Nut / saddle Gauge for 4 string instruments

Drilling 18 2.5mm holes in the six steel fingers in every gauge with the aid of a little drilling jig is quite time consuming on the pedestal drill...so I did something to make it easier...I made a presstool/punch to make 3 holes at a time in my new two ton toggle press.
This is a pic of the innerds of the tool..the three punches in a row do the business...and the dowel pins keep it in line...and the die plate holds the work piece
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Here it is with the stripper plate fitted....the stripper plate also guides the punches on target with the die plate.
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And next in the toggle press
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Here are some of the punched out components with ends trimmed off in my other press...I punched the 3 holes at a rate of approx: one workpiece every 30 seconds...and if I fed a continues strip through the tool it would be a lot quicker than that.
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And finally some of the part assembled gauges.
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And when I've completed this batch i'm going back to building ukes again. co's i'm begining to feel the urge again:D
 
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OK, I want in on this, but I don't do PayPal. Can I just send you some US bucks in cash or "X" amount of Guiness or an International Money Order, Ken? Or some acacia melanoxylon uke sets? Email me at rick@renaissanceguitars.com if you please.
 
Actually, what I want is Ken Timms coming to my shop to make new tooling for a whole bunch of projects!

Much respect, Ken...
 
OK, I want in on this, but I don't do PayPal. Can I just send you some US bucks in cash or "X" amount of Guiness or an International Money Order, Ken? Or some acacia melanoxylon uke sets? Email me at rick@renaissanceguitars.com if you please.
Rick it's time for me to confess ...Just after Christmas 2011 I made
a couple of prototypes and I sent them off as Xmas freebies to Noted ukulele builders to try out and see if they were of any use to them and let me know if there were any problems..I sent one to Chuck and one to yourself .... Chuck got his..but your workplace address must have been closed for the vacation, co's the gauge was returned to me about 15 days later with a note saying there was nobody there to receive the package...I still have it here So I'll send it off back to you again.:)
 
As these gauges are selling a a steady rate..I have been persuaded to stick with em for a while..but first I'm going to finish off a couple of sopranos that I have started.:)
Further experiments have led me to producing a gauge for the violin family..or curved finger board instruments..this one is set for Cello at 62mm radius....A fully adjustable one is in the pipeline.
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I got mine the other day. Thanks Ken. Looks like a fine additon to my collection of usefull tools. Lord knows I have enough of those not so usefull tools:).
 
Howdy Mr. Ken,
I've sent you a couple of PM's requesting purchase of one of these useful beauties, but I'm not sure you get PM's or not, so here I am! They are way too cool (and should be featured as one of Pete's "cool tools" YouTube videos... POKE, Pete!), and I'd love the heck outta one. Just tell me what/when/where!
Thanks,
john
 
Howdy Mr. Ken,
I've sent you a couple of PM's requesting purchase of one of these useful beauties, but I'm not sure you get PM's or not, so here I am! They are way too cool (and should be featured as one of Pete's "cool tools" YouTube videos... POKE, Pete!), and I'd love the heck outta one. Just tell me what/when/where!
Thanks,
john
John ..Just for you I made one up this morning :D..It's now on E-bay..If you are quick you could get it...Here's the link. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271051169868?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

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John ..Just for you I made one up this morning :D..It's now on E-bay..If you are quick you could get it...Here's the link. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271051169868?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

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Is it weird to say I love you, Ken? If so, how about just a regular ol' THANKS! :D

DONE! Except that eBay needs the total price + shipping to the US in order to let me send you official payment.

Thank you kind sir - you have made my day, and then some.

john
 
And while Ken doesn't need a plug for this tool, I'll give him one anyway.

I got one for use in my class's, as students really seem to struggle with getting this sort of thing right. And it worked a treat. But the thing is....it works so bloody well that I use it every time I want to lay out a nut too.

So only a few more months before the snow starts to fall everyone. Keep an eye out for the next offering.
 
It is a wonderful tool!! So glad I got one.
 
Hello, Looking for one more if you have it. My dad saw mine and now he is dieing to have one....Thanks
 
To make another batch of these requires me to make another load of components..I don't mind the assembly work in fact thats the most satisfying bit..but the difficult part is manufacturing hundreds (11 per unit) of the Brass trunions/noggings in an 100 year old lathe..the accuracy of the the riveted parts are essential to the end product being useful..I'm now in the process of working out a better way to make these parts without having to scrap a high percentage..or even farm them out to another guy with more modern workshop machinary.
Here's a pic of the bits I'm talking about.
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