Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey all,

Just finished my taxes and it seems like there is a wee bit more left in coffers than I thought. I’m going to buy some of the “bigger” power tools. I’ve sourced a 14” bandsaw from a local tool store, but I’m curious as to what size drill press everyone recommends? I also intend to purchase a belt sander. What sort of questions should I be asking about the drill press and belt sander?

Thanks for your time,
Jeremy

Jeremy:

A table top drill press will do 99% of all the drilling you need to do in lutherie. Delta & Jet are the first two brands that come to mind but there are others that will get the job done just as well. Make sure the distance from the vertical pipe (that the table mounts to) and the distance to the center of the chuck is 8" or greater. Mine is 7.5" (an old Delta) and I am only able to drill the soundhole center after the top has been profiled. I have often wished that mine was 8"+.

A 6" x 48" is the most popular size of belt sanders. I have one from Harbor Freight and another one from Grizzly. I like the quick change feature of the Grizzly.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I had to futz with my Grizzly 6 x 48" sander though to keep the table 90 degrees to the table. It involved reinforcing it with threaded rods that could be adjusted from time to time.

It works great now, but that was a giant pain to get it right. I prefer to buy a tool and pretty much use it as is right out of the box.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

A table top drill press is great unless you want to do any type of rosette stuff, then it's not deep enough. But Grizzly makes one that slides so the depth can be changed. I wish it was around when I bought my huge floor model.

As far as a sander is concerned, my recommendation is to find an edge sander. It is basically a belt sander on its side. It has a table to rest the material on at 90 degrees to the belt. It also has a table at the curved end of the belt. That is great for things like sanding the curve into a bridge.

I used one 6 months ago and miss it dearly. I am looking for a used one. If I had to do it over again, I would have bought an edge sander instead of a belt sander. The edge sander does everything a belt sander does with a little more support for the material.

I agree with Bob on the edge sander. It's a very versatile tool especially in the 6x80" or 6x89" size and can be used in lieu of a jointer in many cases. It has tremendous material removal potential including fingernails along with a bit of flesh. Some of them, including the Woodtek (woodworker.com) allow the belt to be layed down flat so that a piece of wood much wider than the belt can be surfaced reasonably flat by moving back and forth across the belt while also rotating it slightly.
Nelson

If your willing to profile the top a bit, taper from top to lower bout, you can cut rosettes with a 12" drill press (6" to center). I don't cut rosettes with the drill press and the inexpensive Ryobi 12" does what I need it to otherwise. However, the radial drill press that Paul mentioned can give you more options such as rotating the head and using a buffer or drum sander attachment. The question is will you use it make rosettes? Don A38414.9457523148

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Thanks again everybody for the quick reply.

Drill press comments:
- I’m thinking that I’m going to prefer to cut out the sound hole and rosette channel with a laminate trimmer so there are no sound hole considerations

- I also am interested in building electrics and assume that a ~12” press would cover the lot.

Belt sander comments:

- all your coffers must be much larger than mine because those prices on edge sanders…ouch! (says the indebted college grad) but I do heed the point. It might take me a little bit longer to save yet I do see the advantages of such a tool.

- Nelson – you mentioned a 6”x 80” size, do you perhaps recall the manufacturer?


On a completely different note has anyone taken Ervin Somogyi’s course on The Principles and Practice of Voicing the Guitar?

The Radial drill press is what people are talking about. I don't have one as I have a milling machine. The radial will give you depth. Also you can set a milling table and you can do very accurate bridge drilling.
   I also have a 12 insh wide belt sander I got from harbor freight that I find most usefull. Grizzly tools has some good edge sanders for the money. Also if you search ( industrial abrasives ) they sell no loading belts.
   These are twice the price but last 4 times as long as regular belts.
   A joiner is handy to
So many tools so little time

I can't be out of money , I still have checks

john hall

Jeremy--Grizzly makes a 6x80 and there may be others.
An oscillating belt sander is about the ultimate as it spreads out the heat and wear on the belt when sanding narrow pieces. But again, more money.
Grizzly sanders
Nelson

On another note. Save and get the better equipment. I jumped in with both feet and am now in the process of upgrading some of the early bargains. I'm sure the others will tell you the same thing, you get what you pay for and the names do count.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

My tool motto is that you are still living with the quality of a tool long after your wife forgets how much it cost.

I like floor standing drill presses. The bench space that a table mounted one takes is more valuable as bench space. The drill press tends to dominate the table it's on and it actually takes up more space than if you had a floor model.
My table drill press is on the floor now anyway. Yoga and drilling at the same time!

I'd really like to upgrade my tablesaw. It would have been easier just buying a good one in the beginning. Buying quality the first time is a really good idea.

Amen on the floor drill press. I've had two old Craftsman, I mean old forty fifty years old. They are great. I cut out soundholes primarily, but it's good for many other jobs. Very versatile tool if you get a good one.

I have a Powematic (Taiwanese) 6 X 89 sander and an American made Delta 6 X 48 sander. I tend to agree with some of the other posts that the 6 X 89 sander seems to be "handier". It's amazing how many operations can be done on that machine.My 6 x 48 has the 12" disk on the side which I also find indispensible.
I would also advise you to buy the best quality machine you can-there is nothing more frustrating than having to fight a tool.
I have a Rockwell floor model drill press.I bought it new in 1980-7-1/2" throat-it's only 1/3 of a horsepower runs like a top! Does everything I need it to do including drilling rosettes.