Sketchup models

I have created a few Sketchup models that you can use in your own shop design drawings. Simply load up Sketchup and open 3d warehouse. Click onto advanced search and enter terrymck or tmcwoodworks in the Search by Author field and you will see a load of RecordPower and Startrite models I have created.
At the moment these comprise:

• Record Power (Startrite) MDE-HCE dust/chip extractor
• Record Power DX1000 dust extractor
• Record Power CX3000 dust/chip extractor
• Record Power TS200C table saw
• Record Power BBS100 oscillating spindle sander
• Record Power AC400 air cleaner

I don't work for Record Power but have been using some of their great products. I'll add more models in the future.

Shop update (updated with ductwork)

I've got the shop layout on the Google Sketchup drawing board again and moved everything about .. again. It is so easy once you have everything measured (and to scale) to move things around to suit your workflow. My wife and I had a look inside the existing shop last night and made notes of the items I hadn't included on the layout. No sense in designing something and leaving all the existing stuff out in the back yard.


I have tried to maximize the available space by moving upwards.  If it's good enough for skyscraper designers it's good enough for me. The shop internal height has been increased by about 300mm (1 foot) and the pitch of the roof increased from less than 15 degrees to around 18 degrees. The shop is around 400 square feet and it's housed in an existing 2 car garage.

Main layout. Entry door is left side at the lower edge.
Main double doors are on bottom side.

That has given considerably more storage room at a higher level. It also means that some of my taller friends won't bang their heads on the trusses as they do now! (Dave and Ethan you will know what I mean).

Dunluce II-L lapsteel

Here is one of my designs for a six string lapsteel guitar.
The guitar is tuned in G6 that is, from lowest to high, B G E D B G although any tuning can be used.

The full specification is below:

Dunluce II-SC "Rapter" Guitar

Dunluce II-SC Rapter

Dunluce II SC Rapter

Specification:

• 6 string double cutaway electric
• Nut width 43mm at headstock end. Made from bone.
• 25.5" scale length
• 21 fret finger board
• Schaller M6 machine heads chrome
• Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB (Jeff Beck) in the bridge position
• Seymour Duncan SH2N-4C Jazz in the neck position
• Schaller hardtail bridge with thru stringing

Dunluce IB bass guitar

Here is a few pictures of the construction of this simple bass guitar I made very much based upon the Fender Precision bass.

Dunluce IB Bass

The body is made from ash, the neck is maple and rosewood.
The scale length is 34" and the bridge is a clone fully adjustable.
The electronics are really basic having a single Seymour Duncan Basslines SPB-3 Pickup Quarter-Pound pickup, a volume and tone control. That's it!

I made the neck flatter than normal with a 14" radius and the normal 20 frets. All the hardware is chromed high end Schaller.
The neck is just bolted on with 4 screws and the strings are standard 40 to 100s.

The tone however is pure 60s thud and ideal for rock, soul, R&B, jazz (to a certain extent) and most other genres. The Seymour Duncan SPB-3 is a higher output pickups and works well into most bass amps or DI's straight into the desk.

I finished the guitar with traditional Lake Placid blue nitrocellulose paint with clear gloss nitrocellulose lacquer over the top.

Chest of drawers drawer pull (handle) template.

I have just been into the shop and made the template for the drawer pulls for the chest of drawers.

I used my sketchup drawing and marked out one half of the handle.
I then cut this out using the bandsaw, oscillating spindle sander, files and sandpaper. Then taking the one half I used some double sided tape and stuck it to a piece of 1/4" plywood I had left over from another project.
Using the bandsaw I cut as close to the line as I could. Then using a bearing guided router bit in my router table I was able to cut exactly to the line. I peeled the half template, flipped it over and stuck it symmetrically opposite.

Roof trusses

As part of my plans to upgrade my shop from it's old un-insulated asbestos roof to a smart new steel insulated roof I came across the problem of roof truss design. My existing shop has 4 roof trusses with a span of about 2.2m in between each. Also the trusses bear upon brickwork at the ends forming the gable and a 60mm thick wooden "joist" over the top of each door (in the centre of the door span!).

Now I know this roof is not exactly heavy and has stood for over 30 years but the design of roofs and the various regulations/code have changed too.
I decided, not only to raise the roof truss lowest level by 300mm, but increase the number of joists and change the pitch angle to about 18 degrees. The existing one is just less than 15 degrees and is not acceptable. Raising the roof truss lower level necessitates extra masonry and lintels.

Chest of drawers

I've finally finished the 2010 Woodwhisperer Guild summer build chest of drawers! Well not quite as I still have the drawer pulls to make. I've made this for some friends.
Here are a few photos of the finished article sat in my dining room while it cures and a some construction pictures.

Finished - French oak and sapele

Baritone Guitar - Dunluce III-B

This is the Dunluce III-B baritone guitar that is currently under construction.
This is a similar shape to the thru-neck Dunluce III but has a bolt on neck.
The top is bookmatched Imbuia (Ocotea porosa) from South America. I saw the wood at Bill Quinn's (ToneTech Luthier supplies in Stockport) and had to have it.
I haven't decided what sort of hardware/electronics that I am going to put on it yet.

The neck is my signature mahoghany/maple stripes/ebony with a double acting truss rod (rod supplied by Tonetech).
I have made some inlays in red abalone in the arabesque pattern.

The guitar is 24 fret, 700mm scale length with a 12" radius fretboard.

I have a lot of work left to do: routing the pickups, carving the front, shaping the rear, sanding, finishing and the electronics etc. The shop re-model is taking priority at the moment so the guitar will just have to wait.

In the meantime here are a few photos:

Guitar overall design

Shop Re-modelling

Currently I'm in the process of re-modelling my shop. This is a standalone 2 car garage which was built in the 1980s. It has an asbestos roof and this needs replacing. I have already designed the new roof and interior using Sketchup and have engaged a builder to do the work.
Shop external dimensions are 5.5 m x 6.9m (approx 18' x 22.5') giving a total of around 400 sq feet.
Here are a few images of the new shop roof from my Sketchup 3D model.

New trusses in place with purlins

TMcWoodworks - Dunluce III thru-neck guitar

Being a hobby woodworker I make a multitude of projects from stringed instruments through to fine furniture.
Here is one of my recent guitars:


This is the Dunluce III 6 string electric.
Specification

24 fret double cutaway 25" or 635mm scale length
2 humbucking pickups made by Taylor
Bridge: Schaller Hannes Ruthenium
Machine Heads: Schaller M6 Locking Ruthenium
Bone Nut
Body: Figured sycamore wings over mahogany/maple
Neck: Through neck made from mahogany with maple thru striping
Fretboard: Ebony 24 fret fingerboard with MOP inlaying and 12" radius
Electronics: Custom electronics giving 12 distinct sounds from different switching combinations.
Finish: Gloss nitro-cellulose.