Steel Guitar Builder

I may have made my fingers too thick. I just started installing the pullrods and they seem to be binding a bit too quick.

Burt, you've posted images of your Marlen finger how "thick are the legs".

Also Bent I believe your first build was a pull release what did you come up with.

Mac or anyone else.

Before I do something I may regret.

It's important to have plenty of relief in the rod holes, to allow at least 20 degrees of rod movement (10 degrees a side)

Eldon, I have always used all-pull. But the problem is there no matter what. Make sure you make the fingers too thin in order to use spacers in between them. Spacers made of mild steel or aluminum can be ground to the right thickness.

Eldon -

For starters, I must support Burt's configuration of the rod holes in his second photo. Those holes could have been simply countersunk as opposed to the counterbore that it appears to be. The holes, themselves, need be larger in diameter than the rod diameter to accommodate the angles encountered. There won't be any binding there. I assume that the fingers move quite freely with finger pressure? No binding between the fingers themselves?

Ain't no harm in copying the design. Don't think that Burt would mind.

Almost as an aside, I can report that Ross Shafer told me that the fingers in the Fender PS210 were sand cast and yielded surprisingly good, friction-free surfaces. No spacers.

Richard

slight correction to Richards PS210 mention.

The fingers are die-cast then chrome plated, then the interface between the raise and lower fingers is ground flat, removing plating in that area. Once I cleaned the gudge (30 plus year old grease) off the fingers and applied a bit of thin oil the changer worked just peachy.

Burt, I should have taken a closer look at your earlier photos I didn't notice the relief holes until this post. I left the "legs" the same thickness and they seem to work well now.

Bent, appologies, I've probably read too many posts. I was sure you made a pull-release.

Ross -

Didn't get the in-between information. Just went with what I had.

Richard

No prob Ricardo, no negative intent meant. I just wanted to clarify. I may not have had the fingers out of the guitar yet to see grinding on the mating surfaces when you and I exchanged emails about the PS.

Hey Burt, Would you mind posting the all around dimensions of the finger pictures you posted. Length, width, shaft hole, etc for the finger. I would really appreciate it. Thank you in advance. I apologize for jumping this thread.

Paul

All the info is in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=390&p=2805#p2805