Build Your Own Lap Steel Guitar

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Parts of a lap steel guitar
What is a lap steel guitar?
Building a lap steel is easy
- Why building a lap steel guitar is easy
Measurement systems
- A closer look at inches and millimeters
My tiny workshop
My small workbench
My vise
Hand tools
A word on tool quality
Sharpening
- Sharpening plane blades and chisels
- Sharpening a scraper
Project One: Simple Lap Steel Guitar
- List of tools used for Project One
  - Measuring and marking tools
  - Cutting tools
  - Boring tools
  - Tools for the electronics
  - Special guitarbuilding tools
  - Clamps
- Materials
  - Wood
  - Hardware parts needed
  - Finishing materials
  - Rough calculation of material costs
- Making the peghead
  - Marking the peghead contour
  - Cutting the peghead to shape
  - Drilling the tuner holes
- Mounting the hardware
  - Mounting the tuners
  - Mounting the nut
  - Positioning the bridge
- Fitting the electronics
  - Cutting the pickup cavity
  - Cutting the control cavity
  - Making the pickup cavity and control cavity cover
- Making the fretboard
  - Marking the fret positions
  - Cutting the fret slots
  - Filling the fret slots
  - Fitting the fretboard dot markers
- Gluing on the fretboard
- Finishing the guitar
  - Finishing schedule
- Assembling the guitar
  - Wiring the electronics
  - Putting the strings on
  - Cutting the nut slots
  - Final setup
- Making the case
Project Two: Conventional Lap Steel Guitar
- Tools, wood and parts needed
  - Tools
  - Wood needed
  - Additional parts needed
  - Finishing materials needed
  - Rough calculation of material costs
- Making the template
- Shaping the guitar
  - Cutting out the shape
  - Cutting the peghead angle
  - Cutting the back of the neck
- Drilling the tuner holes
- Making the fretboard
  - Marking the fret positions
  - Cutting the fret slots
  - Installing the frets
  - Cutting the fret ends flush
- Binding the fretboard
  - Cutting the binding flush
- Binding the body
  - Smoothing the body sides
  - Cutting the binding rebate
  - Gluing on the binding
  - Scraping the binding flush
- Gluing on the fretboard
- Mounting the bridge
  - Making the string mounting holes
- Cutting the cavities
  - Cutting the pickup cavity
  - Cutting the control cavity
  - Cutting the output jack hole
  - Drilling the connection hole
- Cutting and smoothing the neck
- Inlaying
  - Cutting the inlay pieces
  - Cutting the inlay cavities
  - Gluing in the inlays
  - Filling the mahogany pores
- Installing the nut
- Finishing
  - Final sanding of the guitar
  - Scraping the binding
  - Applying the finish
  - Finishing schedule
- Making the pickup
  - Making the pickup bobbin
  - Getting the wire
  - Making a pickup winder
  - Winding the pickup
  - Wiring the pickup
  - Potting the pickup
- Assembling the guitar
  - Wiring the electronics
  - Stringing the guitar
- Final setup
  - Slotting the nut
  - Saddle and pickup height adjustment
- Making the case
  - Materials needed
  - Tools needed
- Suppliers
  - Common abbreviations
  - Unit conversions
- About the author
- About this book

Table of Contents