How smooooooth will a router cut?

[sean79]

The only guitar body I've built was done almost 20 years ago. I didn't know people used routers and templates, so I traced a Tele at a music store, cut it out with a band saw, and sanded everything smooth with a couple different sanders (including a spindle sander).

So, if I use a template and a router to shape my next body, how smooth can I expect the edges/sides to be? Will I need to do a lot of sanding? Will I need access to a spindle sander?

[eryque]

The reason to use a template and a router is because you want to quickly and accurately reproduce a specific shape. If you're comfortable with cutting and sanding, you'll do just as well, but the cavities will be harder.

The router will indeed cut very smoothly, assuming your bit is sharp and you press the guide bearing against the template with equal force all the way around. There will be much less sanding required than if you cut close to an outline with a band saw.

[sean79]

Originally Posted by eryque

If you're comfortable with cutting and sanding, you'll do just as well, but the cavities will be harder.

I'm not really crazy about the band saw and lots of sanding method. It was just the only way I knew there was to do it back then. I did use a router to route the pickup cavities.

Thanks for the reply.