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Need Help on building a Hubcap Guitar

I have been given a couple old hubcaps (rather heavy) which I want to build into 3-stringers. Many questions:

1. Is there an online tutorial you can point me to?

2. What are some good ways to attach the neck?

3. I will have to purchase tools for metal working... thinking a Dremel. Which model should I consider?

Any additional pointers greatly appreciated!!

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Permalink Reply by Engblom on December 11, 2022 at 1:26am

I feel like I am not really qualified to write anything as I have not built anything myself, but from what I have learned I suspect those hubcaps might not be really ideal if they are heavy, as you write.

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on December 11, 2022 at 10:43am

Hey T, here’s a video of a hubcap build, there’s actually a few videos of diy hubcap cbg’s on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvwRKHbPLA&t=218s

To the new builder, you will soon find out that we do not follow the rules, so with that said, we make guitars out of anything, including hubcaps?

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Permalink Reply by T-Gripped on December 12, 2022 at 11:35am

Thanx Brian. Will check that out!!

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on December 12, 2022 at 10:59am

Hi, a photo of the hubcap would help come up with a design suggestion. Do you plan to use the hubcap as the front, or the back with a wooden soundboard/top? I would find it hard to offer sound advise re your hubcap as they are all different.
Cheers Taff

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on December 12, 2022 at 11:33am

Keep it together T

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Permalink Reply by T-Gripped on December 12, 2022 at 11:40am

guilty as charged... thanks Brian!

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Permalink Reply by T-Gripped on December 12, 2022 at 11:40am

3 pix of what I would like to build. Both hubcaps as the front.

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on December 12, 2022 at 11:45am

Uncle John will chime in soon, he has built some? I myself have only built one, I basically just used the neck-thru style that we build our cbg’s with? I cut a square hole on each side with a cutting disc on a dremel & folded it back like a tab so I could screw the neck to the hubcap? It was like building a neck-thru cookie tin banjo, really? Taff, don’t look for too much acoustic fidelity out of a hubcap, however, they really do shine with a hot pickup!!

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on December 12, 2022 at 12:04pm

Those are some nice ones!! I have a later Ford hubcap laying on my patio but it’s plastic painted to look like cast aluminum? keep us posted with your progress!!

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on December 13, 2022 at 4:04am

T, I have admired your builds for years and know you can figure it out on your own. I think sometimes people cut into the hub cap for a neck through. On my Hudson Terraplane diddley, I did NOT want to cut into the hubcap. I kind of make a cradle for it in the neck - even had a circle cut out of thin plywood for the cap to sit on. I did drill small holes in the back of the cap (where it would have gone into a wheel) and attached it with cable ties. Looks good from the front. Not so good from the back.