Power Tool Order of Importance

[ken cierp]

To make necks, process backs, tops and sides (thin and trim etc.) , re-saw brace materials

Band-saw
Cut-off saw
Drum sander
Jointer

[peter havriluk]

Well, I have half that list. Time to think about a jointer and a drum sander. Ken, thanks for taking the time to comment. Much oblged.

[TonyinNYC]

Get the drum sander first. I made a stacked heel on a neck once and I used my drum sander to make all of the blocks the same size before gluing. When I fitted them together, they were ready to be glued right out of the sander. Perfect joints. My sander has 60 grit paper on it, so I refined them with some 120, but I could have easily glued them straight out of the drum sander.
A jointer is not the perfect tool for joining tops and backs, but they are good for other jobs. I don't have one, so I can't say what those jobs are, but "joining" plates is not their strong suit. The edge still needs to be refined.
I have been looking at one of these little sanders for sanding small parts:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-inch-x-3 ... -2485.html


I don't enjoy sanding small parts by hand. Things like nuts and saddles. I am sure once I have it, I will find other uses for it, but I still can't see buying it, despite it's cheap price, for sanding nuts and saddles.
This little guy on the other hand, will see more of use:

And a link to the item:
http://www.harborfreight.com/bench-top- ... 42307.html

Does anyone have these tools? If so, what do you use them for?
My drum sander touches most everything on my guitars except for the neck. I sand saddles to thickness, nuts, braces, sound boards, backs, sides, sandwiches, head plate veneers, fret boards, binding, tail wedges, etc. Almost everything on my guitars has been through my drum sander at some point.

[peter havriluk]

Tony, I have a sander (Delta) that has a 30-inch belt and a 8-inch disk. Doesn't take up much more space than the 30-inch-belt-alone version and there's times when the disk comes in handy and it does a better job than the belt at sanding something flat/straight/angled at one pass. If you can keep you hands out of your pockets for a while, Father's Day is coming up and the tool vendors all peddle 'bargains' to celebrate the day. If Harbor Freight stuff still appeals, get hold of one of their 20%-off coupons, anywhere HF publishes an ad. You can subscribe to HF's e-mail and printed catalogs and they all carry discount coupons, too.

[TonyinNYC]

Thanks for the heads up Peter! I may put it on "Dad's Wish List" and hang the wish list in a very conspicuous place!

[Dave Bagwill]

And please keep your hands out of your pockets! It's disgusting.

[TonyinNYC]

Say what?