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bookmatching

Discussion in 'Luthier's Corner' started by skguitarsbasses, Jul 11, 2003.

  1. Jul 11, 2003 #1
    skguitarsbasses

    skguitarsbasses

    Jun 19, 2003
    northern virginia
    i have purchased a few blocks of wood that will make great tops at some point. the only problem is that i need to have them bookmatched, and i do not have a bandsaw, nor any experience at performing a re-saw.
    so, this poses a couple of questions for me:
    1- how much should i reasonably expect to pay a mill shop to bookmatch wood for me?
    2- would it be worth it just to purchase a bandsaw and hack away? or cheaper in the long run to just have someone else do it.
    3- how difficult is the process of re-sawing?

    (the blocks are thuya and redwood burl, not sure if the figuring on them will cause more difficulty in sawing)
     
  2. Jul 11, 2003 #2
    godoze

    godoze

    Oct 21, 2002
    you can get a bandsaw for unde $500. obviously this investment will be the best decision if you plan on doing much guitar building.

    Bookmatching itself is not difficult. It's a question of having the saw set up properly with a good fence, a sharp blade and taking good measurements before you cut.

    Remember, practice on some junk before you try to bookmatch a $150 piece of claro walnut !!!

    If this is your first shot though go to a mill or if you have a local luthier he or she would probably gladly resaw it for you for a small charge.
     
  3. Jul 11, 2003 #3
    godoze

    godoze

    Oct 21, 2002
    just noticed your woods... i've never resawn those so i would get some advice from the shop where you purchased them.
     
  4. Jul 12, 2003 #4
    Guitar Man

    Guitar Man

    Jul 11, 2003
    USA Pittsburg Ca.
    I just take mine tothe local guy with a huge band saw and pay him to resaw them for me.

    I have 2 band saws but you need a real big one to do a good job.

    It would be a good idea to run the block through a jointer before you splot them this way you have a good edge to glue the books back with.

    You will also need to make up some sort of clamping device to glue them with.
    I use a large piece of 3/4 inch plywood with a backstop on it and I have a couple caulking guns that i have taken off the barels and mounted to a slide angle iron that hooks through the ply wood with a couple 1/4 inch bolts.

    Wax up the board and you are ready to book match.
    Once it is glued you can find someone with a killer sander and sand to thickness.

    Good luck Roger Jeannie Pickguards
    If you need more info just e-mail [email protected]
     
  5. Jul 13, 2003 #5
    FBB Custom

    FBB Custom TalkBass Pro Commercial User

    Jan 26, 2002
    Maryland
    Owner: FBB Bass Works
    Resaw is not terribly hard, but you can lose a nice piece of wood if the bandsaw is not set up properly, with a good sharp blade, and if you do not feed the board parallel to the blade.

    My guess is that the redwood would be relatively easy to resaw, since the stuff is not dense, and that the thuya could be more difficult. Figure in wood usually indicates that the grain is running all over the place, and so figure can indicate difficulty in resawing.

    Most woodworking places will charge by the hour. Maybe $30-40 an hour. You could probably get both or all three boards resawn and surfaced in an hour, but it is up to the shop as to how they charge you.