Penny Guitars

Well it is 10AM on the 25th December 2010. I can’t remember all my Christmas’ but the last two have been especially memorable because I have received a present from my granddaughter Penny. Last year I got a “Worlds Greatest Granddad” mug and this year I got a Meccano pack. I have posted this here because at some time in the future Penny will inherit this web site.

Here is the Meccano set completed.

In case it is not obvious the completed kit is a helicopter. Notice that in classic Meccano style there are more parts than required.

Thanks Penny.

I have now started pushing the back plates through the thickness sander. Had a major accident with the sander today. I forgot to fix tight the drill that turns the sanding drum. The drum stopped and the drill started spinning, it bent the drum axle about 70 degrees before the torque control triggered and shut the drill down. I don’t have a spare 8mm steel rod to replace the axle but I managed to take the axle out and refit it from the opposite direction. The shaft must have been slightly bent anyway because it always had a slight vibration on it before and now it runs really well with no vibration at all.

I am currently using a 40 grit sand paper to reduce the backs down to about 2mm. Here are the two backs after having the first run through the sander.

They are currently 5.6mm thick so I have a lot of wood to sand away.

At this moment I have made one guitar and I am in the process of making two more. I intend making six guitars initially, after making these six guitars I am hoping I will have gained enough knowledge and abilities to consider myself a guitar maker and maybe at a stretch even a luthier.

I will make an entry on this site now and again with any pearls of wisdom I think may be of use to anyone else thinking of making a guitar.

Today’s advice is: Only make the guitar you want after you have made a guitar. Although this may seem contradictory it is not, read it carefully again. There is wisdom behind it. I think what I am really saying is do not try making the guitar you want as a first guitar. Just try to make the best guitar you can. Make the guitar you really want as the second or third guitar you make. I learn’t much more than I thought I did when making my first guitar. Now as I am making two more guitars it just seems to be going so much easier, not faster, just easier.