Routerbit question.

I just found a 52mm(about "2in.) ballbearing bit.
Using this I can rout a body in just one pass.
I`ve done it before with two shorter bits,one with bearing at top and one with bearing at bottom.
I`am a bit worried about using this longer bit with a handheld router.
Any suggestions?

I just found a 52mm(about "2in.) ballbearing bit.
Using this I can rout a body in just one pass.
I`ve done it before with two shorter bits,one with bearing at top and one with bearing at bottom.
I`am a bit worried about using this longer bit with a handheld router.
Any suggestions?if you can make sure there is not much wood left.
normaly the safe way is not deeper than the half of the router bits diameter.

do you call it a jiggsawe? ore band sawe juse that to take as much wood as you can an finally run the bit

It is going to be tricky with a handheld router.Like was mentioned before,if there is very little wood to remove you might be able to do it.It would be much easier,and safer,if you had a router table.Jack has posted a couple times a inexpensive and very stable router table.

For a one pass route the best bet is to band or jig saw first. If your good with either you should not have a problem getting to within a 1/16 of your template or pencil line

Routing at that depth/thickness should be done to remove wood only not cut through it. If you do try a one pass without "cutting away" and the the wood has a funky grain, it could actually close on the router bit and the torque from the router could pull it from your hands. Could be very dangerous!

"Cutting away" will also help keep the blades cooler which means sharper longer.

Don't forget ear and eye gear!

Good luck!

kc

I would not recommend one-pass routing in any circumstance unless you only have to remove 1/16th or less wood - or you have a spiral bit. :grin:

Jeez, I hope that is at least a 1/2" shank bit. It doesn't really sound controllable to me, not to mention that 2" is way too big to cut out 'Leo's revenge' on the upper bout.

Good points from Nick and Rodeo!

I do plenty of router work at work. Have only done one tele body though. I jigged it first and then did a hand held with 1/4" top bearing for my template and flipped the body and did a bottom bearing using the routed edge as my guide.

If you go with "light" passes you can always take more off! It's alot harder to put it back on!

kc

I think you're asking for trouble. Using a 2 in. long bit would be more dangerous and more likely to result in damage to your workpiece. I have a question for you ..........What's your hurry?

Forget the dangerous part and chances of damaging your expensive body blank. What if you can rout the body shape in 4 minutes and it takes me 15? So what? It's not a race.

Even routing 2'' pine would be asking for trouble, much less a hard wood.

It would be much easier,and safer,if you had a router table.Jack has posted a couple times a inexpensive and very stable router table.

What model table? I did a search but couldn't find it and I've been thinking about picking one up.

I'm very happy with this bench top router table that I built. It replaced an earlier home-built table that served me for more than 20 years. The melamine top provides a smooth no-mar surface. The table is easily clampled to a workbench with large gripper clamps. The height of the legs allow removal of the router motor without tilting the table back.

......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/New%20Album/RouterTable.jpg

If I needed a fence I'd just clamp a straight edge to the top. However in my time building a few guitar bodies and necks, I've never needed a fence

Wikur -

I use a 2" bit (1/2" shank) for routing my bodies (cherry, maple, mahogany, alder, black limba) with a handheld router. I transfer the design to the blank then cut it pretty close to the line then reattach my template. Like KCKC said, don't try cutting through the wood...only cut away the leftover. You may need to rethink your defenition of "one pass"...it will still take you a few passes over the same area to remove the wood safely.

I have yet to damage a blank (knock on a body blank), but you should see the possiblity of doing so.

Take your time. Use caution and some common sense and you should be fine if you want to do it this way... I always say - find a process that works for you and that yields good results and go with it.

Best of luck to you with your build...

If I needed a fence I'd just clamp a straight edge to the top. However in my time building a few guitar bodies and necks, I've never needed a fence

How did you rout the truss rod channel? Table saw?

How did you rout the truss rod channel?
There's a Porter Cable Micro-adjustable edge guide on the back side of the router. The edge guide rides on the edge of the curved channel jig.

......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/Neck%20Building/RoutingTrussRodChannel.jpg
......http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/jwells393/Neck%20Building/TrussChannelJig.jpg

Jack,

Have you done a thread on making a neck? I'm doing my first build the "penny-caster". Body from left over mahoganey etc, pinching pennies for parts.

Would love to make the neck but haven't found a good "tutorial" so I was thinking about a maple/maple on ebay.

Any thoughts?

kc


Sorry guys - wasn't my intent to to "Jack" the thread.

Ahh.... the router jig.

Jack,

Have you done a thread on making a neck? I'm doing my first build the "penny-caster". Body from left over mahoganey etc, pinching pennies for parts.

Would love to make the neck but haven't found a good "tutorial" so I was thinking about a maple/maple on ebay.

Any thoughts?

kc


Sorry guys - wasn't my intent to to "Jack" the thread.

Hey Paul,
can you get us a rim shot emoticon?

I take it that was a silly question?:oops:

kc

Have you done a thread on making a neck?

I started a neck building thread .......... still haven't finished it. It stops at the point of installing frets. The tools I've bought for neck building probably cost more than buying a neck. However it can be done without many of them.

Jack's still uncompleted neck building thread. (http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/79699-building-one-piece-neck.html)

Jack, that was awesome! True craftsmanship.

Thanks. I just might give it a shot!

kc

I haven't tried to trim a guitar body in one pass with a handheld router, but I do it all the time with doors. A couple of considerations:
1. Half inch shank bit - no way a turned down 1/4" shank is going to hold on for that much cutting.
2. Big big router, like 3-1/4 peak horsepower, 15 amp (basically the biggest universal motor you can get, usually this beast is in my router table but it comes out for big jobs). If a smaller router is bogging down and straining, then chances are the bearings aren't made for that stress, either, and it wil lbe vibrating more than a big one will and your cut won't be smooth. You're not hogging out holes for a handrail on a deck, you're making fine cuts for a musical instrument so make sure your tool runs smoothly enough.
3. Some kind of guide system like a long straightedge or pattern/tmplate for the ball bearing to ride. Big bits never get used freehand.
4. If you're trimming something thick to shape, then don't cut more than about 1/8" at a time. Band-saw or jigsaw the rough shape first.
5. If you're making your own guitar bodies, then you've got the woodworking skills to build yourself a router table. Mine evolved from a benchtop box to a freestanding unit with shelves underneath and a hookup for a dust collector. Sears has little switch boxes you plug the router and dust collector or shop vac into, and it puts the on/off safely in front of the router table so you don't have to reach under to turn it on or off. Gets the workpiece up high where you're not hunched over a workbench. Also you can use something called a starting pin, which helps pivot the work into the spinning bit in a more controlled manner than you could with a handheld router.