I’ve been meaning to make a stand to get my guitar off the ground and a rainy afternoon was the perfect time to build this project. This piece reminds me of a gun rack, relegated to fishing pole holder, that I made in wood-shop class of my middle school years. They share many of the same design elements and both are simple, yet purposeful projects. Moreover, I’m hoping to renew my interest in learning how to play this instrument. Occasionally, I’ve picked up this guitar and played a tune, but I have yet to learn a song.
Follow along and see how a few scraps turn into a wonderful small project!
It all starts with a piece of wood
Lately, I’ve had an affinity for using reclaimed materials. The piece I’m using is made of oak boards glued together. It was salvaged from my father’s warehouse many years ago.
Cutting the board diagonally
The master plan is to craft both side pieces at the same time! By doing this, I’m hoping to reduce my labor and create two identical pieces. I’m cutting the oak board in half on the band saw.
Double sided tape is my friend!
I temporarily attach the two pieces of oak with tape.
Fun Fact: The light behind me and to the left began to flicker and hiss after taking this picture. There must have been some kind of paranormal activity happening or maybe the ballast just went out. Either way, it was an exciting time!
Laying it out
Arguably, the hardest part of any project is design. The overall concept was not my idea, but I have to decide on the structural and functional elements. Additionally, I am applying my own aesthetic.From concept to reality
Back to the band saw, I am machining both irregular side pieces at once. For me, making sawdust is about transforming a thought into reality.Hand-tool time
Time to break out the hand-tools to refine the shape. Alternatively, I could have used the disc sander, but sometimes, you have to become one with the wood.Enough with the hand-tools
The drum sander attached to my drill press makes quick work of the inside edges. This process shapes and sands out tool marks from the band saw.Radii would be nice
A round-over bit installed in the router table relieves the edges. Conversely, I could have done all of this with a file, but that would take a long time, a really long time.Up close and personal
The work piece rides along the bearing on top while the cutter below shapes the edge. Did I mention that doing this by hand would take a really long time?Drill some holes
Yeah, I should have drilled holes before I took the side pieces apart, but this is another reason why I love woodworking; there are hundreds of ways to do the same thing.
I decided to attach my project with screws. Usually, fancy joinery is my cup of tea, but I will be adding decorative buttons to the sides and they will hide the hardware.
Larger holes
I am “countersinking” the screw heads. The larger hole drilled shallow on top of the smaller hole will recess the screw and provide a place to attach the decorative buttons.Now the fun part!
That was meant to be sarcastic. Sanding is not fun, but it is necessary. I started from a 100 grit to take out any tooling marks and advanced to a 220 grit for a smooth finish.
Oh, and enter the middle support piece! In the foreground is a piece of cherry that is used to connect the sides. The material came from a tree branch that fell on our property last year.
More sanding!
Did I tell you how much I love sanding? Kidding aside, I prefer to finish sanding by hand to ensure the desired surface.Putting it together
Assembly is the second hardest task, especially for irregularly shaped objects. With a little bit of glue an four screws, this project came together nicely.
Fun Fact: Even with years of experience, I still make mistakes. Drilling too small of a pilot hole in the cherry piece, I stripped the head off of a screw. I had to drill out the screw and use an extractor to remove the damaged hardware.
Decoration
These little hardwood buttons provide an aesthetic quality and conceal the hardware below. A little dab of glue keeps them in place.Finishing
Danish oil is a beautiful finish to bring out the grain and leave the natural appearance of hardwoods. I also like it because it is easy to apply and dries fast.Ready for service
I am happy with the results. For added protection, I may place some felt at the points that contact the guitar. This would protect the instruments finish and enhance stability while on the stand.
This was a fun rainy day project. Any time spent in the wood-shop enriches my being. Now, I will be able to better protect my guitar and hopefully learn a song or two!
Nice!
Beautiful work!