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Topic: Does anyone know where to get bars smoothed/polished? |
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 2 Feb 2024 11:40 am |
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I've got a few steel bars that have some imperfections/ridges that I would like to have smoothed out.
Anyone have any suggestions how to have this done commercially?
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 2 Feb 2024 12:39 pm
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The one pictured looks like it's chrome plated?? To polish the grooves out, the plating has to come off. The ridges are in the core and the plating only mimics' what is there. Is it a bar you are really fond of? It would be a pretty expensive process, to strip it down, polish it and get it re chromed. EPA has cracked down on plating, and price of a good chrome job isn't cheap. I guess that's my opinion on your bar. Unless it's sentimental or something like that, it might not be cost effective to refurbish it.
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 2 Feb 2024 12:46 pm
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Maybe I’d be better off getting them powder coated. Thoughts on that?
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 2 Feb 2024 1:10 pm
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That is the same thing. Powder coating mimics the underlying problem.
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 4 Feb 2024 6:33 am
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Find a machine shop. Might cost as much as a new bar.
If you need chrome plating, find a motorcycle shop. They will know who does plating. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 5 Feb 2024 3:15 am
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Personally, I'd replace the bar with a new Clinesmith bar - might not be worth the time and effort to find a dinosaur machinist to do it.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 5 Feb 2024 4:46 am
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| Andy Volk wrote: |
| Personally, I'd replace the bar with a new Clinesmith bar - might not be worth the time and effort to find a dinosaur machinist to do it. |
The problem is this bar is a 5/8" diameter bar, so it's probably not an available size.
PS: if anyone has any skinny bars (5/8" diameter and at least 3" in length, I'm interested).
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2024 9:06 am
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Mike,
If you have a drill press, swap out the chuck to a 3/4" chuck and put your bar in it. Then you can polish it to your heart's content.
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Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Thomas Nehrenberg
From:
Germany
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Posted 6 Feb 2024 2:55 am
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Hi Mike!
Aren't Basil Henriques products are serious consideration?!
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Wildwood Guitars D8 Console, Epiphone Electar Century 1939 Lap Steel, Fender Excelsior, Peavy Classic 30, Fender Champ...mostly A6 & E13th |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 6 Feb 2024 4:43 am
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| Thomas Nehrenberg wrote: |
Hi Mike!
Aren't Basil Henriques products are serious consideration?! |
Hi Thomas, I'm sure they're great and I have several of the better bars like Clinesmith and BJS, but the bars I am looking for are 5/8" in diameter, which I don't believe is offered. I could be wrong though.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Thomas Nehrenberg
From:
Germany
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Posted 6 Feb 2024 4:59 am
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| Mike Neer wrote: |
| Thomas Nehrenberg wrote: |
Hi Mike!
Aren't Basil Henriques products are serious consideration?! |
Hi Thomas, I'm sure they're great and I have several of the better bars like Clinesmith and BJS, but the bars I am looking for are 5/8" in diameter, which I don't believe is offered. I could be wrong though. |
Hi Mike!
I am pretty sure Basil would produce your bar customized to every dimension (incl. weight) you wish (maybe you want to contact him here via the forum and check if he has got capacities right now? I find him a great guy to deal with, but whom I tell  ...I asume you know him far better than most of us ever will  )
Anyway, I don't believe anyone would be dissatified with his smooth gliding, noiseless bars which never want to slip out of your hands
All the best fpr you Mike!
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Wildwood Guitars D8 Console, Epiphone Electar Century 1939 Lap Steel, Fender Excelsior, Peavy Classic 30, Fender Champ...mostly A6 & E13th |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 6 Feb 2024 9:32 am
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| Tony Oresteen wrote: |
Mike,
If you have a drill press, swap out the chuck to a 3/4" chuck and put your bar in it. Then you can polish it to your heart's content. |
If you stay at it long enough.......you can achieve the 5/8" diameter you are after. 
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
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Posted 6 Feb 2024 4:23 pm Polish
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Aloha Mike, I use one of these for my bars and mouthpieces, etc., different rouges..
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Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 6 Feb 2024 6:34 pm
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I would really recommend at least reaching out to Basil...he does a lot of different bar dimensions, including unique ones for Hindustani style slide. They tend to be pretty skinny.
He lists one as:
Manish Pingle Jr. Indian tone bar 118mm x 12mm 1” knurled 50gm lead core £75 was $125
If that is 12mm width at the end its pretty narrow...
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Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Larry Allen
From:
Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii
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Posted 6 Feb 2024 6:53 pm Bars
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I use the JP Bhattachurya Hindustani 5/8x2 3/4” for my 7 string Weissenborn (1 3/4 ‘string width at the nut.) . great for that guitar ..too short for my laps. 
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Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side |
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Norman Evans
From:
Tennessee
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rodger_mcbride
From:
Minnesota
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Posted 7 Feb 2024 9:58 am Tapered bar?
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I use a Gryphon Strings tapered bar that's a duplicate of the old Chase bar in Stainless steel on all my 8 string steels. 31/8" long, 3/4" at the fat end and 5/8" at the rounded tip. The end is concave too. No plating to wear or pit.
I have a slightly bigger tapered bar from Basil that I use on a T8 pedal guitar.
I also have an Amos titanium bar, again a Chase copy, but no concave end. Lighter than steel, but wrist slants only. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 7 Feb 2024 10:41 am
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Is there an easy way to tell if a bar has been plated?
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 7 Feb 2024 11:50 am
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Not easy to see if the staniless has a really good polish on it. I have a stainless steel Shubb it that has a real good polish on it and looks pretty much like chrome. With use, the stainless will start to dull up.
If it is stainless it won't be very magnetic......some grades are a little more magnetic than others, but nothing like pure steel. Most chromed parts are double or triple plated. There is generally a layer of copper or brass plating that goes on first, then the chrome. If the core of the bar is steel the magnet will stick....if core is brass or copper it won't.
This will answer any questions I'm sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsxd4oovvBg
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Bruce Bjork
From:
Southern Coast of Maine
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Posted 10 Feb 2024 1:59 pm
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My local jeweler took care of mine, no charge, he was interested in what I used it for.
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Banjo, Dobro, Guild D-40, Telecaster, Justice Pro Lite 3x5, BOSS Katana 100, Peavey Nashville 112 in a Tommy Huff cabinet, Spark, FreeLoader, Baby Bloomer, Peterson StroboPlus HD, Stage One VP.
"Use the talents you possess; the woods would be very silent indeed if no birds sang but the best" |
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Rich Arnold
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2024 6:41 pm
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I make my own bars. On a lathe. I start with one inch round bar stock stainless. If one gets screwed up I toss it. I've never tried to fix one. The final polishing I do with news paper being ever so careful not to let it get hot.
I'd like to make you one, but it may take forever to find an open time slot to schedule it.
Better to just buy a new one comercial made.
I don't know if any commercially made bars are from solid stainless. |
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