Need Help on building a Hubcap Guitar

[T-Gripped]

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!!

[Engblom]

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.

[BrianQ.]

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? 

[T-Gripped]

Thanx Brian. Will check that out!!

[Taffy Evans]

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

[BrianQ.]

Keep it together T

[T-Gripped]

guilty as charged... thanks Brian!

[T-Gripped]

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

[BrianQ.]

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!!

[BrianQ.]

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!!

[Uncle John]

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.

[Michael Fred Johnson]

Here is a drawing of a hub cap guitar construction

[Michael Fred Johnson]

The finished guitar and more photos of the construction