Making an experimental musical instrument using the lathe as much as possible

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Block plane

No4 hand plane

Spoke shave

Round rasp

Coping saw

Heat gun

Flat file

Rotary tool

Chisel set

Forstner bit set

Bandsaw

Mandolin tuning pegs

Fret wire

Jointer planer

Table saw

Belt sander

Cordless drill

Flush trim saw

I wanted to make an acoustic string instrument using woodturning techniques as much as I could. I made this instrument out of basswood and iroko wood.

I begun by designing the body of my instrument. I then cut as much material as I could on the bandsaw and then mounted it on the lathe using a face plate. 

Having the lathe running at it’s lowest speed, I rounded over the piece using a bowl gouge. I then Used a parting tools and a skew chisel to create a tenon so I can reverse chuck the piece on the lathe. 

I then reversed the piece and started hollowing the inside like I would do on a regular bowl. I used the bowl gouge and a round scraper. Then I reversed the piece again. This time I used my bowl bottom cleaning jaws to remove the tenon.

Then I cut a piece of basswood to make the neck. I mounted it on the lathe between centers and trued it up using a roughing gouge. I also saved a piece to make the headstock later. Then I flattened one side of the cylinder using hand planes. 

The neck and the body are connected with a dovetailed joint. I used a small saw and chisels to create both the male and female pieces. I then glued the neck and the body together. 

Back on the lathe I used a spindle gouge and a round scraper to make the headstock. I then removed material on the bandsaw. I cleaned the saw marks with a hand plane.

Then it was time to make the joints for the head and neck. I used a small saw to make a side cut which I then cleaned on the belt sander. I used two small screws as center pins. Then I drilled holes on both pieces and added small bamboo sticks. The sticks prevent the pieces from moving around while glue up. Next I removed as much material as I could using a block plane. 

At this point I decided to finish shaping the body, using files, chisels and my spokeshave.

I moved on my jointer in order to make the neck and the body flush and flat from the front side. 

To make the top of the body I secured a pine piece on a melamine using double sided tape. Then I passed through the thickness planer to make it really thin. I then cut the top to shape on the bandsaw. I opened up a sound hole using a forstner bit. I then glued the under pieces of the top. Using a chisel I shaped the main brace of the top. Then I glued the top on the body. I then used the spokeshave, chisels and the belt sander to trim the top flush. 

Next I squared a piece of iroko wood using the jointer / planer and the table saw. I then made the fretboard using the table saw and the belt sander.

My instrument measures 35,5cm from neck to bridge. So I visited an online fret calculator to find the fret positions. I then cut the fret slots. On my drill press I created the holes for the bamboo sticks. These sticks act as fret position indicators. Two of them will also prevent the fretboard from moving around while glue up. I then glued the fretboard and flush trimmed the fret position indicators. I pressed the frets in place using my vise as a press. I then added a drop of super glue to make sure the frets would stay in place. Using a file and a sanding block I trimmed the sides of the frets flush. I then leveled the frets with a sanding block. I polished them with steel wool. I also used a rotary tool with a buffing wheel to polish them even more. 

It was now time to make the bridge. I placed two wood pieces on my pen jaws on the lathe. Then I used the skew to shape them. In the end I had two bridge bases. Using a mini chisel I made from an allen wrench I opened up the hole for the bone. I also used a regular chisel.

I wanted to make a four string instrument. So I cut my tuning pegs with a hacksaw. I removed any burrs on the grinder. I then drilled the holes for the tuning pegs on the headstock. 

I finished my instrument with water based clear varnish. I finished the fretboard and the bridge with beeswax and mineral oil paste. 

I then installed the string holder in place.

I made the bones for the bridge and nut out of plexiglass. I shaped them using sandpaper and files. 

On the headstock I screwed a ring kind of piece as a string guide. 

My little instrument was at this point ready. 

Although in some cases turning the pieces was not that efficient, I think it worked. This proves to me again that the lathe is a really versatile tool.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this build. I hope you did so to. But that was it. See you soon with a new project video!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How to make an epoxy resin and wood ring

Tools and materials I propose:

Resin

Vacuum chamber kit

Bandsaw

Micro mesh sanding pads

Buffing kit

Forstner bit set

Rectangle Molds

I made my ring using clear casting resin and niangon wood. 

First of all I had to break my wood on the vise. I pressed it against a few metal parts. I found that if you break the piece from both sides, you get a nice broken edge for this kind of job.

Then I mixed some resin and coated the picks on my wood. I let it dry over night and the next I was ready for my casting. At this point the first layer of resin was not fully cured, so the two layers will bond really nicely. 

I mixed my resin and degassed it on the vacuum chamber. 

In a plastic mold I secured the wood with tape so it can’t float in the resin. Then I poured the resin into the mold. I degassed it again on the vacuum chamber.

I used a fosrtner bit to make the hole for the finger. Then I cut the ring on the bandsaw and roughly shaped it on the belt sander.

I sanded the ring starting at 100 grit all the way up at 1000. At 320 I begun sanding with mineral oil.  I then used my micro mesh sanding pads which go from 1500 to 12000 grit.

Finally I buffed the ring on my buffing wheels. The wheels were mounted on the lathe. 

This was my first ring and I am really happy with the way it came out. It’s not perfect but it was a really rewarding process to make it.

