Grizzly.com and other random thoughts

[Phil_S]

While shopping the web for some tools, I stumbled into this sideline of luthier and guitar stuff on this shop tools supplier's site. From what I can gather, the president of the company has a personal interest in guitars. http://www.grizzly.com/featured/lutherie Check the price on the Floyd Rose trem bridge. Nice looking quilted and curly maple and book matched Indian rosewood sets, and guitar kits (lefties included) with unfinished/undrilled headstocks. I thought the pages are good enough to deserve mention. Understandably, I have no idea of quality. It's just that you might want to get a guitar kit to go with your new bandsaw or router table.

I was looking for bargain priced quality bottom cleaning router bits. I'm building an outdoor workbench from some 57+ year old 2x8 lumber that was removed from my roof structure when a tree came through into the house a couple of years ago. It got a little cupped while sitting outside waiting for me to invent a project for it. I'm not finished, but the top is nearly complete. After the fact, I decided the surface needs to be leveled. I'm intending to build an inexpensive sled for my router to use in planing the surface. It looks to me like the maximum amount of material to remove is about 1/8" and that seems doable to me.

So, anyone know the kid's book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? Router sled = glass of milk.

[cbass]

These are bout a million times better than grizzly bits
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite ... set_anchor

[NickC]

What does "Billet 5A" mean?

[Phil_S]

Nice explanation of wood grading here:
http://www.hearnehardwoods.com/hardwood ... ssary.html
5A is, about 80% of the way down the page, "A board that has figure "as good as it gets" or we also like to refer to these boards as "one of a kind". These board are very rare and usually used for the most precious of applications."

The term "billet" is somewhat antiquated now, but generally means quarters (as in where a soldier is housed). I suppose it's a reach, but I'm guessing it has been extended to mean quarter sawn wood, what we'd use for a guitar?

CB: I appreciate the pointer on the router bits. Unfortunately, MLCS only offers 1/2" shank bottom cleaning bits. My old router (amateur grade from Sears many years ago) only takes 1/4" bits and has a fixed speed of 25,000 rpm. From what I read, one that turns so fast needs to limit the cutter diameter to about 3/4" or maybe 7/8". I found the Magnate #2700 (3/4") or #2712 (7/8") for a little more $ than MCLS with 1/4" shank. Any opinion on this and the speed issue would be appreciated. http://www.magnate.net/index.cfm?event= ... &theID=136 click the link half way down for more information where they discuss rpm.

Edit: I think maybe I found Katana/MLCS plunge cut 1/4" shank bits that will do the job: http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite ... plung.html

I'm not really clear now about the difference between plunge cut with a bottom cutter and bottom cleaning bits. It looks like the latter have a cutter all the way across?

Thanks.

[cbass]

I wouldn't run a bit larger tha 3/4 diameter in that router

[Phil_S]

I wouldn't run a bit larger than 3/4 diameter in that router

Many thanks for this reply. It's really good to have a carpenter in the group!

[NickC]

Nice explanation of wood grading here:
http://www.hearnehardwoods.com/hardwood ... ssary.html
5A is, about 80% of the way down the page, "A board that has figure "as good as it gets" or we also like to refer to these boards as "one of a kind". These board are very rare and usually used for the most precious of applications."

The term "billet" is somewhat antiquated now, but generally means quarters (as in where a soldier is housed). I suppose it's a reach, but I'm guessing it has been extended to mean quarter sawn wood, what we'd use for a guitar?

Thanks for that! Much appreciated!

[cbass]

I wouldn't run a bit larger than 3/4 diameter in that router

Many thanks for this reply. It's really good to have a carpenter in the group!

You're probably ok up to an inch.I've run a !/2" radius roundover(1 1/4" Dia) in a similar router and noone died.But it doesn'e have the mass of a straiht bit.
Those Katana plunge bits I showed have a cutter all the way across the bottom.

[sepulchre]

Thanks for the info and links, CB. I'm just starting some cabinets (kitchen, not amp) and a coffee table and my router bit collection is sorely lacking.

[Phil_S]

Stock at this place can be spotty, but what they have seems to be both good quality and reasonably priced. Well, I suppose they have some junk, too, so pay attention! Router bits take 20 pages. I expect you can find plenty.
http://www.cripedistributing.com/hardwa ... -bits.html