Thinning acoustic guitar woods

[CGHbuilder86]

What is the best way to thin acoustic guitar woods very close to the finished dimensions?

I’ve been planing the wood with a wagner-t-safe planer in my drill press, and then sanding to the finished dimensions with a porter cable random orbit sander, when I can’t have them thinned from the supplier. This method works ok but if the wood is warped a little your in trouble. I’ve also done a little hand planing, but when it comes to hardwoods for the back and sides, it’s tough.

Cost is also an important matter. Cost is always an important matter.

[Lex Luthier]

Cost is also an important matter. Cost is always an important matter.

Well, I was gonna say one of these, like I'm gonna get, but if cost is a matter, the way you are doing it is all I can suggest, or find a local luthier, or furniture manufacturer and ask nicely if they can machine your wood for you.

[CGHbuilder86]

That is an extremely nice sander. I would love to have one, but sometimes for me it’s just to hard to let go of that kind of money for one tool. I guess the lower cost stationary planers are pretty useless for this kind of work. Right?

[Scott Rosenberger]

We have that sander at the shop. A word of advice, don't buy it. the belts dont like to stay wrapped around the drum and when a 100 grit sanding belt flies off it can wreck a nice piece of wood.

If you can afford it get a wide belt sander

[daveq]

I guess the lower cost stationary planers are pretty useless for this kind of work. Right?

Which brand are you referring to? I have a Rigid 13" planer (from Home Depot) and love it. It's still pretty expensive though - about $400. The sander looked like it was $1000 so it would be more affordable.

There are some jobs that are better suited to using a sander rather than a planer so I don't know if the one I mentioned would be right for you or not.

[soapbarstrat]

I'm quite sure you can thin wood like you want to, just fine with a router/planer jig described in this section several months back. thin warped wood is really no problem since you can hold the piece down with double-stick tape (carpet or window seal tape)

[erikbojerik]

We have that sander at the shop. A word of advice, don't buy it. the belts dont like to stay wrapped around the drum and when a 100 grit sanding belt flies off it can wreck a nice piece of wood.

Man, that's tough...$1000 bucks down the drain?

[LGM Guitars]

you don't want to use a thickness planer with spruce tops, it will tear it to badly, same with a lot of figured woods, it tears the grain, a thickness sander is the best tool for the job, either that or hand planes and lots of elbow grease.

[tdog]

I have 2 Performax drum sanders...a single drum 22in and a dual drum 37in....These are great machines to have......I've never had a belt fly off.....and they are in constant use.

[lucky1]

Edited September 19, 2004 by lucky1

[Lex Luthier]

There's lots of discussion on the MIMF, in the forum section, then in the archived library discussions(you need to register to view those) about building homemade thickness sanders. However, for a job that need to be so precise, I wood prefer to buy one myself.