Hello! I recently added pictures of some stands I made and have gotten amazing feedback. Thanks Guys! I was also asked to post a 'how-to' so here we go. Also feel free to ask questions about anything, I'm always interested in hearing people's opinions. Also, this is my first post and if I made a step too vague just let me know and I'll correct it for ya.
What you'll need:
Safety Glasses
A bandsaw or jigsaw depending on which your better at working
A power sander; I used a stationary belt sander
A small hand saw like a coping saw or hack saw
Screw driver
Screws (at least an inch and 3/4 long)
Wood glue
sand paper (varied coarseness; definitely fine and super fine)
3 C-clamps
Power drill
2 drill bits (1 very small for pilot holes and 1 smaller than the head of your screws MAKE SURE ABOUT THE SIZE)
File and rasp
The material of your choice (My Tonewood Special version uses only tonewood, looks good and if you get tired of using it as a stand you can make it into a damn fine instrument)
The last and most important thing you'll need is a stash of cool drinks and an imagination!
Ok to start off have your safety glasses handy all the time, you'll be using power tools alot during this build. Have your side materials cut to about 30 inches long about 6 1/4" wide and an inch thick. Your bottom piece is also 30" long and 7 1/4" wide and an inch thick. The neck slot piece is 30" long, 3" wide and an inch thick.
Making sure all your materials are cut to the appropriate sizes take some sandpaper and sand in all down smooth, except for the neck slot piece, that comes next. Take your time on this step, having everything sanding will ensure a snug fit between each piece.
Now that everything is sanded and clean, take your neck slot piece and decide how many instruments your stand is gonna hold. My Tonewood Special has six slots and can fit two flat top acoustic guitars and three electric guitars/CBGs comfortably. How I got the positions for the slots is measuring the thickness of the biggest instrument you're gonna have on the stand and add between a half inch and 1-1/2 inch to it (this depends on the number of instruments. After you've got your distance, make a mark exactly that far down the slot piece. After you make these initial marks, go an inch out on each side and make another mark. This will be your slot. Repeat this until you have the desired amount.
Now it's time to cut. Turn on your bandsaw, or jigsaw, and cut halfway through your slot piece on those marks. You may need to make additional cuts to remove the excess wood so take your time. After you've cut all your slots, sand the whole piece smooth, slots and all.
Next it's time to position your slot piece and bottom piece. Take both your side pieces and lay them on top of each other. Make them as even as you can this is an important step. First take your bottom piece and stand it up on one of the the side pieces. Position it far enough from the bottom that it won't rub should the stand get scooted. I position it at a slight angle, but no so much to where my flat top will slid off easy. After you have it set, take a pencil and carefully mark exactly where the board is. Do the same with your slot piece however high you need. Try to match both angles as close as you can. After you've drawn these lines take two C-Clamps and fasten the two sides together. NOTE: Place your slot piece as far to the back of the stand as want can so that your instruments can lean more (or less)
Now take your drill and your bigger bit and drill out two holes on each line. With the holes drilled, unhook your clamps and clean up the holes. This was the biggest part for the sides, now you can make them your own. I cut out Delta style curves on my Tonewood stand and rounded them and the tops out on my belt sander. This step is completely yours but be sure to leave enough area around the holes for structural integrity.
After you've shaped your sides, it's time to assemble your new stand.
Take one of your sides and line up your bottom piece on the holes. Now get your drill and the smaller bit and drill out some pilot holes. IMPORTANT: make sure you drill in the center of your bottom board! Too high or low will mess up your board. After drilling pilots on both sides, put your screws in to pre-fit the holes. Then, remove them and assemble the bottom half of the rack.
Repeat the above step for the slot piece. Next test fit your biggest instrument and if it's to your liking, then congratulations you now have a homemade stand! Now put a small line of glue on the underside of each end of your slot piece and bottom piece at the joint and she's solid!
I hope you've enjoyed this project as much as I did! I'll post pictures just as soon as I can.
Thanks y'all!
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
Replies