Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by colin mcgrath on November 28, 2012 at 7:14pm

I have seen several diagrams on the installation of a wood neck to tin box. I think even one of the groups has info about this. It seems tin-snipes and drill bit would be the basic tools needed. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on November 28, 2012 at 8:29pm

Hi Jon,

I am assuming you want a square hole to insert the neck. Right?

When I have to cut such a hole in a cookie or cake tin, I use a hammer and a nail to pound a series of small holes to outline the area I want to cut. To pound in holes, the tin needs to have some sort of support from underneath. I usually use a block of wood of suitable dimensions for this task. After punching the holes I use a pair of wire cutters, sometimes called "dykes" (sp?) or "nippers" and simply nip the tin between the holes, working my way around the circumference of the hole. More recently I have used a "H" shaped "nipping pattern" and then simply bent (using pliers) the upper and lower "tabs" in and all the back and up against the side of the tin. This saves a bit of work and the resulting hole is not as "rough" on the two longer bent-back edges. I suppose we could use an "X" shaped nipping pattern to get all 4 sides of the hole bent back with a nice "smooth" (not rough cut) border to the hole. With the "X" patterns, the tabs you bend back are triangular in shape, whereas with the "H" patterns the tabs are square or rectangle. Hope you can follow what I'm saying.

-Rand.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jon Leslie/Runaway Veal Music on November 28, 2012 at 8:35pm

Great. Thank you so much!!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on November 28, 2012 at 8:41pm

I was still re-editing my response when you responded. Try to refresh your browser page for my final version.

-Rand.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Pifer on November 28, 2012 at 8:52pm

Jon, If you are working with tins I suggest 2 tools. The first would be what are commonly referred to as tin snips-more specifically "aviation shears" They come in 3 versions; left hand curves and circles, right hand curves and circles and straight line cutting. If I remember correctly the handles are color coded. Red is for cutting to the left, green for the right and yellow for straight. Wiss and Stanley are 2 brands that come to mind. Prices are usually $15 to $20 for a pair. Try Lowes, Home Depot, Sears or an Ace Hardware store. All I have ever need are the straight cuts. Unless you are a sheet metal mechanic left and rights probably are not necessary for the type cutting we do.  The next is a "Nibbler". Try Radio Shack, their part number is an HT-204 nibbling tool. The price is usually around $16.

Good Luck

John

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on November 29, 2012 at 12:31am

Jef Long has a good method using a Dremel tool. Cut so you get flaps that fold into the box rather than removing material. Easiest way is to make triangle flaps on the short sides of the rectangle joined by a single cut on the mid horizontal axis. Fold the resulting triangle and trapazoid shape flaps into the box and use them to secure the neck with small screws. Jef has a couple pictures on here somewhere.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on November 29, 2012 at 12:50am

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/tin-box-attaching-the-ne...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on November 30, 2012 at 2:17pm

Yes, I remember this discussion. I guess Jef's cutting pattern could be described as ">--<".

If you all read the entire discussion, it goes on to talk about how Jef mounts his magnetic pickups in his tin guitars parallel to the neck and it works on the principle of picking up the vibrations of the "tin" soundboard (the "tin" of cake and cookie tins is magnetic, so it's actually made of steel or iron and coated by another non-oxidizing metal, perhaps through an anodizing process.) This is in contrast to how the rest of us mount them perpendicular to the neck with the pole pieces aligned with the strings. An interesting concept for other tin box guitar makers to consider!

-Rand.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on November 29, 2012 at 5:24am

I've tried a couple different ways but after about 30 of these instruments the method I usually use is to scribe the shape of the thru piece on the tin and then using a small drill bit, make a series of holes following the line. I then use a stout razor blade knife to connect the dots and open the hole. I leave the top part of the hole intact and bend it back into the tin so it can be attached to the thru piece. And yup I've cut my finger a few times either with the razor blade or the jagged piece of tin. Much prefer the razor blade cut!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on November 30, 2012 at 2:19pm

Using a pair of nippers (wire cutters) will save on bloody fingers! Using razors or box cutters seem like a very unsafe practice to me.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jon Leslie/Runaway Veal Music on December 1, 2012 at 8:41pm

When leaving the flaps of the tin after cutting and attaching to the neck are you attaching the cutouts on the top or back of neck. In other words my tins cutouts face the playing side of the guitar..if you get a chance could you send a photo?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Busyhands Slim on November 29, 2012 at 11:44am

The tin-body uke I built had a bolt-on neck, so no elaborate cutter was required. I just used a step drill to bore a hole for a 3/8" bolt, which went through a neck block inside the tin, the tin, and finally into the heel of the neck. I also added a screw through the bottom of the tin to keep the neck block from sliding around during installation. After 8 months, the neck angle is still perfect, so the method must work OK.

But, to your question, I second the recommendation of aircraft shears and a nibbler. I use these all the time for other sheetmetal work and they are the basic, essential tools for that kind of work.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page