Tools, Templates and Jigs

Tools: This chapter is maybe the most important in this book. My father taught me about tools when I was very young and at that time I couldn't understand why he would get so mad when I would take a hammer and not put it back or leave it in the woods. Now I understand there is nothing more important that a persons tools. I keep mine under lock and key and I never try to let them out of my site. I have actually spent hours looking for tools that fell behind the bench. I learned don't blame anyone until you check every option.

My father used only craftsman tools that he bought at Sears but almost all my specialty tools I have made or modified from something else. Today thanks to companies like Stewart MacDonald and Luthiers Mercantile, these type of specialty tools are more easily available, however I tried many new tools but they don't have the same feel as the ones I made. I tried to count my tools but it is impossible I have thousands that I have made, bought or been given oner the years. Throughout this CD you will see many tools, Jigs and templates that I or someone close to me has made. I can only hope that these will help you to have some ideas for tools to make building easier. If you have any good ideas you can always let me know I am always looking for good tools. Where do I get my tools? Many of my tools are Japanese because they have a much better selection of tools than we do in the United States. They seem to have special tools for everything. I started working on guitars using Japanese tools back in 1984, and when I went to Japan someone took me to a department store called Tokyu Hands. They have everything not just tools but there is nothing that they don't have from pens to toilet paper holders. I was amazed that they had so many files and bits. For example in the US you need to by the nut files from a specialty store but in Japan you can by the sizes individually. Dremel bits they have things we only dream of like actual sanding drums that are 1/8"/1/4". These are great for cleaning out neck pockets without changing the shape at the pocket. I travel to Japan a least twice a year on business and I always make a trip to Tokyu Hands to get new tools. For example they have Magic Markers that are great for doing touch ups in every color. I bought my fret saws right over the counter and that is all I will use. They have many size hole reamers that you could never find here as well as different sizes of end nippers that can be modified to pull frets. In the USA I do purchase tools from Sears, Home Depot and TrueValue hardware. I do buy some things from Stew Mac like a Fret bender. But I can't endorse them because I sent them some files once to see if they where intrested, never heard back but found that they offered them under their name six months later even using the same model number? But even still most of my tools have been modified in some way or another even if it is just making all my screw drivers magnetic or modifying my files by putting handles on them.

Here are some of the tools that I either made, was given or modified for working on guitars.

This is a collection of fretting tools all hand made, The blocks are made from mahogany scrap, The upper block on the left is a broom stick handle with first felt then rubber around it, I use it for rounding the frets after leveling the tops. Next is my fret cut back file for putting the angle on the fret ends. To the front is hand made fretting press cauls that I made years ago. These have the fret radius in them and I use a drill press to push the frets in. In the center with the holes is a fret holder. Before the days of fret benders we use to bend and cut each fret to the size and shape of the fretboard, this holder holds 24 frets that I shape to the exact radius of the fretboard

This is a Fritz ruler designed by Fritz Katoh. This tool has all the nut cutting templates on one side, the other side has a metric ruler and string height adjustment. The tip is .5 mm for checking the nut height of the strings off the first fret.

This is a collection of tools I made for set up. Just Allen wrenches set in dowel rods. First they are much easier to use then a standard angled wrench, second they are easier to find on a crowed desk and best of all then can be setup on a work bench for easy access. The upper left tools are hand made scrappers that I make from old hack saw blades. Next is my custom nut cutting template that I made it also works great for removing Gibson or acoustic nuts. I hold it against the nut and give it a quick tap with a hammer. The far right is one of my fret saws that I made a depth cutting control stopper by gluing paint sticks on it , this helps keep the fret slot even on both sides.

This is a fret end clamp for holding the fret ends down and gluing them if they are loose, Just a piece of pine and aluminum angle bracket.

This was designed by Fritz Katoh and is used for checking the neck set angle on acoustic guitars.

These are fretboard protection jigs for leveling frets on painted fretboard's like a standard Strat with a maple fretboard. The template lays over the fingerboard and the frets come up through.

Here is a collection of small tools, The top two on the left were actually made by a Japanese guy before me that had my work bench I don't know who it was but thanks. They are used for raising the bridge on a Ibanez Gibraltar II bridge and the second on is for tightening a 3 way toggle switch to the body without a pair of plyers that can scratch or deform the nut. The next jig is for marking the bridge stud location for a Floyd Rose that is counter sunk in the body. The others are my modified hack saw blades.

JIGS If you will do anything more than once from drilling a side jack to presetting intonation, make a jig. I have many jigs for everything. I started making jigs because I realized that if I measure something there is always a chance of making a mistake, like measuring a Lespaul bridge and then realizing you drilled the holes at 25.5" from the nut. View a Movie For these reasons I make a jig for almost every possible process. Some jigs I made include a center jig for side jacks that puts a center hole in side, bridge and stud location, machine head installation, string retainer, intonation, neck set, top arch, mounting ring holes. For shaping necks on the pin router I have a jig that shapes as well as has the truss rod channel template in it. To make a jig first figure out what you need to do, for example install a standard tremolo. Make a jig from plexiglass that starts at the nut and has the location of the six bridge screws in it. A center line runs down the middle of the jig that you line up with the dots and the center of the guitar. Put six screws in the exact location on the template and press down this will give you the position of the bridge screws. Basically you measure the jig once and from that point on all your bridges will be in the exact same location.

