Steel Guitar Builder

You can just let them "self-tap", but be very careful about the hole diameter, Jason. If you drill a hole of the core diameter of the thread, the screws will shear. Ask me how I know.... :lol: :lol: So just drill a hole a tiny bit less diameter than the o/d of the screw. The screws themselves are lo...

Well Pat, I got a bit lucky because they seem to be a bit rare. I was looking for one at 3/8" or 5/16", but when the chance came to pick up one at 1/4" I jumped. That's still 6.25mm and it seems adequate diameter. It's quite old, somebody had died and his tool stocks were being sold off. Oddly enoug...

Your #5 looks like a professional build, Pat - lovely. I found myself a hollow mill so I can turn round ends on square cross-shafts, because you don't have to clamp the bellcranks on as hard. It's the work of a few seconds to put a round end on the shaft. As with everything, having the right tools g...

Or you can just build a reverser before you even get to the cross-shaft.

Nice touch with the inlaid initials on the headstock, Jason. That fretboard looks tidy too. Does it sound good?

I got myself one of those little Chinese lathes second hand a while back, so I just make my own out of round brass bar. We don't have McMaster-Carr in the UK anyway...

Thanks guys, for something where I'm feeling my way as I go, I'm pleased with how it's turning out. Now I have to take it apart and prep it for sunburst, lacquer, binding etc. I may put an inlay in the keyhead area too, under the strings. The eagle on the end of the fretboard is going to take a lot ...

Walt, pm sent.

Will

I've been meaning to update you all on progress for a while, but have now got as far as getting all the parts together and doing a trial fit. I didn't want to do the banding around the edges, the sunburst and the inlay if in fact it wasn't strong enough and wouldn't sound right. So yesterday I took ...

Difficult to be sure without a picture or sketch, Steve, but I'm tempted to say you will be fine. There is little going on in a steel which creates axial (end to end) thrust or movement on those cross-shafts. Everyone builds in a tad of end float anyway, say up to 1mm, just to prevent it binding.