best.
....and, Ta Da! Just had to go slow and let it cool every 8" or so. You can see it laid on top of the rest of the mahogany. That pup follows me everywhere so he ends up in most photos, even when he's asked to leave.
Looking forward to seeing the finished product!
Quote from: StringPicker6 on May 15, 2025, 02:30:15 PMLooking forward to seeing the finished product!
^^^^^^^^Ditto! :nanadance
Spent about 3 hours getting it roughed in with a chisel and spokeshave. This pic is half-way through. The tape gives me a general guide and I also score pencil parks on the high spots every so often.
Before shaping the bottom I need to figure out how it's going to mount because I'll need that square bottom to line it up for mounting. I planned to use screws and a base plate but what's the good of having woodworking tools if I'm going to do that?? So, I'll be attempting my first dovetail. It won't be tapered like a Larrivee neck join, but it should be super-solid so long as I can make a tight pocket. Fingers crossed!
I'm still under $50 in materials but I have added $220 in tools... :crying: I was SUPPOSED to be saving money here. Such is woodworking it seems.
Quote from: B0WIE on May 15, 2025, 06:22:16 PMSpent about 3 hours getting it roughed in with a chisel and spokeshave. This pic is half-way through. The tape gives me a general guide and I also score pencil parks on the high spots every so often.
Before shaping the bottom I need to figure out how it's going to mount because I'll need that square bottom to line it up for mounting. I planned to use screws and a base plate but what's the good of having woodworking tools if I'm going to do that?? So, I'll be attempting my first dovetail. It won't be tapered like a Larrivee neck join, but it should be super-solid so long as I can make a tight pocket. Fingers crossed!
I'm still under $50 in materials but I have added $220 in tools... :crying: I was SUPPOSED to be saving money here. Such is woodworking it seems.
A man can never have too many tools. :wink:
Cool.
Keep us up-to-date as you progress, Bowie. :thumb
Remember 4 feet on the floor
Very cool project! Impressed!
:+1: Anxious to follow along on your progress. I've managed to collect 3 of those spokeshaves over the years and have found them to be very handy tools.
Good luck with your project. No pressure but we'll want to see the finished product.
One of my most rewarding life experiences was building an 8 foot oak dining room table that is now over 40 years old. The other one was being the project manager for my company that sponsored building houses for Habitat for Humanity in our local community.
P.S.Nice to see that your pup has learned how to photobomb pictures.
Quote from: B0WIE on May 15, 2025, 06:22:16 PMSpent about 3 hours getting it roughed in with a chisel and spokeshave. This pic is half-way through. The tape gives me a general guide and I also score pencil parks on the high spots every so often.
Before shaping the bottom I need to figure out how it's going to mount because I'll need that square bottom to line it up for mounting. I planned to use screws and a base plate but what's the good of having woodworking tools if I'm going to do that?? So, I'll be attempting my first dovetail. It won't be tapered like a Larrivee neck join, but it should be super-solid so long as I can make a tight pocket. Fingers crossed!
You could recoup some of the tool money if you sell your stand...some on here might be interested! :smile:
I'm still under $50 in materials but I have added $220 in tools... :crying: I was SUPPOSED to be saving money here. Such is woodworking it seems.
I was trying to say that maybe you could recoup some of the cost by making a few extras...some folks on here might be interested...8>)
My first dovetail was perfect! But... I didn't realize it and went too far, leaving it wobbly. :crying:
I didn't come this far just to make a shoddy stand so I flipped the board around and cut a better one. And, I was confident enough to make a plug for the bad slot. Kinda glad this happened as the dovetail plug gave me a chance to see just how much the wood will swell and resist when glued.
I'm going to finish shaping the neck tonight. Then, glue-up and finish over the weekend.
This wood needs to be pour filled and my usual method of shellac + wood dust would take far too long. So, I picked up some "Aqua Coat" grain filler which I also need for refinishing the back of a Brazilian rosewood classical (the previous owner clearly didn't wear a shirt when practicing and it ate away the shellac finish :yak: ).
Woods like mahogany and rosewood have big pores that create a highly dimpled surface if you don't grain-fill before finishing. I might stain the filler to a reddish brown to make the grain pop because this piece has some really nice grain lines.
Quote from: B0WIE on May 15, 2025, 06:22:16 PMI'm still under $50 in materials but I have added $220 in tools... :crying:
Story of my life, Bowie! :rolleye:
How do you like working with the spokeshave? Of all my woodworking tools, it's one that's eluded me for some reason. Maybe I should remedy that.
Cool project. Looking forward to the pics. Best of luck to you :thumb
Quote from: BlueBowman on May 17, 2025, 08:04:55 AMStory of my life, Bowie! :rolleye:
How do you like working with the spokeshave? Of all my woodworking tools, it's one that's eluded me for some reason. Maybe I should remedy that.
