Introduction and question

[Russell LaRoche]

Hey all! First time here and would like to say hello to everyone.
I build custom furniture, tables, etc. full time, from reclaimed and new materials, but I also moonlight as an electric guitar builder who had been in limbo for the past 3 years until just recently. I have been developing ways to personally manufacture as much as possible having to do with with my guitar builds and have been searching for a 1" self centering plug cutter in order to make wood knobs for the controls of my guitars. I just cant find one and I don't want to have to purchase a small lathe at the moment and would prefer not to purchase a plug cutter without a center finder and have to locate center after the fact. Can anyone help with a product or alternative that would be as accurate since the knobs need to spin very true to center since it they are recessed and tight fitting within the top of my guitars as shown in the photo below.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Russell,

Welcome to the Creek! Gorgeous guitar there!

A special tool like that might be best made at a local machine shop. They could also make it with a small short pit to locate the center.

[Phil Barrett]

Maybe this would work. I assume the knobs have a shaft they go on - drill the shaft hole before you cut the knob. Use a drill press. Take a board of your knob material and drill a shaft sized hole in the back side of the board. Then clamp a sacrificial board onto the drill press table and drill the same sized hole into that. Then insert a shaft sized rod (metal, maybe) - call that the centering rod. Don't move the sacrificial board or DP table. Chuck the plug cutter into the drill press. Flip over the knob material board and place it on the centering rod. Then cut your plug with the centered shaft hole in it. Of course, you would make a bunch of them in one session.

One thing that I'm not sure about though. The knobs on your guitar seem slightly tapered. I don't think the above method could produce them.

[Russell LaRoche]

Russell,

Welcome to the Creek! Gorgeous guitar there!

A special tool like that might be best made at a local machine shop. They could also make it with a small short pit to locate the center.

I think this is the way I will go eventually once I am ready to spend that money.

[Russell LaRoche]

Maybe this would work. I assume the knobs have a shaft they go on - drill the shaft hole before you cut the knob. Use a drill press. Take a board of your knob material and drill a shaft sized hole in the back side of the board. Then clamp a sacrificial board onto the drill press table and drill the same sized hole into that. Then insert a shaft sized rod (metal, maybe) - call that the centering rod. Don't move the sacrificial board or DP table. Chuck the plug cutter into the drill press. Flip over the knob material board and place it on the centering rod. Then cut your plug with the centered shaft hole in it. Of course, you would make a bunch of them in one session.

One thing that I'm not sure about though. The knobs on your guitar seem slightly tapered. I don't think the above method could produce them.

I'm gonna give this a try. Sounds like it could be accurate enough. I can do without the tapered knobs for right now anyway. Thanks for the great idea!

[Frank Ashmore]

If you have a drill press turn them on that

[John Coloccia]

Hey all! First time here and would like to say hello to everyone.
I build custom furniture, tables, etc. full time, from reclaimed and new materials, but I also moonlight as an electric guitar builder who had been in limbo for the past 3 years until just recently. I have been developing ways to personally manufacture as much as possible having to do with with my guitar builds and have been searching for a 1" self centering plug cutter in order to make wood knobs for the controls of my guitars. I just cant find one and I don't want to have to purchase a small lathe at the moment and would prefer not to purchase a plug cutter without a center finder and have to locate center after the fact. Can anyone help with a product or alternative that would be as accurate since the knobs need to spin very true to center since it they are recessed and tight fitting within the top of my guitars as shown in the photo below.

Hi, Russell. Nice guitar. I build guitars too. One of the models I used to make was a mahogany back with a flame maple top, and mahogany neck. What fingerboard are you using? I tended towards Pau Ferro. That's got to be one of my favorite combinations, both in terms of looks AND tone. Looks like you maybe used Paduak?

Anyhow, you can do this pretty simply. Drill your knob, and then rough cut on the bandsaw (or however you want). Now, you build guitars, so I'm assuming you have a disc sander. Now, you make a little jig for you disc sander. It's just a piece of plywood that covers the platform, and a little stop piece screwed underneath do you can push it up against the platform and register it at the same depth everytime. Stick a dowel (or whatever) in the plywood, stick the rough knob on the dowel, and push it into the disc. Turn the knob, and voila.

Please be careful. The thing CAN spin, though it's much less likely if you do it like this rather than attempting this on a drum sander. The drum sander works too, but it will want to take the knob and spin it into next week. Anyhow, you can make this as complicated or simple as you want, but a piece of wood with a stop is probably as complicated as you'll need since it looks like you know your way around woodworking and you can see all of the little pitfalls and potential dangers with this technique and keep yourself safe.

[Paul Wunder]

The guitar is beautiful. You do fine work.

[Russell LaRoche]

Hi, Russell. Nice guitar. I build guitars too. One of the models I used to make was a mahogany back with a flame maple top, and mahogany neck. What fingerboard are you using? I tended towards Pau Ferro. That's got to be one of my favorite combinations, both in terms of looks AND tone. Looks like you maybe used Paduak?

Anyhow, you can do this pretty simply. Drill your knob, and then rough cut on the bandsaw (or however you want). Now, you build guitars, so I'm assuming you have a disc sander. Now, you make a little jig for you disc sander. It's just a piece of plywood that covers the platform, and a little stop piece screwed underneath do you can push it up against the platform and register it at the same depth everytime. Stick a dowel (or whatever) in the plywood, stick the rough knob on the dowel, and push it into the disc. Turn the knob, and voila.

Please be careful. The thing CAN spin, though it's much less likely if you do it like this rather than attempting this on a drum sander. The drum sander works too, but it will want to take the knob and spin it into next week. Anyhow, you can make this as complicated or simple as you want, but a piece of wood with a stop is probably as complicated as you'll need since it looks like you know your way around woodworking and you can see all of the little pitfalls and potential dangers with this technique and keep yourself safe.

John, thanks for the input. I can see the idea you described being a valuable option, and especially if I want to put a taper on the knob as I could drill a specific angle through the plywood base that sits on my disc sander. I will be having a go at the ideas shared with me within the next week.
BTW, the fretboard is cocobolo on this one.

The guitar is beautiful. You do fine work.

Paul, thank you for the kind words. Enjoy your weekend!

[John Coloccia]

especially if I want to put a taper on the knob as I could drill a specific angle through the plywood base

I like keeping things simple. I'd probably just glue a little shim under the platform to get the angle I want.

Be careful with that cocobolo, eh. I hope you'll post some more of your work in the musical instrument section.