Official Luthiers Forum!

Haans, I haven't spent very much time in here for the past few years because I've been too busy in the shop. Sorry you're having to give up building (and Hesh too). I will keep hope that I can remain healthy enough to continue creating these awesome instruments of beauty and luxurious sound for the remainder of my days here on earth, and if not, there are always other things important in life as well. However long that may be. Your recreation of vintage style instruments has always been artfully inspiring to me as a fellow luthier and woodworker. Be in good health sir!

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Ha(a)ns,

What deflating news. So very sorry to hear of your woes!
I will treasure, all the more, this set of White Oak you graciously sold me.
And I believe I will take your warnings to heart. Thank you for that.
And for all the inspiration along the way. Put my name on the list for a book when it comes out.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thanks Steve.
Hope that everyone takes to heart what I said about the equipment that will save your life. It's actually most important to buy the best mask, filters, spray booth, exhaust your shop (not with a window fan), and have an offgassing area where you cant smell anything.
I haven't smoked for over 20 years, and am firmly convinced that the finish fumes from cabinetmaking shops are what did me in. The few wiffs in my shop did no good after being so massively affected by the major stuff. First you get sensitized, then allergic, then sick, and finally DEAD.
It's all very nice to talk about your shiny new bandsaw that cuts through 10" of ironwood like butter, but I'd rather see folks talking about their 1400 cfm exhaust fan.

+1 to what Hans said.

I'm always keen when helping new builders to tell them that the RH solution for a stable RH environment is a priority over that new bandsaw or thickness sander.

From now on I will be pushing environmental stuff for not only the wood and thin plates, etc. but we humans too. Great dust collection, explosion proof fans and lighting, outlets etc. and respirators.....

A guitar top cracking is one things our lungs crackling is another and much more important matter all together.

+1 with both Haans and Hesh because care of your lungs is essential! I've been woodworking all my life like Haans (consistently for the past 42 years) and I've been working as a luthier for the past 10. In my earliest years when I lived in south TX I did all my woodworking out of doors. Having seen the suffering of elders in my family with emphysema, my priority has always been on my own health 1st and foremost. Quality dust collection, air filtration, and respirators (not dust masks) are essential especially during all machining and sanding operations. I tried various form fitting dust masks over the years and they are ineffective at best. As well even though I primarily use low voc finishes, I still consider it critical to use explosion proof fans and lighting. My shop is attached to the house and this is not only for my health but also for my Lovely Wife.

And if you smoke, that's your own business. But if you intend to be serious about woodworking and or lutherie it would behoove you to seriously consider quitting for your long term health sake.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Hanns, I'm so sorry about your health issues, and about having to give up on lutherie. Lots of positive thoughts coming your way. Best wishes, Beth

Thanks guys and Beth! It all helps.
Book is done and trying to find a way to publish. I could print it myself, but the paper is expensive. Biggest problem is the dpi of the photos. Most want 3-600dpi photos. Thinking of a spiral bound like Harpe's Stella book.

Spiral bound would allow big photos which, I think, would be good

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Count me in on the book. In fact I'm quite excited to hear you finished it and look forward to it!

Health is one of the things that we all take for granted when we are healthy. It's an odd behavior really. As the saying goes, youth is wasted on the young. They say something like 30 minutes of exercise 5 days of week can be one of the best things you can do for yourself, just 30 minutes. Yet most of us would rather grab a beer or a cupcake and sit on the couch. Same goes with those of us who are hobbyists or make a living working with wood. You don't think you need that dust collection because you can breath just fine... until you can't. It's human nature for us to be self destructive.

It's threads like these that really can help out the younger builders and is one more contribution that Haans and Hesh and others who have posted warnings to us here. Take it to heart! One of the greatest years of my life was when I came very near to death. After that experience the beauty of the world came back to me in a way that was almost child like. The roses were redder, the air was sweeter, and the birds song was some of the finest music I ever heard. That was years ago and I have since gotten back to 'normal'. I guess what I am saying is stories like these and the unfortunate experience of those who experience them are in a strange and almost selfish and unfair way a blessing to the rest of us as long as you take it to heart.

I also see lots of hope and am inspired by it when seeing your sense of humor haans... lol on the Monty Python skit

Haans:

I, for one, would pay for the book before it is printed to get you some working capitol. I bet a lot of others on the forum (and other forums) would too. Maybe Neil Harpe would be willing to put out the word as he has quite a following. In fact, I will take 3 copies as I have people I know who would enjoy it.

Ed Minch

Ed, let's not bother Neil. I have a good but small relationship with him and he has been kind enough to answer a few questions I had about Stella cosmetics.
What I looked at today was a spiral bound 80# paper, full color, with a thick back and front, 8-1/2"x11" book. It's all dual side, so the book would be around 40 pages (yea, I know, but lots of photos and NUMBERS like .118" etc.). They want 50 bucks for that. So many photos, the gal said. I could cheapen it up a bit by using 24# paper for the body of the book, but spiral books are great for the shop because they lay flat, and the 80# just feels so much better.
I guess what I would like to do is move this over to the Classifieds, cause we're talking bucks now. I do have a few bucks for printing one or two, so I could do an initial run of a few and then run more as the need arises. Anyway, let's trot over to the Classifieds. I'm sure I've overstepped this a little here...sorry Lance.

Oops, better wait till my payment to the classifieds clears...stay tuned.

Aack, do I have to subscribe to the classifieds now to keep contact with the book process? A conspiracy!

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Jim, I don't know how to handle this. Here's what I wrote over there...

So, I guess I need to look around some more for printers of spiral bound books. My guess that in good ole America, they are all within a nickel of each other anyway. I would say, the selling price of the book would be somewhere in the $150-200 range depending on the printing. I'd like to do a bit better than just give it away. Guess my first question is: Who's in? Do you think this is a fair price for someone who has basically told his life story of seeking to build Larson and Stella guitars?
Do you think 8-1/2" x 11" is the best size or would you rather see something smaller (not sure if that is possible)..

Let's hear it...

So, shipping the book starting on Monday. Paypal fine, $160+$16 shipping, handling and PP fees. If you would rather send a check, wait is longer, but you save 5 bucks.
Either way, please drop me an email at

johann@brentrup.com.

Include your full address.

Thanks,

Hans.

I know several who have successfully used this on line publishing service, but their pricing for a 120-300 page book was under $50.

https://www.lulu.com/

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/