Steel Guitar Builder

Hi there my name is Jim Grant and I live in upstate ny. I am a retired sheet metal worker and do a lot of woodwork in my shop. Have a lot of wood tools a complete sheet metal shop and a 5 ft logan lathe so thought I would try building a lap.Have been having fun with it thanks to Allan,pat and others.Have a 1950's gibson electraharp and a six string harlin bros steel picked up at a sale. Trying to learn but going slow so thought I would try my luck on building.Live in upstate ny and have to have things to do so here I am was going to send a few pics but the resolution to high on them will try to shrink them and send them out.
Jim Grant

got pics reduced I think

another try

Jim, that is a fine start! I do have one observation though, you have got the tuners mounted the wrong way around. What I mean is, the pull of the string needs to tighten the contact between the gear and the worm. If you leave it as you have it right now the gears will wear out quite quickly.
You have got the proportion of the guitar well worked out - I like it a lot.

Regards, Allan.....

Thanks Allan, always need help. went up to local music store and picked up jack and volumr control ,pickup on order. Do you mean switch the tuner or just wind the string the opposite direction
Thanks again great hep
jim

Swap them over Jim. The ones on the right should be one the left and the other way around. Once you start to make the change, you will most likely see immediately what the problem would be if you don't. I well remember my own 'DOH!' moment.

Allan.....

Allan wrote:Jim, that is a fine start! I do have one observation though, you have got the tuners mounted the wrong way around. What I mean is, the pull of the string needs to tighten the contact between the gear and the worm. If you leave it as you have it right now the gears will wear out quite quickly.
You have got the proportion of the guitar well worked out - I like it a lot.

Regards, Allan.....

Hi guys, Allan i don't get how those tuners you say are wrong way!...it is the same as on a 6 strings guitar and i don't see any problem with them, the're 3 left 3 right just like on a LesPaul exemple. , if he didn't bought 6 inline tuners like on a Tele...i don't see any problem with them, unless you have and seen pic of the underneath to be sure.

JMO.........Pat

The post gear needs to be positioned so that string tension pulls it into contact with the worm gear on the tuning knob shaft. If this is not so then the string tension will separate the two parts enough that they will skip and eventually wear beyond the point of being usable.
I know that you have been involved in discussion on this point before and I thought that you had understood the principle. HERE
This is an important point so if you are still having a problem grasping it let me know and I will try to make a sketch to illustrate it.

Regards, Allan.....

I only comment to back up Allan here (as if he needed it ).
Swap those tuners Jim, or you'll be sorry you didn't.

Thanks guys I am headed down to check them out right now and see if I can understand it so I will not make same mistake again
JIM