You will need some essential guitar building hand tools to tackle this project. Many of these hand tools are common woodworking tools you may already have. Regardless of how automated you have made or intend to make your process, in making guitars there will still be a good amount of work that will have to be done by hand. You might as well learn how so you can be successful.
To use your hand tools properly you need to be relaxed when you work. If someone looks awkward or is straining while using their tools they simply don’t know how to use them properly. I can always tell how much experience someone has by how well they handle their tools. Learning how to use your tools properly will pay dividends. You will be more comfortable working and you will produce better results. You will also not expend as much energy when you know what you are doing. If you are flailing all over the place you are wasting motion and energy. There is an optimal way to work and the good news is you can learn how.
CHISELS
You will definitely need a set of chisels to make your guitar. I only use the four sizes listed below. If you are using chisels on softwoods like spruce and cedar the chisel needs to be very sharp. If not sharp the chisel will crush the fibers of these woods and not cut them. Chisels are sharpened just like plane blades. Learn to use them and sharpen them properly
Recommended chisel sizes for guitar building:
- 1/16″ or 2mm (available where Japanese chisels are sold)
- 1/8″ (3mm)
- 1/4″ (6mm)
- 1/2″ (12 mm)
GOUGES
I simply love carving. I’ve been woodworking a long time and one thing that I am especially grateful for is learning how to do early on is carving. Gouges and knives are the ultimate hand tools and they have many uses in guitar building. For building guitars you only need a couple of gouges and a knife but to use these tools properly you’ll need to develop some skill. To get skill you need practice. There are tons of simple carving projects that can get you started. To carve your gouges must be extremely sharp. If not too much force is required to make a cut which will always lead to disaster.
FILES & RASPS
Files and rasps are hand tools that are used in just about every craft from metal working to woodworking. To build a guitar you will need some files and rasps. For certain tasks these tools are your best bet. Shaping the wings on a bridge as pictured on the left is a prime example where files and rasps are the best tools for the job.
Rasps
Rasps cut quickly. For guitar building you only really need one, a #50 pattern makers rasp. Pick this rasp up at an industrial supply company if you can. It will only cost you more at a luthier or woodworking supply company. This rasp cuts very fast and is a tapered half round often referred to as a “rat tail” shape. I use this rasp to set the shape of the barrel o the neck after initial shaping with the spokeshave.
SAND PAPER
It is best practice to use your hand tools for most of the work so there is very little sanding to do when you are done. In the shop the coarsest grit sheet sandpaper I have is 220. I usually have on hand 220, 320, 400 and 600. I use micro mesh in 2400, 3200, 3600 and 4000 grits for finishes.