Cutting a body..

[Maher]

ok guys i have a question, I dont have a Bandsaw to cut out my body and i hear jigsaws are not great for cutting bodys, so i was thinking could i use my jigsaw to cut a template from 10mm ply and then route around it doing small depths each time?

thanks

[shakyhands]

I'm about to attempt my first also. I was thinking along the same lines as you basically. I was going to cut a template out of ply with jigsaw, then I was going to sand or file it to the marked line. When happy with it I was then going to cut body with jigsaw, then attach template and using a trim bit in the router (with bearing) I was going to clean up sides of body this way.

I'm no expert at woodwork and this would be my first real attempt with a router too.

[Simo]

I've been thinking using the same method as you Shakyhands, I'm using an 800w jigsaw for cutting my bodies out, it's taking me a long time to sand the edges afterwards. But it does work well, I can rough cut a body in less than a minute no problem.

[MzI]

i have a bandsaw and what i do is i make my template first, then draw a line on the body from the template, then i go to the bandsaw cut within 1/8- 1/4" then i put my template on the body, hold it on the body however you do it , then use a pattern bit to follow the template and a nice clean body comes out, the big factor is keeping the jigsaw blade straight and not angleing towards the body too much and then making sure your template is perfect

MzI

[shakyhands]

Its all trial and error (hopefully not too many errors) like any attempt at learning a new skill. For now I'll be using the jigsaw and router.

[jay5]

You can certailnly do it with a template and a router but I would HIGHLY advise rough cutting the body out first. You will put unnescessary(sp?) strain on the bit otherwise. Try rough cutting with the jigsaw first. One thing to be super careful about with this method is when doing curves. A jigsaw blade will torque on curves and while you might not see it on the top, you will be cutting inside your line on the bottom. I messed up a perfectly good blank doing this. Anyway, just be careful, go slow and you should be in good shape.

[PerryL]

What you wanna do, is on the inside curves, make relief cuts, right up to the line. The outside curves aren't too bad with a jigsaw.

[Dugz Ink]

I just used my router table to cut the basic shape for my first project out of two pieces of wood... without a template. It was almost as easy as steering a water buffalo by twisting its horns.

Thankfully, I just wanted get the general shape... not make a precise cut.

D~s