I made a jig for machine heads, because when I replaced necks sometimes I had a hard time getting the tuners straight. This was a pain so I milled out a piece of wood to the exact location of the six tuners I put the tuners in the jig and set the neck on the jig, put the nuts and washer's on the top of posts and tighten and the tuners are all perfect in line then I just drill the screw holes and add the screws.

Another thing that I had a problem with installing off set was the Floyd Rose string retainer bar on the head stock. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried to drill the holes the retainer would be uneven, so I made a small piece of plexiglass with the two screw hole locations that I hold against the fretboard before I put the top lock on and the holes are marked perfect every time. The little things on guitars are what can really drive you crazy if you make a mistake such as installing a mounting ring off a center sometimes you can see the pickup rout, or even the ring maybe crooked. I actually milled a 1/2" piece of plexiglass to the shape of the pickup rout and then added the location for the holes on the ring this allows me to drop the template in the rout, push down and the rings position is perfect every time.

This Jig hold the body at a 15 degree angle for cutting a perfect comfort cut each time.

This is a hand made truss rod channel jig for routing the channel slot.

Templates In making guitars or even modifying them, templates are not replaceable. I make templates for everything and actually I make templates of guitars right on the pin router by making a copy of them. I do this with almost every new production model just in case I need to ever make one. With the pin router it makes a perfect copy of the body so that I can have one template to make the entire guitar instead of using many different ones. I found that every time I change the templates there's a possibility of making a mistake so if I can use one template than I can't make any mistakes.

This is my cabinet of full body templates for making complete guitars on a pin router.

How to make a Template

I can talk about templates all day but where do you get them. Well you can buy some of them like a pickup or tremolo rout but what fun is that. Some of my best templates are handmade. First you need to do something, maybe install a tremolo, add a humbucker to a Strat or something that needs routing. Most tremolo systems that you purchase come with a drawing of a template that you can make. Even the sink I installed in my bathroom had a template drawing on the box to show the hole size to cut in the counter top. What material you make the template out of usually depends on the purpose and most important is how many times you will use it. Here's a list of materials that I use and my personal opinion as to the pro's and con's.

Plywood Templates: These can be made out of any building grade plywood. They are really easy to make and the fastest material to work with. However they don't last that long. If you are only going to use the template sometimes then this is great but if you plan to use it allot maybe you should consider a different material. Hardwood Templates: This is like a solid maple template. I sometimes use scraps of wood left over from cutting out bodies. The cost to purchase new woods to make these is very high and I have had a few solid wood templates warp so I don't use these. Phenolic Templates: These are great but the cost is so high it just does not make sense to use. Plexiglass: My favorite material. Its really cheap if you get it the way I do. There is a plexiglass distributor in northeast Philadelphia that makes and sells Plexiglass. They have a small store that sells the scraps left over from custom orders. I buy almost all my plexiglass here. Building stores like Home Depot also sell plexiglass.The best thing about Plexiglass is its see though so its easy to lineup. To make a template, if you have a milling machine this is the best (Yeah right) Ok you don't have a milling machine now what. The minimum tools I suggest for this are a ruler, A circle template, drill press (or hand drill or Dremel tool) A band saw or scroll saw is great, a scribe (An exacto blade works great) and small round file, a flat file and some course and fine sand paper (#80, #120, #280, #500) First if the parts has instructions for a template follow them and make a drawing on the material if the material does not have a paper surface like new Plexiglass to draw on cover the material with masking tape. If there are no instructions, measure the width, length and depth of the part that will be installed and figure out what size template you need to make. Use the circle template to figure out the corner radius. If you don't have this tool use drill bits they have the exact size for a radius on the but end. Always start from center, so make a center line down the middle using a straight edge. This is your most important part and use the scribe to mark a center line into the material, you will need this when aligning the template to the surface for routing. Take the part that you will be installing and find the center point using a ruler. Not all parts are perfect to center, an example is a Strat bridge that has a longer section for the tremolo arm socket so be careful. On bridges I always start from the center of the string saddles. Measure from center out. For example if the part is 50mm wide start from center and go out in either direction 25mm from center and make the lines. Do this also with the length. For the corners if you want them to be round figure the corner radius and draw it. (Note: If you leave the corner square and use a router bit the corner will be round after routing because the router bit is round) Next if you have a milling table just lock it down and mill away. If not use a drill press and the proper size drill bit to drill out the corners of the template. Then if you have a scroll saw cut out the shape of the template. You can also use a small hack saw blade to hand cut the templates shape. I have actually drilled a bunch of holes in the template to start the shape and then filed out the remaining area with a course file. If hand work is done you will need to clean up the inside of the template using the flat and round files. Then if your like me use the sand paper to make the template look good. (You never know who will borrow it.) That's it. Its also a great idea to mark the template with the purpose, date made and you name. To attach the template it can be double stick taped or screwed in. If you prefer screws try to find a location on the template that there will be a screw in the body. For Humbucking pickup templates I sometimes use the pickup mounting ring screw holes to hold it down. I prefer good double stick tape though.

This is my work bench at my house

This is my work bench at work, it took me fifteen years to make this. Every tool is within my reach and I get most without thinking where they are. The guitar cradle is made from 2X3" studs covered with felt I have two vacuums one on the desk for quick clean up like fret files and the second under the desk for major cleanup. The dryer hose is connected to a exhaust fan and when I soldier it removed the fumes.