Tools you didn't know you wanted until you had them

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Biednick

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I thought it'd be fun to start a thread about tools we use all the time, but might be less common than other tools. We all know how useful bandsaws, chisels, etc. are but there's a whole world of tools that don't really get mentioned.

For me that tool would have to be the Veritas detail palm plane by Lee Valley. It's adjustable so you can fine tune the grip for your hand. I find it perfect for shaping bracings after gluing them in. I use strips of basswood that I glue in unshaped then use the plane to bring the height down and taper the sides to a point on the top. I then do a couple of passes to round off the top edge. After shaping I use a chisel to taper the ends. The small size and comfortable grip make it a very pleasant process. They offer 4 different versions, but I've only used the flat one. I don't see the others being too useful for uke work. Out of the box it needed a bit of honing but that's pretty typical. Until recently I did the same job with a small block plane which is more versatile, but I'm glad I have this in my tool box now.

Link to product: http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/Page.aspx?p=67716&cat=1,230,41182
 
Ah Lee Valley... I visit daughter in Noreth battleford every year and make pilgrimage to LV and buy all of their 3M sandpaper whcih I cannot freely get here in the UK.

Unlike every other maker I know I preshape all of my braces before gluing them in place. For this I use two LV products. One is the cornering tool: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32682&cat=1,230,41182,41200 and the other their contour sanding grips: http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=20183&cat=1,42500 and for genral sanding their preppin weapon can't be beat:http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=69552&cat=1,42500

I could go on - the list of their general list of woodworking tools that have a useful application to lutherie is extensive. Go on, spend some money!
 
I saw Robbie O'Brien video review a glue bottle a couple months ago and had no idea that you could improve one so much. I bought 5 of the Babebots from a supplier in Australia and gave some to friends for birday presents and kept one for myself. We all are just amazed at how good the product is.

For those in the USA you could get them at lots of places I would imagine, but Robbie's link is to the ones at LMI.
http://www.lmii.com/products/finishing/adhesives/glubot/babebot
 
I think this is my favourite. For me it beats a dedicated vice - just clamp it into the parrot vice for instant nut & saddle capability. Very well designed and made, which I guess is reflected in the price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Luthier-T...465759?hash=item2a6acd4c5f:g:ue8AAOSwvg9XarhB

Those glue bottles look interesting! I'm using tattoo ink bottles, but the nozzles constantly require attention to keep clear.
 
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The tool I use a lot that I had in the kitchen for ages before it migrated to the shed is the Y handled vegetable peeler.

https://youtu.be/hwpjJeD4_3M

I started with a $6 kiwi brand but the $7metal handle Ikea one and the $2 Kmart one work well too.
 
This vise is a ripper, pretty much the only vise I use anymore, you can clamp it almost anywhere. Would not be without it.
 
Titchtheclown said:
The tool I use a lot that I had in the kitchen for ages before it migrated to the shed is the Y handled vegetable peeler.

https://youtu.be/hwpjJeD4_3M

I started with a $6 kiwi brand but the $7metal handle Ikea one and the $2 Kmart one work well too.
Click to expand...

Great tip, thanks!
What kind of wood is that you shaved in the video? The job went fast!
 
Tenor said:
Great tip, thanks!
What kind of wood is that you shaved in the video? The job went fast!
Click to expand...

That was just pine but it is just as quick on meranti and only a little slower on tassie oak. Needless to say the harder the wood the harder the work and tassie oak in particular has a preconceived idea where it wants to split and can peel in front of the peeler resulting in a splintery effect.
Great for roughing out. Sometimes it goes better than others. I just did a cbg style neck in meranti that only required a little bit of sanding but have on occasions switched to other tools quite early on.
 
That vice Dennis is a copy of the Zyliss - the one British luthiers have been using for over 40 years. They regularly come up on eBay - I have 3. They certainly are very versatile and useful. I added a parrot vice a few years ago and would have the Zyliss style first and thena parrot style vice. The recent ones available in the UK are sadly not engineered well and require fettling - the tommy bar sticks with fine dust so the hole in the lead screw needs broaching.
 
A table saw fretting blade, and a laser pointer for my fretting sled. The laser pointer makes it very easy to make fretboards in odd scale lengths once I print out a paper template.

AQKN8154[1].jpg
 
Pete Howlett said:
That vice Dennis is a copy of the Zyliss - the one British luthiers have been using for over 40 years. They regularly come up on eBay - I have 3. They certainly are very versatile and useful. I added a parrot vice a few years ago and would have the Zyliss style first and thena parrot style vice. The recent ones available in the UK are sadly not engineered well and require fettling - the tommy bar sticks with fine dust so the hole in the lead screw needs broaching.
Click to expand...

Hi Pete,
I confess I used what I thought was the Zyliss photo off the net, couldn't be bothered taking the camera to the shed.
I have the Zyliss myself, super vise.
 
Mutantmoose said:
A table saw fretting blade, and a laser pointer for my fretting sled. The laser pointer makes it very easy to make fretboards in odd scale lengths once I print out a paper template.

View attachment 101540
Click to expand...

I have a laser sight (after market add-on) on my drill press, but have never seen one for a table saw. Wow.... very clever!
 
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