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March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Anyone like to share details and maybe photos of your lutherie workbench? I have a general woodworking bench and am planning a few jobs e.g. fitting endpin jacks to 2 all-wood acoustics. Also need to be set up for Ovation and Applause roundbacks. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | My "craft" room looks like a sharknado hit it... I suggest not letting that happen.
Of note - my work table is an ironing board, aka, a Mother tested ergonomic work surface if there ever was! |
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March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | I am banned from any sawing drilling gluing soldering etc on any surface inside the house |
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December 2001
Posts: 10582
Location: NJ | does the kitchen table or picnic table count as a workbench? |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Daylight is important. 
Edited by MWoody 2018-02-15 1:48 PM
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I use my Bed.
I have a folding stool that I sit on while working.
I lay down a towel if I am doing any drilling.
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | I had a shop in the basement with an old kitchen cabinet, plus a Sears workbench with steel drawers that I put castors on. That was right next to the man cave. I just used towels under the guitar, either front or back. It took a lot of towels to stabilize the round back.
Unfortunately, we sold that house and moved to one with no basement. I've only done a little bit of work on guitars since, typically on the coffee table when SWMBO isn't around. The problem is that I have to clean up before she gets home.
Dan had a great idea of cutting out a cardboard box to fit the guitar back. |
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February 2016
Posts: 1802
Location: When?? | This may sound backwards, but since Ovations have that well known problem of "slipping off" the workbench.. I use my lap. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Thanks everyone. The Towel seems to be an essential piece of kit.
Now to hijack my own thread: Is the endpin the best place to put an output jack on a wood box acoustic? Obviously Ovation made a decision not to use the endpin, and solid electrics rarely do, but can I safely install one through the (solid mahogany) side, maybe with some reinforcement on the inside? I have the use of a quality 1/2" reamer, plus a cheaper guitar to practice on.
By the way I like your workroom, MWOODY. Is the beer fridge is concealed in one of the cabinets, or just out of the shot?
Edited by sycamore 2018-02-16 3:40 AM
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May 2011
Posts: 755
Location: Muenster/Germany | I work on guitars in my small workshop, but that is set up for fine work only. I have no trouble with making nuts and saddles but I have not enough space for a real wood-workbench.Sometimes I have to improvise a lot.
Use the endpin block for the output jack. You will never (!!) be able to reinforce the side of the guitar as stable like the end block. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Ok thanks for that. Endpin it is.
If I clear my bench completely I can just lie a guitar on it. Bench used to be a kitchen table.t. Its just hard to clear the bench completely! |
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June 2012
Posts: 2315
Location: Pueblo West, CO | I made this fixture for holding Ovations while I work on them. It's a simple version of what the factory uses.
I used a drill press vise I bought from Harbor Freight. I also used three adjustable-height furniture levelers. 
Here's a guitar clamped into the fixture. The neck piece is a short section of 2x2. I cross-drilled one end for a pair of Ikea furniture clamps that are used to join two pieces of wood at 90-degrees. I drilled holes in the end of the 2x2 that matched the K-bar bolt pattern. 
For guitars with a glue-on neck I clamp a Stewmac neck support caul into the vise, then clamp the neck into place with a scrap piece of wood on top of the fingerboard. 
For doing the final alignment/fitting of the neck on Patch's parlor I added another feature seen on the factory fixture. I drilled holes for screw eyes, then used a couple of flat bungees to clamp the body to the fixture. I used to stuff sand baggies through the sound hole. This works much better. I'll use this tool when it comes time to glue the neck to the body. 
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Thanks Dan. Some great ideas specially the furniture levellers |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Thoughts on end pin placement of the jack:
- The end pin area is stronger and any holes in the sides will need reinforcement.
- the reason for using a strong location for the jack is because when you step on the cord and YANK the jack out (or twist it) it sucks.
- always wrap your cord around the strap!
you're welcome... |
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Joined:
June 2012
Posts: 2315
Location: Pueblo West, CO | sycamore - 2018-02-16 9:15 AM
Thanks Dan. Some great ideas specially the furniture levellers
You're welcome.
One of the things I like about this fixture is that it allows me to rotate it around to work on either side.
Or, I can move it off the bench entirely if I need the room. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4043
Location: Utah | My workbench is a bit boring! Just a basic workbench with adjustable height. 4 feet wide by about 24 or 28 inches deep. I have a foam pad from Luthier's Mercantile, and a towel for protection. A sandbag works as a neck support for jobs like fretting. A cheap plastic tripod works to support the neck while changing strings.
That's it really. Shelves for storing tools and supplies, an old transistor radio that was my Dad's 50 years ago, and a bright goose-neck floor lamp next to the bench. |
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October 2014
Posts: 270
| alpep - 2018-02-15 1:11 PM
does the kitchen table or picnic table count as a workbench?
Isn't that what they're for? |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Endpin went pretty well. Borrowed a good quality reamer and made jig to ensure perpendicularity. Worked on attic floor as bench has a joinery project on the fi |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Endpin went pretty well. Borrowed a good quality reamer and made jig to ensure perpendicularity. Worked on attic floor as bench has a joinery project on the go |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Any idea why Ovation dont locate the output jack at the endpin?
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | sycamore - 2018-02-20 3:15 AM
Any idea why Ovation dont locate the output jack at the endpin?
I can only speculate, but...
The Ovation bowl is equally strong, so the jack does not have to be in the "thick spot"
Like is necessary with wood-box guitars.
Also, connecting a strap to and endpin jack kinda sucks.
Instead, Ovation has sturdy Dunlop dual-design buttons.
I can understand their choice. 
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Makes sense I guess. |
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Workbench ideas