Cool project. Looking forward to the pics. Best of luck to you :thumb
It's different, but all these tools are sort of new to me as I'm just getting into using proper tools. For years, everything I made (small tables for studio gear, sonic diffusors, etc) were shaped up by using a hand-saw and blowing through a dozen orbital sander discs. This is my first foray into actually using proper tools in the right way. I never had shop class and no one in my immediate family built anything by hand. I got confident when I worked in an auto-body shop about 15 years ago and the owner was surprised at how quick I took to things, and how I could fabricate custom parts. He made me believe in myself and I started my pro-audio business after working for him.
I got the curved spokeshave so I could use it on everything rather than buying two. It's chattering a lot on me, but when I get it set just right, it's wonderful. I think the mahogany is tricky because, even when you follow the grain, the grain turns in pockets and wants to catch. I even noticed on the router that it will go slow, FAST, slow.
This is just a roughed-in guide but I'm amazed I was even able to do this. When I carved the initial shape of the stand I was just following my artistic instincts. Just a flowing line. Eventually, I realized what I was doing, I was subconsciously making a cello neck! Once I realized this, I needed to figure out how to carve a scroll. Yea, right. :rolleye:
So, I found a vid on YT of an African man using a familiar-looking scooped chisel. I knew had picked up one of these along the way (no clue how or why) and it sat for years because I didn't know what it was. It's a "gouge". So I tried to mimic the African man's confident hand motions, and it actually worked! Yes, this is very crude, shallow, and wavy, but even getting those curves was a miracle because I don't know what I'm doing and this wood is very hard. Today I am going to see if I can go over it with my Dremel to get in deep because my chisels are getting tangled in the grain and chipping it.
Got a lot done this weekend but but still have a way to go. Had no idea this would get this involved and I already have too many things I need to catch up on, but at least I'm developing skills.
After staining the recesses of the scroll to create the illusion of depth, I used some construction levels to find the correct angle for the threaded insert and epoxied it in place. String Swing customer service is amazing and, within hours, they told me what size/thread insert I needed.
Today I'm building the base (which turned out to be complex because the grain direction limits what I can do) and pore filling the neck. Feeling really good about everything because I'm reaching a level above my abilities and pulling it off.
This is really "shaping" up nicely, Bowie.
:thumb
Nice work.
Looking at the detail carved into those photos is getting me hungry for a cinnamon roll too.
Makes me want to eat a cello. Wait, WHAT? :roll
Thanks for the kind words everyone! We're getting close!
The neck finish is; 2x shellac sealer, grain fill, 3x shellac base, 3x TruOil. All French polished in extremely thin coats.
What a great color! With no stain needed. I barely put anything on but it's already too shiny. Leaving a little grain wasn't enough to get a rustic look so I'll rub denim over it to give it a soft glow. That will hide the flaws and a low sheen won't draw attention away from the guitars.
The dowels for the 3-piece base were a bad idea as alignment became and issue. Nothing some finessing and clamps couldn't fix. and I don't think they are good enough alone so I'll cut slots for tenon grafts underneath. That's a skill I've been wanting to learn in case I ever need to fix a severely cracked guitar headstock. And, I'm realizing that's what this project was really about. Developing skills.
Well... I had an accident. I didn't have my fingers pushing toward the router but two of them went right into the blade anyhow. I can only assume the wood jumped violently. I instantly assumed my fingertips were gone. After several minutes, the bleeding went down and I found the meat of my index finger was shredded and hanging on, and my middle finger lost a small chunk and part of the nail. I put all the skin back in place and slapped some bandages on to hold it in place.
That probably sounds insane but my skin heals unusually fast. I don't even get normal callouses from playing because my skin turns over so fast. The day after it happened, everything was holding back in place and no sign on infection. 2 days on and I can lightly touch things again. I know I'll be ok once the missing chunk grows back.
This is a huge lesson as I simply didn't realize how hard a little router blade can knock a piece of wood and throw your hands. I still don't know how they went in that direction. Not being able to play guitar has struck the fear of god into me and I'll be using several types of tools to sled the wood pieces from here on out!
In better news, I was able to do a lot with my good hand and I'll be sharing pics of the completed stand tomorrow!!
I'm sorry to hear about your accident.
Based on your post, it looks like you dodged a bullet that will hopefully only prove to be a temporary inconvenience. Best of luck for a quick recovery and we're looking forward to seeing the finished stand.
Dang, man, glad you're ok!
Bowie, watch them *power tools*.
I'm guessing it's router table as opposed to a router you hold. Use a scrap piece of wood to push toward *any* powered blade. I've seen too many people injure themselves because they figured they were careful only to be surprised by what happens.
