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Thank you all - I was concerned that the saw might just not hold an edge to its teeth, so its reassuring that what I'm getting is what was to be expected, i.e. hard work and slow progress! But I knew that before I started. Particular thanks to Custard for this suggestion: I'll give that a go...

I am ripping a 3/4 inch mahogany board, 14 inches wide, into two thinner 14 inch boards. A brace of one-piece guitar backs, in case you wonder why. The board is ex a Victorian wardrobe, so probably Central American. I'm using an old, no-name 26 inch handsaw which is 5tpi and I've sharpened rip...

I'd have thought laminated boards would be more stable = less risk of cupping etc. And the appearance would be identical, unless the join were visible in the moulding. So, better product for the same money, from the client's perspective.

Phone is no good for eBay. Use the online system and it's fine - seems slow, but compared to going to court ...

Agreed, this is the way to get your refund. Though not sure whether a dispute on the basis that item is "not substantially as described" wouldn't be more appropriate. That has worked for me every time there was a problem, full refund within 15 days. UK law is pretty pointless for small disputes...

If meths won't shift some marks, naphtha (lighter fluid) probably will and is safe on most finishes. But try in an inconspicuous place first. Test out the meths first too - this looks like a small workshop guitar, so it's possible the finish is shellac which meths dissolves.

More sanding needed until you reach the bottom of the tearout. When making ukuleles with figured wood I often find that a couple of coats of shellac helps to stabilise "fluffy" grain - wipe on, let dry, sand away until smooth, reapply shellac if I go through it all. It will sit in the bottom of...

A method I sometimes use is to make a saw cut, place a card scraper in the slot, and then saw a slot next to it. I now have a slot 1 saw kerf + 1 card scraper wide. If I need wider, add shims on the non-saw side of the scraper. I'm sure this slightly reduces the set on the scraper side of the...

I'm not the world's greatest sharpener, but I'm sure I could get a usable edge using the 400/1000 diamond stone. My guess is your technique is wrong, maybe pressing too hard and/or unintentionally rounding off the edge rather than sharpening. Try like this: 1. Wet the 400 grit side, then...

Last time I bought boiled linseed oil it was a couple of pounds for a bottle (half litre?). Do you need to pay the extra for Duchy Original organic?

Bugbear is The Man! 6BA screws arrived today and, lo, Cinders shall take her banjo to the gig. I know, I know, if only I owned a micrometer all this hoohah could have been avoided. And the tuners work more smoothly with the right sized screws (unexpected, the slightly undersized 3-48s still...

Unintuitively, this might be something to talk to a luthier about, if it's one split and otherwise finish restoration. Invisible repairs to splits are standard fare, as are high gloss finishes (acoustic guitar makers, not violin makers). That would be for if you want to keep it and make it look...

I plan to store them the traditional way, all mixed up in the same tin together with miscellaneous metal items whose purpose I've forgotten..

Micrometer? I make things out of wood, and if I get within 0.5mm I'm content. All those neat-looking joints on my musical instruments are made by attaching bigger bits and then planing/sanding them back to fit. I buy in metal stuff, when I can't scrounge it from the folks on here :) After lots...

So nearly, but not quite :( The thread in the fourth tuner I fitted (and it always has to be the last one) has been damaged by the misfitting countersunk screw that was in it, so the UNC screw slips. Fortunately the right sized screw (I have two) still works in the thread, so the old tuners...

Hurrah! UNC fit. Though, holding them up to the light against the original screws (both in front and behind), the UNC are just a fraction thinner. But the threads mesh, and the new screws run all the way down the tuner posts without binding or feeling loose. Bugbear, you seem to be the BA...

Thanks again to all posters. 6BA is next on my list if the UNC ones don't fit, and that's a useful link CheshireChappie (looks like I can choose steel or brass, steel would be more in keeping I think). With friction tuners like this it's easy to strip the internal thread by using a screw that's...

Should have been clearer MikeK - I did look at the link (100 for $7) but guessed at $20 shipping, good to hear it's only $10. Even so, that's a bit wasteful to discover that I don't need 3-48 but rather 6BA. So I've invested around £1.50 to try out 3-48 screws (with sub-optimal head) from a...

The 6BA tip is v helpful - I thought these were not easily obtainable. Plenty of eBay options. The shafts of my pegs are fully threaded, and I see that BA and UNC have different pitches. I have ordered some UNC, and if they don't fit I'll try 6BA. McMaster Carr could help if I wanted a few...

Thanks AndyT and CHJ for looking. Unfortunately anything shorter than 5/8 won't work. What I think I'll do is buy 5 cap screws (£2.50 delivered) and cut slots in them for a screwdriver blade. These are black, so will disappear against the tuner button. If they fit at least I know the size I...