Frank Ford's reverse Forstner bit for dovetail to bolt on conversions

[Kerry Krishna]

 I had this tooled up by my buddy Byron Olson ex of Saskatoon. He was the top repair guy on all Saskachewan for a long time there. He is easily the smartest human I have ever shaken hands with..

. Reverse Forstner bit

[Keith]

hi Kerry, 

relatively new here .. can you explain how you use this

it looks like an ethnic joke about to happen

keith

[Mike Kolb]

Yowzuh.... that looks like a nice addition to the arsenal, which begs the question: does Byron have any plans to market these tools?

I dunno if he'd make a fortune by selling thousands, but you know there's an enthusiastic (albeit limited) market right here on the board. 

[Peter Poyser]

Hi Keith!

It's a Tool for Cutting a Hole Backwards

And making a Neat Recess for a Bolt On Neck or whatever your heart desires.

In Kerry's Application, a Hole would be Drilled in the Neck Block from that Neck Side once the Neck is Removed.

The Non Working End of the Tool would be inserted from the Inside of the Guitar, and then tightened into the Chuck of a Hand Drill.

It could then be utilised to Cut a Neat, Flat Bottomed Recess, into the Guitars Neck Block to Create a Location for the Washers and Bolts which Fix the Neck.

Finally,  a Smart Label could be lightly glued over the Bolt Recesses or a Covering Plug to make a very neat job internally, as you look at the Neck Block viewing  through the Sound Hole.

 

 

People think Bolt On Necks are a New Idea.

But really they have been around for a Several Centuries upon European Guitars.

And some were Originally Designed to facilitate and enable, Easy User Friendly Adjustment of the Neck Set Angle.

They had the notion clear enough, and when I was a Boy in places like Spain, you could even buy, very Cheap Guitars that had this feature as Standard.

The problem was the Quality of the Engineering and/or in the case of High End Instruments the Design and Implementation of the Concept, was not sufficiently Well Developed Enough.

 

And did not provide the Necessary Stability, for this Crucial Factor, of Instrument  Building.

Fortunately Great American Makers and Brands like Taylor and Collins.

Have taken up the Modern Day Gauntlet.

 

 

But I look Forward to the Day, when Design and Engineering Technologies  are Advanced Enough, to Allow Manufacturers to Make a High End Guitar featuring  Easy User Friendly Adjustment of the Neck Set Angle.

After all, Men have Walked upon the Surface of the Moon. I'm not sure if that's moving "Back to the Future" or "Forward to the Past" but it would be a Neat Piece of Design and Engineering, if someone could genuinely pull it off Successfully!

 

 

P

[nathan clark]

Years ago I bought a "back spot face" from a machinist.  He ordered it for me from one of his vendors and the only modification he had to do was cut the shank shorter.  I've used it for a couple of bolt on conversions and it works great.

[Robbie Collins]

Is this what you're showing?

http://wlfuller.com/html/type__b__sets.html

[Mark Pollock]

That is the same as a pen mill!

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2083645/35449/Whiteside-Pen-Mill-S...

Mark

[nathan clark]

I bought the tool about 9 years ago.  I have no recollection of the cost.

Robbie, the tool in that link looks like mine, but I can't say for sure.  

[Robbie Collins]

Kerry...here's a listing at Jamestown Distributors:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid...

Jamestown is a boat building supply house. They have interesting tools and parts such as stainless steel screws, hooks, handles, latches, etc. I did my kitchen using their stuff to get a '30s Art Deco look.

[Robbie Collins]

Something tells me that Frank isn't reinventing the wheel, just lovin' the challenge.