Heal fast.
I hope you heal completely.
Oh boy!
That story made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Sorry you were injured, Bowie. Especially the fingers.
Your optimism is exemplary.
When I was in college, I worked part time and through the summers for a construction crew. We built small homes and duplexes. One day the foreman of the brick layers crew arrived, and he asked me who I was and what was I doing there? I told him I was a member of the carpenters crew. He looked at me and scoffed. "Son", he said, "as long as you still got 10 fingers you can't call yourself a carpenter."
The guitar had already become a very important part of my life.
I decided right then and there that I never wanted to be a carpenter.
Tony Iommi, guitarist for Black Sabbath, lost the tips of his middle and ring fingers in a sheet metal factory accident when he was 17. The accident happened on his last day of work, when he was unexpectedly put on a press machine he wasn't familiar with, and the machine came down on his hand, severing the fingertips.
He created replacement fingertips From leather and plastic.
Tony, Django Reinhardt and Jerry Garcia were all great guitarists missing parts of fingers.
I also hope you have a full recovery.
My middle school shop teacher had the required missing finger...
Thank for such kind words and thoughts everyone! I can sort-of play my mini classical now. The index finger just needs to recover more but the middle finger (the one that turned paper white and I thought I'd lose the tip) is almost fully recovered!
Queequeg, the it was a router table. As I rushed back in the house, thinking my fingertips were gone, the FIRST thing I thought of was "It's ok, Tommy Iommi managed."
I haven't been on for a few days because typing hasn't been fun, but the stand has been stable and I'm almost done with a very special pedalboard, which I'll show soon. I finished the stand in Tru-oil over shellac, but it's hard to get a soft glow from that. It's either shiny or dull, so I went back over it with shellac to get the soft glow I love.
Wow, beautiful work. I'm impressed!
Nice detailed and accurate craftsmanship, especially the wood grain. I'm glad you're on the mend too.
Nice work Bowie.
I can't seem to find the *order form* ? :humour:
So glad you sill have your fingers!
The stand is awesome, worthy of Larrivees to hang on.
Very nice. I love it.
Continue healing, Bowie. :thumb
Beautiful!
It is a beautiful stand, very impressive, and done quickly as well.
The acoustic guitar is also very nice.
Mike
That really is purty! :smile:
Quote from: B0WIE on May 24, 2025, 02:24:07 AMWell... I had an accident. I didn't have my fingers pushing toward the router but two of them went right into the blade anyhow. I can only assume the wood jumped violently. I instantly assumed my fingertips were gone. After several minutes, the bleeding went down and I found the meat of my index finger was shredded and hanging on, and my middle finger lost a small chunk and part of the nail. I put all the skin back in place and slapped some bandages on to hold it in place.
That probably sounds insane but my skin heals unusually fast. I don't even get normal callouses from playing because my skin turns over so fast. The day after it happened, everything was holding back in place and no sign on infection. 2 days on and I can lightly touch things again. I know I'll be ok once the missing chunk grows back.
This is a huge lesson as I simply didn't realize how hard a little router blade can knock a piece of wood and throw your hands. I still don't know how they went in that direction. Not being able to play guitar has struck the fear of god into me and I'll be using several types of tools to sled the wood pieces from here on out!
In better news, I was able to do a lot with my good hand and I'll be sharing pics of the completed stand tomorrow!!
Well done you I say Bowie,nice job on your stand,I hope your fingers have recovered from the Router mishap,I was a carpenter for many years,and used a Router frequently,I'm comfortable using powered woodworking tools,but have always been very very wary with Routers,they rotate at such high speeds ( acting like a gyroscope in practice really) and hand held operation of this tool can be fraught with risk as you found out yourself,I've had a couple of near misses myself over the years,but luckily no injury,anyway,great job on your guitar stand,and kudos for the use of a Spokeshave-haven't seen anyone use one for years,I must look out my Stanley one,see if it's not rusted away...
Quote from: Gill on June 05, 2025, 05:04:23 AMWell done you I say Bowie,nice job on your stand,I hope your fingers have recovered from the Router mishap,I was a carpenter for many years,and used a Router frequently,I'm comfortable using powered woodworking tools,but have always been very very wary with Routers,they rotate at such high speeds ( acting like a gyroscope in practice really) and hand held operation of this tool can be fraught with risk as you found out yourself,I've had a couple of near misses myself over the years,but luckily no injury,anyway,great job on your guitar stand,and kudos for the use of a Spokeshave-haven't seen anyone use one for years,I must look out my Stanley one,see if it's not rusted away...
Thanks Gill, and to everyone who commented. It's strange looking at the stand and remembering it was just a 2x4 when I stated. As of today, I'm able to play electrics again and hopefully acoustics soon. I'll have another cool project to share this week.