A fun "production" run this week

[Frank Ford]

I just finished up an intensive (for me) bit of spare time machining. It's the kind of thing I like to get into - in this case a batch of 100 tools to sell. The repetitive operations are enough to make me think about fixturing, and the batch is small enough to keep boredom at bay. And, it's the kind of thing that pays for my overindulgence in tools.

The tool is an idea I started working a couple of weeks ago on the suggestion of one of the guitar repairers in our shop. It's pretty exiting for me to think up a tool, and actually make stock for sale all within a such a short time span. Here it is - a gizmo to hold a guitar output jack while tightening it from the outside of the instrument:

In action:


Not a new concept - it works like a pipe extractor I saw, by jamming an eccentric cam when you turn the shaft:



Should be a time saver for those of us with loose jack issues.

I photographed and wrote up a full story on the job so I'd remember how did each operation to save time for the next batch. It's posted on my Web site, here:

JACK THE GRIPPER

Cheers,

Frank Ford
FRETS.COM
Gryphon Stringed Instruments
My Home Shop Pages

[Your Old Dog]

Pretty neat! I made an expanding mandrel type thing to accomplish the same thing for some loose jacks. Your design might actually allow for more tightness as too much meat on mine and it started to slip although it did do the job.

[Lew Hartswick]

My concern with the approach is the possibility of raising burrs on
the barrel contact area of the jack. Otherwise great idea. It would
have been usefull in the instalation of many phone jacks in my
previous "life". Even when the back is accessable there is realy no
suitable surface to hold the jack by while tightening the nut.
...lew...

[Nick Carter]

Glad to see someone else who loves the turret knurling tool! Unless I absolutely can't use one (length can be an issue), I always do. I love that you can get any angle knurl you want, rock solid, fast, etc. Sometimes I mount in the tailstock, but for my monster 1" shaft one (I have three different size ones) I usually mount it in a boring bar holder. And they work well in the turret too!

Nick

[Frank Ford]

Yeah, I really like that turret knurl tool. In fact, I've taken to using my Aloris scissor tool in a similar way. I set the tool a taste smaller than the diameter of the work, and plunge in, rather than tightening the scissor on the work.

[topct]

A very nice time saver. I am going to get one.

Thanks

[Swarf&Sparks]

Great idea
All we need now is another tool to tighten the jack nut on a strat

[Frank Ford]

Working on that one now. Probably will be a socket with a hole in it, or something simple like that. Currently, I use a ground down 1/2" box wrench, which I suppose will go back to Sears for replacement when I get the socket style worked out. . .

[topct]

Great idea
All we need now is another tool to tighten the jack nut on a strat

It looks like the tool might just slip inside of a shortened "hollow" nut driver.

[JoeFin]

Nice touch Frank

I was thinking expanding mandrel from looking at the pic but the eccentric cam would be the better choice.

Years ago I had "Stars Guitars" in SF rework a 59 Gibson EB for me. Not the average rock star's bass guitar, but like the guy told me, "I would be the only kid on my block to have 1"

[Orrin]

Very clever, Frank. Great idea! Outstanding workmanship, too.

Thank you for posting.

Orrin

[SGW]

Thanks for posting that. Your "how-I-did-this" writeups are great. Every one you've done has yielded at least a couple hints or tricks I didn't know about.

[A.K. Boomer]

A solution to an age old problem, Very nice Frank, would it benifit from a knurl on the holders handle end too? a double wedgie effect? (might end up just grid locking it so you get less effect huh?) I have to deal with stuff like this on cars constantly -- but its much bigger stuff, the solution is an impact gun, I have a little 3/8ths unit that does some pretty intricate work cuz I can dial it way down -- although I dont think id try it on your guitar! (it would prob. rip the wires right out of her)

[Carld]

The expandable mandable idea may be a better aproach and easier to make. Also it would not leave marks on the bore.

[A.K. Boomer]

Now-now,,, those arent "marks" -------- they are strategically placed electrical "contacts" uhhh, right Frank?