Must have tools and jigs

[Jon Hiltbrand]

Hey guys. Been a while. I'm looking for more tool/jig ideas. Specifically, I'm looking for those that you don't necessarily need, but make a common task so much easier that you can't imagine not having it now. What's at the top of your list?

Got the stewmac vise. Haven't had it long, but.. wow.

I recently made a neck removal jig. I've done plenty of resets without - just clamps and cork backed blocks will still do the trick. But for the material cost (scrap and hardware) and the quick assembly time I cant believe I hadn't made one sooner. Being able to move the guitar freely is awesome.

I also made a shop vac hose holder that is more adjustable than I'll probably ever need, but its been great for quick easy dust collection anywhere you need it. Just put a wand in it, aim it and turn it on.

Those are my recent favorites. How about you guys? What saves time/makes life easier in your shop?

[moonlightluthiers]

Get a set of thin flexible plastic cutting mats from BedBathandBeyond.   You can cut these into any shape for guitar top protectors, soft scrapers, templates, and many other uses.  I like the Dexas brand.  Cheap and handy.

Also, tougher and more useful than the old single edge razor blades are Milwaukee Model 48-22-1954 carton utility blade.  These have rounded corners instead of a sharp point.  They are much less likely to scratch adjoining surfaces, they are extremely sharp and last far longer than the old window scraper single edge blades.   I put a piece of electrician's tape across the back of the blade.

For neck re-setting work, a Buck Brothers 1/8" bevel edge chisel is very convenient.   Newer bevel edge chisels are too tall as measured from the blade flat side to the top of the bevel.  Get the longest chisel you can find.

[Dave Hanna]

How about a top plank edge jointing jig?  See attachment.  This is a Veritas Shooting board plane running against a four foot aluminum straight edge embedded in a plywood jig structure.   It works like a giant bench hook with a mahogany board on top lined with no slip rubber sheet.  Pushing down on this prevents the top planks from shifting when the plane is run through.  In the image you can see a plank jointing operation in progress.

[Jon Hiltbrand]

This is cheap and easy enough to try out. Turn your vise or neck rest into a tuner! I had this on a neck rest and decided to give it a try on the vise too. It wasn't sure how it would work through the urethane jaws, but so far so good.

[Jon Hiltbrand]

Meant to show this pic too...