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Thread: How do you thin down your blanks?

  1. #11
    Senior Member eod7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BKratchmer View Post
    you might have access to a wide-belt sander and then you can make a lot of thin stock very, very quickly... but my favorite is still #1.
    This is the way I am leaning. Big belt sander and calipers to check thickness. I like to thin it down and sand out the front and back while it's still a 3x6 piece of stock. Then split it, tape together and proceed.
    One time, in band camp, I shaved with a Gold Dollar razor.

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    Senior Member UKRob's Avatar
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    I find it much easier to sand the required thickness before cutting the scales. I've done this by using double sided tape on a piece of board and then using a belt sander - taping to the board helps keep the scale material aligned better. However I bought a Luthier's friend last year and this makes accurate thinning very easy. I still use tape and a paddle but it works well on the hardest woods, horn, acrylic and I've even used it to shape wedges in brass, aluminium and nickel silver.
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    Senior Member blabbermouth
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    eod7 likes this.

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    Senior Member eod7's Avatar
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    Now, see, that's what I'm talking about. Awesome! I am going to make one of those this weekend. I already have sanding drums and a drill press.
    One time, in band camp, I shaved with a Gold Dollar razor.

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    Senior Member UKRob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by eod7 View Post
    Now, see, that's what I'm talking about. Awesome! I am going to make one of those this weekend. I already have sanding drums and a drill press.
    Well, I wish I had your abilities - I had to buy one from Stewmac AND have it shipped to the UK. It was after using this that I started to have the scales a lot thinner than I had previously. Before then I was working with Ebony and Rosewood and even allowing for the belt sander, I was still doing lots of hand sanding - the Stewmac just makes life so much easier.

    I hope your home made version works just as well. Happy holiday week-end.

    Rob

  6. #16
    I used Nakayamas for my house mainaman's Avatar
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    If you do not have a sander, and want to thin the stock, you can use a nice flat surface and sand paper.
    I use a granite plate in the sink, tape sand paper on it, tape the blank to my DMT and get great results. The blanks are always evenly thinned. After that hand sanding does the rest.
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    Stefan

  7. #17
    Senior Member UKRob's Avatar
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    That's a good idea but I assume you need a fairly regular blank to start with. The great thing about the luthiers friend is that any difference in thickness or even warping is automatically sanded out if you turn the blank during the process. I've had some pretty twisted pieces of horn that have worked just fine.

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    Quote Originally Posted by UKRob View Post
    That's a good idea but I assume you need a fairly regular blank to start with. The great thing about the luthiers friend is that any difference in thickness or even warping is automatically sanded out if you turn the blank during the process. I've had some pretty twisted pieces of horn that have worked just fine.
    the way I do it everything comes out very even, just have to be careful where the pressure is applied at the beginning. I too turn on either side to be sure both are even.
    Stefan

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    Senior Member blabbermouth
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    They really do work as advertised.

  10. #20
    Senior Member eod7's Avatar
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    I want to leave work so I can go work on this now.
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    One time, in band camp, I shaved with a Gold Dollar razor.

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