Angle For Mounting Legs

[Eldon]

Does anyone have the angle for mounting the legs. I'm making an S10 with a body width of 8.5 inches (in case it maters for stability).

[bobby burns]

I've measured the angle on a few show-buds, and they seem to vary from 10-11 1/2 degrees.

[Bent]

Eldon, Bobby, The 10 degree angle is the one, according to my research.
By the way, I think that this is one of the most difficult things to make accurately, especially if you have inferior equipment like had - a drill press having a wee bit run-out, a vise not being strong enough and then lining up things both ways dead on..horrors!

[bobby burns]

Bent, I agree that 10 degrees seems to be what most makers use. However, I don't think Sho-Bud was that into precision. I think they just set the angle on the drill press table, and drilled a batch. The next time they set it up if it was off a degree or so they didn't worry. One of my guitars is a 70's pro-1 that has the rear legs set back a little more than the front. I set my drill press table using an angle gauge. I don't trust the markings on the table itself. I hold the endplate by clamping it to an angle plate, to hold the plate 90 degrees to the table, and angle the table the desired angle from the spindle.
I've thought about setting the leg angle wider on single necks, to make them a little more stable. If you set a single neck wider, it may seem to have a small amount of extra leg room under the steel also.

[Eldon]

Thanks guys 10 degrees it is. After making a small section of guitar body so I could visualize the pieces better it looks to me like I need to make the thickness of my top less than 1 inch. It looks like my lower levers are too short for now. I should possibly re-post but my pull rods are going to end up on an angle to the raise/lowers and bell cranks. So the big question is how thin can I make my top.................. I don't relish the idea of rerdoing my raise/lowers.

[Bent]

Eldon, I would guess that the standard for top thickness is 3/4". I have seen some thinner, maybe as thin as 3/8" But wouldn't trust that unless the body has a metal framework. Then the top is meant to act as a sound board only. (MO of course)

I had the same problem as you do; getting my top most raise holes in the changer low enough. Without compromising thickness of the top, the only way will be to lower my cross shafts to the absolute maximum and to make the raise and lower bars longer, unless you want to bend your pull rods.

[burt]

Some steels have a different front/back angle.
If you have too much angle on the front legs, then the pedals will be too far forward for comfortable playing, and vice-versa.

The following advice will make you look a bit silly, but it's effective

You need to sit down at an imaginary steel, at the height that you will be playing at, with your feet in a comfortable position for pressing the pedals, and your arms also in a comfortable position, and get somebody to take some dimensions.

If you can't work the angle out from your dimensions, post them on here and I'll work it out for you, it's the sort of thing that I do for a living

[Eldon]

Thanks Burt - Man is my forehead ever flat now!

[Allan]

...it's the sort of thing that I do for a living

Sorry for bending the direction of the thread but I have to ask - Burt, what is your job? Are you an architect, a shoe salesman, what?

That really intrigued me!

Ignore me if I am being too inquisitive, regards, Allan.....

[burt]

I'm a toolmaker/maintenance man/research and development/plumber/toilet unblocker, you name it, I'll do it