But that was it, I hope you liked this one because that was it, see you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How to make two simple bed side tables

Tools and materials I propose:

Table Legs
Birch Edge Banding
Bandsaw
Table saw
Cordless drill
Speed square
Belt sander
Block plane
Masking tape
Dowel center pin
6mm dowels
Heat gun
Air compressor, nail and staple gun kit

I wanted to make a couple of simple bed side tables.

This project was also a good excuse for me, to practice edge banding.

I used 15mm plywood pieces for most parts. The legs have also 25mm plywood discs. 

I bought my lumber cut roughly to size. I then cut the rest to final size on my table saw. 

Then it was time to edge band some edges in order to hide the classic pattern on the sides of plywood.

Edge banding is basically a tape. On it’s front it has a wood pattern and on it’s back it has adhesive which melts with heat. 

For the plywood I got, the closest grain match was oak. So I got some oak edge banding. 

First of all I marked all the sides I wanted to edge band. An iron works best for this technique but I couldn’t find one in the beginning of the project. So I used my heat gun instead. I first heated underneath the tape a little and then placed the banding on the edge. Then I heated some more and used a flat piece to press on the wood. Fortunately I got an iron at some point and I secured the banding in place.

Once the banding is glued, you can use a razor or a hand plane to trim it flush. You can also use a trim router for this job.

I wanted to join all my pieces with 6mm dowels. So first I made a simple jig which is clamped on my vise and helps me align the pieces easier. I then made my first holes and then used my dowel center pins and the jig to create marks for the matching holes. Once I was done with all the drilling I glued everything together. I like to clean the glue squeeze outs with a wet rag. 

At this point I filled some imperfections of the wood with wood filler. On this project I wanted the grain of the wood parallel to the sides. So the lumber yard guy had to do some cross cuts on the plywood. This created some tear out.

I then lightly sanded the pieces and applied three coats of clear water based satin varnish. I used my heat gun to speed up the drying process and I lightly sanded between coats.

I then had to cut 8 discs out of 25mm plywood. These provided me with enough mass, so I could screw the legs in place. I cut them on the bandsaw and then sanded them on the belt sander.

I covered the discs with some edge banding as well. This didn’t work so great but it did it’s job.

To help me easily align the discs I made another jig. I then glued and nailed the discs in place. I then predrilled pilot holes and screwed the legs in place. 

And basically I was done. The legs were a little bit expensive but I think they add some elegance to the pieces.

I am really happy with the way my simple side tables came out. 

But that was it, see you soon with a new project video!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How to make a small wooden chair for your kids - DIY

Tools and materials I propose:

Bandsaw

Jointer planer

Table saw

Cordless drill

Random orbit sander

Circular saw

Speed square

Miter box

Hand saw

Countersink bits

Belt sander

Block plane

Chisel set

Masking tape

Dowel center pin

Flush trim saw

8mm dowels

Heat gun

Air compressor, nail and staple gun kit

I made my little chair out of reclaimed pine lumber. You can use pre planed clean lumber, straight from your lumber yard.

First of all I had to make the wood useable again. I first removed any nails. Then I cut it roughly to size with my circular saw and a speed square. 

I then ripped the boards to width on the table saw. I squared all the ends with my cross cut sled. Finally I passed all the boards, through the thickness planer. 

I then started designing my chair. I made all the cross cuts on the table saw. You can also use a miter box and a hand saw. I cut the angled parts on the bandsaw and then sanded them on the belt sander. Alternatively you can use a chisel and a hand plane and achieve the same result. 

I then cut the side pieces. I used 8mm dowels to connect all the parts together. I first named all my joints. Then I drilled the first holes, added the center pins and then drilled the matching holes. 

I then glued the sides of my chair. 

I used a washer as a guide to draw curves on the edges. I then rounded over the edges on the belt sander.

Next I had to cut some notches for the back rest. I used the bandsaw to do that. Alternatively you can make a series of cross cuts and then remove as much material as you can with a chisel. In both cases finish the job with a sanding block.

Then I cut the cleats on which the seat of the chair rests upon. I did that on the table saw. I glued them in place and added dowels for extra strength. I cut the dowels flush, with a flush trim saw. 

Finally I glued the main body of the chair together. Again using 8mm dowels.

On the table saw again, I cut the pieces for the seat and the back rest. 

I glued and nailed the seat pieces in place. I had a small gap which I filled with a thin piece. I used a block plane and a chisel to trim it flush.

I filled all the imperfections with wood filler.

Finally I started sanding with my random orbit sander. Once I sanded most parts I glued and nailed the back rest in place. I also used screws here. But first I drilled pilot holes and created counter sinks.

I finished sanding.

To make the chair sit nicely on a flat surface I glued a shim on one leg. I trimmed it flush with a chisel and sandpaper. 

I then masked the areas around the back rest and the seat. I painted with latex paint. It is important to paint from the tape to the wood in order to achieve really sharp edges. I applied two coats while lightly sanding between coats. The heat gun helps to speed up the drying process. 

Finally, I finished my chair with two coats of clear water based varnish.

At this point my chair was ready. It came out great. The only thing I would change is the screws on the back rest. I thing dowels would do just fine.

Anyway, I hope you liked my little chair, because that was it. See you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.